Known as the "Son of Encouragement," Barnabas emerges as a pivotal character in the Acts of the Apostles and exemplifies the Christian virtues of generosity, leadership, and reconciliation. His contributions were not limited to the financial support of the Apostles but extended to his pivotal role in nurturing the nascent church and championing the inclusion of Gentiles into its fold. This article aims to shed light on Barnabas's vital contributions to the early church and his enduring example of Christian fellowship and grace, and insight into how his life and actions can inspire our faith today.
Barnabas in the Bible
"Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”)" ~ Acts 4:36
Claims to fame: Barnabas sells property and gives 100% to the apostles. He finds Paul and invites him to join him in the ministry. He serves as an elder of the city church in Syrian Antioch.
Barnabas obeys the Holy Spirit’s call to active missionary service. He reaches many northeast Mediterranean cities with Saul. He participates in and reports at the First Jerusalem Council.
Barnabas later reaches other cities with his relative, John Mark, and reconciles with Saul/Paul, who then reconciles with Mark.
Worst betrayals: Barnabas briefly lapses into hypocrisy with Peter in Syrian Antioch. He parts ways with Paul after arguing about Mark’s usefulness.
You can read about Barnabas in minutes: Acts 11:19-30, Acts 13, and Acts 15:36-41. That last brief passage says Barnabas and Paul have a sharp disagreement — over John Mark.
In the end, however, all three men hold each other in high esteem for many years:
"Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? ~ 1 Corinthians 9:6
"James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised." ~ Galatians 2:9
"My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him" ~ Colossians 4:10
Ministry of Barnabas
In Jerusalem: After his conversion, Saul travels sometime later to Jerusalem. Luke says,
He tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:26-27).
In Syrian Antioch: Due to growing persecution, Christians flee from Jerusalem to other eastern Mediterranean cities, including Syrian Antioch. Their evangelistic efforts proved extraordinarily successful. Luke says,
News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts (Acts 11:22-23).
Realizing he needed help, “Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch” (Acts 11:25-26).
In Jerusalem: Sometime later, the church in Syrian Antioch sent a generous financial gift, “by Barnabas and Saul,” to the poor Judean Christians facing a terrible famine (Acts 11:27-30).
Later, “When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark” (Acts 12:25).
Barnabas' First Missionary Journey
In Scripture’s next paragraph, the Holy Spirit calls two of the five prophets and teachers of Syrian Antioch to leave on a mission (Acts 13:1-3). Barnabas takes the lead, Saul works shoulder to shoulder with him, and John Mark is invited to come along as their assistant.
Their first stop is the island of Cyprus, where Barnabas grew up (Acts 13:4-5). Later, right after they leave the island, John Mark unexpectedly hightails it back home to Jerusalem. And this before the men faced any physical persecution.
When they reach out to Gentile leaders in Cyprus, Saul starts going by his Greek name, Paul (Acts 13:9). From this point on, Paul shares equal footing with Barnabas. Luke changes from “Barnabas and Paul” to “Paul and Barnabas” for quite a while and then starts changing back and forth.
Important: Barnabas doesn’t lose an inch of his standing. Instead, Paul finally steps up to the destiny the Lord foretold at his conversion back in Acts 9:15-16. Bottom line: It takes years of apprenticeship under Barnabas before Saul finally becomes Paul.
After planting churches in many northeastern Mediterranean cities, Paul and Barnabas appoint elders in each church (Acts 14:23), and return to Syrian Antioch, where they give an extensive report to the church (Acts 14:26-27), and serve there again for “a long time” (Acts 14:28).
First Jerusalem Council: After false teachers infiltrate the church in Syrian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas have a “sharp dispute and debate with them” (Acts 15:2) and are commissioned to take up this matter with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.
These esteemed leaders welcome Barnabas and Paul with open arms, invite them to report all about their first missionary journey and vibrant ministries in Syrian Antioch, and then Peter and James invite them to report all this in what now is known as the First Jerusalem Council.
After reaching a clear-cut decision against the false teachers, Jerusalem’s apostles and elders ask Barnabas and Paul to travel with two of their men.
Their assignment: to return right away to Syrian Antioch, read the formal letter about their decision, root out the false teaching, and encourage the believers. Sure enough, they are greatly encouraged!
Second missionary journeys: Sometime later Paul invites Barnabas to take a second missionary journey with him. He says yes, but...wants to again bring John Mark. Yes, this is the same guy who abandoned them early in the first missionary journey, before the going got tough. Paul and Barnabas end up strongly disagreeing and split up.
Yet God clearly brings good out of their decision to form separate missionary teams. Then again, given the Paul-centric purpose of Luke’s “Acts of the Apostles,” Barnabas walks off the stage. Not only does Barnabas go on a second missionary journey, but he also accomplishes much, much more.
Lessons From Barnabas's Life
Some people are best known for their nicknames. After he’s first introduced in Acts 4:36-37, Joseph is always called by his catchy nickname, Barnabas, “Son of Encouragement.”
And what an encourager he was! Scripture tells us that Barnabas “was filled with joy,” “was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith,” and was a powerful evangelist. It also says he “encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord” (Acts 11:23-24, NLT).
Humanly speaking, the Early Church wouldn’t have grown as fast, and half of the New Testament wouldn’t have been written, without Barnabas’s encouragement.
Consider: John Mark could have disappeared from history. But Barnabas comes back alongside Mark, encourages him, and enlists him back into the Lord’s service. Later, tradition says Mark had the courage to write the gospel that bears his name.
Saul would never have become Paul without spending several years apprenticing under Barnabas. Later, Paul wrote more than a dozen letters accepted by the apostles as part of God’s inspired Word.
Few Christians have contributed more to the advancement of the church than Barnabas. Like him, let’s go out of our way to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Only in heaven will we find out what great things God does through our encouraging actions and words, as Barnabas did.
For further reading:
What Did Jesus Mean to ‘Go and Make Disciples’?
What Are the Marks of a True Believer?
What Is Evangelism?
Why Do False Teachings Stand Out More Than the Truth?
What Is the Purpose of the Church?
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