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Sketches from the Life of Paul
attending their ministry; he had felt the favor of God in his own heart;
he had seen the faith of his mother tested and tried without wavering;
he had witnessed the miracles performed by the apostles, and which set
the seal of God upon their work; he had himself preached the Christian
faith, and had longed to devote himself entirely to the work. He had, as
the companion of the apostles, rejoiced in the success of their mission;
but fear and discouragement overwhelmed him in the face of privation,
persecution, and danger; and he sought the attractions of home at a
time when his services were most needful to the apostles.
At a future period there was a sharp contention between Paul and
Barnabas concerning Mark, who was still anxious to devote himself to
the work of the ministry. This contention caused Paul and Barnabas to
separate, the latter following out his convictions, and taking Mark with
him in his work. Paul could not, at that time, excuse in any degree the
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weakness of Mark in deserting them and the work upon which they
had entered, for the ease and quiet of home; and he urged that one
with so little stamina was unfit for the gospel ministry, which required
patience, self-denial, bravery, and faith, with a willingness to sacrifice
even life if need be.
Barnabas, on the other hand, was inclined to excuse Mark, who
was his nephew, because of his inexperience. He felt anxious that he
should not abandon the ministry, for he saw in him qualifications for a
useful laborer in the cause of Christ. Paul was afterward reconciled to
Mark, and received him as a fellow-laborer. He also recommended him
to the Colossians as one who was a “fellow-worker unto the kingdom
of God,” and a personal comfort to him, Paul. Again, not long prior to
his own death, he spoke of Mark as profitable to him in the ministry.
After the departure of Mark, Paul and Barnabas visited Antioch in
Pisidia, and on the Sabbath went into the synagogue, and sat down;
“and after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the
synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have
any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” Being thus invited
to speak, “Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of
Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.” He then proceeded to
give a history of the manner in which the Lord had dealt with the Jews
from the time of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and how a
Saviour had been promised of the seed of David. He then preached
Jesus as the Saviour of men, the Messiah of prophecy.