How to Resolve Conflicts in the Church

Acts 15:36-41

The Jerusalem Conference recorded in Acts 15 calmed a serious conflict in the early church, resolved a major theological issue in Christianity, and laid the foundation for the core doctrine of justification by faith.

The event began when some men came down from Judea to the church in Antioch, teaching that the Antioch believers had to be circumcised to be saved. Paul and Barnabas argued with them, so the church sent Paul, Barnabas, and several others from the church to the church in Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and elders.

Several of the Pharisees in the church of Jerusalem also argued that the Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses. When the apostles and elders gathered to discuss the matter, Peter stood up and told how God used him to preach to the Roman centurion Cornelius and his family and lead them to the Lord. God gave them the Holy Spirit but did not require them to be circumcised.

Paul and Barnabas also spoke of the signs and wonders that God had done among the Gentiles by their hands, leading many Gentiles to the Lord. James, on the other hand, quoted the prophets of the Old Testament to prove that the conversion of the Gentiles was in accordance with the OT prophecies.

Finally, the Jerusalem Conference reached a resolution that Gentiles did not need to be circumcised or obey the Law of Moses when they believed in the Lord, and formally notified the Gentile church in the form of a letter.

However, in order that the Jewish believers might not be offended, the letter specifically mentioned several things that the Gentile believers needed to abstain from, namely, abstaining from the defilement of idols, adultery, strangled animals, and blood. Then the Jerusalem church sent two brothers, Judas and Silas, from their own church, to accompany Paul and Barnabas in delivering the letter to the church in Antioch.

The church was wise in making this arrangement. Paul and Barnabas represented the Antioch church and the views of the Gentile believers; Judas and Silas represented the Jerusalem church and the concerns of the Jewish believers. Thus, while maintaining the core truths, the resolution of the Jerusalem Council was a compromise and balanced result acceptable to both parties.

“The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.”（Acts 15:30-32，NIV）

The Jerusalem Council answered an important question: By what exactly is man saved? God's grace? The works of man? Or grace plus works? The Jerusalem Council unified a major doctrinal issue: man is saved by receiving God's grace through faith, i.e., the doctrine of justification by faith. It is conceivable that if the church had not reached consensus on this topic, the entire history of the church would have had to be rewritten.

The church reached a unity of consensus on the major issues of the theological topics, the core doctrines of salvation, and Paul and Barnabas always stood firmly together. However, as recorded next in Acts 15, a disagreement arose over a minor matter that had nothing to do with theology, doctrine, or truth nor sin, and it was between two of the Antioch church's most important leaders, two apostles, two co-workers, and two friends - Paul and Barnabas. Their disagreement was so great that the two of them went their separate ways as a result.

I.   The Cause of the Dispute

“Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.”（Acts 15:36-38，NIV）

After the Jerusalem Conference, Paul and Barnabas lived in Antioch, teaching believers and preaching the Word of God with other church workers. After some time, Paul suggested to Barnabas that they could visit the cities where they had preached before to see how the Gentile churches and believers were doing.

Barnabas agreed readily, but he intended to take his cousin Mark with him. Unexpectedly, this proposal was rejected by Paul because Mark had left them in Pamphylia last time.

“From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.”（Acts 13:13，NIV）

The word "left" (ἀποχωρήσας) here is translated as "left" in NIV and "depart from" in NKJV.

But Mark's departure obviously made Paul very angry. When Paul told Barnabas about it in Acts 15, his anger had not subsided. He used another word to describe Mark's departure: ἀποστάντα, which is the source of the English word "apostasy". Both NIV and NASB translate it as "deserted", and ESV translates it as "withdraw". It can be seen that Paul was still upset about Mark's departure for a long time.

Paul and Barnabas, two important missionary leaders, had a big disagreement because of Mark.

What kind of person is Mark?

According to the record in Mark 14, when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, " A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind." (Mark 14:51-52) Many people believe that this young man was Mark.

Most people believe that the last supper of the Lord Jesus and his disciples took place in Mark's home (Mark's Upper Room).

When Peter was imprisoned, the disciples gathered at Mary's (Mark's mother) home to pray earnestly.

In Acts 11, Barnabas and Saul brought the offerings from the Antioch church to the elders of the Jerusalem church to provide for the Jewish brothers, and they brought Mark with them when they returned.

“When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.”（Acts 12:25，NIV）

Mark served as a helper to Paul and Barnabas when they were sent on their first mission by the church in Antioch.

