Saul of Tarsus had been such a vicious persecutor of Christians that the brothers, even after his conversion, were still afraid of him. When Paul finally returned to Jerusalem after his conversion to Christ, Barnabas had to persuade the disciples to leave the community of the apostles with them (Acts 9:26). As a result of this intercession, a wonderful friendship between Paul and Barnabas was born. So it is quite sad to see that they finally had a “defect”. It is difficult to understand the idea that two of the most influential men in the foundation of the Church might have such a violent disagreement (recall, violent), but at the same time, we have the advantage of seeing the whole. God has done very well with this situation. Today, when we keep each other silent with Christians, there will always be times when good brothers do not agree on matters of opinion. It is important to continue to focus on the will of Christ. Paul and Barnabas both did. As a result, perhaps even more work has been done for the Lord, because their differences of opinion have been managed. 344 Keep in mind the opposition between the pleasure seeker, false teachers who have fun, with the announcement given by God of Paul and others, which leads and demands firmness in the face of opposition and persecution.
God`s sermon does not lead to prosperity, but to persecution. For this, the prophets of the Old Testament would call a copious “Amen.” If we want to preserve the “unity of the spirit,” we must biblically face the differences that are created between us. Let me, using the example of Paul and De Barnabas and other biblical texts, propose some of the principles that guide and regulate our differences so that the “unity of the Spirit” can be preserved. I think many commentators go too far in this area, which is more than a major disagreement about how their department should proceed, ending their partnership and continuing with two separate departments. Some seem to have the impression that this was a personal breach: while this acute disagreement between two of our heroes might raise concerns in the faith, let us be grateful to Luke for revealing the humanity of these two men. The fact that Luke is ready to record not only the wonderful events that occurred during the founding of the Church, but also the rude stains, gives credibility to his account. If we do not see problems erupting from time to time between tall but imperfect men, we should be concerned about the authenticity of what we read. One can console oneself, knowing that even the best men sometimes disagree. It`s part of life.
The serious student of the Bible cannot read or move this episode. Nevertheless, there are some important principles that can be learned from the quarrel that has developed between these Christian brethren. At one point, before this separation between Barnabas and Paul (acts 15:36ff.) there had been another attempt of a much more serious nature. Peter had come from Jerusalem to Antioch and enjoyed his Christian freedom by eating with pagan Christians. But some of the stricter parties in the Church of Jerusalem have come, who have not approved this kind of freedom. Paul, on the other hand, may have grown a lot from this experience with Marc and Barnabas, and his ministry seems to have grown from it. By reducing the number of churches he had to visit, he opened the door to reach new cities unmatched by the Gospel. Paul seems to have learned a lesson by choosing to get his hands too quickly on a person, especially on a person who has not yet been proven (cf.
