The Rift (Acts 15:39)

Introduction

Where are the Berkers? And let me tell you why I asked that question. I realized after I got done preaching, you know I see things when I preach. I look around, I see people’s faces, and if you’re looking at your phone or whatever, not that anybody over here has ever done that. Now I know your phone can be used as the Bible. I get that. But this kind of thing, taxi, you know. I might be able to see that. But anyway, back to the Berkers. As I was preaching this morning, I, well, actually, it started before I was preaching. I look over, and Jill’s sitting in her customary spot. I’m up here preaching, and I realized Charles and Kaylee are sitting back there. And so I had to address that afterwards when I was struck with that situation.

That Charles and Kaylee were sitting back there, and Jill was sitting up here, and I thought, what’s happened in the Berkner family? Something has gone dramatically wrong, and there needs some kind of intervention here, but it was, I don’t know what it is. I can’t remember now what they said as to why they ended up sitting in different places. So when I mentioned that I was going to be talking about what’s going on here with this, the riff, I was not talking about the Berkner family. I was talking about the situation in regard to Paul and Barnabas over whether or not John Mark would go with them on the proposed journey, the story that is told in Acts 15. I realized that this is a familiar text to many.

But let’s read it again and gain some insights from this occasion in Scripture. And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord. And see how they are.

And Barnabas was desirous of taking John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along, who had deserted them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and departed, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Thus the next journey for Paul commences without Barnabas because of a conflict that arises between himself and Barnabas over John Mark. What are the ingredients of this rift? We’re told in another place in Colossians chapter 4 and verse 10, actually, Paul gives us this information.

As Paul says, Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings, and also Barnabas’ cousin Mark. Whoa. Mark is now with Paul when he writes Colossians. This is later. Okay. So Mark is with Paul. About whom, and this is Barnabas’ cousin, about whom you receive instructions. If he comes to you, welcome him. So he has favorable things to say about Mark a little bit later, and we’ll see that more momentarily. So this is Barnabas’ cousin. So obviously there’s a family connection with John Mark. The reason why he can get over this previous desertion. And I want you to look back to Acts 13. This is a good way to remember this. John Mark’s desertion of Paul is found in Acts 13. And as you know, Friday was Friday the 13th.

And so bad things happen on Friday the 13th. And so something bad happens in Acts 13. Does that help? Probably not. Okay, Acts 13. Now, Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga and Pamphylia, and John left them and returned to Jerusalem. Now, what’s interesting to me is nothing is said about that, other than the fact that John left. At this point in the story, we don’t know the why. This is what’s interesting about Luke telling the story later. He probably knows that he’s going to address this matter of the rift in just a little while in the story in Acts 15. And so there’s no real need to go into it here. He just mentions that John Mark left, and he’s going to address that in Acts 15 in more detail in the text that we’ve just read.

And so this business of desertion bothers Paul greatly. I could make an argument about the fact, beyond the fact that Barnabas and John Mark are relatives, they’re cousins, there’s a unique bond there, that it might be difficult for Paul, one who has sacrificed so much, has been so transformed to understand and appreciate the spiritual problem that John Mark encountered. I don’t know. Sometimes, as we might say, first generation believers, though everybody’s really a first generation believer, but people that come from without and have gone through an extreme conversion experience. That is, they had more to forsake, more changes to pursue, perhaps. Sometimes they are a little less tolerant of the failings of others, as I’ve noticed. Perhaps that’s part of it. I’m not sure that’s a big part of it at all.

But I think some of it relates to the character of the two. What do we know Barnabas for in the story of Acts? He’s the encourager. He was so called by the apostles because of the encouragement that just oozed, we might say, from him. It’s so oozed from him that he was an encourager of God’s people that he got the name that he did. Son of Encouragement. And when somebody needed to go down to Antioch to encourage the church there, they sent Barnabas. And that’s what he did. He encouraged them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord. So it might just go with the personality and character, what I mentioned before about Paul, but certainly what we know about Barnabas, here’s an encourager.

He doesn’t give up on people easily.

