A Study of Acts: A Conflict Arises, Second Missionary Journey Begins
Acts 15:36-41 - Can the various tools in the Carpenter’s workshop work together or will they be divided? Are you a Christian porcupine?
“After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”
Acts 15:36-41 NASB1995
I found the artwork above to be a bit of fun and also appropriate for this short passage in Acts 15 that has so much weight associated with it. Paul is anxious to return to the fledging churches that he and Barnabas started in the first missionary journey. This shows that he believed that “one and done” does not work to grow a thriving Christian community. Bringing people to Christ is one thing, but we need to have serious leaders and pastors who help us grow in our sanctification and understanding and obedience. Because some of those churches arose from those who previously were idol worshippers, it would be easy for them to start slipping in the old pagan rites, thinking that anything added to their worship would be an improvement (NOT TRUE). Or the Jewish converts could be persuaded by the wrong teachers that their salvation rested on following the law. Paul’s anxiousness to get back on the road is deeply admirable; he wants to confirm the saints and keep them on track. I like these thoughts from Jack Andrews on Precept Austin:
Too often in the modern day church we concern ourselves [more] with the physical condition of brothers and sisters than we do about their spiritual condition. People can leave the church, fall by the wayside, give up on the Lord and we never seek to reclaim them. As someone has said, “We spend more time trying to pray sick saints out of heaven then lost sinners out of hell.” This applies to us right now! Look at our weekly prayer list and the physical needs of others far outweigh the spiritual needs. Don’t misunderstand me—we do and need to continue to care about the whole person and that means their physical well being.
But if a person is getting along physically and is spiritually sick and slumbering, then that person is in need of immediate emergency help! (Jack Andrews Expository Studies)
We just started doing Prayer Chain (intercessory) prayer for the new church we joined and I was pleased to see that some of the prayer requests are for spiritual awakening and salvation!
So Paul’s long-time companion Barnabas proposes that they take John (Mark) with them on this journey. Well, this sets off a massive disagreement and a rift between the two church leaders. Paul was obviously angry that John Mark abandoned them in Cyprus on the first journey and he wants nothing to do with the younger disciple. Because they part ways disagreeably, Barnabas sails with John Mark to Cyprus and Paul partners with Silas and they head north (see the map at the end). One thing to think about is that Paul and Barnabas apparently still respected each other as teachers and evangelizers, as neither one tried to negatively influence the believers that they each found (except for Paul’s disagreement with Barnabas in Galatians 2:13). This disagreement, in some ways, actually accelerates the bringing of souls to God because now the teachers are going in two different directions.
I want to share two commentaries on this disagreement that are quite good. The first is from Jack Andrews again quoted in Precept Austin talking about the Carpenter’s Tools (I love this analogy):
Someone gave the great analogy of the Carpenter’s tools that held a conference with Brother Hammer presiding over the conference. During the conference several suggested that he leave the meeting because he was way too loud.
Bro. Hammer replied, “If I have to leave the shop, Brother Screw must go also. You have to turn him around and around again and again to get him to accomplish anything.”
Bro. Screw spoke up, “If you wish, I’ll leave, but Bro. Plane must leave too. All his work is on the surface and his efforts have no depth at all.”
Bro. Plane retorted, “Bro. Rule will also have to withdraw, for he is always measuring folks as though he were the only one who is right.”
Then Bro. Rule complained about Bro. Sandpaper. He said, “You ought to leave too because you are so rough and always rubbing people the wrong way.”
Then in the midst of the conference the Carpenter from Nazareth walked in and started to work. He put His apron on and went to the work bench to construct a pulpit from which to proclaim the Gospel. He used the hammer, screw, plane, rule, sandpaper, and all the other tools. After the day’s work when the pulpit was finished, Bro. Saw rose and remarked, “Brethren, I observe that all of us are workers together with the Lord.” It is always awesome to see the church of God work together for the glory of God! But that is not always the case.
Sometimes there are:
disputes that arise,
divisions that occur,
separations that happen,
and departures that take place.
Even among the most sincere and faithful servants of God there are times that troubles arise. Sometimes disciples cannot agree on who will serve and where they will serve. (The Jack Andrews Expository Studies – Understanding Acts - Volume 4)
And from Enduring Word:
They parted from one another: So, Paul (accompanied by Silas) and Barnabas (accompanied by Mark) split, each going out to different fields of ministry.
It is hard to know if their personal relationship was strained for a prolonged period. As Christians, we are commanded to resolve relationship problems with others before we present ministry to God (Matthew 5:23-24). It is always wrong to step over people in the name of ministry, and when it happens it must be made right.
There is no doubt God used this division; but this can never be casually used as an excuse for carnal division. God can redeem good out of evil, yet we are all held accountable for the evil we do, even if God ends up bringing good out of the evil. Either Paul or Barnabas – probably both – had to get this right with God and each other.
“But this example of God’s providence may not be used as an excuse for Christian quarreling.” (John. Stott)
Later, Paul came to minister with John Mark and to value his contributions to the work of God (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:11). We don’t know if it was Mark who changed or Paul who changed. Probably God had a work to do in both of them!
We have left two churches, the first one over a deep disagreement on heretical doctrine and the second one over a concern for how the church was using and asking for resources and neglecting their first flocks. So this has been a big part of our prayers lately, because we tend to blame ourselves especially for the second rift (it should be noted that there were many others who left because of similar concerns). Wherever two or more people are gathered, we should be in worship of Him, but it is usually a place where disagreements will occur, sadly. We are slowly entering into a relationship with another church, which seems to be working out quite well so far.
I found so many great commentaries on this disagreement that I have to share one more from Precept Austin, quoting Steven Cole:
Leslie Flynn wrote a book titled, Great Church Fights. I have never seen a copy of it, but the title makes me want to read it. I did read a story that he tells in it of two porcupines in the freezing north woods that huddled together to keep warm. But when they got close, their quills pricked each other and they had to move apart. They needed each other for the warmth, but they needled each other with their sharp quills. Church members often are like those porcupines: we need each other, but we needle each other! As Vance Havner observed, there are many “porcupine” Christians—they have their good points, but you can’t get near them! We all know that we are called to love one another. It doesn’t sound very spiritual to admit that there are Christians that we just don’t like. Their personalities grate on mine. The way that they do things is always counter to the way I do things, which of course is the right way! You cannot get involved in serving the Lord through the local church for very long before you run into someone whose personality clashes with yours. (Steven Cole)
No wonder people are so divided in this country and in this world. We are all social media porcupines, even at church!!
This map that I found on Precept Austin shows the journey that Barnabas takes in red (no further information is really known for certain about the details of Barnabas and Mark’s journey) and the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey with Silas in green. They find churches in Syria and Cilicia and strengthen the congregations.
My next devotional jumps into Acts 16, which is part one of the Second Missionary journey. I will look at Acts 16:1-5, where Paul and Silas meet Timothy in Lystra.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Please help me to work together with others of different skills and gifts to build Your house of worship. I have had a reputation in the past of being disagreeable and wanting my own way. It should always be YOUR way. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Precept Austin was accessed on 11/20/2024 to review commentary and maps for Acts 15:36-41.
Commentary by Precept Austin by David Guzik is used with written permission.