There was a man named Joseph, who lived in Jerusalem during the time that the disciples started their ministry. Their numbers were increasing greatly, and many were selling their land, possessions, and other goods and giving them to the disciples and joining their ranks. This man, Joseph, made the decision to sell one of his fields and join their ranks as well. This would be a decision that very well could have altered the landscape of the New Testament. He was better known as Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement.
Barnabas was a Cypriot, but lived in Jerusalem. Being a landowner, he possessed some level of affluence. He was also a Levite, which held authority since the Levite tribe was responsible for duties in the Temple. This should help people understand that he was walking away from a decent life to join the disciples, but also he was giving credibility to this rag tag religion. He would become an important member for multiple reasons, and the scriptures clarify that.
Acts 9:19-28: This is the story of Paul escaping Damascus and coming to Jerusalem. When Saul makes it to Jerusalem, he immediate contacts the believers. Barnabas is the one that recovers him, and brings him to the apostles. The apostles remember what he had done in the past, and become rather wary of him. Not ready to accept him, it took the likes of Barnabas to step in and vouch for Paul. That begs the question, if Barnabas would not have stepped in and helped him out, what would have happened to Paul? He might have felt that this whole Jesus thing was a phase, and went back to being a Jew. Or he could have went a completely different direction. None the less, if it was not for Barnabas, Paul as we know him might not have come to be.
Acts 11:19-24, 25-30: 19-24- Barnabas was sent to Antioch to encourage the church. What is interesting about this is that the importance of starting a church in Antioch was great since it was the third biggest Roman city, behind Rome and Alexandria. Port cities are always a great way to get a religious view out there, because people come and go and bring with them these ideas. As Barnabas was helping construct this church, it would turn into the hub for missionary activity as well. This shows that Barnabas had a crucial role as a missionary and apostle in one of the most important churches in history. This was, after all, where Christians were given their name. This section also shows more about Barnabas’ character.
25-30- As Barnabas went to search for Saul, he put himself at great risk. Saul had returned to Tarsus, which was his home, because he was in great danger. The fact that Barnabas went to retrieve him says a great deal about his value of people. The other interesting detail is that the two times Barnabas and Saul are mentioned, Barnabas is always written first. If you understand how Greek writing works, the most important details are always toward the front. So the fact that Barnabas is mentioned first, it is an interesting indicator of how he is viewed. I mention this because many people place Saul before Barnabas, mainly due to the fact that he wrote more letters.
Acts 13:1-7- There are two parts to this section, the first is Barnabas and Saul being sent out with teachers and prophets as missionaries. Again, Barnabas is mentioned first. This scene also draws attention to the detail that they are considered prophets and teachers, probably the best of the best, and strangely enough Saul was on the back end of the paragraph. This was the beginning of the first missionary journey.
The second part discusses their trip to Cyprus. When at Cyprus, they encounter Bar-Jesus, who worked for the proconsul. The proconsul was an intelligent man, so guess who he called for? Barnabas and Saul. They came and helped clarify the situation, and exposed Bar-Jesus for false prophet. This is also, when Saul takes on the name “Paul” and starts being mentioned before Barnabas.
Acts 14:1-3, 11-13- Paul and Barnabas come to Iconium, where they spoke boldly and performed miracles. This ability to teach and do miracles enamored the locals so much that they believed that Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes. They actually went to the temple of Zeus and brought oxen and wreaths to sacrifice to them! The story behind this is that in Greek mythology, the city was destroyed by Zeus and Hermes because they went once and were not received hospitably by anyone, with exception to an older couple. They were blessed, and everyone else was killed. In an attempt not to repeat that story, the citizens went overboard and showered them with gifts!
What would have happened if Barnabas did not exist? The answer would be intriguing. As mentioned before, Paul might have went a completely different course. Antioch might not have looked the same, and the establishment of the early church would have looked different because of that. Also, the Gospel of Mark may not have come into fruition. Understanding that Barnabas was the one that reconciled John Mark, his cousin, after Paul lost faith in him after Mark fled from Paphos. Barnabas split with Mark, and in doing so, the group covered more ground by splitting up. As for the Gospel of Mark, it is considered the Gospel in which Luke and Matthew used for validating their own text. So if Mark never went through and wrote his Gospel, it might be a completely different text today.
Barnabas eventually met his end in Salamis, Cyprus. It is believed that he was stoned to death by jealous Jews. His body was buried, and later recovered and placed in a church. As the story goes, they figured out that it was him by finding an epistle written by him in his tomb. Tertullian believes that the book of Hebrews was written by Barnabas, though it is not confirmed.
Even though the last paragraphs have a lot of question marks behind its validity, one thing that we can learn from Barnabas is that being positive opens many doors. Barnabas carried many roles, and often times went overshadowed by his colleague, Paul. I have learned in my life that it is important to be positive, because you never know who is watching you. I have found that growing up, I was able to influence people and encourage them without even realizing it. But as I always say, people are either watching Christians to see them fail or to see them succeed and give hope. Just like the fact it is easier to attract flies with honey than it is vinegar, my hope is that you begin to give hope to everyone that you encounter.