He’s going to be the one who’s the cheerleader for his cousin to say, come on, you can do this. And so he’s willing to take John Mark along. So those are some of the ingredients, perhaps not all of the ingredients. So what are we to make of the rift? I could ask for a show of hands right now. Who was right and who was wrong? How many of you are leaning? Paul. How many of you are leaning? Barnabas. I’m guessing that a lot of you would say. Barnabas was correct. Barnabas was right because we know what happens later in the story. When Paul makes this decision, he does not know what happens later in the story. Okay, we have the benefit of hindsight, how this turns out, and Mark ends up being with Paul and being commended by him to other churches.

So what do you think of Luke thought about it when he told the story? And that’s what’s interesting to me. He tells this story without any moral comment at all. Luke doesn’t tell us who was right or who was wrong. He just gives us this incident that happened. Now there’s a sharp disagreement. That’s the words the New American Standard use. And we’re talking about the Greek words here maybe in just a minute, if I can remember to do so. This is not to be compared with Paul withstanding Peter to the face in Galatians 2 over the Gentiles. This is not as serious as that confrontation. Though there’s a disagreement here that caused them to go their separate ways. Some have also postulated, I’ve read several commentaries about the story, that maybe a combination of the attitudes of Paul and Barnabas were helpful to John Mark.

Maybe both of them were a help to Mark, not just Barnabas the encourager. Obviously, he’s got Barnabas saying, Yeah, come along. You can do this. You can recover from your past failure. But at the same time, he has really obviously disappointed the Apostle Paul. And he needs to know that having disappointed the apostles so severely that he would not give him another chance to go along on a journey like this, that might also be helpful to Mark for him to realize the next time. Stick it out. There were some tough circumstances. We had time we looked at the context of Acts 13. Elias, his opposition is mentioned in Acts 13 prior. And that’s just one example. There were probably a lot of things going negative as far as Mark was concerned that caused him to desert them in Acts 13.

And perhaps there’s no moral comment in the story, because all of this sharp disagreement and riff that took place, actually work to the benefit of God’s cause. Perhaps there’s no moral comment because there’s not a right or wrong involved, and that God is saying two are better than one. In this case, double that, four is better than two. I can still do math on that small level. Four is better than two. So instead of having one pair or a trio go out in one direction, you have two pairs going out in two directions. And of course, Silas is a big part of Paul’s story in his future journeys as well. Here’s an interesting thought that I want to also add to this. That at this point in the story of Acts, Barnabas disappears.

We’re told he sails off to Cyprus, his hometown, or at least his home region. And that’s the last we hear of Barnabas and Acts’ story. And that’s not because God disapproves of Barnabas, or he never does anything of note afterward. But if you look at it carefully, what Luke is doing in the book of Acts is really looking at the spread of the gospel through two men, Peter and Paul. And so that emphasis on Peter and Paul, now that they’ve gone separate ways, though Barnabas was a terrific player in the story of the spread of the gospel, he’s not with Paul anymore. And so there’s a lot more that could be said. The world could not contain the books that could have been written, not just about Jesus, but the exploits of all of his faithful disciples and laborers like Barnes.

1. The Vulnerability of the Saints

So this is an intriguing story to me. And I want to make just three observations about the story. The first of which is this, and that’s the part I said I didn’t want to pass over when he said, let’s see how they are. Let’s go back to the saints that we visited, the churches we established, and let’s check on their condition. And that tells me something about the vulnerability of the saints. And I think this is an important point. The health and vitality of churches does not remain a constant. I think you’ve already seen, perhaps, some of you who’ve been around for a while. Who wants to say, yeah, that was me? But those of us that have been around for a while have seen things happen in local churches where the peace is not a constant.

Lack of turmoil is not a constant. The faithfulness of the members is not a constant. We see people all the time who make shipwreck of the faith and cast it away because of the cares of this world and a love of this world. Saints can be vulnerable. The well-being and health of churches are at risk, especially if there is someone like a diatrophy in their midst. He was having a negative impact on the church of which he was a part, according to 3 John. A whole region of churches was disturbed when Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia, Galatians chapter 5. Who hindered you? You were running well, he said. Somebody has participated in the course that you’re now on. Somebody’s hindering you. And he will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

This persuasion does not come from him who calls you. He says in Galatians 5, 7 through 9. So here’s a whole series or number of churches that are being affected by a disturber. The Corinthians were disturbed. They may not like me giving them that description. Who wants to be a disturbed saint? But they but they were disturbed by false prophets and deceitful workers who would slap them in the face, Paul said in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. And they were deceived by them. And we could talk about the letters of the seven churches. Ephesus had seen better days. But they had left their first love. Sardis had a great reputation, but only a few who had not soiled their garments.

