Acts 15:36-41

Contention Parts Paul and Barnabas

Paul knew the importance of continued teaching and encouragement for young churches, so he approached Barnabas about visiting the brethren in all the cities in which they had previously preached. Barnabas had a strong desire to take his cousin, John Mark, on the journey. Paul did not want to go with the man who had left them at Perga on their first journey (Acts 15:36-38; Acts 13:13). Both Paul and Barnabas were so firm in their opinions, even to the point of being provoked to anger, that they had to separate.

It should be noted that Paul later used Barnabas as a good example of one who worked to support himself while preaching the gospel. He also described John Mark as one who was useful in ministry (1 Corinthians 9:6; 2 Timothy 4:11). As Coffman says, "the one redeeming note in this otherwise unhappy and regrettable episode is that neither party to the dispute permitted it to hinder the work of God."

Luke quietly noted that God used the disagreement between these two great men of faith to produce two teams to go in different directions with the gospel. Barnabas went with John Mark to Cyprus, his homeland (Acts 15:39; Acts 4:36). Paul took Silas, one of the leading men among the brethren at Jerusalem (Acts 15:22), with him. It appears he had to return from Jerusalem, but Luke does not give us the details of how he and Paul got together (Acts 15:33). They went through Syria and Cilicia to southern Galatia. Along the way, they strengthened the churches (Acts 15:40-41).