Be a Paulabas (042824)
Pastor Joseph Campbell
Truth in Love (2024) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 34:28
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Pray for Eddie and Shelia in the death of Eddie’s Uncle and Aunt over the past 2 weeks.
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Scripture Reading: Acts 15:36-41.
Title: Be a “Paulabas!”
Saul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14)
Saul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14)
Paul and Barnabas have finished their first missionary journey and have come back to Antioch to give a report of the journey.
A question regarding circumcision was raised that required Paul and Barnabas to go to Jerusalem to settle. (The issues at stake? The peace and unity of the Jewish and Gentile believers.)
However, as I mentioned last week, peace and unity amongst believers is sometimes a fragile thing.
Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary b. Total Disagreement (15:39a)
What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? What happens when two good men, two godly men, are equally convinced that quite opposite courses should be taken?
We’re about to find out!
Vs. 36 - Paul suggested to Barnabas that they go back and visit the cities - and the believers in those cities - that they had visited on their first missionary journey to see how they were doing.
Vs. 37 - Barnabas decided/resolved to take his nephew, John Mark once again.
Vs. 38 - Paul didn’t think that was such a good idea.Likely, all Paul could think of, when it was suggested by Barnabas, was John Marks “failure” on the first journey.
Had John Mark “failed?” All we know, for certain, is what is recorded for us in Acts 13:13
Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
We really have no idea why John Mark returned to Jerusalem but apparently, in Paul’s mind it was serious enough that he didn’t believe that John Mark deserved a second chance.
Vs. 39 - Because of this, there was such a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas that they decided to go their separate ways. Barnabas took John Mark and went to Cyprus.
Vs. 40-41 - Paul chose to take Silas and headed for Syrian and Cilicia.
Usually, when we come to this passage, we ask ourselves, Was this good contention? the contention between Paul and Barnabas that eventually led them to go in separate directions.
Scripture doesn’t record for us any indication as to whether this was good or bad but I do find it interesting that this comes right after the account of the Jerusalem council (at the beginning of this chapter) and that the peace and unity between the Jews and Greeks was very evidently at stake. Now, we see that the peace and unity between Paul and Barnabas is at stake.
Scripture does record for us:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
What does strike me as “interesting” is what is missing from this passage in Acts chapter 15.
Compare this passage with the beginning of the first missionary journey in Acts chapter 13.
Turn to and read Acts 13:1-4.
Do you see what is missing from chapter 15? The Holy Spirit.
Lectures on the Book of Acts Lecture Twenty-Six: How the Gospel Entered Europe (Acts 15:36–41)
It seems to have been a voluntary thing on Paul’s part rather than the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit as on the previous occasion; and, strikingly enough, from the very start, things seemed to go wrong and you find the missionaries perplexed on several occasions as to just what their task should be.
In other words, it appears that Paul did not seek to discern whether it was God’s will for him/them to strike out on this second journey.
What happens in chapter 16 seems to support this.
Turn to and read Acts 16: 6-9.
It seems that, on this second missionary journey, that Paul and his team had a difficult time knowing God’s will for them because maybe, at times, Paul was a little head strong without taking into consideration God’s will.
Lesson? Seek God’s will; Yield to God’s will
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Back to Acts chapter 15…
So, the question comes: Who was right? Paul or Barnabas?
I don’t believe that we can answer that question. I believe that it would be a fruitless discussion to even consider the question of who was right.
Some would argue that since, after Acts 15:39, we hear nothing more of Barnabas, that Paul must have been right.
Others would argue that Barnabas must have been right because of what we read later in Paul’s writings.
Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
So, at some point, Paul had a change of heart regarding John Mark. Certainly that proves that Barnabas was right to begin with!
I am not going to argue the point either way. Neither am I going to render an opinion either way.
What I am going to do is ask a question (which is the title of this message):
Paul, Barnabas, or John Mark. Which Are You?
Paul, Barnabas, or John Mark. Which Are You?
Paul - Determined. Resolute. Willing to lose a friend and ministry associate because of “principle” and what he believed to be right.
Barnabas - Ever the encourager. Ever willing to give a second chance. Willing to “err” on the side of grace.
John Mark - a young man who had made a “mistake.” He needed encouragement. He needed a second chance. He still had much that he could contribute to and for the cause of Christ (as Paul admits later).
I think that we have all been a lot like John Mark at times. We were immature. We needed to grow up some. Maybe we even needed a second chance. All we needed is a Barnabas who would believe in us; who would stick with us; who would be the one to encourage us and challenge us to continue serving the Lord.
I think that we can all remember someone who has been a Barnabas to us. It is likely that we have all needed a Barnabas. That individual who overlooked our failings and short comings. That individual who kept encouraging us when everyone else had given up on us. That individual who saw something in us that no one else saw.
Where would the world be without those Paul’s. One writer stated it this way: It is difficult to overstate the apostle Paul’s contribution to the early Christian mission. Where would we be if Paul had not taken the Gospel to the Gentiles? Who else but a Paul would have been (is able) to endure…
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
No wonder Paul didn’t think it was a good idea to take John Mark. John Mark gave up before Paul had endured any of this!!!
The world is filled with John Marks.
The world is filled with John Marks.
Why do we have to choose between being a Paul or a Barnabas.
Let’s strive to be a mixture - a “Paulabas!”
Let’s strive to be a mixture - a “Paulabas!”
Turn to and read Ephesians 4:11-14.
Turn to and read Ephesians 4:11-14.