If you have the ESV, or the NIV, and I know Ed does, or the CSV, which probably nobody does. It’s a new version of the Christian Standard Version, but I have it at home. This text is going to read differently for you. Hebrews 12 and 13. Now, this all comes on the heels of the chastening of the Lord. And I talk about that a lot because it’s an intriguing concept to me, that some difficult times come to the lives of God’s people that are a part of their training and discipline. And they’re sorrowful in the moment that they come, but it yields something that is positive in our lives, the peaceable fruit of righteousness. We talked about that this morning. And so something good comes from this chastening of the Lord, that is the discipline that a father would give to his son.

We’re sons of God. Talked about that last week. So on the heels of that instruction about the Lord’s discipline, it says in verse 12, and this is before the comment about Esau that follows that we talked about this morning, all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful. Okay, verse 12. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all men and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord, or the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. And so the point of all of this is you need to be trained.

And by that training, you should be produced in our lives a holiness without which one will not see the Lord. Now there’s these two verses in the midst of all of that. I didn’t know this until recently. That these newer translations make this, these two verses completely about you and not about others. Okay? Here’s the CSV with the NIV and ESD thrown in. Strengthen your tired hands. Okay, my perception has always been, reading the New American Standard, that I’m strengthening the hands of others. But they say, these newer translations, strengthen your tired hands, the NIV, your feeble hands, right, Ed, do you have the word feeble there? Okay. Strengthen your feeble hands, lift your drooping hands, the ESD says. Okay, so tired, feeble, drooping hands. Not their hands, but your hands.

And weakened knees, these would be your weakened knees. Okay, this is not a good physical condition if your knees can’t support your body. Okay, so you have a spiritual support system that’s failing. Strengthen your tired hands and weaken knees and make straight paths or level paths, the NIV says, for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated. You ever had a dislocated limb? I don’t know if you saw the Master’s Par 3 contest last Wednesday. Perhaps if you watch Sports Center, you saw this where Tony Final makes a hole in one of the par three contest, and he’s celebrating, he’s going backwards like this, and all of a sudden his ankle goes out of joint. I mean, it’s like turn. And so he stops, which is a good idea, and he just reaches down and goes like this and pushes it back in.

It was incredible. And he played the masters. All four rounds, walked 18 holes every day. Did so with me a little involved there. But dislocation, okay, we know what that is. So which is it? Now I want to say, I’m not going to be dogmatic about this. The newer translations must have had some reason for making this all about you. I’ve always seen this as involving other saints. But if it’s just all about me, I really struggle with verse 13. This was sort of the conclusion the three of us came to in our study. If it’s all about you, I mean, you’re you’re in a weakened condition, so what is that saying? You’re supposed to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and do it all yourself so that you’re not dislocated from the body or out of joint.

It seems like to me the idea of encouraging and helping others is the idea here. I’m gonna go with the older translations, the King James and New American Standard and the ASV, because it also fits the reason for assembling and not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together when it says encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 25. So I’m just throwing that out as something to study further about. But I do know this. Whether it teaches it in Hebrews chapter 12, it teaches it in a lot of other passages in Paul’s epistles that we need to be concerned about each other and help each other and pray for one another that you might be healed, James chapter 5.

And that’s because saints find themselves in spiritually vulnerable places. And they may be fine today, but not be fine a few months from now or a year from now. And let us keep watch for one another. I know that’s the elder’s responsibility. It’s an awesome responsibility. You take on the responsibility of being an elder in a congregation, and as Robert knows, you’re looking out over the entire flock and their spiritual well-being. Let us assist them in looking out for saints. I may never be an elder. If you’re a woman, I’m pretty sure you won’t be. But you can tend, you can tend to vulnerable saints. Saints who need assistance and encouragement. That’s something all of us can do. I don’t know why people want to so clamor for a title.

