Barnabas andtheEarly Christians 63accustomed. Clearly, this new way of doing things could only be
learned and assimilated into the texture of everyday life gradually.
No pagan community could have adopted overnight the whole
way of life which Jesus embodied.
From what records there are, it seems that Barnabas and Paul
never stayed for very long in any one place. It would have been
impossible in any case to have transmitted the whole of Jesus' s
teaching in such a shortspace of time. They must, therefore, have
taught what seemed to be the most important parts first, with the
intention of returning later and supplementing what they had
shown the people with further instruction. Whereas Barnabas in
tended to transmit the whole teaching of Jesus, Paul was prepared
to dispense with many of its aspects altogether, since, according to
the new doctrine he was developing, they were no longer ne ces
sary. Thus, on their return to [erusalem, they must have defended
their actions each for a different reason. Despite their descriptions
of the miracles they had performed together, this underlying dif
ference remained, and finally there was a parting of the ways.
It is said that they fell out with each other because Paul refused
to take John Mark with them on any future mission, while Barna
bas insisted that John Mark should continue to accompany them.
It is recorded in Acts 15: 39-40 that, 'the contention was so sharp
between them, that they departed asunder one from the other
and so Barnabas took Mark and sailed unto Cyprus,' which was
Barnabas's birth-place.
The fact that John Mark accompanied Barnabas c1early indicates
that his beliefs were in harmony with his uncle's. This was prob
ably one of the reasons why Paul had no desire to keep his com
pany. Hardly any mention of Barnabas is made in the New Testa
ment after this point.
It is interesting to note that Barnabas, who, it is recorded in the
Acts, was chosen by the Holy Ghost, was rejected by Paul. Perhaps
Paul felt that he no longer needed Barnabas. In his early days as a
Christian, no one would have relied on him once they knew that
he had notbeen with Jesus. Now that he had become a leader and
an established figure with ms own community, this was no longer
the case. Paul' s reputation was now such that perhaps he felt that
he could go out and preach his doctrine without fear of being Te
jected, and without the restraining hand of Barnabas to check him,
whenever he deviated from what Jesus had taught.