July 8

At the end of Acts 15, we find the account of Paul and Barnabas' disagreement that led to a parting of ways for a time. Unfortunately, for many Christians, this is where their story ends... but not for Paul, Barnabas, John Mark, and Silas.

We are destined to have disagreements with people that we love and respect, unavoidable. However, we are expected to work through those differences and even if we cannot come to a place of agreement, we reach a place of mutual respect and being relationally reconciled. In the end, the relationship has to be more valuable to us than being right.

Eventually, these men were once again working together in ministry. See 2 Timothy 4:11 for Paul and Mark and 1 Corinthians 9:6 for Paul and Barnabas. In addition, according the Expositors Bible Commentary, both Luther and Calvin believed that 2 Corinthians 8:18-19 refers to Barnabas, placing him together ministering with Paul and Silas.

Paul practiced what he preached. In Ephesians 4:3 he speaks of "the peace that binds us." He was in prison at the time of the writing of the letter to Ephesus making his metaphor clear. We should be held captive by our commitment to be at peace, reconciled to one another always eventually.

A hallmark of being spiritually unhealthy is whether or not a person has a lengthy list of people with whom they are estranged, that fractured relationships characterize them, especially people with whom they have worked closely in ministry.

Acts 15 is not permission to part ways, it is given to us to remind us of the "bond of peace" to which we are committed to uphold, usually at the expense of our pride!

Pastor Fred