Disagreement Between Paul & Barnabas

Acts 15:36–41 “After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.” Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord. He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

Returning back to the book of Acts. I want to show how a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas didn’t detour the work of the ministry. Disagreements often occur between Christians but those disagreements should never stand in the way of our service for the Lord.

After the letter from the Jerusalem council had been delivered to the Gentile churches we are told that Paul and Barnabas, along with many others had remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord.

The Deep concern for believers is essential in ministry

Acts 15:36“After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.””

We are not told how long time had passed while Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch, but it was long enough to where Paul had determined that it was time for them to go back and revisit the brothers and sisters in every town where they had preached word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.

Paul had a heart for the Gentiles to whom he was called to minister. I’m sure that while he and Barnabas were their that they had built up loving relationships and he missed deeply and he had a deep concern for them. Paul’s concern for believers was his trademark was an essential part of his ministry. Listen to what he said to the believers at Philippi.

Philippians 1:8“For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

Paul cared about the spiritual well-being of the Gentile brothers and sisters.

He had once told them after he and Barnabas had established elders in every church that “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). 

After his departure he knew that as new converts that they would be up against spiritual attacks by unbelieving Jews and Gentiles.

Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29–30 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them.”

So we can understand Paul’ deep concern and why he wanted revisit the brothers and sisters to strengthen and encourage them through the word of the God.

We should have the same level of care and concern for the spiritual well- being of our brothers and sisters in the Lord and routinely check to see how they are doing and encourage them through the word of God.

The Disagreement that challenged the ministry

Acts 15:37–39“Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus.”

Barnabas was willing to go on the 2nd missionary journey, but he wanted to take along his cousin Mark who had previously assisted them on their first missionary journey. Barnabas whose name means “son of encouragement” thought he could appeal to Paul since he had spoken up for Paul early on among the other disciples who doubted Paul’s conversion, thinking that Paul would give Mark another chance to rejoin them on this ministry trip. But Paul was insistent that they should not take Mark because he deserted them in Pamphylia and went home to Jerusalem.

We are not told why Mark deserted them. But whatever the reason Paul didn’t trust Mark and most likely felt that Mark would abandon the work of the ministry again.

Both Paul and Barnabas felt strongly in their position, they sharply disagreed with each other. The Greek text explains that this disagreement got to the state of irritation in an argument. But they had enough respect for each other to not to take this argument any further and decided that it would be best to separate from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and they sailed off to Cyprus.

There will always be disagreements among believers in ministry. But what is important to remember is that you cannot allow those disagreements to cause bad blood between you and a fellow believer. You solve your disagreements by agreeing to disagree in love. This would be the last time that Barnabas is spoken of in the book of Acts. But Barnabas’ time away with Mark had a positive influence on him as they ministered together. And at some point, Paul and Mark reconciled their differences. For Paul who later wrote to Timothy said that Mark was useful to him in ministry (2 Tim 4:11). None of this would have happened if they had not agreed to disagree out of respect and love for one another. Agreeing to disagree is something that we as believers need to put into practice with those who we have disagreements with.

The disagreement didn’t detour the ministry

After Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.  Acts 15:40–41 “But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord. He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

God can turn disagreements into the advancements of the ministry.

Paul and Barnabas’ disagreement didn’t detour the work of the ministry. What their disagreement did do, it caused them to separate into two ministry teams that widen the geographical area with the gospel and to strengthen far more believers in the faith.

The determination to strengthen the churches.

(v.41) Paul and Silas went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

The commitment to strengthening the church is vitally important to Paul. 

Acts 14:22“strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.””

Acts 16:5 “So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”

Acts 18:23“After spending some time there, he set out, traveling through one place after another in the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.”

We need to see the importance to strengthen those in the church for the purpose of as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:12 to “encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”

God wants the church to be strengthen so he gave according to… 

Ephesians 4:11–16“some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

Listen to the purpose: to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son. That each believer is strengthen in the faith and have deep knowledge of who Jesus, the Son of God is.

Strengthen the church so that they are growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness,” who is the standard of spiritual maturity that each believer is to strive for.

Strengthen the church so that “we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.”

Many in the church today are being swept away because they are acting like children, believing any and everything that they hear from false teachers whose whole purpose is to deceive.

The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas was Satan’s attempt to hinder the gospel from being preached and the church from being strengthen in the faith. But God used their determination to advance the work of the ministry.

Satan doesn’t want the gospel to be preached, nor does he want believer’s faith to be strengthen through the word of God. We cannot let disagreements to detour us from what God wants to do through us, so let’s remain faithful in sharing the gospel and strengthening others in the faith through the word of God, encouraging them to come to worship service and attend bible studies.