In Acts Chapter 15, we read about an explosive moment when Paul and his colleague Barnabas

engaged in a heated dispute. It's somewhat shocking to witness two spiritual giants

engaged in a verbal sparring match. So what do we make of this clash

between friends? Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindall identifies the key factors in their disagreement

and what we can learn from their behavior. The issue? Barnabas wanted John Mark to join the team.

Paul wasn't having it.

Chuck titled today's message,

the day two missionaries duked it out.

The issue objectively stated is should a person

who has walked away from a serious responsibility

be given a second chance. Worded another way, should someone who leaves people in the lurch

be allowed to go again on a similar mission.

Barnabas says, yes, by all means.

Paul answers no, absolutely not.

Obviously, they have opposing points of view in this particular issue.

What's Barnabas thinking?

When we read, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark, don't think it was just sort of a shrug,

kind of like a nice idea. Would you please? May I, Paul?

This word wanted is in the imperfect tense in the Greek, and it is from a word that means to will something.

I'm telling you, Barnabas willed it and wished it and stuck by his guns. The young man is going. He has every right to take

the trip with us. Sure he failed. Sure he walked away. No one's denying it. But Paul, nobody's perfect.

He was young and inexperienced several years ago. He blew it only once, and we still made it.

...