Acts 15:38-41

Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to our text for this morning, which is Acts chapter 15, verses 36-41.

Acts 15:36–41

Before we take a look at this morning's text, I would like to give a brief recap of some of the recent events recorded by Luke in his account.

We're not going to go all the way back to chapter 1, but we're going to back up to chapter 11.

Luke's account, I've said to you before, I like to call the Acts of the Risen Jesus, because it is a record of the extension of Jesus' earthly ministry.

He is now ascended, he is seated at the right hand of God the Father, but he is working by the agency of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the church.

This recap will serve our understandings of this morning's text by setting a stage with the characters contained within it.

It's an interesting text before us.

So let's begin our recap halfway through chapter 11.

Chapter 11, if you'd like to turn back a few pages, beginning in verse 19.

Luke writes,

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen.

Luke's referring to Stephen, the first Christian martyr, martyred in Jerusalem.

He's arrested, put on trial, makes audacious accusations to the Sanhedrin, and they have him stoned.

And because of this event, a great persecution arises in Jerusalem.

And by that, God swings open the gates of Jerusalem and the gospel goes forth to the known world.

Luke records, chapter 11, verse 19.

Because of the persecution, they traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists.

And the Hellenists were Greek converts or Gentile converts to Judaism.

They spoke to the Hellenists also preaching the Lord Jesus.

Verse 21.

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.

For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.

And a great many people were added to the Lord.

So Barnabas, because of the great many people, Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul.

It is not until chapter 13, verse 9, that Saul is introduced as Paul, which was his Roman name.

Verse 26.

And when he had found him, Barnabas finds Saul, who we know as Paul.

He brought him to Antioch.

For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people.

And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

In the following, after verse 26, a prophet named Agabus informs the church in Antioch of a coming famine.

A great famine that would plague the land.

So the church decides to send aid to Jerusalem by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

So Barnabas has journeyed.

He's gotten Saul.

He's brought him to together for a year.

They've ministered to the church in Antioch because it's grown in number.

Too much for Barnabas to handle by himself.

He brings Saul along.

So Barnabas and Paul begin their formal recorded ministry together in Acts chapter 11.

Acts 11 · chapter mention

Then in chapter 12, Luke kind of jumps location of narrative.

Now we saw right at the end of chapter 11 that Paul and Barnabas are sent with aid.

So this is the bridge to back in Jerusalem.

What's going on back in Jerusalem?

Luke tells us of the martyrdom of the apostle James and the arrest of Peter.

The miraculous deliverance of Peter from the prison and the death of Herod.

And then in Acts chapter 12, verse 25, Luke says,

Acts 12:25

And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service,

bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.

So it appears that Barnabas and Saul have been in Jerusalem for this entire event.

If you're familiar with the story, there's a great number of believers gathered together praying for Peter as he's imprisoned.

It's likely that Barnabas and Saul are there in that house ministering amongst the saints and praying for Peter.

So, at the end of chapter 12, we see that Barnabas and Paul are joined by a man named John Mark.

And all we know about John Mark up to this point in Luke's narrative is what he tells us in Acts 12.

When Peter realized that the Lord had rescued him from Herod, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John.

There's lots of Marys in this day.

Mary, the mother of John, whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

So, we learn that Mark, John Mark, is a brother.

And he's likely, he doesn't say it specifically, but he's likely at this place meeting with the fellow believers

and making earnest prayer for Peter.

And that brings us to our text today.

So, a little bit of background.

And we'll get more into some events that happened with Paul and Barnabas and John Mark.

But to kind of bring us up to our text for today, Acts 15, verses 36 through 41.

Acts 15:36–41

Beloved, this is God's word to us.

It was written for his glory and our good.

We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.

And I start reading in verse 36.

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 it 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.

This is our text for today.

And it's a difficult text for our study this morning.

Not because its meaning is unclear.

There's not some deep theological meaning that we must unravel from it.

It's laying there on the surface for us.

It's easy to discern.

But it's difficult because its application is difficult to discern.

What do we do with such a text?

I want either its exclusion.

This is in my flesh.

Either its exclusion.

Can we just jump over the fact that they disagreed and just say,

and they went separate ways.

Or, man, I want more details.

How exactly did this sharp disagreement go down?

