Acts 15:39
Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
Their disagreement
The Greek word for "disagreement" here is "παροξυσμός" (paroxysmos), which implies a sharp contention or provocation. This term suggests a significant and intense conflict, not just a mild difference of opinion. Historically, this reflects the real human emotions and challenges faced by early church leaders. It reminds us that even those filled with the Holy Spirit can have strong disagreements, yet God can use these situations for His purposes.

was so sharp
The phrase "so sharp" emphasizes the intensity of the disagreement. The Greek word "παροξυσμός" is often associated with a sudden outburst of emotion. This highlights the reality that even the most dedicated Christians, like Paul and Barnabas, can experience moments of intense conflict. It serves as a reminder that the early church was not immune to human frailties, yet God’s work continued despite these challenges.

that they parted company
The decision to "part company" indicates a significant turning point in the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. The Greek word "χωρίζω" (chorizo) means to separate or divide. This separation, while painful, led to the expansion of the Gospel as it allowed for two missionary journeys instead of one. It illustrates how God can use even disagreements to further His kingdom, showing that His plans are not thwarted by human conflict.

Barnabas took Mark
Barnabas, whose name means "son of encouragement," chose to take Mark, also known as John Mark. This decision reflects Barnabas's character as an encourager and mentor. Historically, Barnabas's choice to support Mark, despite his earlier failure (Acts 13:13), demonstrates the importance of second chances and the role of mentorship in the Christian faith. It highlights the grace and patience required in nurturing new believers and leaders.

and sailed for Cyprus
Cyprus was Barnabas's homeland (Acts 4:36), and his decision to return there with Mark suggests a strategic choice to minister in familiar territory. The act of sailing indicates the missionary zeal and commitment to spreading the Gospel, despite personal disagreements. This journey to Cyprus underscores the theme of mission and evangelism that is central to the Book of Acts, showing that the work of the Lord continues even amidst personal conflicts.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul
- An apostle who played a significant role in the spread of Christianity among the Gentiles. Known for his missionary journeys and epistles.

2. Barnabas
- A fellow missionary and companion of Paul, known for his encouragement and support of early Christians, including Paul himself.

3. Mark (John Mark)
- A young disciple who had previously left Paul and Barnabas during a missionary journey, leading to the disagreement.

4. Cyprus
- An island in the Mediterranean Sea, which was Barnabas's homeland and the destination he chose to take Mark.

5. Disagreement
- A sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas regarding whether to take Mark on their missionary journey, resulting in their separation.
Teaching Points
The Reality of Disagreements in Ministry
Even strong believers can have sharp disagreements. This passage reminds us that conflicts can arise even among mature Christians.

The Importance of Reconciliation
Despite the disagreement, later scriptures show reconciliation between Paul and Mark, teaching us the importance of forgiveness and restoration in relationships.

Diverse Paths in Ministry
God can use disagreements to further His purposes, as seen in the separate missionary journeys that resulted from this conflict.

The Role of Encouragement
Barnabas's decision to take Mark highlights the importance of encouragement and second chances in the growth and development of others.

Trusting God's Sovereignty
Even when plans change due to human conflict, God remains sovereign and can use all situations for His glory.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15:39 reflect the reality of human relationships, even among believers?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of reconciliation seen in the later relationship between Paul and Mark to our own lives?

3. How does Barnabas's decision to take Mark with him demonstrate the importance of encouragement and mentorship in the Christian faith?

4. What can we learn from the fact that God used the separation of Paul and Barnabas to expand the reach of the Gospel?

5. How can we trust in God's sovereignty when our plans are disrupted by disagreements or conflicts? Consider other biblical examples of God using human conflict for His purposes.
Connections to Other Scriptures
Acts 13:13
- Provides context for the disagreement, as it mentions Mark's earlier departure from Paul and Barnabas, which led to Paul's reluctance to take him again.

Colossians 4:10
- Shows reconciliation and later cooperation between Paul and Mark, indicating that their relationship was restored over time.

