Bible Study series: Acts 15:36-41. They disagreed over John Mark. Barnabas and John Mark were cousins, so Barnabas took the young man with him. Paul left with Silas.
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At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
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Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 15:36-41
36 After some days, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s indeed return and visit the brothers and sisters in each and every town in which we announced the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas intended to take John (called Mark). 38 Paul thought it fitting not to take along the one who deserted them in Pamphylia and did not go with them in the work. 39 A sharp disagreement took place, so that they split from one another. Barnabas took the one called Mark and set sail for Cyprus. 40 But Paul chose Silas and left, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. (Acts 15:36-41)
Comments:
36-37:
It was a good idea and a God idea. It is always good for church planters to inquire into their church plant, if they established leaders there.
Recall that John Mark abandoned or deserted Paul and Barnabas after they got off the island of Cyprus and landed on the southern Asia Minor mainland (Acts 13:13).
13 They put out to sea from Paphos, and Paul and his company went to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and turned back to Jerusalem. (Acts 13:13)
Barnabas and Mark were cousins (Col. 4:10). This may explain why he chose Mark and went to his home island, Cyprus.
38:
“thought it fitting”: it comes from one Greek verb that means “judge or esteem or consider worthy or deserving; to deem fitting; to require” (it is also used in Acts 28:52). One gets the impression that Luke is trying to be discreet here by speaking in a roundabout way. In other words, Paul is trying to reasonable in his refusal and saying something like, “I don’t deem it quite appropriate to take along John because of what he did—he left and didn’t stick with it to the very end of his commitment.” God is looking for disciples who will finish the race. The good news is that Mark and Paul eventually reconciled (Col. 4:10; Phm. 24 and 2 Tim. 4:11).
“the work”: Schnabel is insightful: “the term ‘the work’ … denotes missionary work, i.e. the proclamation of the good news of Jesus to Jews and Greek, and the teaching of new converts, and it includes the travels and the travails of missionaries” (comment on vv. 37-38).
39:
“sharp disagreement”: it comes from the one Greek noun paroxusmos (pronounced pah-rohx-oo-mohss). The noun is used only here in the NT. It can also be translated “stirring up, irritation” (and even “encouragement” in some contexts!).
“split”: it can be translated as “separate” or be separated.” It looks like the verb used in Acts 13:13 for Mark’s desertion. Maybe a little irony in the works here. Paul and Barnabas should have prayed it through, or maybe they did, and Paul simply could not get over his concern that John Mark would desert them again.
Bruce:
The story of the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas does not make pleasant reading, but Luke’s realism in recording it helps us to remember that the two men, as they themselves said to the people of Lystra, were ‘human beings with feelings like’ any other [14:15]. Luke does not relate the dispute in such a way to put Paul in the right and Barnabas in the wrong. In view of Luke’s restraint, it is idle for the reader to try to apportion the blame. (comment on vv. 36-39)
“Cyprus”: This was Barnabas’s home island, and since he and John Mark were cousins, they knew the same people. Paul and Barnabas and John Mark established churches there, so no doubt the newly formed missionary team visited them. Let’s not see it (entirely) as Barnabas and his cousin running home to a safe, and comfortable place (though it was that, in part).
40-41:
“committed”: It can mean “handed over” or “given over” to the grace of God. It is interesting that the brothers and sisters comment Paul and Silas, but Luke is silent on their doing this for Barnabas and Mark. But let’s not draw too much controversy from the text’s silence.
This time they went overland in the reverse direction, from east to west from Syrian Antioch, rather than west to east to Syrian Antioch.
“strengthening”: Luke gives us no details about the success of this section of the missionary trip. (See Gal. 1:21.)
So begins Paul’s secondary missionary: Acts 15:39-18:22.
GrowApp for Acts 15:36-41
1. Have you ever had a quarrel? How did you handle it? How has God called you to reconcile?
2. After the split, God now has two missionary teams. How has God redeemed your life after a split of some kind?
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
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