What does Acts 15:40 mean?

The partnership of Paul and Barnabas has come to an end. Paul no longer needs the "son of encouragement" (Acts 4:36) to mentor him in teaching and evangelism. Barnabas' talents are of more use for his cousin John Mark who must grow in faith and courage before he can travel with Paul again (Philemon 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:11). Both sides of the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas have merit, and the best possible solution is for them to pursue God's will separately.

For this missionary voyage, Paul needs a fellow Roman citizen who can handle the dangers of the road and physical assault (Acts 16:19–40), and still step into a leadership position when needed (Acts 17:14; 18:5). Silas, sometimes called Silvanus, will go on to co-author Paul's letters to the church in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1) and, some say, help Peter with his Greek (1 Peter 5:12).

As the elders of the church in Syrian Antioch once dedicated Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:2–3), they now send Paul and Silas off. The pair will travel through the province of Syria and then overland into Galatia where they will meet Timothy (Acts 15:41—16:5). The group will head farther west, across the sea into Macedonia and down into Greece (Acts 16:6—18:23). As disappointed as Paul and Barnabas may have felt in the short term, God has bigger plans for both.