“But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.”
Acts 15:38 (NLT)
Paul and Barnabas disagreed strongly here, not because they didn’t love Jesus or the mission, but because they had different strategies for how to carry it out. They were completely aligned on the assignment: go back and check on the believers from the first missionary journey, encourage them, and strengthen their faith.
Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. But Paul couldn’t trust him after he had deserted them in Pamphylia. That disagreement was real, but it didn’t stop the mission. It multiplied it. Barnabas took John Mark, Paul took Silas, and two teams went out to strengthen churches in different places at the same time.
God even worked it out for what was coming next. Paul needed the right partner for Acts 16, when he and Silas would end up praising God in prison and see chains break. And Barnabas’ continued investment in John Mark mattered too, because John Mark later proves himself useful to Paul.
So when there’s disagreement, focus on the mission and not the strategy. Focus on the mission, not the people. Focus on the mission, not the event. If we’re in agreement on the mission of Jesus, God will work out the rest. Like the believers in Antioch of Syria, let’s entrust the work to the Lord’s gracious care, and it’s all gonna be okay.