Christian Disagreement

"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.' Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches."

~The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 13

We know there was a contentious disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, and it led them to part ways. We don’t know much beyond that and we don’t know much about Barnabas’ journeys afterwards, but we see that Paul’s journeys continue to define the narrative of the book of Acts and the narrative of Christianity thereafter. We can learn from this that disagreement, contention, and quite likely dislike can arise between Christians. It would appear that sometimes it is not resolvable; not everything ends in prayer, embrace, and choruses of kumbaya. But both parties to the disagreement continued on a missionary journey to serve God and build up others, sharing the good news and establishing the church.

I don’t doubt that both Paul and Barnabas felt misunderstood by the other. Given their previous close work and relationship there must have been personal hurt. We don’t know if they ever reconciled. But God’s work certainly wasn’t inhibited in Paul as a result of this. Paul appears to have been charismatic, uncompromising, rather black and white, and generally a pretty intense guy. I can imagine Barnabas being frustrated, understandably, about these qualities. But whatever Paul did, he did with a clear heart before God, and in this case he did not take back his judgment. Maybe Paul was right to part ways with Barnabas over the inclusion of John Mark. We don't know why John Mark withdrew in the first place, maybe there was a moral failure he was unwilling to confront. Or maybe Paul was just being difficult, demonstrating an excess of the character that would otherwise prove beneficial (perhaps necessary) for the establishment of the church. We can only speculate.

In any case, Paul was commended by the church community at that point and entrusted to do the work he went on to do. We don’t know much more about Barnabas and John Mark. But John Mark is understood to have written the Gospel of Mark, so whatever happened after that parting of ways, he and no doubt Barnabas fulfilled a role in the story of God’s work on earth (and the establishment of the church no less). Though they may have been unable to work together, I imagine both Paul and Barnabas took pleasure in the knowledge of the other’s good work and the good way the other's story played out. And I imagine each holds a space in their heart where they eagerly anticipate the reconciliation that will one day come, when the trappings of false selves fall away. Where each may see and know the other the other in the unimpeded light of the Redeemer's love.