daily java

Daily Java:

After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.” Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.  (Acts 15:36-41)

Both Paul and Barnabas were men full of the Spirit of God. They were both holy men. They both had a command of scriptures that was amazing and both were great teachers. And they both were dominant personalities.

John Mark had come along with them in Acts 13 as an assistant, and then evidently got homesick or something and went home. When Paul and Barnabas were ready to go again in Acts 15, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark again. However, Paul didn’t. He viewed John Mark as an unreliable helper.

The argument got so strong that they split up. Barnabas took John Mark and Paul took a man named Silas. This great dynamic duo of godly men had an argument and split up their partnership.

This did two things.

First, it says that no matter how great the men, no matter how full of the Spirit and the grace of God, people are still people. They have arguments and problems and they deal with them in ways that are sometimes not the best.

Paul was the kind of guy that you either went full bore or you went by yourself. If you were not as fixated as he was, he had no time for you. That is not to say he didn’t love those he preached to. But when he had an assistant, he wanted one he could depend on and he had no time for undependable people.

Rather than take an undependable person with him, he split up a great evangelistic team.

Barnabas, on the other hand, was willing to take the gamble. After all, it was he who went and got the unknown Saul and brought him along. They were Barnabas and Saul, then Barnabas and Paul, now Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas evidently didn’t mind his pupil becoming the leader. He was a good man who tried to help others. And because of him, Paul the apostle was a perful teacher.

Nobody is perfect, not even the great apostle Paul. He figured it out later, though. In 2 Timothy 4:11, he says: Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry. I don’t know who grew, Paul or Mark. But whatever went on, sooner or later, Paul recognized John Mark’s value.

Second, sometimes God works through odd ways. Instead of one group going one place, now there were two groups of dynamic evangelists.

When Paul and Barnabas split up, each going his own way, it made two groups preaching the gospel. And twice as much was getting done.

Good things can come from bad things if God is at work in them.