The relations between Paul and Barnabas had been thus far of the most intimate and affectionate kind.  But now the two apostles disagreed,—­Barnabas wishing to associate with them his cousin Mark, and Paul determining that the young man, however estimable, should not accompany them, because he had turned back on the former journey.  It must be confessed that Paul was not very amiable and conciliatory in this matter; but his nature was earnest and stern, and he was resolved not to have a companion under his trying circumstances who had once put his hand to the plough and looked back.  Neither apostle would yield, and they were obliged to separate,—­reluctantly, doubtless,—­Paul choosing Silas as his future companion, while Barnabas took Mark.  Both were probably in the right, and both in the wrong; for the best of men have faults, and the strongest characters the most.  Perhaps Paul thought that as he was now recognized as the leading apostle to the Gentiles, Barnabas should yield to him; and perhaps Barnabas felt aggrieved at the haughty dictation of one who was once his inferior in standing.

The choice of Paul, however, was admirable.  Silas was a broad and liberal man, who had great influence at Jerusalem, and was entirely devoted to his superior.

“The first object of Paul was to confirm the churches he had already founded; and accordingly he began his mission by visiting the churches of Syria and Cilicia,” crossing the Taurus range by the famous Cilician Gates,—­one of the most frightful mountain passes in the world,—­penetrating thus into Lycaonia, and reaching Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium.  At Lystra he found Timothy, whom he greatly loved, modest and timid, and made him his deacon and secretary, although he had never been circumcised.  To prevent giving offence to Jewish Christians, Paul himself circumcised Timothy, in accordance with his custom of yielding to prejudices when no vital principles were involved,—­which concession laid him open to the charge of inconsistency on the part of his enemies.  Expediency was not disdained by Paul when the means were unobjectionable, but he did not use bad means to accomplish good ends.  He always had tenderness and charity for the weaknesses of his brethren, especially intellectual weakness.  What would have been intolerable to some was patiently submitted to by him, if by any means he could win even the feeble; so that he seemed to be all things to all men.  No one ever exceeded him in tact.

After Paul had finished his visit to the principal cities of Galatia, he resolved to explore new lands.  We next find him, after a long journey through Mysia of three hundred miles, travelling to the south of Mount Olympus, at Troas, near the ancient city of Troy.  Here he fell in with Luke, a physician, who had received a careful Hellenic and Jewish education.  Like Timothy, the future historian of the Acts of the Apostles was admirably fitted to be the companion of Paul.  He was gentle, sympathetic, submissive, and devoted to his superior.  Through Luke’s suggestion, Renan thinks, Paul determined to go to Macedonia.