Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem …
… this time with Barnabas.
Summary: The Bible tells us a lot about Barnabas, but the information is scattered throughout the New Testament, so we have to do a little digging to learn about him.
Who is Barnabas? If we assume there is only one Barnabas in the New Testament,* the Bible tells us a lot about him.
Barnabas is a Jew who comes from the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean. His name, when he lived on Cyprus, was Joseph, a very respectable Jewish name. According to his family line, he was a Levite.
We first hear about Barnabas, aka Joseph, in Acts four. It appears he had traveled to Jerusalem from Cyprus. Perhaps he came for one of the festivals. He may have even been present on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles. He might also have joined the believers later, but it would have been during the early days of the church.
These were exciting times for the church. The Bible says, “All the believers were one in heart and mind.” (Acts 4:32) It is here that we meet Barnabas. Luke records, “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)
Barnabas was an encourager, which is how he came by his name, and he was faithful in giving financially.
We also find this intriguing tidbit about Barnabas. He was related to John Mark, who was his cousin (Colossians 4:10). (This is the same Mark who is considered by many to be the author of the Gospel of Mark.)
Barnabas, then, is a man whose personal trait of encouraging other believers earned him a special name. He is a Jew by birth and a believer by faith. His belief is genuine, as evidenced by the record of his financial gift to the apostles for their work. Finally, he is related by blood to one of the gospel writers, John Mark, who happened to be very close to Peter.
Barnabas is well thought of among the believers, and involved in early church leadership, especially with Paul. He and Barnabas are frequent companions in the service of our Lord. Interestingly, as we will soon read about in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, Paul and Barnabas had their disagreements. Yet, in the end, their faith in Jesus always brought them back together.
Application: Barnabas is a wonderful example of a man of faith.
Food for Thought: Why does God’s Word give us so many details about Barnabas’ life?
*This is a fairly safe assumption. Luke is the primary source for information on Barnabas, and being a careful historian, he would probably have let us know if there were two different people by that name.
We can only speculate, but reading about Barnabas in the Bible I see a man devoted to Christ and used by Christ to support others, encourage others, and that his devotion and faith served to further the Kingdom of God. Looking at Barnabas I can see that we may not all be called to be “Paul’s” but that simple devotion and obedience can have great impact for Christ.
Chris,
Great observation!
As Paul himself reminds us, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 12:12)
01-17-2024, Why does God’s Word give us so many details about Barnabas’ life?
So we could understand the background, caliber of people He called, to minister to the non believers of this world. Jesus came for both the Jew and the Gentile and God chose unique people for these miniseries.
John 3:16, For God so loved and dearly prized the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9, Romans 3:1-2
Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” Romans 1:16, 2:10, 9:24
Beginning with Abraham, God has entrusted the Jews as keepers of His revealed word for all mankind. They were chosen to be the keepers of all truths regarding the birth, ministry and death of His Son Jesus Christ.
Peter and other believers in Jerusalem believed the Jews were to be the keepers and receivers of truth regarding salvation through Jesus Christ. Barnabas was Paul’s advocate to the Jews in Jerusalem, and called by God to teach salvation through Jesus to the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas were both very well educated in the O.T. and called by God to minister to the Gentiles, as Peter and others ministered to the Jews.
Thank you, Ron!
If I am understanding you correctly, our Christian brothers of Jewish background and heritage have a special place in the body of Christ, and we should honor them accordingly.
Genesis 12:2-3, I will bless those who bless thee, and curse those who curse thee.
Short version.
Ron
Thank Ron! 🙂
I agree with CH and R2T2. The bottom line is – I think we are given an example of a godly man to encourage us to emulate his character.
Thanks Rich!
Yes, Barnabas sets a wonderful example of Christian life. He had a servant’s heart, he was faithful, he was an encourager and generous with material wealth. He was also a man who stood his ground when needed (Acts 15:39) and admitted where he was wrong when he made mistakes (Galatians 2:13).