But take heed lest you judge the victor too quickly: Dagon How and why did the Jews oppose "the things spoken by Paul" (Acts 13:45)? Hebrews 13:7, "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Before we come back and ferret out the lessons of this incident On some kind of spiritual test I took a few years ago, I was labeled as a defender. In short, I feel a strong calling to help, defend, and teach the weak, especially in spiritual matters. kind. I can see Barnabas with this same desire. cellent blo. 10 years after the split in Acts 15), we see Paul telling the Colossians to receive (or welcome) Mark if he comes to them. Was it Paul's tough rebuke or Barnabas' tender Lord. Let us hide the Word In fact, life is made up of many judgment calls. thought he was speaking directly to me. there had been another run-in of a much more serious As he looked up from Perga to the Gentile mountains, his heart failed him, and he turned back with desire towards Jerusalem. Barnabas means son of encouragement. His given name was Joses (Joseph), but the disciples changed his name to fit who he was (Acts 4:36). sentiments in points of prudence. After sailing from Cyprus to the Turkish coast, Paul and Barnabas visit the city of Perga before traveling to Pisidian Antioch and other cities on . the more valuable if they show us the weaknesses of our heroes as Great saints go astraysons of thunder and sons of Im only stating that it took some time before everyone recognized him as such. Paul knew that when the While he and Barnabas put their affairs in order and planned out the relevant details of the trip, a disagreement arose between them regarding whether or not John Mark should accompany them. tears. Here we have this man, John Mark, who clearly messedup in his abandonment of Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey. cousins. Tradition holds that Mark was present when Jesus Christ was arrested on the Mount of Olives. Perhaps Barnabas recognized Marks full potential and wanted to give him a chance to develop and mature in his walk. From Cyprus they sailed to Perga in Pamphylia (southern Turkey) where John left them to return to Jerusalem. This half-sentence tucked away by Luke in Acts 13:13 would become a huge paragraph in the lives of Paul, Barnabas and John Mark. But what does wisdom dictate in a choice like this? He had been a close spectator of the wonderful power of the religion of Christ. Later legend suggests that in the early 9th century, John Marks remains were moved from Alexandria to Venice and buried under the church of St. Mark. Its still in progress and hopefully I will add new material to help others. Here the bubble of idealism Barnabas had encouraged and helped train Mark to be a great man of God. importance to him that they did for Barnabas. But something 2 -Silas wanted to accompany Paul, so Barnabas decided to take John Mark. I have referred again and again to Paul and Barnabas took with them John Mark as a helper. 10 years after the split in Acts 15), we see Paul calling Mark a fellowlabourer, who was apparently with Paul while he was in prison. We have seen six qualities of his goodness and how each one grew . His family was of some importance to the early church in Jerusalem as his home was a center for church gatherings. Paul knew his execution was imminent and he had only a short time left in his earthly body before he would permanently unite with his Savior. Perhaps one little clue shows service." missionaries from Antioch in Acts 13:2, Barnabas and Saul decide to happened after the team left Cyprus and headed on into Pamphylia. 14But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?. will fall on his face before the rays of dawn and tumors will ruin . John Mark. perceives wisdom in another strategy, so that two mission agencies "The question 'Who wrote the Bible?' always has a double answer in the Bible," wrote pastor and teacher John Piper. We are not left in doubt, however, as to the real character of why Mark left Paul. Catholic Daily Reflections and Homily provide daily inspiration and guidance for faithful Catholics seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. now on. So Barnabas left with John Mark and Paul and Silas . T/F, 4. I appreciate it very much. Barnabas was determined to take with them John who was called Mark. Paul, Barnabas and John Mark, after visiting the island of Cyprus as part of the first missionary journey, arrive by boat to the port city of Perga, near the Roman province of Pisidia. Forgiveness is possible. truly alive . a season, to walk in the way of faith. Your article has eally peaked my interest. over the biography of every man except Jesus): Men, why are you doing this? studied the marks of a biblical leader-maker. It says, literally, "But My speculation is that he departed when Paul and Barnabas started preaching to the Gentiles. "Human authors wrote the Bible, and God wrote the Bible through the human authors. Simply put, it appears that he was uncomfortable with the Gentile mission and preaching the gospel to non-Jews.3 He was sent out by the Spirit, but once in the field began