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ACTS - In the Triumphal Procession of Christ
Studies in the Acts of the Apostles
PART 2 - Reports About Preaching Among the Gentiles and the Foundation of Churches From Antioch to Rome - Through the Ministry of Paul the Apostle, Commissioned by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13 - 28)
C - The Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36 - 18:22)

1. Paul’s Separation From Barnabas (Acts 15:36-41)


ACTS 15:36-41
36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also. 38 But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work. 39 Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas, and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.

Where there is a call of God, His power is realized in His apostles. Where a minister is not called by the Lord, his ministry remains dead and his office lifeless, dwelling in powerlessness and destruction. Paul could not continue sleeping peacefully in the flourishing church at Antioch. He saw how the spiritual children of Anatolia, to whom the Holy Spirit had given second birth through his preaching, lived in spiritual infancy in unfriendly surroundings. Paul, therefore, called upon the brothers in the different churches of Syria and Asia Minor to water the “oases of heaven” in the deserts of the world.

Paul did not say: “I am going alone”, but “Let us go together”, knowing that the Holy Spirit had chosen him and Barnabas for joint ministry, and that He had blessed this joint ministry extraordinarily with power, authority, and fruit. Barnabas, the oldest member of this group, was once again prepared to accompany Paul on this toilsome second missionary journey, with its long journeys, many dangers, troubles, and persecutions. There had come no revelation from the Holy Spirit concerning the sending of the apostles on this ministry venture. It was a suggestion from Paul himself, who with broken heart longed for the brethren of these churches, desiring to see them once again.

It is possible that Barnabas, as before, wished first to travel to Cyprus, his homeland, where we read of no church having been founded. Paul, however, did not want to strike while the iron was cold, but instead go directly to the fertile fields. This painful event, which is mentioned in (Galatians 2:18), might have happened just a few days earlier, when the apostles Barnabas and Peter had contradicted their consciences and, in an attempt to gratify Jewish Christians, abstained from dining with Gentiles. This had resulted in creating a wide gap between the two groups. The apostles had disregarded the freedom of the gospel for the sake of love for the law, and out of fear of the tongues of fanatical legalists in Jerusalem.

Finally, when Barnabas once again wanted to take John Mark, his nephew, and to have him trained in ministry on this second missionary journey, Paul exploded. An unhappy contention broke out between the two experienced brothers. The apostle to the Gentiles saw in the young Mark a cowardly, weak man, who might endanger the ministry and prevent blessing. Paul opposed the idea so much that he could not listen to the words of Barnabas, the fatherly mediator. Barnabas had no alternative but to take his nephew and sail with him to Cyprus. In this event Barnabas proved, once again, to be a blessed connecting link between a significant servant of God´s kingdom and the church. He had years earlier brought Saul, as a new convert, into the circle of apostles who had been afraid of him. The Lord blessed Mark´s accompaniment of Barnabas, and the former became a famous evangelist. We read nothing more of Mark in the Acts of the Apostles after this event. Nevertheless, Paul wrote in his epistles that he had accepted the prudent Mark into his company. This happened probably after Barnabas’ death. So Mark became Paul’s partner, and afterwards Peter’s, too. He himself wrote the effectual third gospel, which bears his own name.

Immediately following this disagreement two missionary parties arose. Both of them were right, and through them the love of God was manifested in even greater mutual forgiveness and blessing. Paul chose Silas, a Jewish convert from Jerusalem, as his companion. The Apostolic Council had previously appointed him to bear witness to Paul’s correct opinion, sending him to Antioch with Paul to confirm the Gentile converts, who had been at a loss concerning the law. Silas also had Roman citizenship, which helped him much in his journeys to the Mediterranean regions. He was a partner in writing the Epistle to the Thessalonians, and learned, together with Paul, how to bear sufferings in prisons. Later we read that Silas, probably during Paul’s imprisonment, accompanied Peter on his travels to inspect the desolate churches (1 Peter 5:12). There we also read that Mark met with and joined them. These events help acquaint us with the mysterious movement and working of the Holy Spirit in the guidance and development of the church in the world.

The Antioch brothers suffered a lot as a result of the disagreement between Barnabas and Paul. They prayed continuously, sensing the right with Paul, yet recognizing the love in the fatherly Barnabas. They asked the living Christ to grant both of them forgiveness, empowerment, and strengthening for service, that the blessing of the Lord might be apparent in both parties. We do not read that the elders laid their hands on the travelers. They traveled spontaneously, trusting in the power of the Lord to complete their journeys.

When Paul started his long, second missionary journey he knew neither the aim nor the end. He had not planned for it, but responded to his longing to visit the churches in the north of Syria and in the regions of Tarsus, where several churches had previously been founded through his ministries. We do not know the centers or the names of these churches, but rejoice that the Lord founded lamp stands of His gospel in cities between Antioch and Asia Minor, in the midst of deep spiritual darkness.

PRAYER: O Lord, we thank You for forgiving the quarrelling brothers their faults, and consecrating them to new service. Fill us with determination to preach, and strengthen us to the end that we may not keep relaxing in our churches, but set out to spread Your gospel of salvation to the world.

QUESTION:

  1. What was the principle design and reason for Paul’s second missionary journey?

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