Fare Thee Well Barnabas

          

The Carpenter’s tools held a conference with Brother Hammer presiding over the conference. During the conference several suggested that he leave the meeting because he was way too loud. Bro. Hammer replied, “If I have to leave the workshop, Brother Screw must go also. You have to turn him around and around again and again to get him to accomplish anything.”

Bro. Screw spoke up, “If you wish, I’ll leave, but Bro. Plane must leave too. All his work is on the surface and his efforts have no depth at all.” Bro. Plane retorted, “Bro. Rule will also have to withdraw, for he is always measuring folks as though he were the only one who is right.” Then Bro. Rule complained about Bro. Sandpaper. He said, “You ought to leave too because you are so rough and always rubbing people the wrong way.”

Then in the midst of the conference the Carpenter walked in. He put His apron on and went to the work bench to construct a pulpit. He used the hammer, screw, plane, rule, sandpaper, and all the other tools. After the day’s work when the pulpit was finished, Bro. Saw rose and remarked, “Brethren, I observe that all of us can work together to produce a masterpiece.”

In Acts 15:35-41 we are told that after the Jerusalem council, ‘Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. Sometime later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 

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. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches’.

Paul was concerned for the well-being of those who had come to faith in the first missionary journey. This would be the third time he’s visiting these churches since he planted them during his journey. After reaching Derbe, the turning point of his journey, Paul and Barnabas had retraced their steps back through the cities they had visited  to strengthen the new believers and appoint elders (Acts 14:20-26).

Paul was devoted to discipleship, not just to evangelism. Salvation is not found in surface knowledge alone; rather, believers are called to “move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity” (Heb.6:1). They are called to grow in their understanding of God's word, moving beyond elementary teachings to deeper truths.  But it is possible for believers to remain spiritual infants for a long time.

The author of Hebrews was frustrated by such people. He wanted to teach them deep things but could not. He wrote “we have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again... Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness” (Heb. 5:5:11-13).

Paul had a pastor's heart and wanted his converts to grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ. He worked hard to bring them to maturity. His companions were doing the same. Colossians 4:12 says, “ Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured”. The apostle John wrote “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4).

Paul’s desire was that all his converts would make it to Heaven. He said to the Colossians “Christ in you, the hope of glory...is the one we preach, warning every man, teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Col 1:27-28). So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col 2:6-7).

Paul described a maturity church to Ephesians with these words; “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Eph.4:11-16).

As the members of a mature church become more and more Christ-like they will be productive. Paul wrote that God “leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere; for we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task” (2 Cor.2:14-16).

 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. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company (Acts 15:37-39). Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches” (Acts 15:39-41).

When Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus it is as if Barnabas sailed off into the sunset. This is the last mention of this great man in the book of Acts. Peter virtually disappears after this chapter and the church in Jerusalem fades to relative insignificance. The theological basis for Gentile evangelism having been established, the Gentile evangelism virtually explodes. The rest of the book records the fulfilment of Jesus words to Ananias (Acts 9:10-16).

It is worth noting that neither Barnabas nor Paul felt it was appropriate to set off alone; they both understood that partnership in the Gospel ministry is essential.  Paul never set himself up as a freelance missionary. Though called and commissioned by the Lord, he did not act in isolation and independence from his brethren. All Christian workers need the support, fellowship and prayers of the church. 

When Jesus was sending his disciples to the mission field he sent them in pairs (Mark 6:7, Luke 10:1).  He also said “truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven; for where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matt 18:19-20) Fellowship invites His presence and power in ways solitary effort cannot replicate. Prayer increases in effectiveness when believers agree.

Working together yields greater results than working alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10  tells us that “two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up”. This verse highlights the importance of relationships and mutual support in achieving success and fulfilment. Synergy follows united effort.

Synergy is the concept that a combined effect of two or more entities is greater than the sum of their individual effects. Paul wrote, “the one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:8-9); Different roles, one harvest, greater reward.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 gives a scene every traveller would recognize: two companions walking a rough road, one of them tripping into a ditch. The point is not imaginary; it is literally about the vulnerable moment when a person goes down. Life is full of real “falls”-illnesses, losses, persecutions, moral lapses. Even the strongest believers have moments where they lose footing. Think of David, Elijah, Peter and others  

God never promises we can avoid every stumble; He only promises to “make firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand ( Ps.37:23-24). Loneliness amplifies temptation and despair. In solitude there is no timely correction when we drift; there is no shared wisdom to guide decisions and there is no witness of Christ-like love to the watching world (John 13:34-35).   

Life and ministry thrive when believers walk, work and war together. Partnership offers mutual sharpening, shared strength, amplified productivity and richer reward both now and forever. Having a partner or community in faith encourages spiritual growth and provides accountability, helping believers to stay on the right path and grow spiritually.  The church is called to be a community where believers support and uplift one another,

In Acts 15 we read about two disagreements. The first argument, the Jerusalem Council, ended so well, while the second argument, between Paul and Barnabas, did not. The Jerusalem Council concluded that salvation is by grace, through faith, and not of works. If men were to be saved by Law-keeping, they would have to live perfectly, and that is impossible. We are saved by grace because we cannot be perfect.

Why would anyone expect God’s servants, even giants like Barnabas, Peter, Paul, and John Mark, to live their lives perfectly? This is not an excuse to wallow in sin or to be sloppy about obeying our Lord. But, it does inform us that there are no perfect Christian. Perfect in the sense that they never fail, never get angry, never make a bad decision or never deal harshly with someone.

The Book of Acts is about the greatness and the sovereignty of God in salvation, sanctification and evangelization. The degree to which the Great Commission is realized in Acts is not to be explained by giving men credit for doing everything right; the success of the gospel is to be explained by the sovereignty of God. Acts is not about great men, but about mere men who have been empowered and used by a great God to do great things.

Christians do not have to be perfect for God to use them. “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:7). God uses imperfect people to accomplish His perfect purposes. He accomplishes great things through imperfect human instruments that lean more heavily upon him, rather than to trust in their own strength. The Bible is filled with examples of God using flawed yet faithful followers of Christ for His purposes.

When Paul was in prison he wrote “my fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him (Col.4:10). 2 Timothy is Paul’s last letter, written in prison before execution. He wrote “get Mark and bring him with you, because he is a great help to me in ministry” (2 Tim.4:11). Mark, the discouraged and defeated man became a contributing member of the team once again.