A PARTING OF THE WAYS (36 OF 56)
Scripture: Acts 15:36, Acts16:5
This content is part of a series.
A Parting of the Ways (36 of 56)
Series: Acts 15:36-16:5
Wyman Richardson
Acts 15:36-16:5
Read Acts 15:36-16:5
It is one of the truly ironic developments of the story of the early Church that immediately upon the heels of the masterful display of careful, reasoned, biblical conflict resolution demonstrated in the Jerusalem Council, two of the Church's leading luminaries would have a personal falling out that would lead to them going separate ways! It is also oddly refreshing, for it humanizes these great men and reminds us that they were just that: men. It also provides us an opportunity to see how two committed followers of Jesus handled a division resulting from a conflict that they simply could not figure out how to resolve in the immediate.
In other words, while the ideal is and ever will be the visible unity of the Church, we must unfortunately also consider how Christians who are going to divide should do so with as little damage caused as possible. Such division is never desirable, of course, but it is likely sometimes unavoidable. Thus, while we should bemoan that Paul and Barnabas parted ways at the beginning of the second missionary journey, even here we can benefit from how they do so.
It is possible to disagree and even (unfortunately) to move on to separate ministries without wishing each other ill.
The first missionary journey ended with Paul and Barnabas returning to Antioch, then being sent to Jerusalem for the Jerusalem Council, then returning again to Antioch. It is here, in the undoubtedly heady days of the Church's official embrace of Gentile believers that Paul proposes the next chapter of his teams missionary story.
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ''Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.'' 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pam ...
Series: Acts 15:36-16:5
Wyman Richardson
Acts 15:36-16:5
Read Acts 15:36-16:5
It is one of the truly ironic developments of the story of the early Church that immediately upon the heels of the masterful display of careful, reasoned, biblical conflict resolution demonstrated in the Jerusalem Council, two of the Church's leading luminaries would have a personal falling out that would lead to them going separate ways! It is also oddly refreshing, for it humanizes these great men and reminds us that they were just that: men. It also provides us an opportunity to see how two committed followers of Jesus handled a division resulting from a conflict that they simply could not figure out how to resolve in the immediate.
In other words, while the ideal is and ever will be the visible unity of the Church, we must unfortunately also consider how Christians who are going to divide should do so with as little damage caused as possible. Such division is never desirable, of course, but it is likely sometimes unavoidable. Thus, while we should bemoan that Paul and Barnabas parted ways at the beginning of the second missionary journey, even here we can benefit from how they do so.
It is possible to disagree and even (unfortunately) to move on to separate ministries without wishing each other ill.
The first missionary journey ended with Paul and Barnabas returning to Antioch, then being sent to Jerusalem for the Jerusalem Council, then returning again to Antioch. It is here, in the undoubtedly heady days of the Church's official embrace of Gentile believers that Paul proposes the next chapter of his teams missionary story.
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ''Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.'' 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pam ...
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