Text: Acts 15:3641

Topic: When the church is only human

There arose a sharp contention between Barnabas and Paul, and they separated.

Barnabas wanted to take John Mark on their second missionary journey, but Paul did not because John had left them during their first journey.

Paul took Silas with him and sailed one way, while Barnabas took John Mark and went another.

The situation was human, institutional, and emotional.

The first gift from Barnabas and Paul's contention is Luke's narration of the controversy.

Luke's evenhanded style of relating the story helps upgrade in our minds his importance as a historian.

Illustration: Palmer explains a problem with propaganda documents: we often wonder how truthful they are. But Luke is clear that he is writing an unbiased historical document, so we can trust its credibility.

The second gift from Barnabas and Paul's contention is the stance of the church at Antioch.

The church kept the controversy focused on what it was—an honest disagreement—and did not enlarge it.

The church commissioned both Paul and Barnabas to go on their separate missions.

The third gift from Barnabas and Paul's contention is the Holy Spirit's attitude of acceptance.

The Holy Spirit does not seem troubled by Barnabas and Paul's disagreement, and God honors both of them in their missions.

If you're an ecclesiastical idealist, this passage may shatter you, as you discover that the church is not perfect.

The church was not discredited by Barnabas and Paul's disagreement; rather, it proves our need for forgiveness.

Illustration: In response to the people's disappointment with the church during World War I, Chesterton wrote in his book Everlasting Man that the church was not discredited but verified by the war.

The fourth gift from Barnabas and Paul's contention is that people will become Christians because of Christ and the gospel, not because of the church.

It clears the air, because in spite of our weaknesses as Christians, the strength of God is what will draw us.

In this passage we see real people in a real place discovering God's love, without which they can't make it.