Disagreement and division happen to the best of us, even it seems, to early leaders in the church like Paul.
In Acts 15:37-39, we read of Paul’s split with Barnabas over John Mark. Paul wanted to head out on his second missionary journey. He wanted to take Barnabas with him, but Barnabas wanted to bring his cousin John Mark, who’d previously deserted the apostles (Acts 13:13).
Who knows why John Mark deserted them? Suggestions abound. Perhaps he just lost enthusiasm. Perhaps the work was harder than he expected. Maybe Paul was sick, and John Mark had enough. Perhaps he disagreed with the focus on reaching Gentiles, which contributed to the tension that led to the Jerusalem Council. We simply don’t know.
We do know, however, that Paul didn’t want to take John Mark with him again. Things got so heated that Paul and Barnabas experienced a “sharp disagreement” and separation, leading to two teams (Paul and Silas on one, Barnabas and John Mark on the other) instead of one.
We’re never told which one was right. We do know that the conflict resulted in two teams instead of one, and that Paul later reconciled with both Barnabas and John Mark, mentioning them both positively in his letters (1 Corinthians 9:6; 2 Timothy 4:11).
“That may not be the best of all ways of getting the work done,” observes James Montgomery Boice, “but in the providence and grace of God the result is sometimes beneficial.”
I find this incident instructive.
Sometimes even the godliest of leaders will see things differently.
In the case of John Mark, I can see how two godly leaders could come to different conclusions. We often look at the same set of facts and form vastly different convictions. Not every decision is black and white. Sometimes convictions are matters of wisdom and emphasis. I sometimes wonder how many of our divisions are caused by differences in temperament or by how we weigh different considerations as we form our convictions.
We shouldn’t be surprised when divisions arise.
The unity of the Jerusalem council was followed by the split between Paul and Barnabas. We should aim for unity but expect that we’ll encounter sharp disagreements. The threat of division in the church should never surprise us.
We should also play the long game.
We may separate from other believers now because we disagree, but find them to be dear brothers and partners in the gospel in the years to come. This should inform how we conduct ourselves now, so we have less damage to repair later.
God can work even through our division.
We should also rejoice that God can work even through our division. Even when we fall short of what’s ideal, God still seems to use us. Good thing! God is able to bring himself glory even in our weakness. It’s just like God to use us to accomplish his purposes, even when we fall short.
Disagreement and division are difficult. We all know what it’s like to experience tension and sharp disagreement. But we shouldn’t be surprised. Instead, we should remain humble, play the long game, and ask God to bring himself glory even in our division.