to doubt his calling.. (Acts 11:24) also adds, he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. After Saul (Paul) was converted, it was Barnabas who convinced the disciples to accept him (they were afraid of him) (Acts 9:26-30). gospel that they cannot be countenanced. Sextus Julius AfricanusWhy Did The Magi Come ? Forgetting Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. His aim is that they help each other fight the fight of It seems that Barnabas faith in Mark was well-placed. thick of things in Jerusalem in the years just after Jesus' death And lastly, I want to designate a special section to the progression of John Mark through these eventsbecause its so good. Since work here refers to the mission outlined in chapters 13-14, and that mission is summarized with a focus on the Gentiles, it is reasonable to conclude that John Mark abandoned the apostles in the work of ministering to Gentiles.4 This is important for it was the work that he was sent out on by the Holy Spirit (recall 13:1-3). Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. In his Gospel, Mark says: Because that incident is not mentioned in the three other Gospels, scholars believe Mark was referring to himself. we skipped over was patiencepatience with other people's We know Mark ended up close with Peter (1 Pe 5.13) and wrote one of the four gospels. ." that we not fall into temptation. It should also be noted that Mark was the cousin of Barnabas.. He Towards the end of the book Paul gives a list of personal instructionsmainly comprised of several people to greet and one person in particular to dodge. Paul disagrees. The controversyover John Mark was no simple disagreement. 1. Paul took the more rational view: pioneering missionary work requires dedication, resolve, and endurance. The commendation was not for Barnabas and John Mark. There will be times in our lives when we must cut ties with someone or something. In a way, they both were right. He never forgot that straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas peri 2ad. (Acts 13:4-12). It is, therefore, rather sad to note that they eventually had a "falling out" of sorts. Past experiences and past usefulness are no guarantee of In fact, writes Geoffrey Once I was stoned. The last mention of Mark occurs in 1 Peter 5:13, where Peter calls Mark his "son," no doubt a sentimental reference because Mark had been so helpful to him. Also, Barnabas shows us a fantastic character lesson by refusing to use his clout to overrule or cause trouble for Paul. Barnabas, always the encourager of others (Acts 4:36), persuaded Paul to allow the young man to come with them in order to toughen his faith and to give him experience in planting churches. We know that later in Pauls life he commended the ministry of Barnabas (1 Cor 9.6). standards for their candidates more like Paul's, and there are Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Barnabas, Saul, and John Mark, 2 years, Cyprus and Galatia and more. Paul didn't feel the same tug that They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. And Barnabas determined to take with . Demas began well. (Veritas Reconsidered, pp. On their first missionary journey together, John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10), accompanied them. have to learn to disagree on some things without rancor or and resurrection. In 14:27 the ministry or work of 13:4-14:25 is summarized, but the interesting point is that it is summarized by Paul and Barnabas as God opening a door of faith among the Gentiles. There is no mention of the Jews in 14:27only Gentilesthough in chapters 13 and 14 Paul preached in the synagogues and some Jews believed (13:43; 14:1). He learned how to show grace and forgiveness. For Lukes use of oiJ periV see also Luke 22:49. Therefore we need each other's different strengths and mustn't 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. To encourage him. When did Mark abandon them? 2 b But the c unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against d the brothers. Markis helpful to me in my ministry. Hopefully, Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement, lived to see the abundant fruit of his labors with his young cousin Mark. More than once Paul confessed that he was a sinner and that he God usesthe time Mark has alone with Barnabas tomold him into a champion of the early church and a dear friend of the man who once rejected him. Either way, Luke does not write this account in such a way that puts Paul in the right and Barnabas in the wrong, or vice versa. and Ph.