Acts 15:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are."

NIV: Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."

NASB: 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.'

CSB: After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, "Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing."

NLT: After some time Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.'

KJV: And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.

NKJV: Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.”

Paul and Barnabas have settled once again into life in Syrian Antioch, even heading off a spiritual attack that would have divided the Gentile and Jewish Jesus-followers (Acts 15:1–21). Now, they decide to travel through the churches they planted on their first missionary journey, including Cyprus (Acts 13:4–12), Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:13–52), Iconium (Acts 14:1–7), Lystra (Acts 14:8–23), and Perga (Acts 14:25).

Part of the reason for their return is the attack they witnessed in Antioch. A group of Jewish Christian Pharisees had come from Judea and insisted Gentiles be circumcised and follow the Mosaic law (Acts 15:1). They framed the issue as if Gentiles needed to convert to Judaism before they could follow the Jewish Messiah. However, their real motivation was selfish. They wanted to worship Jesus in church while still maintaining their respected standing in the non-Christian Jewish community (Matthew 23:5–7; Galatians 6:12). They wanted all the benefits of Jesus' grace without the persecution He had promised to anyone who followed Him (John 15:18–20).

When questioned, the leadership of the church in Jerusalem confirmed that the Pharisees were wrong. Circumcision wasn't required for salvation and wouldn't be imposed on the Gentiles. Even the Jews couldn't follow the Mosaic law (Galatians 6:13; Acts 15:10)—if they could, Jesus wouldn't have had to sacrifice Himself on the cross. But the apostles and elders in Jerusalem did require the Gentiles to be sexually pure and make minor changes to their eating habits—not for salvation, but so the Jewish Christians would feel freer to eat with them and live life together. The church in Jerusalem wrote these things in a letter (Acts 15:22–29), and Paul intends to share the letter with the churches he and Barnabas planted (Acts 16:4).

Paul will travel to Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:41), Derbe and Lystra (Acts 16:1), Phrygia and Galatia (Acts 16:6), Macedonia, Greece, and Asia (Acts 16:9–18:21), but he will not go with Barnabas. Barnabas wants to give John Mark another chance after he abandoned the pair in Perga (Acts 13:13). Paul doesn't trust Mark. After a "sharp disagreement," Barnabas takes Mark to Cyprus, and Paul strikes up a new partnership with Silas (Acts 15:39–40).

Acts 15:36–41 marks a significant shift in Paul's ministry. Ever since Barnabas sought him out to help build the church in Syrian Antioch (Acts 11:19–26), the two have seemed inseparable. They established a church that will influence Christian theology for centuries. Their ministry extends beyond Syria and up into central modern-day Asia Minor. And they protected their church from legalists with harmful expectations of the Gentile Jesus-followers (Acts 15:1–35). Now, they go their separate ways. Paul will take Silas on his next missionary journey while Barnabas will take John Mark. Barnabas is not mentioned again in the book of Acts.

Paul and Barnabas are in Syrian Antioch, home from their first missionary journey. Legalistic Christians from Jerusalem arrive and insist Gentiles must convert to Judaism. When negotiations fail, a delegation travels to Jerusalem to request clarification from Jesus' closest students. The leadership in Jerusalem agree with Paul and Barnabas. They write a letter that Gentiles should only make concessions, mostly dietary, which will ensure unity with the Jews in their congregation. After delivering the letter to Antioch, Paul takes Silas and Barnabas takes John Mark to share the letter to other churches they have planted.

Acts chapter 15 resembles Acts 11:1–18, where Peter testified before the leadership of the church in Jerusalem. His subject was how the Holy Spirit had fallen on uncircumcised and unbaptized Gentiles. Here Paul and Barnabas also testify that Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus without being circumcised. The issue the leadership must decide is the extent Gentiles must be responsible to follow the Mosaic law. Their decision is that the Law is in no way required to be saved, but Gentiles should graciously make concessions so their Jewish brothers and sisters feel free to live in community. This forms a partial background to the rest of Paul's missionary journeys as explained in Acts.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.