Sample Chapters

CHAPTER 2

ESTABLISHING CREDIBILITY

Acts 9:26-30 26 And when he [Saul] had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

Imagine that nervous gathering of the disciples, “the good guys,” the inner circle of those who know and serve the Lord. They had heard that the famous Rabbi, “Old Slaughtering Saul,” was now pretending to be a disciple of Jesus so he could slam the others in prison. They sure weren’t going to be fooled by THAT guy. He had even staged some elaborate pretense of an escape from Damascus over the wall in a laundry basket, so he could penetrate the fellowship and arrest them all! Wow, did they outsmart him!!

The general attitude of the disciples was not at all favorable to the entrance of Saul as a former enemy, and even prosecutor of followers of The Way. This was the very Saul who had sponsored the death of their dear colleague Stephen. Why should he be trusted? Distrust and suspicion are normal for people concerned about biblical correctness, and there are times to expect that God had worked a real saving miracle in people we did not know.

Saul stands outside the door of the fellowship of the saints awaiting some notion of their trusting acceptance, needing a hug, wanting instruction and discipling. He is running for his life, frustrated, humiliated from his ride in the laundry basket elevator to scamper away unseen. Suddenly, the only people who ought to embrace him want to slam the door in his face! Turn him away! What a mixed-up Family!

BUT BARNABAS…

Thank God for those blessed exceptions to the rule. No wonder they called Joses “the Counselor,” or the “son of consolation.” Or “the encourager.” This gentle giant steps up at just the right time to assure both Saul and the brotherhood that they have reason for mutual acceptance. Barnabas acts as a mediator, a priest, a go-between who understands both sides, and begins the healing process. Someone who cares reaches out to someone who cries, and the world is changed for better.

This is one of the most dynamic reversals in all of Scripture. We have no record of how Saul and Barnabas met. It is more likely that Barnabas would have heard of the dangerous Rabbi Saul of the Pharisees than for Saul to have gotten wind of Barnabas. By the time the two men met, Saul would have been mellowed by his three years among the brothers in Damascus including his own time alone with God and his massive memory of the Hebrew Bible in wilderness solitude.

There may well have been some communication with Ananias or other mature believers to confirm the reality of Saul’s conversion and his own dynamic witness for Christ. Imagine the consternation when the voice of God in a nightmare urged old Ananias to go bless and heal Wildman Saul. Imagine the courage of Ananias to form his first words to him, Brother Saul. Imagine what a flood of comfort came over Saul, terrorized and blinded, now relieved by the first confirmation of the reality of his conversion to Messiah Himself. This old man did not want to hang him, but to hug him. Was Ananias on his own ‘hit list’ for prosecution? It had been a struggle for Ananias to go to Saul, but obedience set him free.

Saul was in shock, stunned to silence. In his solitary confinement, Rabbi Saul began reviewing Messianic Scripture in his profound memory. It all pointed to Yeshua. How could he have missed it? Over the next three years, in isolation in nearby wilderness of northern reaches of Arabian desert for a while, and soon back in the Damascus assembly, Saul would reframe Old Testament truth in a Messianic framework that finally made sense.

After three years, Saul needed to consult with the Apostles. Agreement with the original disciples of Jesus was vitally important to his future. Galatians 1:15-24 records Saul’s personal pilgrimage to a fully Messianic view of the Old Testament. His understanding harmonized perfectly with the theology of those who had known Yeshua personally. That probably also underlined the difficulty he would face in being accepted by ‘the old timers in The Way’ that he was a true believer. Many struggled with such recognition because the stakes were so high. This was a brutal killer seeking acceptance! In my own current ministry inside a state prison, I embrace some inmates whom I know to be lifers because they killed someone. Now they are my trusted brothers and friends! Jesus really can transform people.

Barnabas quietly spoke up to affirm the true conversion and consistent godliness and witness of Saul. We know all too well how doubtful we can be of word that some famous bad guy has turned his life over to Christ. Each of three interventions transformed Saul’s situation so he was freely accepted by properly cautious men. As we look at what Barnabas did for Saul, we think about how WE can mediate such basic misunderstandings. Three distinct steps fill verses 27-28 of Acts 9.

HE STOOD BY HIM, v.27

Barnabas spoke up for Saul among the apostles to present him as worthy of their respect and fellowship. He identified himself with Saul and validated his testimony of conversion. He risked his own reputation on this unknown man for whom he stood as an advocate before the judges. This is exactly what Jesus did for us, standing on our side before the Judge to say, “I know this person and I welcome him or her to stand with Me in Your court.”

Barnabas’ bold acceptance of Saul may well have strained others’ confidence in his sanity. He eagerly took that risk. Ananias had heard from God about Saul, …He is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings… Act 9:15. Barnabas exercised great confidence in Ananias in accepting the validity of his unique vision rather than thinking him a crazy old dreamer. We can presume that during Joses’ business trips from Cyprus to nearby Damascus, he worshipped with the believers in that major city and knew Ananias well. Credibility was contagious.

When we all get to St. Peter’s gate (well, you know what I mean) the only question he will ask is, “Who is your lawyer? Who speaks for you before The Holy Judge?” And there is only ONE Advocate, 1John 2:2 (or ‘defense attorney’), who has credentials to serve in the Court of Heaven, Jesus Christ. Peter himself preached, Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) Jesus really is our only hope. That was Barnabas’ role as Saul (formerly “da butcha of Tarsus”) came to be embraced by the Apostolic Band.

