Disagreement in the Family - Acts 15

³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Paul is either getting the call to go back to encourage those believers or he is just concerned for them.  Unfortunately, he and Barnabas disagree over John Mark.  Some have said they find this reassuring.  That two Biblical greats could show that they are human like we are and disagree.  Paul was being hard headed and Barnabas was being himself, the encourager. 

Barnabas goes to his home in Cyprus on his missionary journey and we don’t hear about him again.  Tradition tells us that a church was formed there and it reached out into north Africa.  The continuation of Acts follows Paul.

The end result is that the church has two mission projects now.  God uses both men and the church encourages them and send them both.  How many church families have split over disagreements?  Why?  Here we have an example of the church supporting both men and staying together.  It is okay for people to agree in Christ, but disagree about something very minor to the main thing, salvation only through belief in Jesus.  This church provides a great example of this for us today.

God never throws anything away.  He uses our brokenness, our conflict, our pain, our mistakes, our misjudgment, and our foolishness to show us wisdom and to help one another through witness of His greatness and testimony at how God can overcome all of it in our lives.  God never gives up on us and He never stops pursuing us.  God certainly didn’t remove Paul or Barnabas because of this disagreement, but used them both where they were.  God met them there and kept working on them and with them. 

God does the same for each of us.  He will never give up on us, no matter out faults, and He will meet us where we are right now.