Many commentators I have read over the past couple of weeks

only give a couple of sentences or a very short paragraph to this text.

Much to say about all of the events leading up to it

and all of the events that follow.

But very little.

Typically just a repetition of what the text itself says.

And there was a disagreement.

And they went separate ways.

And you go, great, thank you guys.

One commentator I use fairly often just skipped it all together.

And when, with all their pages falling out of the comment,

they just skipped it and didn't talk about it at all.

In our belief as a church that verse-by-verse exposition

is the best habit for preaching,

a text like this becomes a test of that conviction.

This is not what's been on my heart this week.

Other things have troubled me.

And then this text.

In our belief in the inspiration of the Scripture,

that is that God wrote this text.

He wrote it.

Luke carried along by the Spirit.

Through his pen, God wrote this letter.

And he included certain details.

And he excluded certain details.

We must pick it up and turn it over

and wonder why God has inspired such texts for us today.

It means something.

It has bearing on our lives today.

I love verse-by-verse exposition

because it presses me to this.

I'll tell you that if I just picked text,

this is not a text I would preach.

I might use it as some kind of a support to something else,

but I would not pick this as a main text.

So this morning I'll do my best,

certainly by grace,

to answer that question for us.

Why?

Why did it happen?

And why did God inspire the record of it?

To help us pick up a text

and see the glory of Christ contained within it?

I'm going to structure our study in the following way.

So for your note-taking benefit,

these are going to be the three points this morning

for Acts chapter 15, verses 36 through 41.

Acts 15:36–41

First, and I'll go back to these first,

the occasion for the disagreement.

We'll look at this in verses 36 through 38.

Secondly, the nature of the disagreement.

The first half of verse 39, so 39a.

And thirdly, the result of the disagreement.

In the last half of verse 39,

39b through the end of our text in verse 41.

So firstly, the occasion for the disagreement.

So note first, at the outset of our text today,

the desire of Paul and of Barnabas

to strengthen the church.

The text begins with Paul saying to Barnabas,

let us return and visit the brothers in every city

where we proclaim the word of the Lord

and see how they are.

Now what he's talking about

is their first missionary journey.

The church in Antioch commissions

Paul and Barnabas to go on the first missionary journey.

It's often referred to as Paul's first missionary journey.

Barnabas accompanies him on it.

And they go on a trip that we read about

and have discussed along the way.

Full of trial.

Full of conversions.

Many churches are established along the way.

They've returned to Antioch.

Then they've traveled to Jerusalem.

And we see in Clay preach for two weeks

on the Jerusalem council.

What happens there?

What's established concerning Gentile believers?

Whether or not they should be circumcised?

And then they carry a letter

back to the church in Antioch.

And that's where we find them.

They've now been in Antioch for many days.

They've been preaching,

strengthening that church.

And Paul turns to Barnabas and says,

hey, let's go back to where we went before.

It's been quite some time now.

And let's be sure that they're doing okay.

Let's see how they are.

Now recall that Paul is commissioned by Jesus,

specifically by Jesus,

to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

Paul is known as the apostle to the Gentiles,

which he desired to do in broadening ways.

He takes this one short trip,

beginning his first missionary journey.

His next two are much larger.

He desires at the end of his life

to take the gospel all the way to Rome

and to preach it there.

Always pressing further.

Always going beyond.

In Romans 15-20, Paul says this,

I make it my ambition to preach the gospel.

Not where Christ has already been named,

lest I build on someone else's foundation.

So there's this longing in Paul's heart

to go further,

to go to the unreached of the earth,

to preach the gospel in places

where the gospel of Jesus Christ

has never been preached.

Paul is a church planner.

Paul is a missionary.

He's a frontiersman going out

and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But he did not neglect

the greater command of Jesus.

Matthew 28, verses 18-20,

Matthew 28:18–20

Jesus said to the disciples,

And Jesus came and said to them,

All authority in heaven and on earth

has been given to me.

Go, therefore,

and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing in the name of the Father

and the Son of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe

all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always

to the end of the age.

Paul is desirous of this.

Not just to see converts,

but to see people grow

in their depth of knowledge.

In fact, often in our narrative,

we miss how much time he spends

with the churches that he establishes.

Sometimes it's not much time at all.

The place that he shipwrecked,

the island he shipwrecked on,

history holds it that a church

was established there.

He was there three days.