HE SPOKE WELL OF HIM, v.27

Barnabas rehearsed for Saul just how Jesus had met him, and how the Lord had used him among the believers up north in Damascus. We know now that all the essential elements of Paul’s theology were formed in that dynamic collision with the Risen Christ (Smallman, 2017, pp. 49-51). His profound knowledge of the Old Testament was sharpened in specificity by his deepened knowledge based on that crash course in New Testament Theology. His professed conversion was ‘the real thing.’

Note the specifics of what Barnabas affirmed about Saul

Saul’s conversion was valid. He enjoyed the rare privilege of meeting the resurrected Christ in person and being commissioned into service. He probably did not mention that the experience qualified Saul to be regarded as a true Apostle of Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke with Saul and assured him that he was a chosen instrument. What a dynamic calling!
Saul had been nurtured in the assembly in Damascus. Ananias and the other credible brethren had embraced Saul and oriented his first stumbling steps as a follower of Yeshua. He had been healed and baptized there, ministered with them, even as a spokesman, and a preacher, integrated into the outreach efforts of the Damascus church. He was discipled by those brothers so he could build up other disciplers. “Listen with your hearts, not your memories.”
He was experienced as a bold preacher of the same gospel message taught in Jerusalem and Damascus and elsewhere. He had purposefully journeyed up to Jerusalem to confer with Apostles to be certain that his Messianic theology was consistent with the Apostolic message. That was confirmed. This was not a neophyte, not a self-taught prophet, not a crazed fanatic who stirred up unnecessary trouble. This was a solid brother to be trusted. His first learning period was three years (the normal timespan of seminary training), not three weeks. It was time for growth and incorporation that let Saul mellow and mature in his new faith. He knew the Tanakh better than they did. He had already won others to Christ.

Remember the power of a positive word about someone! It is a delight to speak a true compliment to one who deserves it. Barney spoke the truth about Saul. He did not manufacture a plastic saint or exaggerate the good side of his story, nor deny the grossness of his former sin now forgiven by God and the former victims’ families. Somehow, the murderous prosecutor was not prosecuted. Here, the positive testimony of a credible witness opened the door for Saul to fellowship and serve. By faith he gave testimony that made a crucial difference for a new believer destined for leadership.

It was right for the Apostles to examine the reality and accuracy of his profession of faith, as is normal for ordination or the commissioning of missionaries. For many years, I was the Candidate Administrator for Baptist Mid-Missions. When someone applied for missionary service, one of my first responses was, in effect, “What does your pastor say about you?” Barnabas had consulted Ananias and gotten a positive reference.

In my recent years of volunteer ministry in a state prison, I have enjoyed fellowship with many men who had come to Christ, or back to Christ, while inside. I don’t know why they are inside or for how long. I tell them I don’t need to think of them in terms of the worst part of their lives. My interest is in their present and future. I happily associate with them as a brother and friend, ready to provide a positive reference when they are seeking jobs after release. I even officiated at the wedding of one couple once he was outside again. Is that a risk to my own reputation? Perhaps, but Jesus risked His reputation on me when unworthy, and I can pass that along for worthy ones. One of the most difficult parts of life for those who have completed their time in prison and seek to return to an upright and productive life outside the walls is fear. There is a barrier for ex-felons who need to re-establish worthiness of the trust of those around them. A Barnabas can help.

Barnabas had looked into Saul’s story and KNEW it to be true. The testimony was credible because it was true. This was no whitewash job, nor a coverup, nor an attempt to make a saint out of a sadist. The past was past. Saul had experienced deep repentance and remorse. He was forgiven by God and could enjoy the forgiveness of the saints. Let’s face it, he had Stephen killed. This is serious offense, not some slip, or an “oops!” occasion. (We are surprised that Saul was never prosecuted for the death of Stephen. But who would do that? The Jewish authorities were glad it had happened. The Roman Authorities would not be bothered that Jewish people were killing each other. The Christians knew to forgive him.)

There was serious sin in Saul’s recent past, but it was under the cross, and he had demonstrated the reality of his faith by his baptism, by the instruction of Ananias, by God’s revelation to Ananias that this was a genuine conversion, and by his transformed life. Barnabas probably emailed Ananias to get the inside scoop on Saul. Barnabas would not measure a man’s worth by his past but by his potential once Christ had mastered him.

Barnabas said good things about Saul. And those good things reflected the goodness of GOD in Saul. We are free to say good things TO people, and about them when appropriate, because it is really a compliment to God who works through them. You may be asked to sponsor the citizenship application for a trusted immigrant friend or family member. I did just that myself.

Try simple compliments like …

Thanks for that fine bulletin board, very interesting!
You invested a lot of effort with our kids in VBS. Thanks!
I never worry about the restrooms being a mess. Thanks, we notice.
I’m blessed to see you ministering to men in prison. God has not forgotten them.
Thanks for your music. It really adds to the service.
It must have been tough to give that testimony of how God turned your life around, but what a blessing that was for us!
Your testimony gave me courage and ideas for witness this week to someone else in a situation like yours.
You’re being baptized today! What a special day. I remember mine at 15, years ago.

