Wednesday, March 11th

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March 11

Sibling Rivalry

Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.

—Acts 15:39-40

In 1740, two prominent Christian leaders in the English church found themselves engaged in a significant disagreement. It started when John Wesley, a prominent English evangelist, preached a sermon entitled “Free Grace” in his church. George Whitefield, who hosted revival services throughout England, felt strongly that Wesley was mistaken. He wrote an open letter to Wesley in response, going head-to-head in a discussion about predestination versus free will.

One of the most striking things about the public debate between these men (aside from the fact that their discourse was so much more civil than our shoot-from-the-hip style of social media today) was how focused they were on unity, even in the midst of their theological disagreement. Whitefield expressed his concern that their opposition would present a disunified image of Christianity to the world. For his part, Wesley expressed his desire that God would unite their hearts: “For a time you are suffered to be of one opinion, and I of another. But when his time is come, God will do what man cannot, namely, make us both of one mind.” He closes his letter with this line: “I am, my dearest brother, ever yours.”

Even in their differences—their sibling rivalry, if you will—these men were mindful that ultimately they still had the same Father. That provided a base line for their discussions. No matter how strongly they disagreed, the one thing they had in common was even stronger.

Paul and Barnabas disagreed about the particulars—if they should take John Mark on their missionary journey or not—but they agreed on the big-picture vision. They may have split up, but their goal and their calling remained unified.

We can take a cue from Wesley and Whitefield, and from Paul and Barnabas, whenever we find ourselves disagreeing with a fellow follower of Christ. We should move forward with humility and prayer, acknowledging that we don’t have all the answers and being open to having God change our minds.

John Wesley said, “I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship.” May our hearts be filled with the same longing for oneness with our brothers and sisters.

Challenge: Think of someone you have disagreed with in the past. What can you do to show love and respect to that person?

—Stephanie Rische