God’s Direction

Paul and Barnabas returned home victoriously from the Council of Jerusalem, bringing with them the wonderful news that Gentile believers did not have to be circumcised or adopt a Jewish lifestyle to be saved.

If the decision had gone the other way, evangelism of the Gentiles would have ended.

But now the great apostle could not wait to get going again.

Paul and Barnabas were not willing to make the mistake so often made in modern-day evangelism—that of allowing converts to go their own way without follow-up.

Direction From Conflict and Failure (vv 15:36-41)

Paul and Barnabas had worked well together.

Ever since Barnabas had retrieved Paul from Tarsus to help with the ministry in Antioch, their teamwork had been charmed with grace.

Barnabas’ relational gifts coupled with Paul’s immense mastery of the Law and his brilliant intellect produced dramatic results.

Sharing not only wounds but vision, they were soul brothers.

To be sure, they had disagreements and even occasionally disappointed one another, but never ever did they dream of being separated, except perhaps by death.

Certainly the two missionaries did not expect what was about to happen.

We cannot be sure why John Mark originally left them in Pamphylia.

Most likely it was a combination of things—the realities of missionary life with its ongoing conflicts and discomforts, sickness in Pamphylia, Paul’s growing ascendancy over Barnabas, a pampered upbringing, homesickness.

Whatever the reason, Paul considered it desertion!

The result was what verse 39 translates “a sharp disagreement.”

The Greek word, paraxusmos, is the word from which we derive our English word paroxysm, which denotes violent action or emotion.

This was not a mild gentlemen’s disagreement but an intense and passionate conflict!

The truth is, even the best Christians do not always agree.

Sometimes good Christians intensely disagree!

When two believers disagree over an important issue, at least one of them must have something wrong in his life—if not in his walk, at least in his viewpoint.

All Christians walk with limps.

We all rely on the grace of our Lord.

Direction Discerned in the Enlistment of Timothy (vv 16:1-5)

Evidently Timothy had come to Christ during Paul’s first missionary trip and had demonstrated remarkable spiritual growth.

So Paul now circumcised him, and young Timothy began his missionary career.

Some have suggested that this circumcision was a compromise of the principle of the Council of Jerusalem.

Actually it was not.

Paul had strongly resisted circumcision in the case of Titus, a pure Greek (Galatians 2:3, 5) because the principle of Gentile liberty was at stake.

But Timothy was both Jew and Greek and, uncircumcised, would continually offend the Jews, with no advantage to the cause of freedom.

So Timothy voluntarily removed the stumbling block.

Direction Through Restraint (vv 16:6-7)

When Paul finished his ministry in Galatia, he decided to go south and minister in Asia (not the continent of Asia, but a small province called Asia, where Ephesus was located).

But something stopped him.

Then he tried to go north into Bithynia so he could minister in the prosperous cities around the Black Sea. But again he was hindered.

The overall effect was to funnel him directly west toward the Dardanelle Straits and into Europe.

He was actually driven west by closed doors.

Specifically how did the Holy Spirit restrain them?

Through the bestowing or removing of a subjective sense of peace? Possibly.

That is often how he directs us in our day-to-day lives. Or possibly it was through difficult circumstances, such as transportation problems or illness.

What kept Paul going despite estrangement, sickness, disappointment, and closed doors?

His simple faith that God was in control of his life.

Guidance Through Revelation (vv 16:8-10)

This was one of the great turning points of history, and we should thank God for it, for as a result the gospel has come to us in the West.

Nothing makes a person strong like hearing someone cry for help!

You can be walking down the street completely fatigued so that you would like to lie down on the curb and go to sleep, but then you hear a cry—someone is in trouble!—and you completely forget your weariness.

Paul and his associates moved forward in the power of Christ’s strength.