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Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV).
One of the Bible’s greatest encouragers is Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus and an influential Christian leader in the early church. His parents named him Joseph, but the apostles nicknamed him Barnabas, meaning “son of encouragement.” Barnabas, a prophet, teacher, and preacher, brought many people to Jesus. He also worked behind the scenes to mentor new Christians and help others financially (Acts 4:36-37).
Barnabas had a tremendous influence on the controversial new Christian, Saul of Tarsus. Before his conversion, Saul, a Jewish Pharisee, persecuted the early Christians (“followers of the Way”) and attempted to destroy the church (Acts 9:1-2). Saul’s life changed forever when he encountered the risen Jesus on his way to arrest Christians in Damascus.[i]
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything (Acts 9:3-9).
Meanwhile, God sent a disciple named Ananias to go to Saul and restore his sight. Ananias placed his hands on Saul and prayed that he might see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength (Acts 9:18-19).
Saul spent several days in Damascus and went straight to the synagogues preaching, “Jesus is the Son of God.” When he returned to Jerusalem, Saul tried to join the disciples, but they were afraid of him. They knew his reputation as a persecutor of Christians and did not believe he was a disciple of Jesus.[ii]
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:27).
The Christians in Jerusalem accepted Saul because of Barnabas. Barnabas put his reputation at risk to defend Saul, also known as the apostle Paul, one of Christianity’s greatest missionaries and author of thirteen New Testament epistles.
The church in Antioch of Syria sent Barnabas and Saul on their first missionary journey. They sailed to Cyprus and took John Mark, Barnabas’s cousin, with them as their assistant. When they came to Perga in Pamphylia, John Mark left the group and returned to Jerusalem. Saul, now known as Paul,[iii] and Barnabas, went on to Pisidian Antioch, taking the gospel to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles (Acts 13:44-47). After completing the journey, they returned to Antioch of Syria and reported that God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:26-27). Later, Paul suggested that he and Barnabas go on a second missionary journey, but they had a disagreement. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them, but Paul opposed it due to John Mark’s failure to complete the first journey. As a result, Paul and Barnabas parted ways; Barnabas took John Mark and sailed to Cyprus, and Paul teamed with Silas and went to Syria and Cilicia. John Mark proved himself worthy of Barnabas’s trust and wrote the Gospel of Mark. Later, Paul acknowledged John Mark as a fellow worker and welcomed him into his ministry (Philemon 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:11).
Paul and Barnabas risked their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 15:25-26). Although Barnabas was not as well-known as Paul and John Mark, God used him to mentor and encourage them. Barnabas has shown us that working behind the scenes in ministry can be powerful.
At some point, we will all need encouragement. Some of us will need it to move forward after a failure or disappointment. Others will need someone to stand with them and be their advocate. In this troubled world, God has called us to be encouragers and given us a role model to follow in Barnabas.
Endnotes
[i] Acts 9:2-5 Life Application Study Bible
[ii] Acts 9:26-27 Life Application Study Bible
[iii] No, ‘Saul the Persecutor’ Did Not Become ‘Paul the Apostle’ https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/no-saul-the-persecutor-did-not-become-paul-the-apostle/
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