BARNABAS STOOD WITH HIM. HE SPOKE WELL OF HIM. And…

HE SET HIM FREE, v. 28

The phrase going out and coming in is an idiomatic expression that spells FREEDOM as in John 10:9 (not yet written down by John, but echoing in the collective memory of the redeemed). Saul could move at will with the disciples because of Barnabas. They could confidently invite him to preach. The recommendation of a credible brother opened doors of ministry for Saul.

The brothers now accepted Saul as an honored brother, where before they regarded him with fear. He was no longer fettered by their doubts, limited by their suspicions, held back by their insecurities, or restrained by jealousy. Saul was FREE. He spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, (v. 29) as one who had the authority to preach in The Name. Their careful, if informal, examination of Saul’s life, conversion, and doctrinal orientation was fully appropriate. That careful assessment leads to liberty for shared ministry. He was built up by their fellowship, but he did not need their permission to speak for Christ. He was commissioned by the Risen Christ Himself. The others learned that God was free to work through others apart from the official Apostles.

Freedom is not only for missionaries, but for one another in fellowship. A new believer in our church, a single mom just out of jail, needed help moving to a new apartment. I reminded her, “Don’t worry; you are part of a caring family now.” Several strong men and at least one truck rushed to help her, and all went well. There was immediate new freedom as part of her new life in Christ.

When I went to teach a course in a seminary where I was not well known, the founder intercepted me and asked with characteristic gruffness, “Who are you? Why are you teaching in my seminary?” (I knew he had a heart of gold, and I had been advised that if he invited me to lunch at his favorite Chinese restaurant, he liked me already.) As we ate and talked, I asked if he knew a certain pastor. “Yes, I know him. What of it?” I said carefully, “I am one of Walt’s preacher boys.” That did it. We were old friends in an instant. He had profound respect for my first pastor and knew what such a mentor could produce. I was free to teach there.

When people are free, they are serving with joy and satisfaction, where they belong. They are trusted by their community, with liberty to use their gifts as part of the church’s efforts, and with strengths directed to existing opportunities. Such people grow and can later accomplish even more. They become models for others new in the faith to emulate as disciples. Such trust is a treasure that churches extend to people of proven faith and worthiness. Our pulpits are guarded with care for Truth. Sunday school teachers are selected with discernment. This principle is a strong reason why mere gossip can create roadblocks for young believers. We all have a past we have left behind.

On my first time of ministry in our mission’s new work in Ecuador, we met an Ecuadorian pastor and his son visiting from another city. We enjoyed fellowship with them in our common life with Christ. That led to opportunities for the father to preach and his son to sing Bible stories set to his original music as he played his guitar. Our mutual confidence led to liberty for them to exercise their ministry gifts within the circle of trust of our own new and growing influence in that city. Barnabas was still alive!

Saul’s unrestrained zeal soon got them all in trouble, so the brothers got him to agree to go north to Tarsus, his hometown, Acts 9:30. His ministry needed to begin at home where his neighbors would witness the difference made by Messiah Yeshua. His history, and the reversal of his former zeal against The Way, was a factor in his broader acceptance by his former colleagues in Jerusalem. This sudden departure may well have been what Paul later saw as God’s direction away from dangerous opposition, voiced in Acts 22:21 in compressed testimony of events. Jesus had advised His followers to avoid persecution when possible in the future, Matthew 24:16, so there is no virtue in volunteering for martyrdom. Saul left for home, back in Tarsus. That was, and is, in the far northeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea, a direct voyage northward from Caesarea, the port city for Jerusalem

Saul then disappeared from view for about a decade. He was active, but not in the written record. He was at home in Tarsus where people in his family and synagogue could observe how Yeshua Messiakh could totally remake a hard man who trusted in Him. This allowed a more peaceful interlude in which to analyze his recent rush of experiences and develop his unique way of sharing God’s Simple Plan of Salvation.

In Acts 11, we read of the rapid expansion of the church northward from Judaea, even in Antioch of Syria, v 20. A number of new believers gathered there and didn’t really know what to do. They were Hellenistic Jews, here called “Grecians,” who spoke Greek rather than Hebrew, and used the Greek Bible rather than the Hebrew Bible used in Judaea by the traditionalists. Their overall lifestyle was like the larger gentile world, just like the Jewish people we know today outside The Land. Only a tiny minority of today’s Jews use distinctive dress and language, and even that is more European than Israeli. So these people are already on the bridge crossing from the Jewish roots of Christianity into the broader complex of the gentile world. Barnabas was one of those Hellenistic Jews.

Saul still needed to become a Christian missionary rather than a radical rabbi, fitting into a new role within others’ expectations. He could never become a gentile but could learn to be comfortable within a gentile culture. Even gentiles (like most of us) need to adapt to new cultural settings as our witness develops in widening circles. Out of such useful, flexible, moldable people, God calls some to be “missionaries.” He gave up symbols of rabbinic power.

What is involved in ‘the making of a missionary?’ As our churches expect to send out some of our current youth to distant mission fields, what dimensions of their lives are vitally important? What metamorphosis must a prospective missionary undergo?