2 Timothy 4:11
- Paul acknowledges Mark's usefulness in ministry, highlighting the theme of forgiveness and restoration.
Apostles At FaultW. Clarkson Acts 15:36-41
Beginning of the Second Missionary JourneyE. Johnson Acts 15:36-41
Contention Amongst BrethrenR.A. Redford Acts 15:36-41
Contentions and SeparationsR. Tuck Acts 15:37-39
Paul and Barnabas, Their Contention and SeparationJ. Parker, D. D.Acts 15:37-39
Symptoms More StartingP.C. Barker Acts 15:37-39
The Contention Between Paul and BarnabasJ. Hacket, D. D.Acts 15:37-39
The Dissension Between Paul and BarnabasSermons by the Monday ClubActs 15:37-39
The Quarrel About John MarkE. H. Higgins.Acts 15:37-39
The Quarrel of Barnabas and SaulD. Thomas, D. D.Acts 15:37-39
The Separation of Paul and BarnabasJ. Parker, D. D.Acts 15:37-39
Unity in DisunionDean Vaughan.Acts 15:37-39
People
Barnabas, Barsabas, David, James, John, Judas, Mark, Paul, Peter, Silas, Simeon, Simon
Places
Cilicia, Cyprus, Jerusalem, Judea, Pamphylia, Phoenicia, Samaria, Syria, Syrian Antioch
Topics
Argument, Asunder, Barnabas, Company, Contention, Cyprus, Departed, Disagreement, Feeling, Grew, Mark, Occurred, Parted, Parting, Resulted, Sail, Sailed, Separated, Separating, Serious, Setting, Sharp, Ship, Taking, Warm
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Acts 15:39

     4248   islands
     5517   seafaring
     5568   suffering, causes
     5834   disagreement
     5887   inexperience
     6109   alienation

Acts 15:22-41

     5108   Paul, life of

Acts 15:36-40

     5834   disagreement

Acts 15:36-41

     5976   visiting

Acts 15:37-39

     8031   trust, importance

Acts 15:37-40

     6718   reconciliation, believers

Acts 15:39-40

     6671   grace, and Christian life

Library
The Breaking Out of Discord
'And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 3. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles:
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

The Charter of Gentile Liberty
'Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 13. And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14. Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name. 15. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16. After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

A Good Man's Faults
'And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. 38. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.'--ACTS xv. 37, 38. Scripture narratives are remarkable for the frankness with which they tell the faults of the best men. It has nothing in common with the cynical spirit in historians, of which this age has seen eminent examples, which fastens upon the weak places in the noblest natures, like a wasp
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

A Message from the Crowned Christ
(Revelation, Chapters ii and iii) "The glory of love is brightest when the glory of self is dim, And they have the most compelled me who most have pointed to Him. They have held me, stirred me, swayed me,--I have hung on their every word, Till I fain would arise and follow, not them, not them,--but their Lord!"[64] Patmos Spells Patience. Patience is strength at its strongest, using all its strength in holding back from doing something. Patience is love at flood pleading with strength to hold steady
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
Discourse 2 "Blessed are the meek: For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: For they shall obtain mercy." Matt. 5:5-7 I. 1. When "the winter is past," when "the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in the land;" when He that comforts the mourners is now returned, "that he may abide with them for ever;" when, at the brightness of his presence, the clouds disperse,
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

"Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c. Fourthly, Faith purging the conscience purifies the heart (Acts xv. 9.), and hope also purifies the heart (1 John iii. 3.), which is nothing else but faith in the perfection and vigour of it. This includes, I. That the heart was unclean before faith. II. That faith cleanses it, and makes it pure. But "who can say, I have made my heart pure (Prov. xx. 9.), I am clean from my sin?" Is there any man's heart on this side of time, which lodges not many
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Foreword
"Jesus of Nazareth, a Biography, by John Mark," recognizes the author of the second Gospel as that "John, whose surname was Mark" (Acts 15:37), whom Barnabas chose as companion when he sailed for Cyprus on his second missionary journey. In making use of the new title, the plan of the Editor is to present "The Gospel: According to Mark" as it would be printed were it written in the twentieth rather than the first century. Mark's Gospel has been chosen for this purpose to make available in more readable
John Mark—Jesus of Nazareth - A Biography

