Tag: Barnabas

Living in the Image of God

Managing Disagreement in an Alliance

Living in the Image of God M05S11

The breakup of the Gospel alliance of Paul and Barnabas provides insights based on understanding options for satisfying competing interests in a disagreement within an alliance. If the options are compatible, the disagreement could be resolved by implementing measures to satisfy the competing interests simultaneously. If the options are incompatible, then a path to resolution could be to seek an amicable breakup that would satisfy the competing interests. In any case, the parties need to understand how their interests would be satisfied through the available options.

Managing Disagreement in an Alliance 18:36

This bible study discusses the breakup of the Gospel alliance of Paul and Barnabas to provide insights for managing disagreements within an alliance. The alliance could be for a Christian mission directly or for other aspects of living. The alliance of Paul and Barnabas began with their collaboration in growing the church at Antioch and blossomed through the First Missionary Journey, when they established several churches in southern Europe and laid foundation for the growth of Christianity worldwide.

The alliance broke up as they discussed plans for the second missionary journey, because of a disagreement regarding their relationships with a younger apostle named John Mark, now better known as the author of the Gospel according to Mark. At that time, Barnabas wanted to work with John Mark to mentor him and proposed taking him along. In contrast, Paul was concerned that John Mark would not serve the mission well, because of a previous experience with him. He had abandoned them early in the First Missionary Journey and had not worked with them thereafter [Acts 15:37–38]: “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.”

Paul and Barnabas broke up and did not proceed together to the second missionary journey [Acts 15:39–40]: “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.” Their breakup, however, led to two separate and successful Gospel ministries.

Additionally, the breakup provides insights for managing disagreements in an alliance, based on understanding the options for satisfying competing interests. If the options are compatible, the disagreement could be resolved by implementing measures to satisfy the competing interests simultaneously. If the options are incompatible, such as in the Paul-Barnabas example, then a path to resolution could be to seek an amicable breakup that would satisfy the competing interests. In any case, to find an amicable path to resolution, the parties need to understand how their interests would be satisfied through the available options.

Continue reading “Managing Disagreement in an Alliance” →
Living in the Image of God

Seeking Power by Killing the Truth

Living in the Image of God M05S10

A powerful elite during the early periods of the Gospel sought to preserve their power over society by suppressing the message. They had no real argument against the Gospel but feared the Gospel message of human relationship with God could undermine their authority as religious experts and leadership. They sought to suppress the Gospel by inciting division in society, instigating hostility against the apostles, and banishing or killing the apostles; because they feared the Gospel promise of independent relationship with God was a potential source of power and authority available to ordinary people. Similar to modern-day experience where holders of political power fear a population increasingly diverse and away from their views of society, doubt their capability to continue to win power by voluntary persuasion, and seek to retain power by suppressing and subverting democracy. They seek to preserve their power the same way the early religious leadership sought to cling to power: by killing the truth.

Seeking Power by Killing the Truth 20:12

This bible study discusses the behavior of Jewish religious leadership in their interactions with Paul and Barnabas during the first missionary journey and their earlier response to Peter and John for healing a lame man. The discussion seeks to understand their strategy for seeking to cling to the power of religious authority despite growing popular acceptance of the Gospel as a source of power and authority available to every person. They feared the Gospel message could undermine their authority over society and sought to cling to power despite growing popularity and understanding of the Gospel.

We will see that their strategy included actions directed against the message, the messenger, and the people. They tried to contradict the Gospel message or discredit the messenger but had no real argument against either the message or the apostles. Therefore, they adopted a strategy of suppressing the Gospel by inciting division in society, instigating hostility against the apostles, and banishing or killing the apostles.

The real objective of their strategy was to hold on to the power of religious authority over society, despite growing acceptance of the Gospel message of personal relationship with God available to every person and independent of earthly powers or authority. They sought to retain power despite growing understanding and decreasing dependence on their religious authority.

Their strategy of seeking to retain power by subverting legitimate evolution of society appears to have been adopted by modern-day political organizations that face waning capability to win power by voluntary persuasion. They find the population growing increasingly diverse and away from their views of society. As a result, they doubt their capability to win political power by free and fair elections. Instead, they seek to retain power via new laws and trickery that suppress and subvert democracy. They seek to preserve their power the same way the early religious leadership sought to cling to power: by killing the truth.

Continue reading “Seeking Power by Killing the Truth” →
Living in the Image of God

Leader-Follower Relationships Paul-Barnabas Example

Living in the Image of God M05S08

First of a two-part study of relationships among leaders and followers, when two or more organize to execute a mission or project. The study is based in part on the partnership of Paul and Barnabas and in part on the call of four disciples on Lake Galilee. God called Paul and Barnabas to a Gospel mission, chose Paul as leader, and did not explain the choice. He can call people to a mission by choosing a leader and providing others opportunity to join as followers. Also, he can assign a mission to a group of people and guide them to choose a leader. In the case of Paul and Barnabas, he called them to the mission and guided them to choose Paul as leader. The choice became evident through their interactions with Elymas in Paphos and at a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. When God calls people to a mission, he assigns them responsibilities as leaders or followers, choosing leadership based on intrinsic qualities that are understood better as they perform the responsibilities. Also, as we see in Part 2 of the study, he values leaders and followers alike.

