When Paul returned to Jerusalem after his conversion, Barnabas took him and introduced him to the apostles They had probably been companions as students in the school of Gamaliel. The prosperity of the church at Antioch led the apostles and brethren at Jerusalem to send Barnabas thither to superintend the movement.
He found the work so extensive and weighty that he went to Tarsus in search of Saul to assist him. Saul returned with him to Antioch and laboured with him for a whole year Acts , The two were at the end of this period sent up to Jerusalem with the contributions the church at Antioch had made for the poorer brethren there Shortly after they returned, bringing John Mark with them, they were appointed as missionaries to the heathen world, and in this capacity visited Cyprus and some of the principal cities of Asia Minor Acts Returning from this first missionary journey to Antioch, they were again sent up to Jerusalem to consult with the church there regarding the relation of Gentiles to the church Acts : Galatians This matter having been settled, they returned again to Antioch, bringing the decree of the council as the rule by which Gentiles were to be admitted into the church.
When about to set forth on a second missionary journey, a dispute arose between Saul and Barnabas as to the propriety of taking John Mark with them again.
Barnabas was willing to give from the heart and until it hurt. We first hear of Barnabas in the New Testament due to his simple act of stewardship and sharing. He sold land he owned and donates the proceeds to the church to be used to support the poor. When Paul came to Jerusalem after his conversion, most of the Christians there wanted nothing to do with him for they had known him as a persecutor of Christians.
We owe much of our New Testament to the work of Paul and in his preaching and evangelism he was used by God in the creation of many of the early Christian communities. On one journey they took a young man called Mark with them. This travelling ministry was tough and dangerous; they literally were risking their lives. When Paul and Barnabas were about to set out again, Barnabas suggested taking Mark along again. Paul was against it, saying that Mark was not dependable.
But Barnabas wanted to give Mark a second chance, and so he and Mark went off on one journey, while Paul took Silas and went on another. Apparently Mark responded well to the trust given him by Barnabas, the "son of encouragement," since we find that Paul recognises the change in Mark and later speaks of him as a valuable assistant. Barnabas, along with Paul, supported himself on his missionary excursions by earning a living 1 Cor.
The two could have asserted their right to be sustained by the donations made by other Christians, especially since doing so would have enabled Barnabas and Paul to operate as full-time evangelists. Yet, at times, the two voluntarily set aside this option in order to offer the gospel freely to the unsaved vss.
The goal of this trip was to secure the acceptance of the other apostles in the holy city for the gospel of grace the missionaries proclaimed to non-Jews. During a private meeting, the leaders of the congregation in Jerusalem affirmed the message the evangelists preached at the church in Syrian Antioch vss. On one occasion, Barnabas and Peter were led astray by religious legalists who claimed that faith was not enough for salvation vss.
Evidently, Peter was among the first persons who openly refused to eat with Gentile Christians. Accordingly, Paul publicly rebuked Peter.
Undoubtedly, Paul thought that by doing so, he could change the minds of others, too, including his former mentor, Barnabas vs. When religious legalists from Jerusalem again came to Syrian Antioch, Barnabas, along with Paul, vigorously opposed them.
The two missionaries had witnessed the Spirit at work among uncircumcised Gentiles and lives changed in ways the Mosaic Law could never have accomplished. Barnabas and Paul joined a delegation of believers sent by the church at Syrian Antioch to Jerusalem to deliberate the matter among the apostles and elders there. Along the way, the entourage told Christians about the conversions of Gentiles in Antioch, along with the places Barnabas and Paul had visited Acts The Jerusalem church and its leaders welcomed Barnabas, Paul, and the rest of the delegation from Syrian Antioch vs.
Then, during the Council that followed, Barnabas and Paul described how God had showed His acceptance of uncircumcised, believing Gentiles by enabling the missionaries to perform many signs and wonders among them vs. Undoubtedly, the evangelists mentioned the blinding of a sorcerer on Cyprus, the healing of a crippled man in Lystra, and the large numbers who followed the Lord in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. At the conclusion of the Council, Barnabas, as well as Paul, Judas Barsabbas and Silas, carried a letter from the Jerusalem church to the congregation at Syrian Antioch.
The letter apologized for the disturbance created by the legalists, discredited them, affirmed the integrity of Barnabas and Paul, explained why Judas and Silas had come to Antioch, and asked the Gentile Christians to avoid several behaviors offensive to Jewish believers vss. Barnabas and Paul had a sharp disagreement over whether to take John Mark the cousin of Barnabas; Col. Previously, during the first missionary journey, as the group began to evangelize in Perga, John Mark abandoned the team and returned to Jerusalem Acts ; , Paul looked so dimly on this turn of events that he parted company with Barnabas over giving John Mark another chance.
The legacy of Barnabas not only included him being a prophet and teacher, but also an apostle ; Also, according to the Acts of Barnabas possibly written in the fifth century , Barnabas was martyred for the Christian faith on Cyprus in 61 d.
Instead, he focused on living wholeheartedly for God, especially in unselfish ministry to others. Barnabas put others first, especially in providing encouragement and exhortation.
His example reminds us that Christian service is primarily not about us, but about those whom the Spirit directs us to serve. Regardless of the circumstances and how we may feel, the Spirit empowers us to console those who are demoralized and implore those who are wavering in their faith. Barnabas ministered effectively in both Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts. Today, more than ever, the Spirit calls us to minister in diverse, cross-cultural situations.
This requires us to be students of the world in which we live, along with the Word we seek to proclaim. It also necessitates us remaining flexible and adroit, especially as we encounter the unsaved in unfamiliar cultural contexts.
As such, we should follow the kind and generous spirit Barnabas modeled, including the cultivation of an openhanded attitude toward our earthly possessions. Doing so frees us to operate responsibly and charitably toward others in need. One of the hallmarks of salvation is letting go of our greed and right to control our own finances.
We, too, may have the God-given privilege of putting our lives on the line for the sake of the gospel. This does not mean being foolhardy in our risk-taking. Barnabas stands out for his exceptional character qualities. The process involves our maintaining an unshakable confidence in the Lord and living in the power of the Spirit. When we follow His lead through every life circumstance, He enables us to grow in Christlikeness and flourish as faithful followers of the Savior.
Barnabas was energized by the ministry opportunities the Spirit summoned him to undertake. Likewise, ministering to others in the power of the Spirit need not be a source of drudgery for us. The Spirit can fill us with joy, particularly as we see the grace of God at work among the saved and unsaved around us. Rather than work alone, Barnabas sought the help of others, such as Paul.
Admittedly, such an attitude is out of sync with our contemporary, independent-minded culture. Nonetheless, the Spirit invites us to embrace a team-oriented approach to Christian ministry. Barnabas did not feel it was necessary for him to remain in the limelight of Christian ministry. Still, the Spirit can give us the humility and fortitude to set aside our personal agendas.
This includes standing behind other disciples whom He raises to take on positions of leadership within our faith community. Barnabas invested his intellect and energy to bring relief to others who were afflicted. In order for the Spirit to work through us in similar ways, we must first jettison the impulse to be self-absorbed.
Next, we need to take into account how others around us are doing. Then, the Spirit can enable us to partner with other Christians to alleviate the suffering of people in distress.
In turn, this becomes a tangible way for us to show the love of Jesus and the power of the gospel to transform lives. Barnabas recognized that serving as a disciple of Jesus involved more than just meeting the temporal needs of people. As an apostle, prophet, and teacher, he was committed to proclaim the gospel to the lost. We are also wise not to diminish or ignore heralding the good news to the unsaved.
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