Acts Of The Apostles 22 Of 39

Before this, in Acts 13:2, we read, "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."

God, the Holy Spirit, had called them unto this work, and they were being greatly blessed of the Lord. They were doing such a great job, the devil decided he had better split them up.

At some point in that relationship they probably could have resolved their differences, but they did not and it finally reached the place they decided to go separate ways.

Illus: Experiences like this begin like a small leak in a dam. If it is fixed when it first begins, any trouble from it can be averted, but when the leak is allowed to continue, it soon reaches the place where the opening can no longer be mended.

This is one reason God's Word teaches us not to let the "...sun go down on our wrath."

WHO WAS THE BLAME FOR THE SPLIT UP?

I am sure that Paul and Barnabas both would have to share in the blame, but there are several things that imply that perhaps Barnabas was most at fault. How can we come to that conclusion?

1. Because Acts 15:37, says, "And Barnabas determined to take..."

The use of the word "determined" here, makes it sound like Barnabas was going to have his way, or else...

2. Because from the time they split up, it seemed that God continued to bless Paul as much as He always had.

This was a pretty good indication that God was pleased with Paul as much as ever. Now Paul starts off with a new partner named Silas.

I. THE SELECTION

In all fairness to Barnabas, the reason he had wanted to take John Mark with them, was because there was a need for more assistance.

Paul did not argue that fact, he just felt John Mark was not the right man for the job at that time. It was not that he did not love him. He sincerely felt that John Mark was not mature.

When Paul went to Derbe and Lystra, he continued his search for a young man, and he saw one that he felt was qualified - Timothy.

WHAT KIND OF MAN WAS TIMOTHY?

He had a:

A. GOOD REPUTATION

Verses 1-3, "Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium."

There are two things people know us by: Our name, and our reputation.

Illus: Someone said, "The easiest thing to get, but the most difficult thing to get rid of, is a bad reputation."

Illus: Someone else said, "We should so live that when death comes, the mourners will outnumber the cheering section."

Illus: Several years ago, the beautiful Wade Hampton Hotel stood across the street from the state capital building in Columbia, South Carolina. It stood tall and graceful, among all the other buildings surrounding it. It had taken hundreds of men many months to build, but that was many years ago. Progress made its demands, and that building, which had stood tall for so many years, received its death sentence. A demolition crew was called in. They chose to bring it down by means of "implosion." This method called for placing dynamite in strategic places inside the building, and when the dynamite was in all the different places, it was to be exploded in a certain sequence. The time for the implosion was announced, and when it was set off, that which had taken many men many months to build, came tumbling down as the result of just a few men taking just a short time, to destroy.

This is what can happen to one's reputation. We have all known of people who were careful to not tarnish their reputation, then they let their guard down, and in a matter of seconds, they destroyed their good testimony for the Lord.

Notice, Timothy had a good reputation. He had earned it, and guarded it, so his testimony for the Lord was not tarnished.

Look at verse 2, "Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium."

Verses 3-4 say, "Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem."

Notice Paul recognized, that since Timothy's dad was a Greek, the young man had not followed the ordinance of circumcision.