Acts 12:25 Meaning and Explanation
“And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Their relief mission complete, Barnabas and Saul return from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with them.
What Does Acts 12:25 Mean?
The chapter closes by tying off the thread of Acts 11:29-30: Barnabas and Saul had carried famine relief from Antioch to the elders at Jerusalem. Errand fulfilled, they head home, adding a companion — John Mark, son of the Mary whose house held the all-night prayer meeting (verse 12).
Luke is quietly setting his stage: the next sentence of Acts opens the great missionary journeys, and the young man recruited here will travel with them (Acts 13:5), falter (Acts 13:13), and in time be restored as one 'profitable to me for the ministry' (2 Timothy 4:11). The chapter that buried a king ends by staffing a mission — the work of God going on, by faithful errands completed and young helpers gathered along the way.
Acts 12:25 in the Original Language
diakonia (διακονία), 'ministry' -- service; here the practical errand of famine relief.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 12:25
What does Acts 12:25 mean?
Their relief mission complete, Barnabas and Saul return from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with them.