Disagreement between brothers
Acts 15:36-41
Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John also called Mark with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him because he had deserted them in Pamphilia and had not continued with them in the work.
They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barbabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord, He went through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches.
This story in Acts has such a disturbing and disheartening element in it: strong leaders, Paul and Barnabas, fellow laborers, Spirit-filled, bold, risking their lives for the name of Jesus Christ, getting into an argument that ultimately results in a split, each going their separate ways.
Barnabas, emerging on the scene in Acts before Paul, was given the name Barnabas by the disciples. It means “son of encouragement”. When Paul came back to Jerusalem after his encounter on the road to Damascus and his conversion, it was Barnabas who took him to the disciples, who were too frightened to let him join them, fearful of his previous zeal in persecuting the church. But big-hearted Barnabas was able to convince the disciples of the miracle that God had done in the heart of Paul.
It was also Barnabas who was sent out to the church in Antioch to encourage the new Christians. “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith” Acts 11:24. Barnabas sought out Paul to come to Antioch, and there the two men joined forces in their labor for the sake of the gospel. The Spirit led them on the first missionary journey from there. John Mark, cousin of Barnabas, joined them but left them halfway through to return to Jerusalem. This must have highly disturbed and disappointed Paul and Barnabas.
Barnabas and Paul labored on, and after experiencing rejection from the Jews, they focused on bringing the good news to the Gentiles. One in heart and mind, Paul and Barnabas came before the council of Jerusalem together to defend their stance on the requirements for the gentile believers to be part of the church.
Such upstanding men, godly, self-sacrificing, humble, and of one accord, working for the name of Christ, getting into an argument that was not about a fundamental faith issue, but a disagreement on principles. Maybe Paul felt very strongly about what Jesus said in Luke 9:62: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” But perhaps Barnabas, as son of encouragement, also saw that past failures do not exclude changes in someone’s heart and growth in faithfulness in the future, and wanted to extend a second chance to a fellow worker in Christ.
Some of us have been part of or at least witnessed this same heartbreaking occurrence of discord between godly people. We all have our ideas of what unity in the church looks like, such as being of one mind, heart, and spirit. No divisions, just brotherly love, and being full of grace for one another. But maybe sometimes our view of the church is too idealistic. The reality is we DO get into arguments; we have different opinions and can feel very strongly about them. It might even get heated at times. The question is, how do we handle it?
We understand that there are non-negotiable issues that are the fundamentals of the gospel. But then there are issues that can lead to differences in interpreting principles. And we might just have to leave the matter with the Lord in some of those situations, instead of taking sides and promoting division. We are also called to “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19), and we are not always doing so well in the listening part. In this world, disagreements will always exist, but we can have faith in God’s sovereignty and His providence that He is able to overrule such disagreements for good. In this situation, Paul and Barnabas going separate ways doubled the manpower in spreading the gospel and the work of the church. Sometimes God works in our hearts and through these seemingly gospel hindering arguments, He is able to change hearts, reveal what is in them, and bring repentance that might be used mightily in other ways.
We also have to remember that our differences do not have to destroy the love for one another. We might find that after some time, we have to revise our opinion on a matter. Let’s pray for one another if we think they are wrong for God to bring clarity to the issue, but ask His blessing over them inasmuch as they walk in the truth. Paul, in later letters to the churches, speaks highly of John Mark, even asking for him–“Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” 2 Tim 4:11. Both Paul and Barnabas possibly had a great influence on John Mark: on the one hand, that he needed to be faithful in his service of the gospel, but also that there is grace and hope when we fail and fall.
None of us have arrived yet and can join Paul in saying, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Phil 3:12
“Love never fails…. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” 1 Cor 13: 8a, 9-10.
Praise be to God, that we can have confidence that He who began a good work in us, will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.