Following the consequential gathering of early Christian leaders known as the Jerusalem Council, the Apostle Paul determined to revisit several communities that he visited on his previous missionary journey. Knowing that many of the believers in these communities were new to the faith and were experiencing significant challenges, Paul decided that additional time in these communities would be beneficial. His main ministry partner at this stage of his career was Barnabas, a well-known leader of the church of Antioch known for his generosity, encouragement, and dedication to the mission of the church. Barnabas was eager to engage in further missionary work with Paul and promptly requested that his cousin John Mark, an individual who would later write the gospel that bears his name, join them on what would be Paul’s second major missionary journey. As somewhat of a surprise to the readers of Acts, Luke records that Paul refused to have Mark join them. What was his reason for this? Luke states that Paul was concerned about Mark joining their team on a new mission since he had previously abandoned them (Acts 15:38). Clearly, Paul was convinced that John Mark was unreliable and was therefore not an ideal candidate to partner with them in their upcoming journey. This disagreement with Barnabas resulted in a parting of the ways of these two prominent Christian missionaries.
What are we to make of this episode? Who was in the right and who was in the wrong? Some might conclude that Barnabas was on the right side of the argument. If Mark had learned from his mistakes, matured as a Christian leader, and had recommitted himself to the mission of Paul, should he not have been given another chance? On the other hand, one might argue that Paul was justified because of Mark’s prior failure. The team was clearly in need of reliable and committed workers. They simply could not take the risk that Mark might abandon the mission once again. As this brief episode recorded in Luke’s account reminds us, there have been times throughout church history when honest disagreements between well-meaning Christians have taken place and resulted in division.
As you think about the Protestant Reformation, please answer the following questions.
- What were some of the divisions that took place both about the Catholic church and within the various Protestant movements?
- What advice would you offer to Christians today who might be involved in some type of conflict with other believers?
- What principles do you believe enable us to determine when it is appropriate to pursue unity and peace and when it is necessary to stand one’s ground even if it results in division?
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