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary. Perhaps the Jerusalem Councils decision had a large enough impact to give him a new perspective from the one he held back in Acts 13. came to Perga in Pamphylia. been blogging for? . Mark was the child of a religious mother who had sheltered in her house the Christian disciples during a fierce persecution. Therefore, I tend to think I would have been a Barnabas on this issue too. (No, Im not saying Paul was not an apostleplease dont misquote me. As a result of this intercession, a wonderful friendship between Paul and Barnabas was formed. could do that . The meaning in Hebrew of the word day always means a 24 hour period of time. and grace of God. partners and went on with the ministry of the gospel, and out of also BAGD, s.v. Acts 10:1-11:18), was running from his God-ordained calling (cf. The Holy Spirit chose Paul and Barnabas to work together in evangelism (Acts 13:2). "a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith.". Over ten years after Paul and Barnabas had a fight over Mark, Paul writes to his own disciple Timothy: Only Luke is here with me. The third piece of evidence that God triumphs even through the . Paul took up with some new people. Mark learned valuable lessons and apparently lived the latter part of his life in a manner worthy of forgiveness and redemption. He ate freely and enjoyed fellowshipwith the Gentile converts. 17 years after the split in Acts 15), in the last book Paul wrote, we see perhaps Pauls greatest compliment of Mark when he says, Take Mark, and bring him with thee (to visit Paul during his final imprisonment): for he is profitable to me for the ministry., Paul had GREAT things to say about Mark, and commended him! Barnabas was proposing that Mark retrace his very steps. Some give the usual mundane reasons: he got sick, he was too young, or something came up. God knew what he was doing when he sent Mark with Barnabas instead of Paul. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges. needed each other's different strengths. One night, after meditation on the account in John's gospel Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus (his hometown: Acts 4:36). Paul, Barnabas and John Mark, after visiting the island of Cyprus as part of the first missionary journey, arrive by boat to the port city of Perga, near the Roman province of Pisidia. Why did Barnabas leave Paul? One principle accents the bounty of God. I hope to post other teaching material on it. of God in our heart that we might not sin against him.". not agree and a lamentable rupture in their partnership New American Standard Bible faith, not past faith, is the path to glory. And his aim is that we not envy or resent each Further, it may well be that upon his return to Jerusalem John Mark discussed Paul's work among the Gentiles which incited several from among the Pharisaic wing of the Jerusalem church to descend on Antioch in hopes of straightening out the church as it were. He departed ways with Paul, because he apparently took issue with what occurred at New Paphos. Learn Religions. Acts 13:13) and did not have the same faith in his maturity as did his cousin Barnabas, who was probably more willing to take a chance on a member of the family (cf. resolved, and these veterans whose friendship goes back at least 15 namely, the apostle Paul. When the Holy Spirit appoints Barnabas and Saul to be Modern Persecution of Christians in China, Patriarch Jacobs Well & St. Philoumenous, Slaughter of the Theban Legion C. 286 AD, LapsiChristians Who Lapse/Abandon Their Faith, Evodias Named Followers of Christ Christians. years, and who owe each other so much, part company. We could talk plenty about the context of this passage and the timing. So are second chances. Some of our decisions are governed by explicit biblical One can have a very heated discussion with opposing views and not sin. Every strength is vulnerable to its corresponding weakness. He rightly understood that walking with the Lord changes people and the more time they have to walk, the more time they have to change. failures of his people. The ministry is made up of many judgment calls, and we will In Acts 11:24 we saw that Barnabas was a good man and full of We can see in (Acts 13:13) that Mark (John Mark) had accompanied Paul and Barnabas on this trip. Full Disclosure:I wrote this months ago as a personal study with no intention of publishing and therefore did not mark my sources. Though we dont know the specifics, I believe Paul grew up some through the process as well. Zavada, Jack. bitterness and resentment that are bad. as a Christian, suggested that I consider Jesus after I shared my He says in 13:13: Then Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphilia, but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.NET Bible, As to why John Mark left the group and returned to Jerusalem we are not told, but it did lead to a severe and unfortunate break between Paul and Barnabas some time later (Acts 15:37-39). Can either of these men boast over the other? The disagreement is so deep that it cannot be Let's turn to bursts on the needle of reality. Second, in 2 Timothy 4:11 Paul says to Timothy, "Luke alone is did not feel the same emotional empathy with the Jews who came from Three names appear in the New Testament for this early Christian: John Mark, his Jewish and Roman names; Mark; and John. Meet the Apostle John: 'The Disciple Jesus Loved', Meet the Apostle Paul: Christian Missionary Giant, Meet Timothy: Protege of the Apostle Paul, Lydia: Seller of Purple in the Book of Acts, Meet the Apostle James: First to Die for Jesus, Philip the Apostle - Follower of Jesus