Growing Through Disagreement

Acts 15:36-41

This passage reveals two mature Christians in sharp disagreement. I think it also shows another way that God works through us to accomplish His will. We know that Paul and Barnabas were close friends. Barnabas came to Paul’s aid during his experience as a new Christian and they had ministered together for some time.

I believe one reason they worked so well together is that their personalities were completely different. Paul was a high-energy, aggressive, assertive individual probably with a pretty quick temper. Barnabas, on the other hand, was a quiet, calm, reserved man with much patience. Paul would act very quickly while Barnabas would carefully think through an issue before taking action. Most likely Paul was a talker and Barnabas a listener. In summary, I think Paul had a very sanguine personality and Barnabas was much more a phlegmatic.

As the two of them discussed a trip returning to visit the churches they had established Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. For some reason he had left them earlier and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). Paul felt that Mark had deserted them and must have felt that he would be a liability on the trip rather than an asset. Barnabas, however, saw potential in Mark and wanted to continue to disciple him. Because of that disagreement the men separated and Barnabas and Mark went to Cyprus and Paul and Silas went to Syria and Cilicia. By splitting up they were able to accomplish twice as much. I believe it must have been God’s will that they separate.

We don’t hear anything more of Barnabas or Mark in the book of Acts but we know from other Scripture that the disagreement didn’t permanently impair the relationship with Paul. In I Corinthians 9:6 and Colossians 4:10 Paul speaks favorably of both of them.

There are a couple of insights we can gain from this passage. We are not all alike and God may well put us together with someone of the opposite personality because we complement each other and are better for that. Often you will see that in the mate God chooses for you. Secondly, we are going to have disagreements with those we love and that is not necessarily bad. We must be careful not to let those agreements impair our relationship, realizing that God can use them to accomplish His will in both of your lives.