Paul and Barnabas’ disagreement over John Mark
By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
The Bible offers a candid portrayal of human nature, showcasing both strengths and flaws. Acts 15 details a significant disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark, leading to their separation. This illustrates human conflict and the importance of reconciliation. Ultimately, believers are encouraged to learn from these examples while emulating Christ’s virtues.
The Bible is an amazing book. It shows humankind in all our mire, mistakes, glories, and positive and negative actions. We exalt David because he was a humble and humbled man, confessing sin openly and dancing with joy in love for the LORD. We admire Paul, who repeated his conversion story boasting about his own formerly murderous deeds, his present weakness and of the grace of our Lord. We see Jezebel’s evil doings, the woman caught in adultery, the woman at the well, Sarai/Sarah who laughed then denied it. Jacob the mama’s boy trickster, and Peter’s denial…Oh, Peter. The Bible does not shy away from its realistic depictions of us humans.
Now we come to Acts 15. Missions is never easy and must have been even harder when it was new. Paul and Barnabas were preparing to go out on mission to revisit the churches already planted. Paul wanted to review their progress and to strengthen them. Barnabas, whose name means son of consolation, was to accompany Paul.
The first time we read of Joseph, nicknamed Barnabas who was a Levite of Cyprus, was in Acts 4:36 where we learn of his generosity. Barnabas sold some of his property and gave the proceeds toward the impoverished Christian community.
In Acts 11:24 we read a Holy Spirit inspired commendation of his personality and his faith, “for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and faith.“
Lockyer says, “Barnabas had an inspiring influence (Acts 11:25, 26), was trustworthy (Acts 11:29, 30), was adapted to missionary work (Acts 13:2), encouraged converts (Acts 11:23), was a son of Christian prophecy in that he uttered God’s messages, was a devoted toiler and self-supporting (I Cor. 9:6).
If the Bible was a man-made document, we would not read of this next part. Only the good parts. Only the parts that display man’s more exalted qualities. But now we come to a terrible disagreement between Barnabas and Paul. Acts 15: 37-40,
Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. 38But Paul was of the opinion that they should not take along with them this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39Now it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. 40But Paul chose Silas, and left after being entrusted by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
They disagreed so sharply that Paul and Barnabas split! How shocking, but how human. Paul was still angry that John Mark had left him. Mark had accompanied Paul and Barnabas when they set out on their first great mission (Acts 13:5), but sometime along the way, Mark had become doubtful and then unhelpful. As per Lockyer, Mark failed Paul and Barnabas at a crisis and brought about a severance of friends. The fear of what lay ahead in arduous missionary enterprise moved Mark to retrace his steps (Acts 13:13; 15:38). Sadly, Mark had looked at what was behind, not at what was ahead.
Paul was still stung over this. But the man whose nickname meant encouragement wanted to give Mark another chance. Paul the Missionary however, knew that missions were risky and needed someone dependable. Thus, the older men split, with Barnabas taking young Mark and Paul taking young Silas.
John MacArthur says of this scene- “This was not an amicable parting- they were in sharp disagreement regarding John Mark. The weight of the evidence favors Paul’s decision, especially since he was an Apostle of Jesus Christ. That alone should have cased Barnabas to submit to his authority. But eventually they did reconcile (1 Corinthians 9:6).”
Aware of this scene and the risk of causing a stumbling block to the pagan observers, in 1805 William Carey had formulated personal standards for inter-relationships with his mission partners, famously codified in his Serampore Agreement. He wanted to emulate the best of Paul the Missionary. Carey wrote, “we cannot but observe with admiration that Paul, the great champion for the glorious doctrines of free a sovereign grace, was the most conspicuous for his personal zeal in the work of persuading men to be reconciled to God. … Paul’s readiness to become all things to all men, that he might by any means save some, and his disposition to abstain even from necessary comforts that he might not offend the weak, are circumstances worthy of our particular notice.“
Carey had vowed not to quarrel with his partners and to submerge all his worldly opinions and personal wants, in favor of keeping interpersonal conflict away. He said that a “worldly spirit, quarrels, and every evil work” destroys credibility in front of the people they were trying to convert, and, “Let us continually watch against a worldly spirit and cultivate a Christian indifference towards every indulgence.”
This is why, in my estimation, the Spirit includes the warts and all aspects of the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible. We know we fail. We know we quarrel. We know we tend to be invested in our own opinions, to the point sometimes of causing interpersonal conflict. There is no sense in hiding it.
So rather than hide it, and because the Spirit is TRUTH, we read of it, so as to say ‘Ah! Let us model the best of Paul and the best of Barnabas, and avoid the worst’.
I’m sure now that Paul, Silas, Barnabas, and John Mark are in heaven worshiping the Savior personally, all is forgotten. Past conflicts, regrettable deeds and words are but a wisp that the Lord brushes away. That is the joy set before us. Interpersonal conflict is no more, and only pure joy remains. And that will be us one day. In heaven, loving the brethren purely.
Let us always look to the Bible for all our examples both yea and nay; and of course the Highest and most perfect example, Jesus Christ.
