Investigating the Bible: Mistakes in judgment

By David Carlson Pastor

When Mike Huckabee was the governor of Arkansas, his 12-year-old son decided to bake a cake. The rest of the family left on a shopping trip and when they returned he proudly showed his father the cake, which looked delicious. Huckabee bit into a forkful of the dessert and quickly spit it out. He said, “This is atrocious!” He asked his son if he had followed the recipe. “Yes, sir,” his son replied. “I followed it exactly except for one thing. It said to add a dash of salt. I didn’t know what a dash was, but I figured a cup ought to take care of it.” We all make mistakes, some in innocent ignorance and some with intention. The apostle Paul, a godly and honest man after he encountered Jesus, also made at least one mistake recorded in the New Testament.

Paul and Barnabas had completed a successful first missionary journey, sailing from Antioch across the Mediterranean Sea to the region of Pamphylia in what is now modern day Turkey. For their second journey, “…Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.’ Now Barnabas wanted to take with them [his cousin] John called Mark. But Paul thought it best not to take the one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.” (Acts 15:36-38, English Standard Version used throughout).

It is not explained why Mark abandoned the others. In Pamphylia, jealous Jews kicked the missionaries out of the city. At another city, Paul was stoned to unconsciousness and left for dead, a frightening experience to witness. Perhaps Mark was afraid. Maybe he was homesick. Whatever the reason for his departure, Paul decided it wasn’t a good one and Mark was not worthy to join them a second time. However, Barnabas saw potential in Mark. “And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed…And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” (Acts 15:39-41).

Paul had misjudged the potential of the young man. In time, under the mentorship of Barnabas, Mark redeemed himself. He became such a close companion of Peter that the apostle lovingly called Mark “my son.” (1 Peter 5:13). And Mark, using the first-hand experiences of Peter, wrote one of the four gospels, the Gospel According to Mark. He also became the trusted helper of Paul. At the end of his ministry and life, Paul was in prison. He told the young pastor Timothy to “…Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:11). So Timothy, with Mark and others, joined Paul and supported him while he was in prison. In a short note to his fellow worker, Paul ended with: “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.” (Philemon 23-24).

Gary David Goldberg created the hugely successful television show, Family Ties. He showed the pilot to Brandon Tartikoff, the young president of NBC Entertainment, who was impressed. He would buy the sitcom with only one condition: “Replace Michael Fox”; he’s too short and not the kind of face Tartikoff could see on a kid’s lunchbox. Goldberg joked, “Couldn’t he be on a thermos?” and he didn’t back down: “I’m not doing it without him.” Tartikoff relented and kept Fox. The show was an instant success, with high ratings and awards. Later, Tartikoff told Goldberg, “I made a mistake. I’m glad you didn’t listen to me.” To tease Tartikoff, Michael J. Fox had a lunchbox made with his likeness on the lid and a plastic crow inside. Tartikoff always kept it standing on his desk.

David Carlson Pastor (yes, that is his last name, not his profession) is a Polk County resident and graduate of Bethel Theological Seminary in Minnesota (M.Div., M.Th.).