And they got passage on from that place.

But many of the places that he went,

he stayed on for some years.

The church of Antioch is one example of that

to deepen the believers there as well,

to teach them all that Christ

had commanded.

We see that in his concern

to return to these churches.

Some time has gone on.

How are they doing?

Has any error crept in?

Are they still being faithful

to the teachings of Christ?

In 2 Corinthians 11,

after Paul is given a long list of suffering

that he has endured for the sake of the Gospel,

he concludes in verse 28 this.

And this is astounding to me

after all of the things he lists,

the shipwreckings,

the beatings,

the stonings.

He says,

and apart from other things,

there is the daily pressure on me

of my anxiety for all the churches.

A desire to see them grow in godliness.

And so he has this desire.

And Barnabas has the same desire.

Verse 37 confirms that for us.

Now Barnabas wanted to take with them

John called Mark.

So in a very brief way,

Luke records for us,

Barnabas agreed, right?

They made a plan to go.

And Barnabas adds to that

that he would like to take John Mark along.

Who we learn in Colossians chapter 4, verse 10,

Colossians 4:10

that John Mark is likely Barnabas' cousin.

And I say like because we don't know for sure

because the word in the ESV translator for cousin

can also be used to mean uncle

and it can also be used to mean nephew.

Often Greek is so incredibly precise.

It's a much broader language,

more precise language.

In this case, not so much.

So most scholars guess

that he was his cousin.

Could have been,

his uncle could have been his nephew,

I suppose.

That's also possible.

But likely his cousin, right?

And he wants to bring him along

in order to give him a second chance.

In order to give him a second chance.

But why did he need a second chance?

If you back up a bit in our narrative

to Acts 13, 13,

you get more of the detail

of what Paul is referring to

in Acts 15, verse 38.

Acts 15:38

Paul says,

we've read this already,

but Paul thought best

not to take with them

one, being John Mark,

who had withdrawn from them

in Pamphylia

and had not gone with them

to the work.

So Acts 13, 13,

Luke records for us,

now Paul and his companions

set sail from Paphos,

which is on the island of Cyprus.

They've been on the island of Cyprus,

right?

They've seen some resistance

to the gospel there.

They've also seen many churches

planted in this place.

So they sail from Paphos

and they came to Perga

in Pamphylia.

So another city.

They land in the port city of Perga

in Pamphylia

and John left them

and returned to Jerusalem.

And that's what we know

of this event.

So we don't know for certain

the reason that John Mark left them.

That's the record we get.

John left them

and returned to Jerusalem.

But we can surmise

that he likely left

because he was afraid.

The journey that Barnabas and Paul take

heading north from Perga

was through a mountain area

that was riddled with danger.

In fact,

back to the little bit of text

I read to you

from 2 Corinthians 11,

all of the dangers listed before that,

dangers in the wilderness,

dangers from rivers,

dangers in the mountains,

dangers from thieves,

like all of that

is likely about this journey

that he took heading north.

A very treacherous journey.

And John Mark has already seen

resistance to the gospel.

And what his guess is that

he was seeing the possibility

both of physical danger

as well as spiritual danger

that was ahead.

And we know that Barnabas and Paul

encountered that, right?

Paul is stoned almost to death.

They presume he's dead

and they drag his body out

and leave it outside of a city.

He gets back up

and continues to minister

the gospel of Christ.

Further, Paul's desire

to not take him along

certainly speaks to some measure

of moral failure

on John Mark's part.

It wasn't like John Mark

needed to go back

and attend to the church

and that's why he left.

There's a reason

that this particular leaving

carries weight for Paul.

And Paul says,

no, he didn't go with us

to the work.

He left us.

The word translated

withdrawn in chapter 15,

verse 38,

and left in chapter 3,

verse 13,

can also mean

abandon or desert.

So I think it's

a safe assumption to make

that the reason John Mark left

was because he was afraid.

He abandoned the work

that was ahead of him

because he was afraid.

And Paul wants no part

of John Mark

on this return trip.

Barnabas wants to give him

a second chance.

Now remember,

this is the same Barnabas

that defended Paul

back in Acts chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

You remember Paul

was a persecutor

of the church.

He was dragging people

out of their homes

and sending them to prison

so that the church

had reason to be afraid of him.