Christ, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. over, and after the Jerusalem council has settled the issue of And God has done this again and again in history. All the names for our week days come from Roman and Norse/Anglo-Saxon gods. But instead Mark ends up becoming so much more than a failure. escaped from prison (Acts 12:12). Paul's Perilous Passage through Pisidia" in the November/December 2013 issue of BAR, Mark R. Fairchild explores archaeological evidence of the likely presence of Jewish communities on the way. Jerusalem that Barnabas did. Barnabas or Paul? T/F, 3. More than anything else I wanted the serving me." The family was presumably wealthy enough to have a maidservant (Rhoda) and host large worship meetings. rest on his laurels. In fact there are agencies today with extremely high them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone He may have felt that Paul took unnecessary risks in confronting the Jews and putting his own life in jeopardy. Truth is, John Mark wasn't ready for leadership yet. vocation during the nineteenth century.". On the side of Paul, three thoughts are generally proposed. 14 Now at Iconium a they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry." Whatever the shortcoming was, it disappointed Paul. beginning of Paul's Christian life when no one would take a risk on and molds us according to his choosing. truth. It doesn't say this about the departure of I've prayed about it, feel that the Spirit said 'Yes,' and I'm raring to go!". Why had Barnabas been swept away in What should we learn from the account of Paul and Barnabas? healed. We can take comfort knowing that even the best of men disagree on occasion. What I mean by Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. 2011-11-06 16:13:53 . Matthew Henry, for example, suggested that John Mark had departed "without [Barnabas and Paul's] knowledge, or without their consent". All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. When Paul wrote his second letter to the young pastorhe was literally in the bottom of a pita dungeon. It has been speculated it may have been because Paul was offering salvation to the Gentiles on the basis of faith alone, or perhaps it was a family matter, or perhaps something else. situations that the Bible does not deal with explicitly. this marvelous experience with God, so I am safe and secure from encouragement. He was a Jewish Christian from the city of Jerusalem. There are at least three evidences of this from the life of (NIV), 1 Peter 5:13She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. I believe he had Paul and Barnabas do so by infiltration from within. Thanks for going on my website. From a maturity in the faith standpoint, I think Barnabas was right in not judging Mark based on his past. Acts 13 says this,13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. also captivate us. Mark started with them on their first trip, but left them partway through. had the power to forgive sins, to break the bondage of karma. 1 The Greek text reads oiJ periV Paulon. The three Christian men are a triad of redemption, forgiveness and encouragement. Another principle stresses the glory of God's calling. back and began to read the New Testament to learn more about Jesus. 39And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. It is at this point in the narrative that we are struck by an unusual comment from Luke. Paul did not count it fitting, or proper, to take along one who had And there arose a sharp contention, so that balancing virtue. Our defeats are temporary and the calls these issues "points of prudence." He wrote 2 Timothy to set his affairs in order and to give his last words to Timothy who would carry on Pauls ministry after his death. T/F, 5. What is the story of Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul? The most common explanation is that the missionary journeys was too hard on John Mark. But Paul cries out (with a warning that should be stamped In the case of John Mark in Actswe wonder if we dont have a sort of New Testament Jonah who got on a boat and went the opposite direction, away from the will of God? Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Of course, Mark also ended up authoring the Book of Mark, perhaps the first Gospel written (app. In many cases, a man like this may have tucked his tail between his legs and never been seen again. out of his great faith in the promises of God. Then they traversed across the Island to Paphos. (This would give it apostolic credibility since Mark was likely not an apostle.) The fact that John Mark appears to have gone directly to Jerusalem without reporting the progress of the team to the Antiochen church may give a clue as to why Luke includes this in the narrative. ), In addition, Peter had a VERY strong bond with Mark. Luke is very reserved here. . Who was right? Others say he might have been ill from malaria or some other disease. Barnabas wanted to give Mark this chance at redemption. 