Focal Passage: Acts 15:39-16:10
Sometimes things happen, which at the time, seems to be devastating. However, later we discover was the best thing that could have happened. Let me give you an example. There was a church that was strong and healthy in the community in which I lived. It was an evangelical church, and had a strong presence in our town.
An issue arose over the use of musical instruments in worship. Some of the congregation wanted to expand their use in worship, others wanted to limit their use in worship.
Soon, the church developed divisions within the fellowship with each side refusing to relinquish their position. As a result, one part of the congregation broke from the other an began another church just a few miles down the road from the original church. It looked like a terrible unfortunate situation.
Everyone in the community watched with great interest to see what was going to happen. However, what did happen surprised everyone. Both churches began to grow. Now, where there was only one church, there are now two healthy, strong and growing congregations. Sometimes, what seems to be an unfortunate disaster, God is re-shaping His kingdom work.
In the today’s lesson, we see something similar in regards to the work God had given to Paul and Barnabas. The two had returned from their first missionary journey where they had seen God work tremendously through the preaching of the gospel. They had also seen how that the gospel was for all mankind, Jews and Gentiles alike and how it had been affirmed by the Holy Spirit and now by the church in Jerusalem. Everyone was encouraged, strengthened and growing in faith.
Nimmo
Then came the trouble in paradise. We don’t know how long it had been since Paul and Barnabas had returned, but we do know some time had elapsed. The two missionaries thought it was enough time that they needed to return to the churches and check up on the work they had started and to encourage the believers in the Lord. Barnabas thought it would be a good idea to give John Mark another chance and take him along. Paul was not so inclined.
The dispute escalated until an impasse was reached causing the two to part ways. Barnabas took John Mark and left for Cypress. Paul took Silas and headed for Syria. What looked like a terrible tragedy on the surface did not reveal what God was really doing. Now there were two missionary teams working the harvest fields. Soon there would be many more. Later, we would discover both men were right. John Mark did turn out to be a powerful witness for God, and Paul would not only add Silas to the team, but would later add Timothy and Luke as well.
We all know what God did in and through all of their lives. Luke never mentions Barnabas again in Acts, but we know he continued faithfully in serving Christ until he was murdered on Cyprus in about 61 AD by a mob stirred up by Bar-Jesus (also known as Elymas), the same false prophet that caused issues during Barnabas and Paul’s first missionary journey to the island. As for Paul and Barnabas, it is believed they reconciled completely and Paul mentions him often in his writings which suggests Paul held him warmly as a true brother in Christ. B&R
