Acts 15:36–41: Godly Disagreement
Introduction
In the first part of Acts 15, the church handled a massive disagreement at the Jerusalem Council. The question of whether Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved was an attack on the gospel itself, and the church’s repudiation of the doctrine cleared the way for the expansion of the gospel without that obstacle. Yet, disagreements in the church come in many shapes and sizes, sometimes on questions that cannot at all be settled by appealing to any specific passage in the Bible. How should Christians move forward in ministry when they cannot agree on how to move forward together? In this short passage, we see that Christ builds his kingdom through disagreement.
Discussion Questions
1. What is the “word of the Lord” (v. 36; see also Acts 15:35)? In what sense does this refer to the word from the Lord? In what sense does this refer to the word about the Lord? What role does the teaching and preaching of the word of the Lord play within the life of the church? Why would Paul feel the need to return to churches where they had previously “proclaimed the word of the Lord” to “see how they are” (v. 36)?
2. What had John Mark done on the last journey (Acts 13:13)? What different reasons might Barnabas have had for wanting to bring John Mark on this next journey (Acts 4:36; 9:27; Col. 4:10)? What reason did Paul not want to bring John Mark along (v. 38)? How might both sides have advocated for their position from the Scriptures? Why would either side struggle to articulate a definitive answer from the Bible for their position?
3. What should we make of the “sharp disagreement” between the two (v. 39a)? What should we make of the separation from the two (v. 39b)? How did Mark eventually turn out (Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11)? What kind of an opportunity did this represent for Silas to grow as a minister of Christ? How did the church offer their approval for this arrangement? How did the whole work get done jointly through their separation?
4. What are the kinds of issues on which godly Christians may not disagree? On what kinds of issues might godly Christians legitimately disagree? Under what circumstances might those disagreements be so pronounced as to require Christians to separate as they continue forward in ministry? How should they esteem those who legitimately separate? How do instances of godly separation fit with Christ’s call for his church to be “one” (e.g., John 17:11)?