He could have been

playing a double agent

and trying to infiltrate

the church

by pretending to be

a follower of Jesus Christ.

But back in Acts 9,

Acts 9:26

verses 26 and 27,

Luke records this.

And when Paul

had come to Jerusalem,

he attempted to join

the disciples

and they were all

afraid of him

for they did not believe

that he was a disciple.

But Barnabas

took him

and brought him

to the apostles

and declared to them

how on the road

he had seen the Lord

who spoke to him

and how at Damascus

he had preached boldly

in the name

of Jesus.

And so Barnabas

is the one

who had come

to Paul's defense.

Barnabas is not

actually his

given name.

This is another

Joseph of the Bible.

But the disciples

gave him the name

Barnabas,

which means

son of encouragement.

He seems to be

an uplifter

of those

who are

downtrodden.

And so he wants

to bring along

John Mark.

And Paul wants

nothing to do

with John Mark

on another journey

back through

the same

region.

So who was right?

I don't know.

I don't know.

I think that they both

had good desires.

I think both of them

had kingdom

advancing

desires.

I think part of

Barnabas' desire

in going back

to see the churches

and taking

John Mark

with them

was the strengthening

of John Mark

who's part of

the church

of Christ.

It's difficult

to say

if it was proper

to take along

John Mark

or not.

And Luke

doesn't seem

to make any

judgment

on the matter

whatsoever.

Some commentators

suggest that he does.

Verse 40,

but Paul chose

Silas and departed

having been

commended by the

brothers

to the grace

of the Lord.

Some suggest

that this is Luke's

account,

that the church

agreed with Paul

because you see

that Barnabas

and John Mark

just leave.

The record just says

and they departed.

But Paul chose

Silas and departed

having been commended

by the brothers

to the grace

of the Lord.

I don't know

if we can jump

quite that far.

I think probably

verse 40

is recorded that way

because Paul is

and will continue

to be the main

character in Luke's

narrative.

Luke's traveling

with Paul.

So I think he's

giving us greater

detail about what

happened after they

went separate ways.

So I can't say

that that is his

intention found

at the end.

So that's the

occasion for the

disagreement.

That's what brings

about this disagreement

between Paul

and Barnabas.

Secondly,

let's look at

the nature

of the disagreement.

Oh boy.

The nature

of the disagreement.

The first part

of verse 39

says,

and there arose

a sharp disagreement

so that they

separated

from each other.

Now,

in English

we have a phrase

which is a single

word in Greek.

Sharp

disagreement.

And the word

is in Greek

paroxysmos

which is the root

of the English

word

paroxysm.

Does anybody

know that word?

If I say that

English word

paroxysm,

anybody's like,

oh yeah,

paroxysm.

I learned it

this week.

I'm like,

oh,

the English

word paroxysm?

Okay.

You may want

to use it

in the coming

week.

Let me tell you

what it means

in English.

paroxysm.

A paroxysm is a

sudden attack

or violent

expression

of a certain

emotion.

So this word

in Greek

carries a

massive weight.

It's not any

kind of

gentle disagreement

that they have.

Paul didn't go,

I don't think so.

I'm not so sure

that's the best thing.

John Mark,

you know,

we're probably

going to have to

pay for passage

for him to leave

again.

He's kind of

proven his

merit on trips

like this.

Barna goes,

wow,

come on,

man,

give him a

second chance.

This is not

the kind of

disagreement

that they have.

Again,

this is why

I want

details.

What was

said?

The word

would lead us

to believe

that they were

yelling at each

other,

right?

A sharp

disagreement,

right?

They got in a

fight about

whether or not

John Mark

should go

on this

journey.

So,

are we to

learn from

this that

there are

appropriate

times for

such

disagreements?

If you look

at this

text,

you go,

oh,

Paul and

Barnabas,

look,

they got in

a sharp

disagreement,

right?

They got in

a screaming

match over

something and

then they

left each

other,

so that's

appropriate

in some

cases in

the church.

I don't

think so.

I don't

think so.

But let me

say this,

as we're

thinking about

this and

kind of

building it

out together,

that anger

is not

necessarily

the enemy

of

righteousness.

There is

such a

thing as

righteous

anger.

Ephesians 4,

26 and

27,

Paul writes

this,

be angry

and do

not sin.

So it's

possible to

be angry

and not be

sinful anger.

