Sermon Notes for 10/6/2013
Conflict While Doing God's Work (Acts 15:36-41)
A. The conflict between Paul and Barnabas.
1) Following up on their missionary work (36)
Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."
2) The reason for their conflict (37-39a, Galatians 2:11-14)
Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.
When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? (Galatians 2:11-14)
B. A division that resulted in progress
1) Barnabas left for Cyprus with Mark (39b)
Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
2) Paul departed for Asia Minor with Silas (40, 41)
but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Summary
Though Barnabas had been a strong supporter of Paul's early missionary work, they experienced a conflict so great that they went their separate ways. Their disagreement resulted from whether or not Mark could be trusted, but at the root, they had different views about how followers of Jesus should understand and keep Old Testament laws. For Paul and Barnabas, this was an issue that gave them no option for compromise. In the end, God used both of them in different ways. God has a much bigger perspective on how we should live our lives and keep his commands. We need to proceed and do what we understand to be right, but that doesn't give us the right to judge those who disagree with us.
For Discussion
1) Why were Paul and Barnabas no longer able to work together?
2) What can we learn from this episode?
Conflict While Doing God's Work (Acts 15:36-41)
A. The conflict between Paul and Barnabas.
1) Following up on their missionary work (36)
Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."
2) The reason for their conflict (37-39a, Galatians 2:11-14)
Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.
When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? (Galatians 2:11-14)
B. A division that resulted in progress
1) Barnabas left for Cyprus with Mark (39b)
Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
2) Paul departed for Asia Minor with Silas (40, 41)
but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Summary
Though Barnabas had been a strong supporter of Paul's early missionary work, they experienced a conflict so great that they went their separate ways. Their disagreement resulted from whether or not Mark could be trusted, but at the root, they had different views about how followers of Jesus should understand and keep Old Testament laws. For Paul and Barnabas, this was an issue that gave them no option for compromise. In the end, God used both of them in different ways. God has a much bigger perspective on how we should live our lives and keep his commands. We need to proceed and do what we understand to be right, but that doesn't give us the right to judge those who disagree with us.
For Discussion
1) Why were Paul and Barnabas no longer able to work together?
2) What can we learn from this episode?