It’s clear that Paul and Barnabas debated what to do about the matter of taking John Mark with them or not for some time and we may feel it frustrating that they could not ultimately agree and so decided to go their separate ways. (Acts 15:36-41) Paul clearly felt...

Disagreements within the church can be painful and divisive. The Bible does not attempt to gloss over disagreements or pretend they never happen. In Acts 15:36-41 we see a painful disagreement (‘sharp disagreement’ has been translated by Tom Wright as a ‘huge row’)...

One of the fascinating aspects of the book of Acts is how we see people introduced and growing in both grace and responsibilities. Some of these people are sketched in detail (we learn a lot about Stephen in the opening chapters before his death, for example); others...