Two Perspectives

Pete Kersker - Sep 03, 2026

Some time 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" (Acts 15:36 NIV).

Saul and Barnabas had traveled from place to place spreading the good news of the gospel: Jesus is the Christ through whom all people can be saved. They had been led by the Holy Spirit to leave Antioch, travel to each place, and plant churches everywhere they went. Now, they were considering a trip back to those places to encourage and strengthen the believers.

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 (Acts 15:37-38 NIV).

There's no mention of the Spirit's leading this time, although Barnabas seems to be in agreement with Paul. They were not in agreement, however, about taking John Mark as a traveling companion. Barnabas wanted to take him along and continue to develop him into a servant leader. Paul didn't want him around because of what happened the last time they traveled together.

...where John left them to return to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13b NIV).

Paul and Barnabas had two different perspectives on this new trip. Paul wanted to encourage those he originally brought to Christ. Barnabas wanted to develop one more leader. These two perspectives are actually good. They are distinct callings from the Lord that were being used to build up the church. Paul, after all, was the result of Barnabas' ministry. The new churches were the result of their combined ministry. They were functioning as different parts of the Body of Christ.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (Romans 12:3-5 NIV).

The problem is not in the different perspectives. The problem is not in the different callings. The problem at this moment in their ministry and life is that they allowed the differences to turn them against one another. That should not be, since they are connected as coworkers in the Body of Christ.

They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company (Acts 15:39a NIV).

Have you ever had a disagreement in church where both of your perspectives are good and godly?
Did you let your different perspectives turn you against one another?
Did you still keep doing the ministry God called you to do?