The churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.

Acts 15:36-16:15 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return and visit the brothers and sisters in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. ³⁸ But Paul was of the opinion that they should not take along with them this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹ Now it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. ⁴⁰ But Paul chose Silas, and left after being entrusted by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

16 Now Paul also came to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, ² and he was well spoken of by the brothers and sisters who were in Lystra and Iconium. ³ Paul wanted this man to leave with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the ordinances for them to follow which had been determined by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. ⁵ So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.

⁶ They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; ⁷ and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; ⁸ and passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. ⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ When he had seen the vision, we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

¹¹ So after setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis; ¹² and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were spending some days in this city. ¹³ And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were thinking that there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

¹⁴ A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of Thyatira, and a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. ¹⁵ Now when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

In today’s text it says: After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return and visit the brothers and sisters in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul was of the opinion that they should not take along with them this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. Now it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas, and left after being entrusted by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. This should be an example to the church today that division can lead to multiplication rather than destruction. Here is the thing, as long as both parties are whole, multiplication causes an increase. They both produce fruit for the kingdom, so more fruit is produced. If one or both parties are less than whole, it causes a decrease. ½ x ½ = ¼ If there are wounds and animosity, it is those things which are multiplied, and it is fruit of that division which is reproduced. In Matthew 7:18 Jesus says: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”  

In John 13:34-35 Jesus says:  ^“I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.” One of the greatest weaknesses in the church today is that there is so much division that people do not know who the disciples of Christ are.  It is not only possible, but it is also critical that within the church, we are able to move forward for Christ in love, even if we have sharp disagreements about some things. That does not mean that we compromise the word of God. In John 17:17 Jesus prayed regarding His disciples saying: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” God’s word is not only true, it is truth, and so it should not be compromised. What we can do sometimes though is to compromise our opinions about God’s word. Ephesians 4:11-16 says: He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.  If we will abide in Jesus commandment to love one another, if we will speak the truth in love, we will build up the body of Christ. We will grow up together according to the proper working of each individual part, until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 

Thank You heavenly father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit. May we truly learn to love one another. May all who are Your disciples be unified in You and Your word. May we seek to be used to multiply and not divide and destroy the fruit of the kingdom. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.