Acts 15:36-41 Paul and Barnabas separate

Acts 15:36-41 Paul and Barnabas begin another missionary trip. There is no indication how long elapsed before Paul felt the stirring of the Holy Spirit to return to the mission field. However, he and Barnabas had a dispute about taking John Mark along with them, since Paul felt he had deserted them the first time. Perhaps Barnabas felt a family loyalty to Mark since they were cousins (Col 4:10). And so Paul and Barnabas split up. Barnabas took Mark and went back to Cyprus. Paul took Silas and began by traveling locally throughout Syria and Cilicia to visit and encourage the churches. Thus they began to make their way overland to the area Paul and Barnabas had visited previously in Galatia, passing through Cilicia, and along the way going near Tarsus before they got to Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Psidian Antioch. Derbe had been the easternmost point in Galatia on Paul's first trip. There is no record that they visited Tarsus.

          There is no further mention of either Barnabas or John Mark in the book of Acts. However, their names are mentioned frequently in Paul's letters.  Given the role Barnabas played early on in bringing Paul to the Apostles, and then traveling with him on his first missionary trip, it would be sad if his role in the early church came to an end at this point. There is little Biblical information on where he went after Cyprus or what he did. Mark is mentioned in Colossians 4:10 as being evidently with Paul in Colossae at the time this letter was written. In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul asks Timothy to bring Mark with him when he comes to see Paul. Philemon 1:24 also indicates that Mark was with Paul. Hence we can conclude that at some point Paul and Mark reconciled.  I Corinthians 9:6 makes reference to Barnabas, in Paul asking a hypothetical question. Since Paul had not yet been to Corinth when he and Barnabas parted company in Acts 15, this suggests that they had continuing contact after that, that the Corinthians knew Barnabas, and that he was still an active missionary. Galatians 2:1 & 9 makes reference to the events of Acts 15:1-35, and Barnabas' role in the Jerusalem council. Galatians 2:13 refers to some events in Antioch, in which Paul confronted Peter over legalism in his lifestyle and falling into factionalism, in which Barnabas was also involved, but these events are not mentioned in Acts.