Be angry

and do not

sin.

Do not let

the sun go

down in your

anger and

give no

opportunity

to the

devil.

So there's

a proper

way to

be angry.

We don't

have time

to talk

about that

at great

length.

But let

me kind

of sum

up the

only way

that it's

okay to

be angry.

To be

righteously

angry is

to have

your anger

aimed at

offenses

against the

glory of

God.

So not

offenses of

yourself.

No righteous

anger when

somebody pulls

out in front

of you on

the road

and they

slow you

down.

That's not

righteous

anger.

Even if

you're headed

to church,

it's not

okay.

I'm going

to be late

now because

of you.

You should

have left

earlier.

It's not

their fault.

The world

does not

revolve around

you.

But anger

at heresy

being taught

in our

communities

can be

rightly

motivated.

Righteous

anger funneled

at things

that are an

offense

to the

glory of

God.

So could

that be

what's

happening

here?

So there

is a type

of anger.

There's a

time in

the life

of a

Christian

where you

might find

yourself in

a sharp

disagreement

with someone

else.

Is that

what's

happening

here?

I don't

think so.

I don't

think so.

Luke gives

us no

hint that

Barnabas was

sinning by

taking John

Mark with

him.

He doesn't

give us any

idea that

that would

be the

case.

That

Paul would

be defending

the glory

of God,

the advancement

of the

kingdom of

God,

because

Barnabas

wanted to

give John

Mark a

second chance.

I can't get

there that

that's what's

happening,

that Paul's

anger is

righteous.

I suggest

to you that

Paul and

Barnabas

entered into

a sinful

argument

concerning a

matter of

personal

preference and

opinion.

Now,

if that

feels

unsettling to

you,

it does

to me a

little bit

too,

because in

so many

ways,

Paul should

be our

hero,

but he's

not Christ.

And we

see the

moral failing

of almost

every biblical

character

presented to

us.

Not every

one.

Some of

them come

and go

quickly,

and it's

just

righteousness

and that's

fantastic.

We get so

little account

of their

life.

So many

of the

great

fathers of

our faith,

there's

record of

their failing.

And I

believe that

God pins

this for

us intentionally.

So here's

part of the

answer.

Why did

God inspire

this text?

Through the

pen of

Luke,

that we

wouldn't

worship

Paul.

He wasn't

perfect.

To be

emulated in

so many

respects.

Here he is

early in

his ministry,

I believe,

sinfully

arguing a

matter of

personal

preference and

opinion.

Beloved,

we look to

Christ for

our supreme

example of

righteousness.

Right?

Our supreme

example.

Who was

angry at

times?

The story

of Jesus

making,

weaving

together,

taking the

time to

weave

together.

He's not

shooting off

the cuff.

He takes

the time

to weave

together a

whip so

they can

drive money

changers out

of the

temple.

Why?

Because it

was an

offense to

the glory

of God.

There is

such a

thing as

righteous

anger.

I don't

think that's

what we're

observing

here.

Listen to

some of

Paul's

later writing

concerning

our conduct

with other

believers.

I think

Paul indicts

himself.

Colossians 3.13,

he says,

bearing with

one another

and if

one has

a complaint

against

another,

he does

not say

yell at

each other

and then

part ways.

He says,

forgiving

each other

as the

Lord has

forgiven

you,

so you

also

must

forgive.

So we

as having

been,

if we're

now in

Christ,

having once

been enemies

of God,

being in

sharp disagreement

with him,

God

graciously

extended to

us a

hand of

reconciliation

in the

personal work

of Jesus

Christ.

He's

forgiven us

in him

and Paul

is saying

in Colossians

3.13,

you need to

forgive in

the same

way.

You extend

a hand of

forgiveness

in the exact

same measure

that forgiveness

has been

given to

you.

Paul

writes in

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:1–3

chapter 4

verses 1

through 3,

I therefore,

a prisoner

for the

Lord,

urge you

to walk

in a

manner

worthy

of the

calling

to which

you have

been

called.

So walk

in a way

that exhibits

what God

has done

for you

in a way

that's worthy

of the

calling

to which

you have

been

called.

Verse 2,

with all

humility

and,

do you know

the text?

Gentleness,

with patience,

bearing with

one another

in love.