SEVEN BASIC CATEGORIES FOR MISSIONARY FORMATION:

We who are active in missions planning have worked at developing a viable definition of a “trained missionary.” In BMM’s Continuing Education resources, called the LIFT Program (indicating Life-long Improvement Field Training) (still in development) we have identified seven major areas of competency expected of cross-cultural missionaries. This helps us shape the preparation needed for them. These are NOT listed in order of prioritized importance. They are taken as an integrated whole since all of them are vital to success.

We foster an attitude of desire for continuous growth in our personal and professional lives. When the Apostle Peter wrote as a seasoned veteran missionary, he still sought to improve, urging us, But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 2Peter 3:18.

How can the local church develop its own people toward missionary service? All of these elements of growth and formation begin in the church. Pastors and other Christian workers are to be perpetual learners, in or out of school. All who consider ministry within or beyond their local church are subject to some informal review. Try this checklist for your own LIFT toward service for Christ.

SPIRITUAL FORMATION, PERSONAL AND FAMILY

There is no point in churches sending out missionaries who are not spiritually secure and growing. This essential competency includes such issues as spiritual growth principles, victorious life, Bible study motivation and methods, a working knowledge of the Bible book by book, disciplined devotional life, personal evangelism, family life, any MK experience, personal social growth, and many related matters. What they have come through is as valuable as where they are headed.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, PERSONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL

Missionaries go to distant places because they have something to offer to other people. So they will always teach, encourage, and bring people along to maturity as they grow themselves. Some of the specific issues in this competency include discipling new believers, counseling in the whole range of attitude and behavior issues, and even personal finance issues as part of the maturity in the Christian life. We also include dimensions related to training in and beyond the local church and all seminary issues, principles and methods of education. Leadership includes preparing local leaders. What have they accomplished so far?

CULTURAL ADAPTATION, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Missionaries become as fully a part of their new social environment as biblical standards allow, so we encourage such adaptability by learning about understanding folkways, interacting at the worldview level, learning culture and language, and functioning well in customs of the host society. Are they open to appropriate adjustments in lifestyle? Can they maintain Christian integrity while adapting? Do they read broadly as a normal part of their lives to facilitate such transformation?

COMMUNICATION AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

Knowledge and experience in the actual skills related to communicating our message and ministry vision is essential to successful missionary service. So this competency includes deputation to get to the field including music usage here and on the field. All missionaries are somehow involved in writing, so computer usage is included in this area along with needed technical support for computers and all types of equipment (hospitals, broadcasting, office equipment, etc.). Someone has to keep it all running. Can they demonstrate viable competence for their proposed ministry?

ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Working with people to accomplish specific objectives is at the heart of missionary service. So training is needed in related fields of leadership, planning, teamwork, conflict management, school administration, office management, and interpersonal skills. Some of this clearly overlaps with the first competency on spiritual maturity, but here it relates specifically with the administration of people within a ministry structure. Have they been leaders in any successful work? Do they read about approaches to problem solving and program development? Are shared projects more successful because of their input?

THEOLOGY IN LIFE AND WITNESS

Our knowledge of Scripture is organized into categories of theology, both as familiar to us in our ministry formation and as encountered in the new spiritual environments of missionary service. So we study normal divisions of Systematic Theology, local theologies, Pastorology, Missiology, and related issues. For those of us who are Baptists, we need to understand the polity matters and doctrinal issues that describe us. Our gospel message is confronting religions and movements that exist on the fields of service, so our knowledge of the theological environment shapes and enriches our biblical responses to our cultural setting. Can they adapt ministry to a new cultural environment?

MISSIOLOGY: THE SCIENCE OF MISSIONS

The essential theoretical foundations of our own missionary work call for attention, but at an appropriate level of technical treatment. It is not necessary that every mechanic be a physicist, even while employing basic principles of Physics. Similarly, most missionaries can successfully operate on biblical principles of Missiology without knowing much of its historical and technical disciplines. But our service is enhanced when we profitably explore the thinking of those who have gone before. This brings to our attention the missiological issues of theology of missions, the phases of our growing missionary career, various mission strategies, mission history, church planting principles and practices, contextualization, nationalization, training nationals to replace them, and resources for missions research. Do they read broadly and deeply?

All of this relates to the ongoing development of current missionaries. Much of it applies to workers in the local churches as well. We cannot afford to stop our learning and conscious development. As one trainer of teachers said wisely,

“If you think you have finished your training,

you may be trained but you are finished!”

The church in Antioch was morphing into a new entity: a sending church. The missionary process is not merely about the sent ones, but the senders as well. We are in it together. Our reputation is on the line when we step out to serve the Lord Jesus. We do well to speak well of those deserving people who are willing to accept responsibility.

I remember clearly my own first steps into world missions. It was time to recruit partners who would underwrite the costs of maintaining our family and ministry in Brazil’s Amazon Valley. I was unknown outside a tight circle of churches, but had two advantages (within the larger assurance that “where God calls, He provides”). My positive identity was attached to my participation in a seasoned and trusted mission agency, Baptist Mid-Missions. Further, my first pastor, under whose ministry I had first trusted Christ ten years earlier, wrote a letter of strong recommendation which I could copy and send to a list of 105 pastors who regarded him highly. I was just a name to them, but my pastor was remembered with honor. His reputation was risked on me, a replay of Barnabas’ solid recommendation of the ex-felon Saul of Tarsus. My volley of letters got favorable responses that allowed me to set up a productive itinerary of deputation among those churches to launch us to Brazil.