48 or 49 A.D. about 3 years after the end of the 1st trip). Sometime before this separation between Barnabas and Paul (in preaching to others I myself should be disqualified . Following the Jerusalem Council Peter came to Antioch to visit with the Gentile believers and lavishly exercised his rights granted to him by the Councils decision. perpetuated by missionary biography. Yet God clearly brings good out of their decision to form separate missionary teams. few pics to drive the message hme a bit, but instead of that, this is (I speak much more on this in my New Testament Survey on Mark.). John Mark is not afraid, nor is he a mama's boy who misses home so much he has to leave the group. And, it looks like Barnabas may well have made the right decision. Paul's orientation to the ministry was so gospel-centered that During those two months I would go into the 36 "And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are." 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. Acts 15:36ff.) This term was often used by someone who had lead another to the Lord, and this was almost certainly the case with Peter (probably prior to 44 A.D.). bitterness or resentment. not only became useful to Paul but also served as Peter's First, we see in (Acts 15:40), Paul and Silas being commissioned by the brethren before being sent out, while we do not see this with Barnabas and Mark. We see in verse 36, that this trip was again to be with Barnabas accompanying him. disciples in Jerusalem, was willing to set aside Paul's history of And John (Mark) left them and returned to Jerusalem.. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. Paul knew it. . propriety and fitness and strategic wisdom. Thank you for the kind comments. So goes the myriad of suggestions, but as ingenious as these suggestions may be, they are not at all in keeping with the context and the thrust of this section of Acts (i.e., Acts 13:1-14:28). Harvard. We don't know why John Mark decided to leave, but this would later create a rift between Paul and Barnabas. We have established that Paul sensed (or assumed) a character flaw within Mark that made him unfit for ministry at the time, and its likely Barnabasalso recognized the flaw but wanted to grant Mark the chance to work through it. Martyrdom of St. MarkFra Angelico, 1433 What happened there? A popular theory is that Mark was simply afraid of all the hardships that lay ahead. Their actions were out of step talks in Galatians 1:8, 10. (NIV), 2 Timothy 4:11Only Luke is with me. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. All rights reserved. time I felt that the Hindu gods had disappointed me and that the Diverse people in the body of Christ need each other's The team sailed some sixty miles southwest to Cyprus and the port of Salamis. But it did keep the gospel pure for another hundred generations of Gentile believers. Neither will Barnabas agreed, but a conflict concerning John/Mark's participation in the journey resulted in a quarrel between him and Paul, . As far as John Mark goes 2 Timothy 4:11 happily suggests that he may have gotten over his problem with the Gentiles and that Paul got over his problem with John Mark (see also Col 4:10; Philemon 24). accompanied Paul and Barnabas. with them to the work. were put in the category with the gods (which we might be tempted . different strengths. Barnabas knew he needed a great teacher and Saul was hot headed Barnabas was true to his nature and believed he could help Saul learn self control as he taught. Jack Zavada. The reasons for John Mark's departure to Jerusalem and the subsequent disagreement between Paul and Barnabas have been subject to much speculation. has chosen to build a community of diverse people. Conzelmann, Acts, 103, states that the phrase oiJ periV can be used if there be only one companion present, or if there be no companion present. opted in for your Feed as wll. His aim is that when one 1 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for e the Lord, who bore witness to f the word of his grace, g . men perish. Longenecker argues that although Luke does not tell us the nature of the special ministry the two [i.e., Paul and Barnabas] were set apart for, from what follows it is obvious that we are meant to understand that it was to be a mission to the Gentiles. Cf. R. V. G. Tasker (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959), 104; Conzelmann, Acts, 103; Polhill, Acts, 296-97. He was homesick and wanted to return home. We are not told. And biographies are Paul saw John Mark as a risk to their mission. made up of those kinds of decisionsthe application of biblical principles to situations not explicitly dealt with in the Paul cheerfully responded. During my final year of high school I had some bizarre and Cyprus. you made blogging look easy. As they planned a second missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas disagreed on whether to take Mark again. The faith Barnabas had in young Marks potential and the encouragement he gave his cousin showed a discerning spirit. Paul was determined not to bring him, due to his forsaking them previously. sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, being 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.