Barnabas’s story is told in Acts 4:36-37; 9:27-15:39
Who Is Barnabas?
- Real Name: Joseph
- Nickname: Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36)
- Background: A Levite from Cyprus (Acts 4:36)
- Occupation: Early Christian missionary
- Associations: Close companion of the Apostle Paul
Strengths and Accomplishments
Generosity
- Sold his field: Barnabas caught the attention of the early church by selling a field and giving the money to the apostles (Acts 4:37).
Encouragement
- Supported Paul: Initially, when nobody trusted Paul (then Saul), it was Barnabas who brought him before the apostles and vouched for his conversion (Acts 9:27).
- Fostering Talent: Recognized John Mark’s potential and mentored him, even when Paul disagreed (Acts 15:37-39).
Leadership & Wisdom
- Sent to Antioch: Recognized the grace of God in the church in Antioch and encouraged them (Acts 11:22-24).
- Selected Paul as a Partner: Barnabas took Paul with him to Antioch, recognizing his potential for ministry (Acts 11:25-26).
Missionary Work
- First Missionary Journey: Alongside Paul, embarked on a significant missionary journey to spread the gospel (Acts 13-14).
- Council of Jerusalem: Represented the Gentile Christians and helped confirm that they did not need to follow the Jewish Law to be saved (Acts 15:1-29).
Weaknesses and Mistakes
Disagreement with Paul
- Split over John Mark: Insisted on taking John Mark on the second missionary journey, leading to a sharp disagreement with Paul that led them to part ways (Acts 15:37-40).
Conforming to Pressure
- Hypocrisy in Antioch: In Galatians 2:11-13, Paul confronts Barnabas for behaving hypocritically concerning Gentile believers, due to the influence of certain men from James.
Lessons from His Life
- The Power of Encouragement: Encouraging others can have a lasting impact and change lives.
- Generosity Matters: His financial generosity helped foster a sharing culture in the early church.
- Importance of Second Chances: His willingness to give John Mark a second chance highlights the importance of forgiveness and redemption.
- Unity and Disagreement: Even strong believers can have disagreements; the key is to continue to focus on the mission.
Key Verses (NIV)
- “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.” – Acts 4:36-37
- “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 11:23
- “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus.” – Acts 15:39