DISAGREE WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE

PROCLAMATION

“And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, ‘Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we preached The Word of The Lord, and see how they do.’  And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.  But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.  And the contention was sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other;  and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed for Cyprus;  And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.  And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.”  Acts 15:36-41 (NKJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the acts of the apostles of Jesus, The Christ, as written by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Luke records that when Barnabas and Paul left Antioch to begin their first Holy Spirit directed missionary journey, John Mark was with them as their helper. (Acts 13:1-5)  However, when they sailed to Perga in Pamphylia to continue their journey, Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. (Acts 13:13)  The reason why Mark left them is not recorded.  Paul and Barnabas continued teaching and preaching, and a large number of people turned to Christ.  This angered the Jewish religious leaders who eventually caused them to be run out of town. (Acts 14:1-28)  The brethren from Judea were teaching that circumcision was required for salvation and there was a dispute among the disciples on this issue.  Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them and the church sent them to the elders in Jerusalem to settle the matter. (Acts 15:1-2)  At the end of the debate it was decided that circumcision was required for all men. (Acts 15:4-25)  They returned to Antioch, delivered the message from the elders, and continued to preach and teach, then decided to revisit the churches they had established.  Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them, but it is clear that Paul felt that Mark had deserted them, and he did not want to take him on another journey.  The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over Mark was so sharp until they parted company and went on separate missionary journeys in different directions.  They did not split the church in Antioch where they were like “co-pastors”.  They both continued to do the work of The Lord but with different travelling companions for their second missionary journey. (Acts 15:36-41)

 

APPLICATION

Unfortunately, from time to time, believers will disagree with one another.  Usually these disagreements are about something other than The Word of God.  The Christ-like way to handle such occasions is to disagree without being disagreeable.  Non-believers will judge all Christians by the behavior they see exhibited by believers.  Young and new believers can be negatively impacted by their observation of “heated” disagreements between believers.  It is not good for us to cause “young believers” to stumble because of what they see or hear from believers. (Matthew 18:6)  We should not tear the church apart because of our human differences and disagreements.  There is plenty of work for all of us to do in different venues.