“The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.”（Acts 13:4-5，NIV）

Based on the thses information, Mark was a young man from a wealthy family of believers. In today's terms, he should be a second-generation believer and a second-generation rich man. Barnabas was his cousin and intended to build him up in faith. Mark was Paul and Barnabas' helper during their first missionary journey. But somehow, Mark left Paul and Barnabas and went to Jerusalem.

Why did Mark leave midway? The Bible does not explain the reason. Some say that he was homesick and missed his mother. The Bible does not mention Mark's father, so it is speculated that his mother Mary may be a widow. Some say that Mark was too young to endure the hardships of traveling and missionary work. Some say that Mark was worried about infectious diseases in foreign areas. Others say that Mark was dissatisfied with Paul's popularity, which overshadowed his cousin Barnabas, and therefore became jealous. This last reason should not appear for mature Christians, but it is possible that Mark was young and energetic at the time.

Regardless of the reason, Mark's departure midway made Paul very angry, thinking that Mark was a deserter who left the team at the last minute.

Now, Barnabas wanted to give Mark a second chance, which was consistent with Barnabas’ character and styles: Barnabas was called the “Son of encouragement.”

“Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas which means Son of Encouragement.”（Acts 4:36，NIV）

After Paul's conversion, the disciples in Jerusalem were afraid of him and did not want to fellowship with him, it was Barnabas who introduced him to the apostles.

“But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.”（Acts 9:27，NIV）

Because of the persecution, the scattered disciples preached the gospel in various places and established the Antioch Church. The Jerusalem Church sent Barnabas to visit and strengthen the Antioch Church.

“When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.”（Acts 11:23，NIV）

This is what the Bible says about Barnabas: “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.”（Acts 11:24）

It was Barnabas who went to Tarsus to find Paul and brought him to the church in Antioch, where they taught the believers of the church together. Therefore, Barnabas can be regarded as Paul's benefactor and mentor, as well as Paul's close co-worker.

Therefore, Barnabas' willingness to give Mark a second chance was a consistent principle of Barnabas in exercising his spiritual gifts.

Some people say that Mark was Barnabas' cousin, so was Barnabas biased? This statement does not make sense. Barnabas did not take Mark to get promoted, get rich, and enjoy a comfortable life. Instead, he took his young cousin to travel and preach, to wander around, and to suffer for the Lord.

However, what surprised Barnabas was that Paul, his close co-worker, whom he had helped and had shown great grace to, flatly rejected his suggestions and requests. In fact, this was also in keeping with Paul's personality and his usual style of doing things.

Paul was bold and resolute, and never gave up on anything halfway. At the time of his unbelief, Saul rejoiced in the murder of Stephen, and persecuted the church, arresting and imprisoning both men and women who believed in Jesus. But when he came to faith in the Lord Jesus, he turned to preach boldly, arguing with the Jews and proving that Jesus was the Christ. He was stoned and almost killed while preaching in Lystra, but when he woke up, he patted the dust off his body and continued on his way.

He would not allow false teachers to confuse the word of the Lord, and even when Peter's behavior was not in accordance with the truth, he confronted him without mercy. He was determined to suffer for the preaching of Jesus and was willing to throw away all things as dung, but to gain Jesus Christ as his greatest treasure. He had only one thing in mind, to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. All his life he ran toward the standard and was faithful to the end!

For such an apostle, who was faithful to the Lord, reckless with his life, and totally committed, it was intolerable when he saw Mark fleeing from the battle.

Here we can see the difference between Barnabas and Paul:

Barnabas is concerned with people, and his priority is to build up his co-workers: to give grace, room, to fulfill others, and bless others. Paul, on the other hand ,is concerned with ministry, and his priority is to complete the mission: strict requirements, pure love for the Lord, loyalty to Christ, and accomplishment of the ministry.

According to Paul's high standards, Mark had disappointed Paul once after all. Would Paul be willing to take the risk again and entrust the mission to an unreliable person?

II.  The Outcome of the dispute

“They 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.”（Acts 15:39-40）

“They had such a sharp disagreement.”

The "dispute" (παροξυσμός) here is different from the "dispute" (ζητήσεως) caused by whether the Gentile believers should be circumcised. The debate over whether to be circumcised is: discussion, debate, search; while the "dispute" between Paul and Barnabas is: provocation, irritation, angry dispute.

Was Paul's argument with Barnabas about theology? No! Was it about doctrine? No! Is it about truth? No! About morality? No? About crime? No!

