Barnabas
Barnabas, originally named Joseph, was a Levite from Cyprus who earned the nickname Son of Encouragement from the apostles for his generous support of the early church. He sold a field and laid the proceeds at the apostles' feet, then vouched for the newly converted Saul before the Jerusalem leaders and later recruited him to teach in Antioch. Together they embarked on the first missionary journey, proclaiming the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles across Cyprus and Asia Minor before parting over John Mark. His example in Acts illustrates the vital role of encouragement, reconciliation, and cross-cultural outreach in the spread of Christianity.
Biography
- Occupation
- Apostle, Missionary
- Tribe
- Levi
- Era
- New Testament
- Nationality
- Jewish, Cypriot
- Also Known As
- Joseph (original name)
Did You Know?
Although Levites were traditionally barred from owning land in Israel, Barnabas sold a field he owned in Cyprus and donated the full proceeds to the early church in Jerusalem, highlighting how diaspora Jews navigated ancestral laws under Roman rule.
Barnabas single-handedly persuaded the suspicious Jerusalem apostles to accept the former persecutor Saul by recounting his Damascus road vision, effectively launching Paul's apostolic career years before their joint travels.
The New Testament explicitly labels Barnabas an apostle in Acts 14:14 during the Lystra incident, placing him on equal footing with Paul despite not belonging to the original Twelve or the later Matthias appointment.
Colossians 4:10 identifies Barnabas as the cousin of John Mark, revealing that the sharp disagreement in Acts 15 was a family rift over a relative rather than mere theological difference, and explaining why Barnabas later appears with Mark in Cyprus traditions.
Barnabas was first dispatched alone by the Jerusalem leadership to vet the unexpected Gentile conversions in Antioch, where he deliberately sought out Paul in Tarsus to help stabilize the mixed congregation that would become the launchpad for the Gentile mission.
Key Passages
Barnabas Sells His Field
Acts 4:36-37
Barnabas's generous gift to the early church earns him the nickname 'Son of Encouragement' - establishing him as a model of sacrificial generosity that builds community.
36nd Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
Barnabas and Paul Sent Out
Acts 13:1-3
The church at Antioch commissions Barnabas and Paul for missionary work - the first intentional sending of the gospel beyond local boundaries, guided by the Holy Spirit.
1ow there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Barnabas and Paul Separate
Acts 15:36-41
Their disagreement over John Mark reveals that even godly leaders can have legitimate differences. Yet God uses the split to double the missionary effort.
36nd some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the LORD, and see how they do.