Saul was out of sight while he stewed in Scripture and matured in faith for his ‘hidden decade.’ He was developing his own distinctive message that today we call Pauline Theology. He was becoming a dynamic message that would drive the new missionary movement to greater depth and distance.

Barnabas the discipler was right in the middle of progress among them, stirring, affirming, encouraging, demonstrating. He was great enough to be small and small enough to be great. Thanks, Barney. We’ve met you in quite a few churches.

CHAPTER 9

DRAWING THE LINE

Acts 13:13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem,

Acts 15:36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,

We find quite a dynamic reversal in the intent of young John Mark. Luke describes Mark’s departure as “going to a far country” with the sense of “abandoned them.” That was not merely a vacation from the work, or a missionary furlough, but a decisive turning back from the principles of the outreach journey. Mark rejected the objectives of the team and returned home to his ‘normal’ mode of life.

It is time to analyze why Mark defaulted that first time. Scholars have speculated on the reasons why Mark “deserted” or “abandoned” the mission team. Scripture veils the event from specific knowledge of his motivation, so we can apply the principles to many similar cases. We look briefly at some of those guesses.

Some conclude that young Mark was simply homesick for Mama and security. They accuse the leaders of picking unripe fruit.
Others presume that Mark was offended that Paul took over the helm from Uncle Joses to whom Mark owed a debt of family loyalty. His favored leader and sponsor had been disgraced, as far as he was concerned, and he took a noble stand against that.
Mark may have found Dr. Paul’s manner too brusque and direct, lacking some grace to more casually explain gospel truth. He was an all-or-nothing leader that did not mesh well with Mark’s more gracious temperament.
Mark was unprepared for the roughness of the journey and coastal diseases that inflicted travelers by sea and land. Once exposed to dangers of travel, he ditched it and headed home on familiar dry ground.
Mark may have regarded Paul as the model for what he needed to become, and realized that he just was not such a person after all. Imagine someone who loves to walk the hills suddenly facing Mount Everest! Mark needed a realistic self-appraisal before the Lord and within his church.

This writer finds such scenarios too trivial, however plausible they seem or however they may have contributed to his overall decision. Mark seems to have still been processing with shock what he had just observed first-hand for the very first time. Mark the Levite, a loyal observant Jew, watched as Paul had a weird confrontation with a demon-possessed man. He then led a gentile to trust Jesus without insisting that he keep the Law of Moses and take the mark of covenantal faith. That was not the ‘proper’ way they had all come to express their faith. This streamlined approach was too much for young Mark.

Too many people he had long trusted would never agree to such “evangelism,” leaving out the Law. It was more than he could handle at the time. His conscience would not allow him to share this new wrinkle of Christian faith with gentiles. He needed to go home to think that through. He bailed out and hitchhiked home.

In later outworking of this radical change, even Uncle Barnabas did not yet fully agree (Gal 2:13) but remained supportive of the majority decision (called decrees in Acts 16:4). Mark needed the longer-range shift in perspective of a mature trusted relative (and fellow Levite) for his own adaptation to the new approach that ignored centuries of Jewish traditionalism. He was out of his own comfort zone and needed time to adjust his thinking to New Testament Truth (still developing).

Barnabas’ patient demeanor would have soothed Mark’s ruffled feathers, but that takes time. If Mark could not stand to remain on Paul’s team, he could remain with gentle Barnabas as they took steps to understand what God had so recently confirmed through the all-church council (Acts 15). Mark was not fleeing the ministry, only the puzzling circumstances of his present experience. Barnabas doubtless had toned down some of Saul’s personal extremism.

Discipleship is a process, not an act. Some of us just need a bit more time to process new ideas. Some have facility in accepting new concepts and practices, while others struggle with how that fits Scripture and can’t see it yet. “New to me” is not necessarily evil. “We’ve never done it that way!” Mark would do well with some growth time in ‘home missions’ with less complex social issues. Growth provokes some pains.

Churches commonly have a period of discomfort when a new pastor is called and has some unfamiliar preferences and mannerisms. Patience is a virtue. Nobody starts out as a veteran. All of us struggled in our first efforts in ministry, just as we struggled to learn to ride a bike. But we adapted, adjusted, and advanced, skinned knees and all.

Missionaries spend their first year in language study and cultural orientation, a necessary time of conscious adjustment and adaptation. Those who go abroad as ‘tentmaker missionaries’ to earn their own way by working in business seldom enjoy the advantage of such a gradual transition with mentors. Further, they realize they owe their best hours to their employers and have relatively little time for evangelism or participation with churches. Still, in many places, such a “passport identity” is the only way to gain legal entry.

When the team proposed a return to the evangelized regions, Barnabas had assessed Mark’s state as reasonably reconciled with the issues they faced and ready for continued action on the front lines. He was learning on the road. Paul saw the matter differently and was not willing to gamble the success of the mission on the renewed vigor of one who had utterly abandoned them at first. It is not that Paul thought so poorly of Mark, but that he thought so highly of the ministry. It was not a game for neophytes, but a task that demanded only the best that the churches had to offer.

