Asked by Robert Ogden ⁽²²⁷⁾ 22 days 12 hours ago. (More question by this person)

Paul said Mark "is profitable to me for the ministry." 2 Tim. 4:11 KJV. Why is this surprising?

The answer is found earlier in the new testament.

Answer from Bruce Horst ⁽¹⁶²⁾
Bruce Horst 22 days 8 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
   Selected as Best Answer!   
I believe that Paul took Mark along on his first missionary journey and somehow Mark failed, him, because Paul refused to take him on his second missionary journey, but here Paul says Mark was helpful. This is probably recorded in the middle of the book of Acts, but I can't seem to find it. Or maybe I'm completely wrong!

Comment from Robert Ogden ⁽²²⁷⁾ 22 days 2 hours ago.
You nailed it, Bruce. Paul and Barnabas fought over Mark's bail out; Paul took Silas while Barnabas took Mark on a subsequent trip. I used this illustration this morning in devotions at home and at school to encourage second chances and not quitting.

Question: God wrote the book of Mark through what human author? Yep! Mark!This story makes me ashamed when I'm ready to toss in the towel over some little discouraging thing at work or elsewhere.

Answer from E. Raymond Rock ^(3,087)
E. Raymond Rock 21 days 22 hours ago. More questions answered by this person)
Because "there is no credible evidence that John, named for the apostle, was even written by the actual Apostle named John. Luke never knew Jesus. Mark was a consort of Paul, who himself never met Jesus. That leaves Matthew, the tax collector. Modern scholars question that Matthew wrote the Gospel of Mathew, and its date is placed later than Mark, between 70 C.E. and 80 C.E." (This answer was posted on my comments by an anonymous commenter!)