Verse 3,

eager to

maintain the

unity of

the Spirit

in the

bond of

peace.

So if

there was

a proper

thing to

do

concerning

John Mark

and this

trip,

I think

Paul is

suggesting

here to

us and

even to

his past

self that

he could

have walked

patiently

with

Barnabas,

led him

to the

proper

conclusion

rather than

screaming

in parting

ways.

Paul writes

in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13,

not just for

married couples,

this is written

to a church,

verses 4-7,

love is

patient and

kind,

love does

not envy

or boast,

it is not

arrogant

or rude,

and I love

this in

verse 5,

it does

not insist

on its

own way,

it is not

irritable

or resentful,

it does

not rejoice

at wrongdoing,

but rejoices

with the truth,

love bears

all things,

believes all

things,

hopes all

things,

endures

all things.

So I

suggest that

these two

brothers who

had ministered

alongside each

other for

as many as

five years,

and just

catch that,

right?

Luke's narrative

is so punchy

sometimes that

you miss the

time that's

gone on,

right?

So depending

on the

approximations of

dates and

who you're

reading,

somewhere between

three and

five years,

Barnabas and

Paul have

been together

all of

that time,

right?

Dear brothers,

partners in

ministry,

they have

fought in

the trenches

together.

They parted

ways over

opinion and

preference.

Now there is

an appropriate

time for the

parting of

fellowship amongst

followers of

Christ.

It will come

to that,

right?

There are

brothers,

that I have

in this

community,

that I am

happy to

fellowship with

on some

level,

partner for

the gospel

in our

community,

but we

could not

fellowship in

a church

together.

We disagree

on particular

doctrines,

right?

And amiably,

we can disagree.

Yeah, I just

don't see it,

right?

I can't see that

in the scripture.

I think it

could be

dangerous.

I'm not

saying that

you believe

heresy,

but maybe

you shouldn't

be a member

of our church.

These things

happen,

right?

There's times

for that,

for believers

to go in

separate directions,

but I do

not think

this was

one of them.

The evidence

for me

is the use

of the word

paroxysmos,

sharp

disagreement,

sharp

disagreement.

I think

Luke,

inspired by

the Spirit,

uses a very

particular term

to tell us

this is not

the way,

this should

have been

handled,

right?

Not with

sharp

disagreement.

Righteous anger

is expressed

in godly

ways.

On your

bulletin,

Charles

Spurgeon,

quote of the

day,

Satan greatly

approves of

our railing

at each

other.

Oh,

he loves it.

He loves it

when the church

is fighting

over preference

and opinion.

He greatly

approves of

our railing

at each

other,

but God

does

not.

Now,

I am very

happy to

report that

the relationship

between Paul

and Barnabas

appears to

later be

repaired.

We don't

get much

hint of

that.

Barnabas is

nowhere else

found in

the book

of Acts.

It drops

out of the

scene.

Paul is

definitely

the main

character

throughout

the rest

of Luke's

narrative.

I'm sure

that Luke

didn't even

know what

was up

with

Barnabas

and John

Mark

as they

traveled

around.

But there

is a hint

of this

in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:6

chapter 9

verse 6.

Paul is

making a

case for

ministers of

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ to

receive their

living by

their ministry.

And he

just says

this.

It's a

very small

hint at

this,

but in

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:6

9

verse 6,

he says,

or is it

only,

this is

tongue-in-cheek,

or is it

only Barnabas

and I

who have

no right

to refrain

from working

for a living?

So that's a

rhetorical question.

Is it only

Barnabas and I

who have

no right

to refrain

from working

for a living?

So there's

this mention

of Barnabas,

and at

very least,

as Paul's

writing to the

Corinthian church,

Paul is

commending

Barnabas'

ministry.

It would

seem that

the Corinthian

church knew

who Barnabas

was.

He's not

just some

random

character that

Paul brings

into the

scene,

but they

knew who

Barnabas

was,

so he

mentions him

in this.

So at the

very least,

it's that.

He's commending

Barnabas'

ministry to

the Corinthian

church.

At most,

and I'd love

to think this,

they ministered

together in

Corinth.

They met

back up

somewhere along

the way,

and he's

referencing a

brother who

he ministered

alongside when

he says,

is it only

Barnabas'

who have no

right to

refrain from

working for

a living.

Paul's

relationship is

also restored

with John

Mark.