2. Strained Interactions With Brethren

It’s like if I become an elder, then I’ve achieved some kind of status in the church, and boy, I’ve really arrived. You can do the work of tending to sheep. Whether you ever meet the standard or criteria of becoming an elder. And I say this to young men all the time. You better not wait till you’re 50 or 55 or 60 to start tending to sheep. If you’re ever going to be an elder, you need to start practicing that when you’re younger. And learn what’s involved in dealing with vulnerable saints. Ones with tired hands or drooping hands and weakened knees. Because the worst thing that can happen is a joint that becomes lame or disjointed with no one there to help repair. I want to make another observation about strained interactions with brethren.

The sharp disagreement does not imply, as one commentator said, animosity or hostility. There is a different Greek word that’s used here than is used in the confrontation that takes place between Paul and Peter in Galatians 2. In fact, I notice in that word, Antheanthami, that it really speaks to a more intense conflict. For example, our conflict in the spiritual warfare in Ephesians chapter 6, the conflict that took place between Paul and Elimus earlier in Acts 13, that word is used. The whole thing in regard to Janus and Jambris in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 8, and how we’re to resist the devil. This term is used. The one where it says, Paul withstood Peter to the face. But this term is not used in such severe fashion, but just speaks of the stirring of the spirit, like Paul, when he was provoked by the idolatry of Athens.

It stirred him to address their spiritual condition and preach the sermon at Bar’s Hill. And so it’s the stirring of a spirit. And so what this verb, what this word is really telling us is that they both had a very strong opinion about what should be done. Stott contends that in his commentary, this example may not be used as an excuse to justify Christian quarreling. There’s a lesson here about learning to yield in opinions. Now, I want to do this quickly if I can. Tell you a little bit about me. When I was younger, I really thought that in most matters that involve the functioning of a church, somebody really ought to ask me. Because I had the answers.

I love this pulpit. Give me the tools that I need. And our elders have done that. I got some of the best tools there are. I love the visuals. Like our setup here. Man, we’ve come a long way from the old projector sitting right down there, haven’t we, Gary? Okay, so I have the tools I need to do my work. And what are we going to do about our building? Hey, what are we going to do about this place? Are we going to stay here? Are we going to buy new property? What’s the plan? I got an idea. No, really, I don’t. And it’s okay if you all decide that. It’s amazing how many decisions are made around here that I know nothing about until they happen.

Where did that door come from? Had no idea what things are happening around here all the time. I walk out here today, and somebody has totally done a makeover on our landscaping. That was long overdue. Can you paint? Because we need some paint out there as well. Oh, and boy, this Eagle Scout thing. I like it. And all your helpers. That’s great. You guys have done it. It looked amazing. If I know this landscaping, it’s amazing.

So I don’t know what we’re going to do about this facility. But again, as long as you keep telling me this is the place and this is where you’re going to preach, I’ll be here. I don’t care if we’re crammed in here like sardines. That’s okay with me. I don’t want to give up the scene in this building. I know that. Learning to yield. Marshall observes about the rift in his commentary. It is the classic example of the perpetual problem of whether to place the interests of the individual or the work as a whole first. I like that. Paul’s thinking, bigger picture. Barnabas is thinking the needs of John Mark and what he believes he is capable of doing. He says, that’s always been attention, and then he says, there is no rule of thumb in dealing with it.

In this case, a happy solution was reached. I like that characterization of it. It was a happy solution. Well, it wasn’t happy in the disagreement that came about, but ultimately, as we say, all’s well, that ends well. I will say this. Sometimes good people disagree. Was Barnabas a bad man? Was Paul a bad man? Both great men. But they didn’t agree. Sometimes good people disagree. Conflict is not a testimony to bad character. But we cannot allow it to fester. We need to resolve. We need to be peacemakers. We need to grow and move on and not hold it against them forever. They rub me the wrong way, and I will never look at them the same again. I think that happens in any relationship where there is upset and disappointment.

