{But Paul thought not good to take with them} (Paulos de
(8878)iou--m(8820)sunparalambanein touton). The Greek is far more
effective than this English rendering. It is the imperfect active
of axio(935c), old verb to think meet or right and the present
active infinitive of the same verb (sunparalamban(935c)) with
negative used with this infinitive. Literally, "But Paul kept on
deeming it wise not to be taking along with them this one."
Barnabas looked on it as a simple punctiliar proposal (aorist
infinitive), but Paul felt a lively realization of the problem of
having a quitter on his hands (present infinitive). Each was
insistent in his position (two imperfects). Paul had a definite
reason for his view describing John Mark as "him who withdrew
from them from Pamphylia" (	on apostanta ap' aut(936e) apo
Pamphulias). Second aorist active articular participle of
aphist(886d)i, intransitive use, "the one who stood off from,
apostatized from" (our very word "apostasy"). And also as the one
who "went not with them to the work" (kai m(8820)sunelthonta autois
eis to ergon). At Perga Mark had faced the same task that Paul
and Barnabas did, but he flinched and flickered and quit. Paul
declined to repeat the experiment with Mark.