Leader-Follower Relationships: Paul-Barnabas Example 17:37

This is the first of a two-part bible study on understanding relationships among leaders and followers, when two or more organize to execute a mission, for the advancement of worship directly or indirectly through other aspects of living. The first part of the study is based on the partnership of Paul and Barnabas. The second part is based on Christ teaching through interactions during his call of four disciples on Lake Galilee.

The partnership of Paul and Barnabas began with Barnabas re-introducing Paul (then known as Saul) to the disciples in Jerusalem. The partnership continued in Antioch when Barnabas brought Paul to collaborate with him in planting a church. Later, the church they planted in Antioch commissioned them to a mission of international evangelism, to propagate the Gospel among Gentiles (i.e., non-Jews). The bible does not discuss their choosing a leader, but shows Paul providing leadership early in the mission, through interactions with Elymas in Paphos and at a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch.

The two-part study leads to understanding that the choice of a leader often is based on intrinsic qualities that may not be clear at the beginning but are understood better as the leaders and followers perform their individual responsibilities to the mission or project. When God calls people to a mission, he assigns them responsibilities as leaders or followers, choosing leadership based on his assessment of the people and mission requirements. Also, as will be discussed in Part 2 of the study, he values leaders and followers alike and rewards each mission participant based on their capacity, irrespective of serving as leader or follower.

Continue reading “Leader-Follower Relationships Paul-Barnabas Example” →
The Apostles

Responding to Rejection

DOWNLOAD/PLAY AUDIO 1st Part      DOWNLOAD/PLAY AUDIO 2nd Part       DOWNLOAD PDF

PLAY VIDEO 1st Part

PLAY VIDEO 2nd Part

 

 

 

© Stuartmiles | Dreamstime.com
© Stuartmiles | Dreamstime.com

How do you respond to a rejection of your offer of service? What determines the offer has been rejected or you need another attempt at getting it accepted? The service could be delivering the gospel, training a subordinate business associate that presents himself or herself as untrainable, parental training of a child that has proved to be non malleable, or other examples. As these examples indicate, responding to rejection requires first a decision, maybe often a difficult decision, that one’s effort at performing the service has been rejected. The bible provides clear instruction on how to respond, having determined that rejection has occurred. It also provides guidance on what needs to be done before declaring a rejection. However, a decision to declare rejection will likely always be difficult, because accepting rejection is equivalent to accepting failure of an effort. We discuss examples of declaring and accepting rejection by the apostle Paul, Christ’s teaching on responding to rejection, and God’s guidance through Prophet Ezekiel on what one needs to do before declaring a rejection.

Continue reading “Responding to Rejection” →

The Apostles

Growth in Division: Lessons from Paul-Barnabas Breakup

DOWNLOAD AUDIO

The successful alliance of Paul and Barnabas broke up unexpectedly over a disagreement regarding John Mark rejoining the alliance. Paul held on to a position that John Mark could not be relied upon as a team member because he deserted the team in an earlier mission. In contrast, Barnabas was adamant on giving John Mark a second chance. They broke up over the “sharp disagreement” and continued with their mission as two separate teams [Acts 15:39–41].

© Popmarleo | Dreamstime.com
© Popmarleo | Dreamstime.com

However, their ministry (then two separate ministries) was not diminished: Paul teamed with Silas, Timothy, and others to spread the gospel through Macedonia and Greece. Barnabas successfully mentored Mark, who went on to write the second gospel. Later events showed they remained in good terms and showed interest in each other’s ministry as evidenced by Paul inviting Mark later to join his ministry. Also, Paul’s later interactions with Oneismus and Philemon indicate increased willingness to grant a “second chance” as he judged appropriate. Over all, we learn from Paul-Barnabas breakup that an alliance for the gospel or other human endeavor could experience problems including breakup but such problems need not result in diminished focus on the bigger picture.

Continue reading “Growth in Division: Lessons from Paul-Barnabas Breakup” →

The Apostles

Case Study of Successful Alliance: Paul and Barnabas

In Alliance for the Gospel

DOWNLOAD AUDIO                 DOWNLOAD PDF

© Grafxart | Dreamstime.com - Duck Partnership Photo
© Grafxart | Dreamstime.com – Duck Partnership Photo

Paul and Barnabas teamed up to spread the gospel, shortly after Saul’s conversion to Christ. From their base church in Antioch, which they helped develop, they collaborated on the First Missionary Journey, through which they won numerous converts and established several churches in Europe and Asia and laid the foundation for growth of Christianity worldwide. However, their alliance ended abruptly as they tried to embark on a second missionary journey. In this bible study, we try to learn from their successful alliance and its abrupt termination.

Continue reading “Case Study of Successful Alliance: Paul and Barnabas” →