Acts 15:22-41

Barnabas Again

This is the last time in Acts that we hear Barnabas mentioned, but for me it is one of his finer moments (among many fine moments). Paul suggest that they go back to visit the places where they had preached the gospel. Barnabas is all for it. Barnabas is also all for taking John Mark with them. Paul says, “No!” The disagreement becomes so sharp that they part company and go in different directions.

Paul is obviously a giant in the New Testament. The rest of the book of Acts is essentially about his ministry. Then the next thirteen books are written by him. (Fourteen if you consider Paul the author of Hebrews.) He was certainly a bold zealous man who was mightily used by God, but he was not perfect. The other side of being bold and zealous is being a hot head and lacking in compassion. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. That is why the body of Christ needs both Paul and Barnabas.

Mark had left Paul and Barnabas on their first journey. Paul considered him not qualified to accompany them on this return trip. I’m sure that Paul could make a strong case for his position. No matter, Barnabas saw something in Mark that Paul could not see. Therefore, the same Barnabas who was willing to take a chance on Saul when the other believers would have nothing to do with him; the same Barnabas who went looking for Saul to bring him to Antioch after many years of him being essentially forgotten; this same Barnabas now parts with Paul in order to give Mark a (another) chance at being a missionary.

Who was right? No contest, it was Barnabas. Perhaps this episode was instrumental in Paul later writing to the church at Corinth and saying, “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many... The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor...” Surely Paul had to look back upon this situation when, late in his ministry, he wrote to Timothy and said, “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” And thinking of this he surely added in his prayers, “Thank you, Lord, for Barnabas.”

May those who are not after the ministry of Barnabas be connected with someone who is.