Paul was adamant and unyielding about the strength of the team. It unleashed a paroxysm of strong emotion about the matter. It was a closed case. Both Paul and Barnabas were men of concrete convictions. (I’m avoiding the term ‘stubborn’ that has come to mind by now.) Mark had also shown steely resistance to departing from the familiar convictions of his home Messianic assembly. How could he betray his senders over a quirky new angle to evangelism? “I’m outta here!” His separatism was driven by his limited exposure to new ways God was working. That showed strength supporting his misunderstanding, still an admirable trait.

Barnabas could tolerate that dissonance more readily than Paul. After all, Barnabas had adjusted to Paul’s quirks and strengths. Mark was not one to simply go along with a matter he struggled to accept and just not make waves.

Barnabas was no softie himself, but had some different aspects to his motivation. Both felt strongly about having the proper people for this important mission. In Paul’s mind, you bring in the right people to accomplish the work. In Barnabas’ mind, you allow the work to develop the people for greater works. Who was right? Both, of course.

When you select missionaries to support you are building the future of your church by what you multiply on the fields of the world. Missions is the DNA of the church, the pattern that is replicated in the next generation of the church. Choose wisely who will represent you in the uttermost parts of the earth. Choose wisely those whom your church will send out to convey Christian truth to a new generation of believers in Christ. How effective will they be in developing new disciples of Jesus? It calls for a high level of discernment and tolerance to work in a strange culture. Start learning at home.

Missionaries face one of their most vital decisions in the selection of a first national pastor to carry on a newly planted church. All that has been invested in that work now rides on the convictions and character of someone who takes over the reins and leads it on. He will inevitably make some changes. He will have his own ways of expressing biblical doctrines. He will bring his own personality with its advantages and disadvantages for compatibility with the members. Change involves risk.

The mission team was changing! Missionaries often have different primary ministries for their first term of service and the other terms to follow. People identify their gifts in the work and tend to move toward effort in their own areas of giftedness. Some go to the field expecting church planting, and later are burdened for specific ministries that contribute to that overall goal. Others move from specialized ministries to church planting. God designs people for aspects of the work, so they are free to accept different responsibilities as their vision changes. Age is a factor that often leads to changes in ministry focus, not just on the foreign field, but within one’s home church. Such God-ordained changes are to be respected.

People want to be involved in ministries, local or global, for which they are not yet qualified. Youth may dream, “I’m going to be a jungle pilot!” They need aviation training and the mechanical aptitude that helps them keep their aircraft airworthy. Most people are not made that way. “I shall be a missionary doctor.” Do you love science? Do you enjoy helping people with needs now? There are aspects of ministry that call for some specific interests and attributes that can be developed early in life. Planned and unplanned experiences help analyze future occupations.

CASE STUDY: I remember a couple who applied for missionary service with an ardent desire to translate the Bible into tribal languages. I arranged for them to take the MLAT, the Modern Language Aptitude Test, which is professionally regarded as accurately reflecting the natural ability to adjust, adapt, and absorb strange language forms. Translation ministries expect people who head for such demanding work to qualify with at least an 80th percentile of linguistic aptitude. This husband and wife both revealed a 20th percentile aptitude for linguistics. They abounded with other good attributes for ministry.

In our awkward conversation, I explained that we won’t close the door to proceeding with their dream ministry. But they need to know they would always face a steep uphill climb in mastering at least two languages, that of the nation, and of the tribe, where they would serve. It would be like persons longing for a music ministry finding they are tone deaf, not endowed by their Creator with the necessary attributes. These were otherwise qualified for ministry, but not for linguistics.

Two alternatives presented themselves. One, they could develop literacy lessons for the languages that others translate (though they would still have to learn the language at a less technical level), Or, two, they could find other ministry for which they are gifted and for which they would not have to learn foreign languages. After thought and prayer and further counsel with their pastor, they agreed they both were also burdened for another ministry that did not depend on language learning. I did not have the authority to refuse entry, but I was responsible to offer alternatives that seemed necessary. It is the Lord of the Harvest who calls and equips the workers and sees them directed to appropriate ministries. Everyone cannot do everything. I could list many important ministries for which I am not qualified by gifts or training or general inclination. I work within my limited range of qualifications by training, interests, and giftedness.

The simple fact that I grappled with in counseling prospective missionaries was ever-present: Not everyone is capable of serving in a different culture. My desire as ‘The Gatekeeper’ was to bring in all who are willing, but I had to accept the fact that not all who are willing are truly able. And, not all who are able are willing. The church has always sent out its best people to do its hardest work.

College students are remarkably open to possibilities for working and serving the Lord. Many have no idea what they want to do in life. (That lack of definition is fine for freshmen but scary in seniors!) As I counseled many, I developed a simple self-examination that could help them see their strengths. My list of seven broad areas of endeavor would allow students to notice, “That box describes me!” or “That is NOT me at all.” My suggestion was to think through the seven areas of preference and imagine themselves working that way. All of them led to applications in ministries as well as secular careers.

Consider this catalog of activities that are part of missionary efforts, calling for people who say, “This is who I am and what I want to be doing for God.” Such discovery is within an attitude of surrender to what God wants of us. It can apply to secular employment or to ministry positions. This is not the place for thinking, “I ought to be one of those people” when we are not.

