Barnabas

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=Introduction: An Overview =

Background of Barnabas
Barnabas is a prominent key player in the formation of the early church. He is most known as being a prominent leader in the church in Antioch, along with Paul, and Paul’s partner in his first missionary journey. He is first identified as a generous giver and contributor in the ministry of the church (4:37). Barnabas’ original name is Joseph, but he was called Barnabas by the apostles, as it meant “a son of encouragement”, indicating the nature of his character. Barnabas is also first mentioned to be a Levite and a native of Cyprus (Acts 4:36) who settled in Jerusalem. This first appearance in the New Testament shows him to be among the earliest converts.[|[1]] Through his service, ministry, and prominent role in the church, Barnabas quickly became a highly admired and respected leader within the church. Barnabas remained with the church in Jerusalem, even after the death of Stephen when many of the Hellenists fled north (Acts 8:1), but years later the church in Jerusalem sends Barnabas to Antioch (Acts 11:22), where he begins his initial ministry to the Gentiles and soon after begins his partnership with the apostle Paul. After a strong disagreement with Paul before Paul’s second missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas separate where Barnabas travels with his cousin John Mark to continue the ministry in his nativeland of Cyprus (Acts 15:37-40).

Barnabas’ role to the New Testament Church
Barnabas plays a large part in the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles and including them within the Church. It is Barnabas who is responsible for bringing forth Paul to the church in Jerusalem after Paul’s conversion, confirming the validity of his testimony and bringing forth acceptance for the “apostle to the Gentiles.” It is also Barnabas who is sent to Antioch to investigate the testimony of the Hellenist believers in Antioch and later brings Paul to aid him in the ministry in Antioch (Acts 11:19-26). While in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas encourage and teach the believers and are also both involved in the famine relief in Judea (Acts 11:27-30). It is in Antioch that the ministry of the Gentiles initially begins, as Paul and Barnabas’ ministry to those in Antioch launches their first missionary Journey to Cyprus and through parts of Asia Minor (Acts 13:4-14:23). Paul and Barnabas are also the main players in the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-25) before continuing their ministry in Antioch together. Though they separate, Paul continues the work of Christ throughout the Roman Empire that could not have been possible without Barnabas’ role in the redemptive plan that includes the Gentiles. = = =Barnabas in the New Testament =

= = Barnabas is first introduced in Acts 4:36-37, being singled out as a prominent contributor to the needy in the beginning church. He is among those within the early church that “were owners of lands or houses [and] sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet…” (Acts 4:34-35). Barnabas’ introduction serves the purpose of providing an appropriate example of the way possessions were to be shared for the commonwealth of believers and the importance of the mission of the church through this example, but also to set a contrasting picture to the account of Ananias and Sapphira following the text.[|[2]] Barnabas is briefly brought back into the text, as being one of the only believers in the Church in Jerusalem to accept Paul after his conversion, causing him to bring Paul to the apostles to confirm the validity of his testimony (9:26-27). Luke does not bring Barnabas back into the narrative until the account of the spread of the Gospel to Antioch. After Barnabas had brought Paul to the Church in Jerusalem, the church helped Paul escape after a dispute against the Hellenists and set sail from Caesarea to Tarsus (Acts 9:29-30). Barnabas remained in Jerusalem while the Church was expanding rapidly, especially among the Greeks and Hellenist Jews in the city of Antioch, so the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to minister in Antioch (Acts 11:20-22). The church grew and expanded even more under the guidance of Barnabas, so Acts 11:25-26 recounts that “Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch,” where they ministered for a year. Barnabas’ main ministry is within Antioch, where he is described as one of the “prophets and teachers” in Antioch (13:1). He is not only sent alongside with Paul to send relief to the church in Judea during a famine in the beginning of their ministry there (11:27-30), but is also sent out by the church in Antioch to go on the first missionary journey throughout Cyprus and Asia Minor (13:4-14:23). Barnabas is also said to be involved with the Jerusalem Council alongside of Paul (Acts 15:1-33, 25). =Barnabus’ Ministry with Paul =

