“You say potato, I say po-TAH-to. You say tomato, I say to-MAH-to. Let’s call the whole thing off.” These clever lyrics worked on the big screen with the synchronized happy feet of Fred and Ginger, but when the stage is the eternal, universal church—the community of God’s people—we can’t afford to say let’s call the whole thing off just because “You say “blue, I say “red. From electing a pastor to picking a president, disagreements are as old as apples. How we come to terms with differing views is important because—like it or not—we share one stage, one dance as the body of Christ. If you trip, I trip. We both fall. Don’t listen to the birdies. Follow what the Bible says about disagreements as seen in the example of Paul and Barnabus.
40 But Paul chose Silas and departed, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. Acts 15:40
They were center stage in the spread of Christianity—came to that place of disagreement as they were readying for Acts chapter two of Paul’s missionary journeys. Paul said, “No John Mark”. Barnabus said, “Mark”. What they didn’t say was, “Let’s call the whole thing off.”
Barnabus took John Mark and went south. Paul took Silas and went west, and the rest they say is history. Christianity spread like a pandemic. What can we learn from their disagreement so our disagreements don’t lead to dismemberment?
Not everyone is in the same place. John Mark wasn’t in the same place of maturity of faith compared to Paul and Barnabus. He deserted Paul and his entourage in Pamphylia (Acts 13:13). Paul, Spirit-filled and undaunted in temperament, was fixed on his focus to: “…finish my course…to testify the gospel (Acts 20:24)”. Barnabus—Spirit-filled and wired as an encourager (Acts. 4:36)—saw his cousin, John Mark, through a mentor’s lens. Disagreements happen when there are different foci. Different doesn’t necessary mean wrong. Paul and Mark were not in the same place regarding Mark’s reliability, but that was no reason to throw out the baby with the bath water.
Not everyone needs to be in the same place: The Christian movement was new. The expanse of the harvest was wide (...the utter most parts of the world, Acts 1.8). There is plenty room to strategically deploy more than one team to more than one place to advance the Kingdom. Barnabas took young Mark to Cyprus to tend to the largely Jewish-convert church (Acts 15:39). Paul and Silas teamed up in a spirit of grace (Acts 15:40) to retraced their steps, visiting the largely Gentile-convert churches established during Paul’s first missionary journey to see how they were doing. Splitting into teams didn’t mean splitting the overall Acts 1:8 mission to “be my witness.”
Splitting doesn’t necessarily mean splintering. With the larger God view in view, both teams were successful. In fact, Paul, as he was concluding his ministry years later, asked for John Mark and endorsed him to Timothy as “helpful”. (2Timothy 4:11b)
You say “A-Gah-Pee” and “I say “A-Gah-Pay”. No need to call the whole thing off when the whole thing is about agape—love thy neighbor as thyself. How you say it doesn’t matter. Staying with it does.
Worship is joy, so make a joyful noise.[1] Do a cyber sing-along with roomies, family, friends. Click on the You-tube link below and make a joyful noise.[2]
Blest Be the Tie that Binds
Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
2. Before our Maker's throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.
[1] Psalm 100
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