The Story
After spending some time in Antioch – probably for the whole winter – teaching the truth, encouraging young believers to grow in their faith, Paul decided it was time to go back and visit the new Churches they had planted. Obviously, he would need to take a small team with him, for safety, encouragement, and to share the work around and practise accountability. So he had a word with Barnabas, who suggested they take his younger cousin John mark along. Now, John Mark had experience of a previous journey – he had gone with them from Antioch to Cyprus (Acts 13. 5)and then on to Pisidian Antioch – but had then left and gone home to Jerusalem (Acts 13. 13). As far as Paul was concerned, John Mark was immature, unreliable, maybe a bit of a fearty; definitely not someone Paul wanted on his team: possibly a threat to the team. Barnabas saw things differently: John Mark was related and maybe he knew him a bit better. Maybe he saw signs of growth, maybe he was a bit more understanding... he wanted to Give the young man a second chance, to develop his gifts and encourage him to grow by taking the risk of having him on the team again. A sharp disagreement.
The argument got so heated; both men believed they were right; it was a matter of principle. Barnabas wanted to be people centred/orientated. The relationship mattered. Helping people grow mattered. For him, the Church was about people. Paul wanted to be programme centred or task orientated. The mission mattered, getting the Gospel to the nations. For him, the Church was about mission.
The battle still rages: the Church is people. The Church is mission. Which is true? I guess both. What is the Church? People, or Mission?
It's more important to be loving than to be right. It's good to be both. You can't always be right. You can always be loving. As a result of this dispute, , the two perspectives went their separate ways, when they very much needed each other.
People orientated thinking can result in sentimentalism. Blood is thicker than water and we can, if we are not careful, fail to challenge people because we are too concerned about “keeping people happy”.
Task orientated thinking can result in dehumanising, treating people only as means to an end. Loads of Churches and other Christian organisations have gone down that road: members, students, staff, volunteers, become only a number.
So, Barnabas then headed off to Cyprus with John Mark, possibly “going quietly” without being “commended” by the Church.
Meanwhile, Paul recruited Silas, and they were sent off to Derbe, Lystra, and the other places they had already visited. At Lystra, Paul recognised the gifts of a young guy called Timothy. Now Timothy was half-Jewish, but had not been circumcised as a child, so Paul took him and did the operation, “Because of the Jews” (6. 3). What was that about? Paul has not long ago gone to Jerusalem to argue against the idea that you had to be circumcised to be a Christian. For Timothy, it was “Not a matter of principle” (I H Marshall). Paul knew Timothy was saved; but he knew that they could get trouble from other Jews who knew about Timothy's mixed background. This was not about Timothy's salvation but about helping the mission; if Paul as seen to be travelling with a half-Jew who was uncircumcised, the whole team could be criticised by the Jews in very town in Asia. This maybe wasn't Paul's finest hour. But it gives a real insight into the way he thought: “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." (1 Cor 9. 20, 22)
The person seems to matter less than the programme. I don’t know what Timothy thought of the matter! He doesn't seem to have been given much choice.
After they had visited all the churches planted in the first journey, there seems to have been a restless sense of the need to break new ground. Paul probably fancied going to the important city of Ephesus, but journeying through Asia the Holy Spirit didn't allow them to preach; so they tried to enter Bythinia (on the Black Sea coast) but the Holy Spirit wouldn't even let them enter Bythinia. So they ended up “stuck” in Troas, without a clear direction. And Paul had a dream about a Macedonian – an European – begging for help. “Come over and help us. Suddenly Paul finds a new sense of direction. Paul just knew his next call was to preach the Gospel in Macedonia and through Greece. The Mission is paramount. Paul's dogged, unflinching commitment to mission, meant the Gospel crossed over into Europe: the first stage in it eventually reaching a group of small islands 2000s miles North-West. If you're not grateful for Paul's focus on the task of mission, you should be!
Meanwhile, what about Barnabas? He wanted to nurture growth, encouraging younger workers, as he always had done. He took John Mark back to the place where he had successfully engaged in mission previously; where possibly the young man already had contacts, confidence. He took him to the place where he was able to flourish. He put him in a situation that he could cope with. Cf. Gideon being told to send home the men who were trembling with fear (Judges 7. 3). There's something godly about that! And it worked! The young John Mark grew and developed a significant and valued ministry. Luke doesn't mention Barnabas or Mark again after this. But Paul does. Barnabas continued to be a respected friend of Paul's as seen in a fleeting reference in 1 Cor 9. 6, Col 4. 10.
And as for Mark...
- He was with Paul – obviously part of the team – when Paul wrote Colossians (Col 4. 10)
- In Philemon 24 Paul calls Mark a “fellow worker”;
- in 2 Tim 4. 11 he says “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry”;
- and Peter calls him “my son Mark” (1 Pet 5. 13)
Conclusion
1. The Sovereign spirit. The undescribed but unmistakeable work of the Holy Spirit, preventing them from preaching in Asia province; from even entering Bythinia then sending that vision of a Macedonia … Luke is subtly aware of the action of the Sovereign Spirit of God who is at work even through the acrimony of a disagreement and division, to advance the Gospel. When we disagree, as we will, the Holy Spirit is still at work, sovereignly working out his purposes.
2. The importance of Love. But that doesn't mean we should be quick to disagree. We are to be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. It really is more important to be living than to be right.
3. The nature of Church... So there should not be a dichotomy. The church is people – who are united in Christ; who are called to love and nurture one another.
The Church is people, who are to be valued, nurtured, and loved, not just for what they can do or give but because of who they are.
The Church exists by mission as a fire does by burning (so said Emil Brunner). It is people on a mission.
© Gilmour Lilly March 2014
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