Acts 15:36-41--Paul and Barnabas Separate

Acts 15:36-41
English Standard Version

Paul and Barnabas Separate
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

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As I've alluded to a few times now, John Mark's leaving the First Missionary Journey early would lead to this dispute with Paul and Barnabas whether they take John Mark with them again later.  Paul seemed to see this as an issue of immaturity, or perhaps even worse, a character flaw and Paul's temperament was such that he didn't have time to deal with people who weren't fully committed to the work and ready to leave everything behind.  Barnabas on the other hand was an encourager that looked for opportunities to take those who were weak and to build them up and make them stronger--it's also probably no small issue here that John Mark is related to Barnabas and so Barnabas feels even more responsible for him in this way.

God used this conflict for His good, but in the end, Paul is going to admit that he was wrong about John Mark and to call for him in 2 Timothy 4:11, "11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry."  We don't know everywhere where Barnabas and Mark went because Luke, who is recording the book of Acts, clearly stayed with Paul and Silas when this split happens.  However we get some hints that John Mark connected with Peter in 1 Peter 5:13 when Peter sends greetings to those who would read his epistle:   "13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.

John Mark may not be a front-and-center figure that we hear much about, but the support role that he played seems vital to the ministry of Paul, Barnabas, Peter, and probably others that we don't even know about.  This support role is sometimes even more important than the primary role and I love how Paul comes to the realization towards the end of his life that John Mark "is very useful to me for ministry."  I'm not sure if Paul regretted this decision because it allowed the gospel to go forth to even more places--places that Paul wasn't allowed into.  God would send Paul and Silas into places that John Mark would never go and God will send John Mark along with Barnabas and Peter into places that Paul and Silas would never go, yet in the end Paul calls for John Mark by name to come and visit him when he knows that he about to die.

God knew what He was doing sending Paul and Silas out too.  This team showed a united front of the Church in Antioch (where Paul was a leader) and the Church in Jerusalem where Silas was a leader.  They would stand together to read the proclamation of The Jerusalem Council together as they visited the churches in Syria and Cilicia.  They are then going to go back to revisit some of the same areas visited during the first missionary journey (probably to share this message with them), but this journey is going to take a detour planned by the Holy Spirit that Paul and Silas did not anticipate so that Paul and Silas will be taking the gospel to areas of the world where there were no Jewish synagogues and the people were in utter darkness, having no exposure to God's people or God's Word.  God knew who He wanted to go on this missionary journey and where He wanted to send Paul and Silas and the two of them will be companions for the Second and Third Missionary Journeys that cover nearly all of the rest of the book of Acts.