Barnabus brings Paul to the Church in Jerusalem
Barnabas was one of the first leaders within the early to accept Paul and offer true Christian fellowship and friendship, thus attributing to their bond that remained throughout their ministry together.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[3]] The disciples in Jerusalem had only known Paul as a fierce persecutor of the church, so when they had heard that Saul had accepted Christ and was one of their fellow brethren, and he attempted to join them at the church in Jerusalem, “they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple” (Acts 9:26). But it was Barnabas, who was one of the only believers in the Church in Jerusalem to accept Paul after his conversion, who brought Paul to the apostles to confirm the validity of his testimony (9:26-27). Barnabas’ testimony of Paul further encouraged Paul to go “out among them at Jerusalem, preaching bolding in the name of the Lord” (Acts 9:28).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Ministry in Antioch
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Due to the persecution that arose from Stephen’s martyrdom, the believers “were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria” (8:1). Luke describes that the believers “traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch” (11:19), but only spoke the word to the Jews. There were, however, men of Cyprus and Cyrene who came to Antioch and spoke the word to Hellenists (Greek-speaking non-Jews) as well, causing “a great number” to turn to the Lord. Because Barnabas was a Cypriot, the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to investigate the matter, and when Barnabas goes to them he “saw the grace of God” and was very joyful with the results of the work of God in Antioch. As his surname identifies him as, Barnabas acts as an encourager to the believers in Antioch, exhorting “them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.” It is here where Luke describes Barnabas as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith,” using similar wording that was described of Stephen (6:8) to associate the work of Barnabas to the work of Stephen that had been previously stifled after his ministry to the Hellenists (6:1-7). The work of Barnabas in Antioch seemed to add to the ministry, as many continued to be added to the Church in Antioch, and became a leader within the Church in Antioch. Because of the increasing ministry in Antioch, Barnabas goes to Tarsus to look for Paul and bring him to aid in the ministry in Antioch.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The 1st Missionary Journey
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Barnabas and Paul were partners in the first missionary journey executed by the church and leadership in Antioch. From Antioch Paul and Barnabas sailed to Cyprus, where they arrived at Salamis, the main Cypriot port (Acts 13:4-5). This may have been influenced by the fact that it was Barnabas’ home and he would have known the land well.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[4]] From Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas continued throughout Asia Minor, traveling from Cyprus to Perga to Antioch-Pisidia to Iconium to Lystra and Derbe back to Perga going down to Attalia where they sailed back to Antioch. Barnabas’ cousin John Mark was also present in the journey from Antioch (Acts 13:5) until Paul and Barnabas had reached Perga (Acts 13:13), where John Mark had decided to depart from them when they were going to continue on. The reason for John Mark leaving is not noted in the text, though many have suggested that John Mark was uncomfortable in ministering further into Gentile land. The text gives no indication, however, besides the fact that this decision caused Paul to make the decision to not allow John Mark to go on the second missionary journey.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[5]] During this first journey, Paul appears to be the main leader and spokesperson in preaching among the Jews and the Gentiles, though Barnabas is also regarded highly. Barnabas was even given a divine title alongside of Paul by the crowds while they were preaching in Lystra (Acts 14:12). As both of them spoke “boldly for the Lord” (Acts 14:13), they both became the target for violence and stoning by many that they ministered to (14:5), though Paul was the only that was actually stoned on the journey (Acts 14:19). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">After returning to Antioch, Paul and Barnabas were involved in the Jerusalem Council, to settle the issue of the Law and Circumcision that divided many of the believers within the church before continuing their ministry in Antioch (Acts 15 1-33).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The 2nd Missionary Journey
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Barnabas was to accompany Paul in the second journey to revisit the churches they had established, but Barnabas gave John Mark another chance and requested that he accompany them once again. This led to a “sharp disagreement” between Paul and Barnabas that they end up separating from one another. It was through this disagreement, however, that the Lord continued the work of Barnabas and Mark throughout Asia Minor, with them returning to Cyprus and later Mark aiding with the churches, and Paul assembling a new team to continue the mission throughout Macedonia and Greece (Acts 15:26-41). =<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Church Tradition of Barnabus =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Continuing Ministry and Life of Barnabas
