Daily Thoughts from Acts: Christian Conflict (Acts 15:36-41)

And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.  (Acts 15:36-41 ESV)

When Luke told us that John Mark left Paul and Barnabas on their first trip he didn’t let us know that Paul considered it irresponsible.  Paul now doesn’t want to take Barnabas’ relative (Colossians 4:10) and the two butt heads over it.  Because they cannot agree, Barnabas, always the encourager and minister to problem kids like Paul, takes Mark and returns to Cyprus, his homeland and the site of the ministry he and Paul had at the beginning of their first missionary journey.  He is doing follow up and most likely seeking new converts. 

Paul takes Silas, the prophet who came up to Antioch earlier from Jerusalem to bring the decision of the council to this church.  Paul and Silas return to the churches in Asia Minor or modern day Turkey that Paul and Barnabas planted on the first trip, but this time they go by foot in reverse order of the trip they took by sea.  They travel north from Antioch through Cilicia (where Paul’s hometown of Tarsus is).   They seek to strengthen the churches they planted as well as plant new churches. 

Should we be scandalized by this disunity between Paul and Barnabas?  Yes and no.

Paul himself advocated unity among brothers in most of his epistles and makes it clear in Philippians that the root of our disunity is self-centered agendas, what Paul calls “selfish ambitions” (Philippians 2:3).  What could Paul’s selfish agenda be in this case?  He could want a successful mission with no failures on the part of his team.  He wants a perfect team.  Barnabas selfish agenda could be wanting at all costs to support his relative, John Mark.  There are undoubtedly unselfish aspects to both of these agendas, but the higher agenda should be the gospel and the Spirit’s direction on how to carry out its proclamation.  We get no hint here that either man asked the Holy Spirit what they should do.

On the other hand, neither of these men were in disagreement or disunity about what the gospel was and how it should be proclaimed.  They were maintaining the unity of the faith, if not the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-6).  They, in effect, doubled the outreach possibilities by splitting up, and we never hear of either of them in any way bashing the other.

And it is satisfying to see that at some point Paul came around and reconciled with John Mark.  Mark became a co-worker on Paul’s missionary team on his third journey, as evidenced by his remarks about Mark in his prison epistles:

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), (Colossians 4:10,ESV)

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. (Philemon 23–24, ESV)

It is also evident from Paul’s second imprisonment letter to Timothy at the end of his life:

Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11, ESV)

Is there anyone you need to reconcile with and bring honor to Christ and the gospel by doing so?