8. (a) What trouble developed between Paul and Barnabas? (b) If you had been present and had seen this trouble, what might you have concluded?

⁸ At one time trouble also developed between the apostle Paul and his traveling companion Barnabas. When they were about to leave on their second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take along his cousin Mark. However, Paul did not want Mark along, since Mark had left them and gone home during their first missionary journey. (Acts 13:13) The Bible says: “At this there occurred a sharp burst of anger, so that they separated from each other.” (Acts 15:37-40) Can you imagine that! If you had been there and had seen this “sharp burst of anger,” would you have concluded that Paul and Barnabas were not part of God’s organization because of the way they behaved?

11. (a) Despite their angry outburst, how did Paul and Barnabas show that they were true Christians? (b) How can we benefit from their example?

¹¹ What about the problem between Paul and Barnabas? This also was solved with love. For later, when Paul wrote to the Corinthian congregation, he spoke of Barnabas as a close fellow worker. (1 Corinthians 9:5, 6) And though Paul appears to have had good reason for doubting Mark’s value as a traveling companion, this young man later matured to the point that Paul could write to Timothy: “Take Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministering.” (2 Timothy 4:11) We can benefit from this example of settling differences.