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. Acts 15:39-40
At times, relationships shift, and people have to part ways. These breakups are disappointing and often heartbreaking. Yet, even when this happens, God is still working. He provides new people to walk through life with and brings good out of these situations. Paul and Barnabas found this true when their disagreement led them to part ways and begin their separate missionary journeys.
Paul and Barnabas experienced this fracture in their ministry in Acts 15. They were arguing about taking along John Mark for their next missionary journey. Barnabas wanted to bring him. Paul did not want to bring him along because he had deserted them on a previous missionary journey. They could not resolve their conflict. Barnabas was not going without John Mark, and Paul was not going with John Mark. Ultimately, they separated (verse 39). This must have been a difficult split for Paul and Barnabas. They had worked together, ministered together, and seen people come to have faith in God. Now, they were parting ways. Despite this parting of ways, God was still at work, a truth they would soon see.
God did not leave them on their own as they separated. They had new people with them as they set out to preach about Jesus. Barnabas took John Mark, and Paul took Silas (verses 39-40). They set out to check on the new believers they had ministered to. Barnabas and John Mark went to Cyprus (verse 39). Paul and Silas went to Syria and Cilicia (verse 41). God was still working through their split. Because they split, they were able to minister to people more quickly. Silas was not the only ministry partner God brought into Paul's life. Chapter 16 tells us that when Paul set out on his second missionary journey, he met a young man named Timothy, who would also join him on his journey. God provided people for Paul and Barnabas to continue ministry with. As they set out on their journeys, God worked. As they ministered, "the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day" (verse 5)
As heartbreaking as friendship fractures and splits can be, we do not have to be without hope during these splits. God is always working. He will provide new people to walk through life with, and He will still use us to have an impact. So take heart, my friend; we can trust God in the middle of fractured friendships and conflict. You can trust Him.
Paul and Barnabas never lost sight of their mission to make Christ known, and they continued to spread his message after they parted ways. One of the ways that we can make Christ known is by inviting people to come to a weekend service. Who can you invite to attend one of our services this weekend? Reach out to them and invite them to join you for services, coffee, or a meal afterward.
Going Deeper - Acts 15:39-16:5
Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. 40 Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. 41 Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.
16 Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, 3 so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.
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