The First Church Split

July 31

(Acts 15:37-41 NIV) “Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, {38} 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. {39} They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, {40} but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. {41} He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

(Genesis 13:5-12 NIV) "Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. {6} But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. {7} And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. {8} So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. {9} Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." {10} Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) {11} So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: {12} Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom."

When two people “part company” it is not always pretty. It can be even uglier when it happens in the church. But it happens, and it happens to the best… even Paul and Barnabas. They had what Luke describes as a “sharp disagreement”. It wasn’t about a deep theological issue -- it was a personnel issue. Barnabas, the church board chair, wanted Mark on the staff, and Paul, the preacher, didn’t. It was a typical power struggle. Harsh words were spoken, they parted ways, and we witness the first church split recorded in Scripture. Even though this was not likely God’s plan, the Spirit of God went with both of them, and the evangelism/discipleship capability of the church was effectively doubled as they opened two separate mission fields. We don’t have to be perfect for God to use us. We should strive to be as good as we can be, but God will be glorified in spite of our personal successes and failures. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day