The Subtraction Process
The baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire, the entering into the heavenly inheritance of Canaan, and the possession of the land, and all the blessings that follow are unmistakably a process of addition to the already blessed experience of the justified soul. This addition is scripturally termed "sanctification." No mortal language can ever express how much of an addition it is; but there must necessarily precede this marvelous grace, a definite and absolute subtraction, a loss of all things for the
J. W. Byers—Sanctification

Cleansing.
As there are conditions requiring to be complied with in order to the obtaining of salvation, before one can be justified, e. g., conviction of sin, repentance, faith; so there are conditions for full salvation, for being "filled with the Holy Ghost." Conviction of our need is one, conviction of the existence of the blessing is another; but these have been already dealt with. "Cleansing" is another; before one can be filled with the Holy Ghost, one's heart must be "cleansed." "Giving them the Holy
John MacNeil—The Spirit-Filled Life

Second Missionary Journey
Scripture, Acts 15:36-18:22 +The Inception+--After the Jerusalem Council Paul returned to Antioch where he spent some time, "teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord with many others also." "And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren i+The Companions+ (Acts 15:37-40).--Barnabas proposed to take John Mark, his nephew, with them on this second journey. But Paul strenuously objected, basing his objection on the ground that this young man had deserted them
Henry T. Sell—Bible Studies in the Life of Paul

Authorship of the Pentateuch.
The term Pentateuch is composed of the two Greek words, pente, five, and teuchos, which in later Alexandrine usage signified book. It denotes, therefore, the collection of five books; or, the five books of the law considered as a whole. 1. In our inquiries respecting the authorship of the Pentateuch, we begin with the undisputed fact that it existed in its present form in the days of Christ and his apostles, and had so existed from the time of Ezra. When the translators of the Greek version,
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
1. When the psalmist says: "The Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psa. 84:11), he means that God is to all his creatures the source of life and blessedness, and their almighty protector; but this meaning he conveys under the figure of a sun and a shield. When, again, the apostle James says that Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts 15:21), he signifies the writings of Moses under the figure of his name. In these examples the figure lies in particular words. But it may be embodied
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Council at Jerusalem.
(Comp. § 34, pp. 835 sqq. and 346 sq.) The most complete outward representation of the apostolic church as a teaching and legislative body was the council convened at Jerusalem in the year 50, to decide as to the authority of the law of Moses, and adjust the difference between Jewish and Gentile Christianity. [743] We notice it here simply in its connection with the organization of the church. It consisted not of the apostles alone, but of apostles, elders, and brethren. We know that Peter,
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

The Synod of Jerusalem, and the Compromise Between Jewish and Gentile Christianity.
Literature. I. Acts 15, and Gal. 2, and the Commentaries thereon. II. Besides the general literature already noticed (in §§ 20 and 29), compare the following special discussions on the Conference of the Apostles, which tend to rectify the extreme view of Baur (Paulus, ch. V.) and Overbeck (in the fourth edition of De Wette's Com. on Acts) on the conflict between Acts 15 and Gal. 2, or between Petrinism and Paulinism, and to establish the true historic view of their essential unity in diversity.
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

The Catholic Epistles.
I. Storr: De Catholicarum Epp. Occasione et Consilio. Tüb. 1789. Staeudlin: De Fontibus Epp. Cath. Gott. 1790. J. D. Schulze: Der schriftstellerische Charakter und Werth des Petrus, Jacobus und Judas. Leipz. 1802. Der schriftsteller. Ch. des Johannes. 1803. II. Commentaries on all the Catholic Epistles by Goeppfert (1780), Schlegel (1783), Carpzov (1790), Augusti (1801), Grashof (1830), Jachmann (1838), Sumner (1840), De Wette (3d ed. by Brückner 1865), Meyer (the Cath. Epp. by Huther,
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

