Our Christian Life and Ministry. September 9 through September 15 [Press play below to hear the Meeting Workbook]

8. Barnabas welcomed Paul’s proposal to “visit the brothers.”

[Quotation] Acts 15.36: After some days, Paul said to Barnabas: “Let us now return and visit the brothers in every one of the cities where we proclaimed the word of Jehovah, to see how they are.” [End Quotation]

The two had worked well as traveling partners and both were already acquainted with the regions and the peoples to be visited.

[Quotation] Acts 13.2 through 14.28: As they were ministering to Jehovah and fasting, the holy spirit said: “Set aside for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 4 So these men, sent out by the holy spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed away to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived in Salamis, they began proclaiming the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as an attendant. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met up with a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus, who was a sorcerer and a false prophet. 7 He was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. Calling Barnabas and Saul to him, this man was eager to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is how his name is translated) began opposing them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 Then Saul, also called Paul, becoming filled with holy spirit, looked at him intently 10 and said: “O man full of every sort of fraud and every sort of villainy, you son of the Devil, you enemy of everything righteous, will you not quit distorting the right ways of Jehovah? 11 Look! Jehovah’s hand is upon you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sunlight for a time.” Instantly a thick mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around trying to find someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul, on seeing what had happened, became a believer, for he was astounded at the teaching of Jehovah. 13 Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14 However, they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And going into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they took a seat. 15 After the public reading of the Law and the Prophets, the presiding officers of the synagogue sent word to them, saying: “Men, brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, tell it.” 16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand, he said: “Men, Israelites and you others who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our forefathers, and he exalted the people while they lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt and brought them out of it with an uplifted arm. 18 And for a period of about 40 years, he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 After destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he assigned their land as an inheritance. 20 All of that was during about 450 years. “After this he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 But afterward they demanded a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years. 22 After removing him, he raised up for them David as king, about whom he bore witness and said: ‘I have found David the son of Jesse a man agreeable to my heart; he will do all the things I desire.’ 23 According to his promise, from the offspring of this man, God has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. 24 Before the arrival of that one, John had preached publicly to all the people of Israel baptism in symbol of repentance. 25 But as John was finishing his course, he would say: ‘What do you suppose I am? I am not he. But look! One is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26 “Men, brothers, you descendants of Abraham’s family and those others among you who fear God, the word of this salvation has been sent to us. 27 For the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize this one, but when acting as judges, they fulfilled the things spoken by the Prophets, which are read aloud every sabbath. 28 Even though they found no cause for death, they demanded of Pilate to have him executed. 29 And when they had accomplished all the things written about him, they took him down from the stake and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him up from the dead, 31 and for many days he became visible to those who had gone with him from Galilee up to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses to the people. 32 “So we are declaring to you the good news about the promise made to the forefathers. 33 God has completely fulfilled it to us, their children, by resurrecting Jesus; just as it is written in the second psalm: ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’ 34 And the fact that He resurrected him from the dead never again to return to corruption, He has stated in this way: ‘I will give you the expressions of loyal love promised to David, which are faithful.’ 35 So it also says in another psalm: ‘You will not allow your loyal one to see corruption.’ 36 David, on the one hand, rendered service to God in his own generation, fell asleep in death, was laid with his forefathers, and did see corruption. 37 On the other hand, the one whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 “Let it therefore be known to you, brothers, that through this one a forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you, 39 and that from all the things from which you could not be declared guiltless by means of the Law of Moses, everyone who believes is declared guiltless by means of this one. 40 Therefore, watch out that what is said in the Prophets does not come upon you: 41 ‘Look at it, you scorners, and be amazed, and perish, for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will never believe even if anyone relates it to you in detail.’” 42 Now when they were going out, the people pleaded with them to speak about these matters on the following Sabbath. 43 So after the synagogue assembly was dismissed, many of the Jews and the proselytes who worshipped God followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke to them, urged them to remain in the undeserved kindness of God. 44 The next Sabbath nearly all the city gathered together to hear the word of Jehovah. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began blasphemously contradicting the things Paul was saying. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas boldly said to them: “It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken first to you. Since you are rejecting it and do not judge yourselves worthy of everlasting life, look! we turn to the nations. 47 For Jehovah has commanded us in these words: ‘I have appointed you as a light of nations, for you to be a salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 48 When those of the nations heard this, they began to rejoice and to glorify the word of Jehovah, and all those who were rightly disposed for everlasting life became believers. 49 Furthermore, the word of Jehovah was being spread throughout the whole country. 50 But the Jews incited the prominent women who were God-fearing and the principal men of the city, and they stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and threw them outside their boundaries. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples continued to be filled with joy and holy spirit. Chapter 14. Now in Iconium they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews and spoke in such a manner that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 But the Jews who did not believe stirred up and wrongly influenced the people of the nations against the brothers. 3 So they spent considerable time speaking with boldness by the authority of Jehovah, who bore witness to the word of his undeserved kindness by allowing signs and wonders to be performed through them. 4 However, the multitude of the city was divided; some were for the Jews but others for the apostles. 5 When both the people of the nations and the Jews with their rulers made an attempt to treat them insolently and stone them, 6 they were informed of it, and they fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and to the surrounding country. 7 There they went on declaring the good news. 8 Now in Lystra there was a man sitting down whose feet were crippled. He was lame from birth and had never walked. 9 This man was listening to Paul as he was speaking. Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said with a loud voice: “Stand up on your feet.” So the man leaped up and began walking. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in the Lycaonian language: “The gods have become like humans and have come down to us!” 12 And they started calling Barnabas Zeus, but Paul Hermes, since he was taking the lead in speaking. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance of the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowds. 14 However, when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they ripped their garments and leaped out into the crowd and cried out: 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are humans having the same infirmities as you have. And we are declaring the good news to you, for you to turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them. 16 In past generations he permitted all the nations to go on in their ways, 17 although he did not leave himself without witness in that he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you with food and filling your hearts with gladness.” 18 And yet despite saying these things, they barely restrained the crowds from sacrificing to them. 19 But Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded the crowds, and they stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, imagining that he was dead. 20 However, when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and entered the city. On the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. 21 After declaring the good news to that city and making quite a few disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. 22 There they strengthened the disciples, encouraging them to remain in the faith and saying: “We must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.” 23 Moreover, they appointed elders for them in each congregation, offering prayer with fasting, and they entrusted them to Jehovah, in whom they had become believers. 24 Then they went through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia, 25 and after proclaiming the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed off for Antioch, where they had been entrusted to the undeserved kindness of God for the work they had now completed. 27 When they had arrived and had gathered the congregation together, they related the many things God had done by means of them, and that he had opened to the nations the door to faith. 28 So they spent considerable time with the disciples. [End Quotation]

So the idea of joining together for this assignment may have seemed sensible and practical. But a complication arose. Acts 15.37 reports: “Barnabas was determined to take along John, who was called Mark.” Barnabas was not simply offering a suggestion. He “was determined” to include his cousin Mark as a traveling partner on this missionary journey.