Imagine this scenario, when faced with a core doctrinal issue such as justification by faith, we can sit down together and discuss rationally, argue in moderation, and seek a reasonable solution; however, over the small matter of whether to take Mark or not, Paul and Barnabas got into a heated, hurtful, and emotionally damaging argument.

So, who is right and who is wrong between Paul and Barnabas? If you were there, which side would you stand on?

They both have their own reasons, and they are all reasonable reasons, so they are both right to stick to their own positions.

But is such a quarrel pleasing to God? Most likely not! In this sense, they are both wrong.

Who would I have supported? If I had been there, I would probably have had a 51% chance of supporting Barnabas and a 49% chance of supporting Paul.

The Lord Jesus prayed for believers at the Last Supper: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one.”（John17:20-21，NKJV）

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”（Rom 12:18）

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”（Eph 4:3）

Therefore, God values ​​who we are more than the work we do. God is a gracious and merciful God, He gave Moses a second chance, He gave Jonah a second chance, He gave Peter a second chance, and He likewise gave Paul a second chance.

Although Mark had originally failed, Barnabas saw the potential in him and he too decided to give Mark a second chance. It doesn't seem right that Paul should have just shot Mark down with a clean slate.

You might say that the book of Acts from then on is all about Paul, and that Barnabas disappeared from then on, and that biblical history proves that Paul was right, and that Paul was God's chosen one.

True, but it is not sufficient proof. Because the Acts of the Apostles mainly records two core characters, the first twelve chapters are Peter, the last sixteen chapters are Paul, and even the twelve disciples are not recorded except for Peter, so it cannot be used to prove that Barnabas was wrong.

What happened afterward? Did the relationship between Paul and Barnabas ever get back together? I believe that Paul and Barnabas were later reconciled.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul, speaking of his apostolic authority, saying, “Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?”（1 Cor 9:6）

What happened to Mark later? Did Paul reconcile with Mark? Yes!

In Colossians 4, Paul mentioned that Mark also greeted the believers in the Colossian church, and Paul also specifically instructed them to receive Mark.

“My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.”（Col 4:10）

As can be seen from the book of Philemon, Mark became a co-worker of Paul.

“Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.”（Philemon 23-24）

In Paul's last letter, 2 Timothy, before his death, Paul asked Timothy to bring Mark with him because Mark would be helpful in his preaching ministry.

“Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.”（2 Tim 4:11）

It is believed that Barnabas took the time to edify Mark and make him a faithful worker for Christ, successively becoming Paul's co-worker, Peter's right-hand man, and being called by Peter, "My son Mark." (I Pet. 5:13)

More importantly, Mark recorded Peter's sermons and wrote the Gospel of Mark. The Gospel of Mark has the greatest amount of repetition with the other Gospels, and some people have inferred that the Gospel of Mark may have been the earliest Gospel to be completed. Imagine the loss if the New Testament did not have the Gospel of Mark!

It is not pleasing to God for co-workers to quarrel or even to separate. But God makes "all things work together for good to them that love God." (Romans 8:28)

Paul and Barnabas were faithful and loved the Lord. Their missionary team turned from one team to two, ministering to more people, strengthening the churches, and making missions more fruitful. The last words of Acts 15 are: “He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”（Acts 15:41）

More importantly, Paul, Barnabas, and Mark all benefited from this event and grew together in Christ.

Paul later said in his letter to the Philippians, “but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”（Phil 2:3-4）

Paul later treated Onesimus with kindness and mercy, just as Barnabas treated Mark with kindness and mercy. It is true that "all things work together for good to those who love God."

So, what lessons can we learn from this?

1. close co-workers can have disagreements, treating one another with humility and love;

2. each one should look on others as better than himself, not seeking his own advantage but the interests of others;

3. to endeavor, if possible, to seek harmony with all men, and to strive to maintain unity;

4. to give grace and room to others on the basis that there is no difference of principle in truth or doctrine;

5. not to act in anger, but to seek forgiveness and reconciliation as soon as possible for any offense or hurt;

6. maintain a heart of love for God and others at all times, and always be reverent and faithful to the Lord;

7. Recognize your own weaknesses and limitations, and always be thankful for the Lord's kindness and mercy.

I myself am a person with many faults and shortcomings, and weak from time to time, and I hope that people will see one thing from me: he has many faults and shortcomings, but from him we can see God's endless grace.

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”（Rom 12:9-11）

Praise the Lord!

July 30th, 2024