Whether the Justification of the Ungodly is the Remission of Sins
Whether the Justification of the Ungodly is the Remission of Sins We proceed to the first article thus: 1. It seems that the justification of the ungodly is not the remission of sins. It is clear from what was said in Q. 71, Arts. 1 and 2, that sin is opposed not only to justice, but to all virtues. Now justification means a movement towards justice. Hence not every remission of sin is justification, since every movement is from one contrary to its opposite. 2. Again, it is said in 2 De Anima, text
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Whether Purification of the Heart is an Effect of Faith
Whether Purification of the Heart is an Effect of Faith We proceed to the second article thus: 1. It seems that purification of the heart is not an effect of faith. Purity of heart pertains mainly to the affections. But faith is in the intellect. Hence faith does not cause purification of the heart. 2. Again, that which causes purification of the heart cannot exist together with impurity. But faith exists together with the impurity of sin, as is obvious in those whose faith is unformed. Hence faith
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Church Government.
By this time the Gospel had not only been firmly settled as the religion of the great Roman empire, but had made its way into most other countries of the world then known. Here, then, we may stop to take a view of some things connected with the Church; and it will be well, in doing so, to remember what is wisely said by our own Church, in her thirty-fourth article, which is about "the Traditions of the Church" (that is to say, the practices handed down in the Church) --"It is not necessary that traditions
J. C. Roberston—Sketches of Church History, from AD 33 to the Reformation

Whether Every virtue is a Moral virtue?
Objection 1: It would seem that every virtue is a moral virtue. Because moral virtue is so called from the Latin "mos," i.e. custom. Now, we can accustom ourselves to the acts of all the virtues. Therefore every virtue is a moral virtue. Objection 2: Further, the Philosopher says (Ethic. ii, 6) that moral virtue is "a habit of choosing the rational mean." But every virtue is a habit of choosing: since the acts of any virtue can be done from choice. And, moreover, every virtue consists in following
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether the Old Law was Good?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Old Law was not good. For it is written (Ezech. 20:25): "I gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments in which they shall not live." But a law is not said to be good except on account of the goodness of the precepts that it contains. Therefore the Old Law was not good. Objection 2: Further, it belongs to the goodness of a law that it conduce to the common welfare, as Isidore says (Etym. v, 3). But the Old Law was not salutary; rather was it deadly and
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether There Should have Been Man Ceremonial Precepts?
Objection 1: It would seem that there should not have been many ceremonial precepts. For those things which conduce to an end should be proportionate to that end. But the ceremonial precepts, as stated above ([2105]AA[1],2), are ordained to the worship of God, and to the foreshadowing of Christ. Now "there is but one God, of Whom are all things . . . and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things" (1 Cor. 8:6). Therefore there should not have been many ceremonial precepts. Objection 2: Further,
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Simple Fornication is a Mortal Sin?
Objection 1: It would seem that simple fornication is not a mortal sin. For things that come under the same head would seem to be on a par with one another. Now fornication comes under the same head as things that are not mortal sins: for it is written (Acts 15:29): "That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication." But there is not mortal sin in these observances, according to 1 Tim. 4:4, "Nothing is rejected that is received with
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether it is against the Natural Law to have a Concubine?
Objection 1: It would seem that to have a concubine is not against the natural law. For the ceremonies of the Law are not of the natural law. But fornication is forbidden (Acts 15:29) in conjunction with ceremonies of the law which for the time were being imposed on those who were brought to the faith from among the heathens. Therefore simple fornication which is intercourse with a concubine is not against the natural law. Objection 2: Further, positive law is an outcome of the natural law, as Tully
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether the Justification of the Ungodly is the Remission of Sins?
Objection 1: It would seem that the justification of the ungodly is not the remission of sins. For sin is opposed not only to justice, but to all the other virtues, as stated above ([2212]Q[71], A[1]). Now justification signifies a certain movement towards justice. Therefore not even remission of sin is justification, since movement is from one contrary to the other. Objection 2: Further, everything ought to be named from what is predominant in it, according to De Anima ii, text. 49. Now the remission
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

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