In Colossians

4.10,

I mentioned

earlier,

we see that

Mark is

with Paul

in his

Roman prison.

He's

alongside him.

He's now

joined back

up in the

mission that

Paul had

set God

on.

And we

know that

God sees

fit to

use Mark

to pin

one of the

four

gospel

accounts.

It's a

wonderful

picture of

restoration

of one

who was

a

deserter

being

back

very

close

at the

center

of

God's

work

and his

advancement

of the

kingdom.

Okay,

so the

occasion for

the

disagreement,

the nature

of the

disagreement,

and thirdly

and finally

and briefly

the result

of the

disagreement.

The result.

The last

part of

verse 39,

we know

what happened.

We've said

it now a

few times.

They separate,

Barnabas takes

Mark with

him,

and they

sailed away

to Cyprus.

That's where

Barnabas was

from,

and this

was the

beginning of

Paul and

Barnabas'

ministry.

But Paul

chose Silas,

who we'll talk

about more

in some

coming weeks,

and departed,

having been

commended by

the brothers

to the grace

of the Lord.

Churches

prayed for

him,

they've

said,

God,

you're in

control,

you are

working in

the life

of Paul

and now

Silas.

They

committed

to the

grace of

the Lord,

and he

goes through

Syria and

Cilicia

strengthening

churches.

So what's

the result?

They go

separate ways,

but we see

missionary

multiplication.

One

missionary

team

turned into

two

missionary

teams.

Men that

have grown

in the

grace of

Christ

together,

learned

much on

their

journeys

together,

part ways

and bring

along new

disciples that

they train

up and

equip so

that they

can continue

to send

them out.

I'm reminded

of the

words of

Joseph to

his brothers.

You remember

Joseph's brothers

throw him in

the bottom

of a well

because they

hate him.

They change

their mind,

they pull

him back

up,

they sell

him into

slavery.

He ends

up in

Egypt in

charge of

all of

the grain

in Egypt

through a

lot of

fantastic

events.

And his

brothers find

themselves in

the midst

of a

famine and

they come

to him,

not knowing

who he is,

not recognizing

him,

realizing who

he is,

they fall

down at

his feet

and he

says to

them,

what you

meant for

evil,

God

meant for

good.

Nothing

escapes the

good grasp

of our

sovereign God.

He is

never not

in control.

He providentially

reigns over

all things,

even our

failing,

even our

sin,

God reigns

over all

of that.

Nothing

escapes the

good grasp

of our

sovereign God.

Please never

grow tired of

Romans 8,

28.

I always fear

quoting things

that you guys

should be

familiar with.

Don't grow

tired of

this.

And we

know that

for those

who love

God,

all things

work together

for good,

for those

who are

called

according to

his purpose.

God is

bringing about

good even

in the midst

of our

failures.

That doesn't

mean that we

should be

careless

concerning our

own failures.

That is not

to say to

Paul and

Barnabas,

that's cool

guys,

God's got

it,

it's alright,

no,

no,

repent.

If I'm

reading it

right,

and I believe

I am,

that they're

being sinful

here,

repent,

turn back,

be burdened

by your

separation.

We shouldn't

be careless

concerning our

own failures,

leaning on the

promise that

God will work

good,

but in our

failures,

when we do

and we will,

we should be

confident in

God's promise

of good.

Boy,

this thing has

not turned out

the way I

thought it

should.

Praise God,

he is sovereign

and working good

in all things.

So we saw the

occasion for the

disagreement,

the nature of the

disagreement,

and the result

of the disagreement.

Mission,

multiplication,

what they

likely meant

for evil,

God turns

to good.

So what does

it mean for us?

Here's some

application.

I'm going to

ask a series

of questions.

Take a little

time just to

consider these

questions for

your own soul.

Number one,

do you have

any concern

for strengthening

the church?

If we can learn

something here

from Paul

and Barnabas

in the

positive,

they had a

concern for

the strengthening

of the church.

They're in

Antioch now

many years,

two years

they've been

there,

ministering

the Word of

God to

God's people.

And their

desire to go

from that

place is to

go back to

the places

and to

strengthen

the church.

Is your

intention in

being here

to serve

others with

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ or

to just be

served?

And you

should be

served as

it's my

desire and

other people's

desires to

serve you.