Everyone fits comfortably in at least two of these seven functional boxes on the left. And, there are two other boxes about which we confidently say, “That is not who I am.” Still, we are willing to do some of that for a while when necessity arises, especially the other three boxes. Picture these in your church, not only on a foreign field. Which are your two ‘that is where I fit’ boxes? Which are the ‘not me” boxes? They are not in any intentional order of importance. All are needed.

Major Interests & Abilities

Some typical related

missionary ministries

Administrative / Managerial

Church Planting Pastor

Radio station manager

Seminary Director

Field Business Manager

Camp Director

Artistic / Creative

Publications graphic artist

Teacher of art, graphics, instructional media

Writer, Editor of Bible lessons

Musician: composer / arranger

Music group leader

Teacher of instrumental / vocal performance

Choir trainer / director

Broadcast or Video Producer / Director

Manual / Technical

Radio / Video / Computer Technician

Construction Supervisor / builder

Maintenance Supervisor

Pilot, aircraft or powerplant mechanic

Hospital Technician

Influential / Motivational

Church planting evangelist

Youth worker

Discipler

Camp worker

Campus or Military Evangelist

Preacher / Evangelist

Recruiter for school or mission

Instructional / Organizational

Pastor / Teacher

Bible Institute teacher

Discipler

Child Evangelist

Literacy Specialist

Caregiving / Serving

Church planting pastor

Medical missionary:

physician, nurse

Counselor

Clerical / detailer / mathematical /

linguistic

Secretary

Librarian (MK school, Bible Institute)

Bookkeeper (Field council, school, radio

station)

Media ministry supervisor

Publications editor

Bible Translator, Consultant

The hardest part of my position as Candidate Administrator was saying “no” to some eager applicants. It was most often counsel to gain further experience, or formal studies, so we could reconsider at a later time. Some did not share our Articles of Faith, so I could redirect them to missions that offered a better fit with the convictions of their sending church. Some did not have a church that would send them. End of story. Start with that first step. Some were dreamers in a spiritual fog that rejected the concept of needing to be qualified by any human standards. Some misunderstood the nature of a mission agency and were just applying for a job. Still, the vast majority were called, qualified, and (after rigorous examination) accepted.

We all wrestle with where we fit in the larger picture, with what we do well and what we dare not try. This next history of one man’s search for just the job that suited his abilities will be instructive. It must be true since I adapted it from the ultimate trustworthy source: the Internet.

“MY RESUMÉ: My first job was in an orange juice factory, but I couldn’t concentrate and got canned. Then I worked as a lumberjack but couldn’t hack it and got the axe. After that I tried to be a tailor but just wasn’t suited for such a so-so job. My work in a muffler factory was too exhausting, so I tried barbering for a while but just couldn’t cut it. My next job was in a shoe factory but, bless my sole, I just didn’t last or fit in. Working as an electrician proved to be interesting, but too shocking for me. Fishing was then the life for me, but I couldn’t live on my net income. I then played at being a musician but was not noteworthy. In the deli next door, any way I sliced it I just couldn’t cut the mustard. So I figured that being a gourmet chef would add spice to my life, but I didn’t have the thyme for the training. My chronic fatigue syndrome switched on, so I found swimming pool maintenance too draining, and I wasn’t up to feeding the giraffes at the zoo. What can I do; what can I do? My work at the coffee shop was always the same daily grind, so I wrote as an historian until I realized there was no future in it. Since I have learned to live with failure, I guess I can work as a missionary; they’ll take anyone. Please send your application forms.”

Mark was not yet qualified by experience at the time of the first trek. He was an apprentice, a legitimate and common experience. Barnabas was eager to provide the further oversight and experience to help John Mark grow up to be unquestionably qualified as a disciple maker in a new cultural environment. One dimension of the objectives of every local church is to be a nursery that nurtures future servants of God in the ministry. God does the calling of some individuals, but the church can prepare all youth to serve as if called. All of us can look back with some embarrassment at our fledgling attempts at witnessing, teaching or preaching. But we did it! And then we did it a bit better, just growing up.

I was not yet qualified for missionary service when I spent a summer in South America during college. Whatever could go wrong, did. Travel was always interrupted, whether in the mountains or on the rivers. My language limitations restricted my participation beyond some construction help. We faced opposition that got us thrown out of town. My first missionary journey was capped with serious illness. Apart from that, it was a wonderful and positive experience that left me looking forward to whatever God had called me to as a foreign missionary. I needed to grow up. More to come.

MULTIPLICATION BY DIVISION

Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. (Acts 15:39)

This one sentence embraces an encyclopedia of purposes. Barnabas did not rescue Mark from Paul. He did not shelter him from the demands of pioneer ministry. He did not treat him as a miserable failure. He folded Mark into his own godly lifestyle of developing people for service to God. He was bent on discipling a discipler. This was a positive move, not to be seen as a retreat from the conflict that precipitated the change.

Keep in mind that Cyprus was Barnabas’ home ground. He may have had farms, or a business, or even a copper mine there. It was a mission field that he knew well and where he was well known. Mark could serve and grow and heal in their little church as further discipleship training continued. He could also study the Bible in the local synagogue. This was not a hospital phase, but a time of nourishment, new vision, personal maturing, and personal advance in ministry experience.

Barnabas perceived in Mark a future that was more productive than his past. Age is one factor in the maturity demanded by responsibility, but there were other factors in personal growth that mere time would not cure. Dr. Dan Anderson put his finger on the objective for this healing retreat as the long-time president of a Bible college.