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Barnabas is regarded as being the founder of the Cyprus Church. This may have to do with the fact that Barnabas was from Cyprus. Cyprus was one of the first locations that Paul and Barnabas ministered to on their first missionary journey, and Barnabas returned to Cyprus after he and Paul separated. Church tradition holds that Barnabas stayed in Cyprus until his death, where it is said that he had been martyred at Salamis in Cyprus.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[6]]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The Epistle of Barnabas
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">A Letter called //The Epistle of Barnabas// also exists, which has been said to be written by Barnabas. Origen and Clement of Alexandria both accepted this epistle to be canonical since they believed that Barnabas had written it. An ancient, handwritten copy of the Bible called the //Codex Sinaiticus// contains a complete copy of the letter at the very end of the manuscript. Initial findings, however, show that Barnabas did not write this ancient work because it seems to have been written in the second century and has no mention of his name anywhere in the text.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[7]] =<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Conclusion = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Looking throughout the book of Acts and realizing the importance of each key player in the redemptive plan of God in the church, one can see how God perfectly chose Barnabas to be a major key player in His plan to include the Gentiles. Though Barnabas is not known as an apostle or as a “main character” in the book of Acts, he definitely plays a prominent role. This is evident in how even the nature of his character is used to not only to bring Paul into the church, but also to bring the Gentiles in Antioch into the Church, under the direction of the apostles and Church in Jerusalem. It is due to the beginning work of Barnabas in Antioch that the Gospel was able to spread and move past Judea and Samaria into “the uttermost parts of the earth,” and ultimately aid in Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-indent: 0.25in;">Work Cited <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">__ <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Attwater, Donald. //The Penguin Dictionary of Saints//. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1965.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Cross, F. L., and Elizabeth A. Livingstone. //The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church//. 2nd ed. London: Oxford University Press, 1974.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Freedman, David Noel. "Barnabas." In //The Anchor Bible Dictionary//. New York: Doubleday, 1992. 610-611.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Hastings, James. "Barnabas." In //The Greater Men and Women of the Bible//. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1913. 187-209.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Hawthorne, Gerald F., Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid. "Barnabas." In //Dictionary of Paul and His Letters//. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993. 66-67.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">LaSor, William Sanford. "Barnabas and Mark." In //Great Personalities of the New Testament: Their Lives and Times//. Westwood, N.J.: Revell, 1961. 118-127.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Lockyer, Herbert. "Barnabas the Apostle of Comfort." In //All the Apostles of the Bible//. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 1972. 185-188.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">MacArthur, John. "Sin of the Saints." In //Acts 1-12//. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994. 143-156.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Rees, Paul S. //Men of Action in the Book of Acts//. Westwood, N.J.: Revell, 1966.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Williams, David John. //Acts//. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[1]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid. "Barnabas." In //Dictionary of Paul and His Letters//. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 66. <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[2]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">David Noel Freedman. "Barnabas." In //The Anchor Bible Dictionary: Volume I//. (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 610. <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[3]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Herbert Lockyer. "Barnabas the Apostle of Comfort." In //All the Apostles of the Bible//. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 1972), 187-188. <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[4]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid. "Barnabas." In //Dictionary of Paul and His Letters//. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 67. <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[5]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">David John Williams. "On Cyprus." In //Acts//. (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990), 230. <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[6]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Attwater, Donald. "Barnabas." In //A Dictionary of Saints//. (Harmondsworth, Eng.: Penguin Books, 1965), 58. <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[7]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Attwater, Donald. "Barnabas." In //A Dictionary of Saints//. (Harmondsworth, Eng.: Penguin Books, 1965), 58.

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