Biblical Leadership Insights: Examining the Divergence of Paul and Barnabas.
Each leader possesses their unique traits; some are more patient, while others are not. The question is: Which of them can be considered more of a leader than the other? Let's look at a case in the Bible where a young man named Mark, when the journey became more difficult, abandoned the others and returned to Jerusalem. In Acts 15:36-41, a disagreement begins between Paul and Barnabas. In verse 39, it says that the disagreement was of such gravity that they separated from each other. The reason for the separation was that Barnabas wanted to take John Mark, and Paul did not agree. Paul saw no sense in taking someone who had already proven that they were not yet prepared to face dangerous and persecution-filled journeys.
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Barnabas decided to stay with John Mark. Since the journey had to happen, Paul chose Silas to go with him (v. 40). Looking at the hardships that Paul and Silas faced, it seems clear that Paul's decision was correct. Answering the above question: Both types of leadership are valid. This episode highlights diametrically different characteristics of leadership style or type.
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For Paul, someone who couldn't handle the pressure of a perilous journey wasn't prepared, and it wasn't Paul's leadership characteristic to prepare him. That's where another type of leader, Barnabas, comes in. Even though there is no account of how it happened, it seems that Barnabas invested in Mark's life, leading Paul to later recommend Mark: "Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11).
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The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas shows two types of leadership. Barnabas, more patient and an investor in lives, while Paul did not demonstrate any patience to work with someone who was not yet prepared. Therefore, he formed a good partnership with Silas.
Antonio Mendes
Church and Ministry Leadership Consultant
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