Disagreement Can Be Beneficial

“They (Paul and Barnabas) had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” -Acts 15:39-41 (NIV).

It is good that believers dwell and work together in harmony. But because we are human, our own ideas and desires sometimes enter into our deliberations, even in the Lord’s work. The early church had undergone phenomenal growth. Even persecution had come as a blessing in disguise, for as the disciples and believers were dispersed from Jerusalem because of persecution both from the Jewish leaders and the Roman government, they “went everywhere preaching the word.” The message of Christ the Lord was spread abroad much more rapidly than it might have been otherwise.

And then came a disagreement between Barnabas the Encourager and Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. As they were preparing to go out on what we term the second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take young John Mark with them.

Paul remembered that John Mark had left them in Pamphylia and did not continue that missionary journey. Paul did not want to take Mark. The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas was so pointed that they formed two missionary teams. Paul chose Silas as his companion and went throughout Syria and Cilicia; and Barnabas (a kinsman of the younger man, see Col. 4:10) chose John Mark and went to Cyprus.

According to Acts 15:40, the “sending” church at Antioch commended Paul and Silas. Regardless of the disagreement and this departure, perhaps with some hard feelings at the time it happened, God brought good from the division. Later, Paul and John Mark were reconciled and became fellow workers as seen in Philemon 24. More people heard the gospel than would have done so had only one missionary team gone out. And furthermore, Barnabas took young John Mark, encouraging him. Later, from the pen of this young missionary came the Gospel of Mark, which has been called the “Gospel to Gentile Christians.” It is good when a church can work together in harmony. If Christians cannot dwell and work together in harmony, how can we expect to bring peace to the world and reach those around us? But at times, as in the case of Paul and Barnabas, a disagreement can work for good. It takes a Christian heart of love to have a disagreement without being disagreeable.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Sunday, April 25, 2010