Development can be defined as helping those I lead understand their stewardship from and to God and then nurturing and mentoring them as they seek to personally accomplish God’s will (p. 36).

We can identify those few persons who came alongside to help us at crucial junctures in our lives. Those may be formal counseling sessions, casual conversations with some directive admonition, or simply a word of warning or encouragement. Barnabas intended to build Mark into the man he wanted to become. The time and energy expended paid off in Mark’s lifetime of service. Mark was not merely protected, but was projected and promoted within his own natural limitations to focus on the use of his gifts for the glory of God. Early Church writers place Mark later on with Peter in his dynamic ministries.

I was a student of Mechanical Engineering at the time I was clearly called to missionary service. In a later casual conversation with one of my Engineering profs, I expressed a need for some ministry training along with my Engineering degree, so maybe I should go to a Bible institute. His instant response was, “No! You belong in seminary. You have the mind for that level of study.” It was not a gentle suggestion to pray about that. He spoke as an oracle from God in that momentary conversation. That changed my direction entirely. My later seminary studies laid the foundation for my decades of active ministry as a teacher in Brazil and later in several seminaries. The engineering background also played some fascinating roles in the work. One gentle nudge from a mentor aimed me in a new direction. Thank You, Lord!

MISSIONS APPRENTICESHIPS

My own mission apprenticeship experience was a succession of problems and failures, as mentioned, but was a roaring success. As an engineering student, I had designed a device that would help a ministry in Colombia. Once I got there, the new missionary explained it to the senior missionary, but the project was dismissed with a quick “We don’t need that!” All of our travels were frustrated by delays, landslides, and rejections. By the end of that summer, I was down with hepatitis and a threat to society. But it was an experience of significant growth for me. I saw first-hand how missionaries deal with their needs, those who depend on them, how they handle frustration and loss. I learned about getting along despite disagreements, and loving colleagues you might not have chosen for your team of ministry partners. We even got thrown out of a remote town. My Ph.D. in hard knocks was a more valuable education than how a smooth and productive summer might have been. I was eager to go back for more!

What were the elements of my summer of apprenticeship? Most of it was unplanned, unscheduled, unavoidable despite all the planning and preparation.

The first cross-cultural experience for a young suburbanite, trying to absorb bits of a new language, enjoying odd new foods, seeing urban, mountain, and jungle settings for ministry.
Observing mature Christians involved with people who were just coming into new spiritual life, seeing patience with their failures, instruction from God’s Word, loving people I did not fully understand, fitting into their customs, being embraced as a strange foreigner as we worshiped together.
Living as part of a missionary family with six children, their adaptations to life without a lot of conveniences, observing their work with domestic help, family devotions, humanity under pressures from all sides. I was absorbed into a loving family, helping with chores, reading with children, fitting into a new setting
Enjoying fellowship with a broader spectrum of Christians than I was accustomed to, seeing our common faith in Jesus Christ with some different accents.
Witnessing the resilience of some believers who had suffered for their faith, real persecution, beatings, loss of jobs, being scorned as ‘believers,’ being disregarded as the people who mattered. We sang some local songs of suffering for Jesus.
Struggling to express my personal testimony in fractured Spanish by the end of that summer, and seeing warm appreciation of the reality of Christ in people with whom I could not communicate freely.
Sharing in the ministry of the Word among eager listeners, even in a few remote mountain villages where the gospel had never been preached before. I could not speak, but sang duets and just glowed. I felt the difference between riding a horse and riding a mule, for the first time.
Experiencing disappointments with schedules, people, and life in general. Every such time was a new lesson, reacting with my hosts as they dealt with surprises and problems. I had never been ejected from a town by its mayor just for being an evangelical believer.
Ending up sick and dependent, wondering what would come of my ailment, feeling very far from the comforts of home. Struggling with travel arrangements.

Such enriching experience cannot be packed into a book! It was a life-changing experience for a boy of 19 who had felt called to missionary service, now affirmed by a thorough exposure to dimensions I had only imagined with unrealistic positivity. Is this the life I am called to? YES! I kept in touch with those mentors for the rest of their lives. My journal of those adventures continues to bring back the good and bad memories of the summer of 1961. When my own ministry in Brazil about ten years later, it seemed more orderly (but I had gained an appreciation of the unfamiliar).

Most of Mark’s difficulties were internal, not external. He wrestled with cogitations of changes and their theological implications more than interaction with strange environment. Was I ready for a lifetime in missions as an immature college kid? Hardly, but I was eager to prepare for it. It is healthy to be aware of our own ignorance. We groan through growth, and come out a tad richer for the difficult experiences we encounter. Mark was no exception; he needed to grow up, and was doing well at that. Barnabas could embrace that time of need.

Barnabas the encourager did not seek to turn young Mark into another Barnabas or Paul, but to help Mark become all that God enabled him to be: a servant of Christ. I made no effort to mimic the life and ministry of my mentoring family. We were ourselves, a bit wiser for experience. We don’t expect those we mentor to become junior forms of ourselves, but a better version of themselves. That is what our mentors did for us. We learn to let the Lord of the Harvest be the Lord of our hearts.

We are glad there is a difference between “not going” and “not going yet.” Thank you, Mark.