3. Mark's Story Wasn't Concluded at Acts 13

That we can just chalk it all up to their horrible character, and I’m done with it. I’m over it. And while there was a disagreement about Marcus, we all know. Let me just say this before I move on to that. A lot of the disagreements we don’t get over are about this right here. It’s about our egos. We need to manage that. A man ought not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, Romans chapter 12 and verse 3. Okay, this is where I was going. Ultimately, how does this turn out? We had a hint of it in Colossians 4 and verse 10. But later, Paul would say, as the time of his departure was near, bring Mark. He tells Timothy, bring Mark with you.

He is useful. He is helpful. To me, Mark has ultimately proven himself. And that’s why we can look back and say, okay, Barnabas did the right thing. Did Paul do the wrong thing? Not necessarily. But Paul was able to see the value that Mark would ultimately come to have. And here’s the point for us. Have you ever found yourself being less than what you know you should be? You’ve been a disappointment. Perhaps you’ve been a disappointment in your family. Some behavior less than stellar. You’ve been a disappointment in regard to where you should be as a disciple of the Lord and your participation in a local church. You’ve made some worldly and foolish decisions that have caused you harm and perhaps have discouraged others. Here’s the thing.

So had Mark. Deserted Paul. To the extent that Paul said, I don’t want to bring him along. He left us when the heat came to the kitchen, he got out. We need more dependability than that. But isn’t it great that Mark’s story wasn’t concluded on Friday the 13th? At Acts 13. That there was another chapter that could be written, and that’s the great thing. That’s one of the great things about our participation in the Lord’s cause. No matter where you’ve been in recent days, how you’ve mucked it up. I mock it up as you might say. No matter that you’ve mucked it up, you can still get it together. Yeah, but I’ve been mucking it up for a while. You can still get it together.

He deserted them all the time it took for him to get back home as he hightailed it and ran. I mean, he had some time to pause and reflect. This wasn’t fixed in a moment. But ultimately, Mark got it all together and was useful and helpful to Paul and began promoting the cause. And I believe. Though the Bible doesn’t tell me, I’m pretty sure. Mark’s in heaven.

Conclusion

Your story has not been written completely yet. There’s always room for change and growth. Growing up into all aspects unto him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies. Let me emphasize joint, joints that aren’t dislocated as we help each other. Joints that aren’t dislocated, according to the proper working of each individual part. Is it time for a resolve to reach higher ground? Spend more time in communion with the Lord. And less time loving the things of the world. Two concluding thoughts. You’ve listened well tonight. Do not allow less than ideal moments among brethren, less than desirable situations to negatively impact your confidence and participation in God’s things. Don’t throw in the towel because Mark was a deserter.

Because again, his story wasn’t completely written. And people that sometimes leave us, sometimes return to the fold. Sometimes brethren will act in a way that is very discouraging to you. But you must not surrender faith because of that. They will disappoint. And I say that quite often here because I’ve seen it so often through the years. People getting disgruntled and losing confidence and what these must not be the people of God because look at how they’re behaving. No, they’re the people. They’re still the people. Mark was still a child of God. In his bad moment that he needed to repair. And thanks be to God that he did. The other observation is I think about this a lot as I think about these characters of the scripture.

Is don’t get too carried away in the moment of disagreement because our time on the stage here is very temporary. And when conflict unfolds in the local church and things have to be addressed, we are all temporary players. That’s why we ought not to think more highly of ourselves. Hey, look, if something happens to me, I’m pretty sure this church is going to carry on without me. Maybe I’m signing my own death warrant as I say that. I don’t know. But here’s the thing none of us are indispensable. We’re all temporary players on this stage, and our citizenship in heaven is where all real status and ultimate blessings are enjoyed. And some people like diotrophies get so carried away with status in the local church, but hey, diotrophies, what about your status in heaven?

That’s what matters. Not the regard of brethren or your reputation. Only one thing matters. Your footing with God. And that’s the invitation. What is your footing with the God of heaven? Are you in a right relationship with Him? If you need to come and embrace His gospel or need the help because your knees are weak and feeble and need to be strengthened, can we pray for you so that the limb that is lame will not be put out of joint? Let’s stand and sing.