Grace SensingINTRODUCTION
We live in world full of petty divisions and many foolish alliances. Maturity means growing up into a deep commitment to the truth as well as being able to tell the difference between gnats and camels. Unity at all costs will always lead to compromise, and certain wooden ideologies create brittle men and communities. We are seeking to build an anti-fragile like-mindedness, full of resilient, joyful saints, loyal to Christ and their people.
The Text: “And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do…” Acts 15:36-41
SUMMARY OF THE TEXT
After some time in Antioch following the decision of the Jerusalem Council, Paul proposed to Barnabas that they revisit the churches from their previous missionary journey (Acts 15:36). Barnabas insisted on taking John Mark with them, but Paul disagreed since John Mark had left them on their last journey (Acts 15:37-38, cf. 13:13). Remember that Barnabas was known as the “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36) who had initially brought Paul to the apostles after his conversion (Acts 9:27). Barnabas was sent by the apostles in Jerusalem to encourage Paul’s ministry, and the two of them had led the first major missionary journey (Acts 11:22-30, 13:2) and stood together against the Judaizers who said Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15:2). In other words, Paul and Barnabas had been very close, but the disagreement over John Mark was so sharp that Paul and Barnabas separated, with Paul taking Silas and Barnabas taking John Mark (Acts 15:39-41).
WHO WAS JOHN MARK?
John Mark was related to Barnabas and probably his nephew (Col. 4:10). This likely explains at least some of Barnabas’s strong feelings about the matter. After some time serving with Barnabas, Mark later became an apprentice under the Apostle Peter (1 Pet. 5:13), under whose authority, Mark wrote his gospel. It seems likely that Mark was the rich young ruler that Jesus instructed to sell everything, since he adds, “Jesus beholding him loved him” (Mk. 10:21), and he may be the young man who ran away naked from the Garden when Jesus was arrested, since Mark is the only gospel to mention it (Mk. 14:51-52). Mark fits the rich young ruler description when Peter shows up at his mother’s house after breaking out of jail – a large enough house to gather in, with servants (and suggests great piety since this was during a fierce persecution, Acts 12:12). At the end of Paul’s life, imprisoned in Rome, he asked for Mark, “for he is profitable to me for the ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11).
MISSION MATURITY
So what do we make of this sharp disagreement? Well, Paul certainly had a point: John Mark did apparently flake on the first missionary journey (Acts 13:13). We are not given any information about why he left. Maybe he had very good reasons; maybe he couldn’t take the heat. Paul felt so strongly about this, he believed it was worth dividing over. Given the rest of his ministry and the fact that the church commended Paul and Silas, I am inclined to side with Paul (Acts 15:40).
Nevertheless, Paul’s conviction was not personal animosity but a matter of ministry focus (Col. 4:10, 2 Tim. 4:11). Many Christians allow compassion and sympathy to trump duty and truth. Given the threats they faced, Paul was not crazy to want a strong missionary team. Churches, businesses, and nations sometimes need to make similar decisions, which need not be a permanent appraisal of character or gifts. This is what we may call “mission maturity.” What do we need right now to be faithful? Not knowing Barnabas’s arguments, he may have been too soft, or he may have believed that he had certain familial duties that trumped Paul’s convictions. No doubt this was a hard moment, but all the indications are that both men remained faithful to God, refused to be bitter or resentful, and the mission carried on. It is possible to disagree, go separate ways, and remain in fellowship, even if we might note that it appears Paul chose the path of greater blessing.
APPLICATIONS
The word for the “sharp disagreement” is the word “paroxusmos,” which is where we get the English word “paroxysm” meaning “convulsion” or “outburst.” The only other use of the word in the New Testament is Heb. 10:24: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” Our fierce pursuit of Christ and the missions He has assigned to us (family, church, business, community), ought to be calculated to apply godly pressure on those around us to love and obey Christ more.
In this case, the division actually did result in more love and good works: Barnabas continued discipling Mark, which apparently ultimately resulted in Mark serving Peter and writing a gospel and becoming very useful to the Kingdom. Paul ended up taking Silas with him and they had an incredibly fruitful ministry together. And this doesn’t always mean that “everybody was right in their own way;” it just means that not every disagreement, division, or mistake is fatal. Good men sharpen one another (Prov. 27:17).
Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is fire a fellow believer, so they can find the right job, so that you can provide that job to the right person. Sometimes you give an honest, mixed review/reference for an employee or business. Sometimes, faithful correction or rebuke is not received well at first. Sometimes church discipline is true love, handing a hardened sinner over to Satan so they may be saved and protecting the sheep (1 Cor. 5:5).
Christians are commanded to preserve the unity we have in Christ (Eph. 4:3-6), but there is another kind of unity we are required to pursue (Eph. 4:13-16). This means that as far as it depends upon us, we want to be in fellowship with all who have the Spirit, who are part of the body, who confess the Triune God. But fellowship is not the same thing as agreeing about everything or being able to work closely together. As we grow up into the fullness of Christ, we must work at holding these things together. Different missions require different kinds of unity. And the grace of God in Christ holds us all together.