As the Jewish believers in Jesus are joined by Gentiles a natural discussion and division develops between those that would keep the new movement as a branch of Judaism,and those that see it as a separate faith expression. After arguing with those that would have help all gentiles accountable to the Mosaic Law, Paul and Barnabas make their way to Jerusalem to get instructions on how to proceed from what is left of the original 12 disciples.
Peter speaks eloquently in defense of salvation by grace and not in keeping the law, and Paul and Barnabas follow his speech with anecdotal evidence of the moving of Holy Spirit in the midst of "uncircumcised" Gentile believers.
James (the brother of Jesus) speaks the definitive words encouraging the Gentiles to be welcomed into the new faith community. The council sends Paul and Barnabas back to the gentiles, along with other representatives to carry the message of liberty! The councils letter says in part, "For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." Acts 15:28, 29 NRSV.
As Paul and Barnabas prepare to leave on their next missionary adventure they run into a disagreement that is irreconcilable for them. Barnabas insists on taking along with them John Mark, a young man that left them prematurely on their first missionary journey. Paul refuses to have John Mark on the team, and Paul leaves with Silas and Barnabas leaves with John Mark. This is a sad example of the humanity we wrestle with even as we walk by faith.
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3 comments:
This is a tough one.
I am curious why Paul and Barnabas didn't seek guidance from the Holy Spirit concerning taking John Mark with them.
I can understand the human side - the selfish side, which I admit I probably would have taken.
Sometimes it's tough to allow others to share in the rewards when they refused to help in the work.
This has happened many times during camping trips, where one or two people do most of the work, yet all want the best tent locations and the biggest portions of the meal.
Wow.
I learned two lessons here - one from this chapter and one from my own response.
1. Prayer should be the first response to everything.
2. I shouldn't be selfish or hold back from people who don't work as hard as me.
After all, we reap what we sow.
I wouldn't want the leaders that do all the work in our Church to hold out on me because I don't do as much as them.
Maybe this would be a good time to say thank you to all the people that do so much for all of us.
Thank you!
Another very interesting chapter. I think it's so interesting that these people were concerned about the fact that the gentiles had always been different, and it seemed that they should somehow change their circumcision so that they would be more similar. I wonder what would be equivalent to that today? I've never really talked about that with a new believer. Also - what does that mean for the women who were changing faith - or did they just follow the men back then?
The ending was humbling for me a little bit also. It's nice to know, as sad at it is, that these men who walked the earth and shared our faith were also human. We often have discrepancies in our faith circles, or hold people back from doing the work of the Lord for various reasons. Because the Bible includes this tidbit, we can know, even more, that it was true - because these men had real human conflict, not just fairy-tale relationships. Praise God for such a book.
But you're right MW, we need to really keep our minds open, and allow those to do God's work who are willing, reaping what they sow. I'll try to always keep that in mind - and I hope others will for me also!
God bless,
Marshall
I like reading about things like this gathering where the details of being church are hammered out. I wonder that those who were in the sect of the Pharisees didn't hear in their own words some of the very kind of language Jesus was so often critical of - but I guess it is always hard to see in ourselves what we see so clearly in others.
Sad to have Paul and Barnabas split over such an issue.
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