Acts Bible Study: Day 25
Today’s passage: Acts 15:36–41
Focus verse: They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. (Acts 15:39)
The church has successfully dealt with a theological disagreement without causing division. But there’s another dispute. This one isn’t theological, but personal. The outcome is different.
After working a while with the church in Antioch, Paul suggests to Barnabas that they make a return trip to revisit the towns where they told people about Jesus and established city churches.
Barnabas likes the idea and wants to take John Mark, his cousin, with them.
Paul isn’t so keen on this. “Don’t you remember? He bailed on us last time. It’s a mistake to take him again.”
They continue to discuss the idea, but instead of reaching a consensus, a sharp divide comes between them. Barnabas wants to offer John Mark grace (undeserved favor) and give him a second chance. Paul doesn’t.
Unable to resolve their differences, this once successful missionary duo breaks up. They go their separate ways.
It’s sad that they can’t come to an agreement on this. Surely God’s kingdom will not grow as powerfully as it once did when these two worked together.
Though this might be one assumption, what happens tells a different story. Both men choose a new apprentice and head in different directions.
Barnabas takes John Mark, and they go to Cyprus.
Paul picks Silas, and they revisit the churches in Syria and Cilicia.
Paul and Barnabas’s decision to end their partnership doesn’t reduce their effectiveness in reaching people for Jesus.
Instead, it multiplies their impact, for they are now able to cover more territory and tell more folks about Jesus. As a bonus, they mentor more people to move into ministry.
God can use what may seem bad from a human perspective to accomplish good and advance his purposes.
We’re left to ponder whether God orchestrated this whole thing to accomplish his ends, or if the enemy, Satan, caused Paul and Barnabas to break up, only to have God turn things around to produce a positive outcome.
Questions:
- When have we viewed things negatively from a human perspective and missed the hand of God at work?
- Considering this passage, are we more like Paul or Barnabas (or John Mark)?
[Discover more about John Mark in Acts 12:12, Acts 12:25, Acts 13:13, Colossians 4:10, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philemon 1:23–24, and 1 Peter 5:13. Though not all verses specify John Mark, the context makes it reasonable to assume it’s the same person.]
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Read more about the book of Acts in Acts Bible Study: Discover How the Early Church Can Inform What We Do Today, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
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