Barnabas, Paul & John Mark

"Barnabas, Son of Encouragement and Comfort"

"When he came to Jerusalem, [Paul] was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.  But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus."

(Acts 9:26-27 NASB)

Barnabas, whose birth name was Joses (Joseph) first appears in the New Testament in Acts 4:36.  After selling all he owned and giving the proceeds to the Apostles, they gave him a new name: Barnabas, meaning "son of encouragement" or "son of consolation" (comfort).  From this initial mention in Scripture, the word encouragement would be forever associated with Barnabas.

In Acts 9:26-28, we see Paul attempting to join with the Apostles in Jerusalem shortly after his conversion.  Well known to the Apostles, Paul (Saul) had spent years being "the persecutor of the Church" (Acts 9:1).  They were understandably skeptical of believing in Paul's conversion and instead chose to reject him out of fear.  But Barnabas reacted differently.  Rather than rejecting Paul as the Apostles had just done, Barnabas actually takes him back before the Apostles and declares his conviction that Paul is a true believer in Christ.  He vouches for Paul at great risk to his own reputation.  Upon being confronted by Barnabas, we see in the very next verse that they immediately accept him because of Barnabas' convictions as to the truth of Paul's faith.

And [then] he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord."

(Acts 9:28 NASB)

While we have no recorded conversations between Barnabas and Paul on this subject, we can assume that Paul may have been reluctant to go back before the Apostles to plead his case for inclusion among them.  I can imagine that Barnabas spoke encouraging words to Paul.  Barnabas likely told Paul of his faith in him as a fellow believer, which was, in fact so strong that he risked his own reputation in arguing for Paul among the Apostles.  This must have been a tremendous comfort and encouragement to Paul at a time he was likely feeling rejected by the Apostles.

In Acts 11, we again see Barnabas' belief in Paul's potential to serve the Lord when we read that after being sent to Antioch to encourage the new believers there, he seeks out Paul, believing that Paul would add to his ability to reach people for Christ:

"The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.  Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord;  for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.  And he left for Tarsus to look for Paul;  and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch."

(Acts 11:22-26 NASB)

After spending some time together spreading the Gospel throughout the region, Barnabas and Paul take John Mark with them (Acts 12:25).  After traveling through Antioch and Cyprus, Mark leaves them and returns to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13).  In Acts 15:38, it is disclosed that Mark did not leave Barnabas and Paul under the best of circumstances, in fact, Paul says he deserted them and their work.  The exact details are unknown, however I can imagine a situation where Mark found himself in over his head.  Perhaps being a young man, he hadn't developed the necessary spiritual maturity for this difficult work.  Whatever the case may be, Mark was now viewed as being unreliable by Paul and others.

Further on, in Acts 15, Paul tells Barnabas that he would like to go back to every place they had preached the Gospel in their first missionary journey and check to see how the brothers are.  Barnabas quickly decides that he would like to take Mark with them.  Paul insists that they should not take Mark, who had "abandoned" them in Pamphylia.  Barnabas and Paul disagreed sharply on Mark's value to them and they split from each other, both going their separate ways:

"After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”  Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.  But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.  And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.  But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.  And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches."

(Acts 15: 36-41 NASB)

It's impossible to say for sure why Barnabas was so convinced that Mark should join them.  I would speculate that perhaps Barnabas had kept tabs on Mark when he could.  Perhaps he has spoken to him or heard of him through others.  Whatever the case may be, Barnabas believed Mark was the right man to accompany Paul and himself on this journey; despite being "deserted" some time before on a similar excursion.  Why did Barnabas take a chance on Mark?  Once again, as he did for Paul before the Apostles, Barnabas is willing to stick his neck on the line for his brother.  He seemed to have the ability, or gift, to see something in people that others did not.  He saw qualities in them that if patiently and lovingly encouraged, the Lord could use to reach lost souls.  He saw Godly value in those who were written off by so many.  Barnabas showed he loved through his hope and belief in God's ability to transform anyone into a person more like Christ.  He surely was a humble man, well aware of just how far short he fell in God's eyes; and never looking on his brother as being someone who was further from God than him.  As he was correct to risk his reputation on Paul, so was he right in risking it on Mark as well.  Barnabas' efforts to encourage Mark toward moving closer to God would later be proven correct by Paul himself.  In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul tells  Timothy to go and find Mark because Mark is "very useful to me for my ministry".  And this is the very same Mark who would go on to write the second book of the New Testament, the Gospel According to Mark.

"Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service."

(2 Timothy 4:11)

Barnabas' gift to encourage is evident throughout the book of Acts, as well as in 1 Corinthians 9, Galations 2, and Collosians 4.

In encouraging Paul, Barnabas showed his commitment to putting others before himself.  Perhaps without his public approval of Paul before the Apostles, Paul would not have become the man, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to write nearly half of the New Testament.  And without the encouragement and compassion of Barnabas, would one of the four Gospels bear the name of Mark?

Barnabas was a man who, in humility and selfless love, used his God given talents to spur others on to historical greatness and fame.  He had a passion for preaching all things Christ and a faith that believed that his God was big enough to perform transforming works in any man who put his trust in the Lord.

I pray that we would all seek to be encouraging to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Like Barnabas, may we be drawn to people who need encouragement.  Let us love in the manner described to us by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13; in humility, patience, endurance, hope, belief, and forgiveness.  

And let God guide us in our discernment in putting our reputation at stake in our encouragement of our brother.  Let's take risks by seeing the good in our friend and not only the bad...even if we risk being wrong and the resulting hurt and disappointment that may arise by taking a stand for someone who may in fact let you down.

Is your God big enough to risk stepping out in loving encouragement and vulnerability toward a brother who may have failed in the past yet in whom you see great potential to be used wonderfully by God?  Don't let pride and arrogance be a barrier to taking a chance on a brother who is struggling on his journey to Christ.  Your love, hope, and encouragement may be the thing he needs to do great things for Christ!

"...and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord;  for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith." 

(Acts 11:22b-24 NASB)

Church tradition developed outside of the canon of the New Testament describes the martyrdom of Barnabas.  It relates that certain Jews coming to Syria and Salamis, where Barnabas was then preaching the gospel, being highly exasperated at his extraordinary success, fell upon him as he was disputing in the synagogue, dragged him out, and, after the most inhumane tortures, stoned him to death. His kinsman, John Mark, who was a spectator of this barbarous action, privately interred his body.  Christian Martyrs

"Barnabas." Cross, F. L., The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. Oxford University Press. 2005
"The Life of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: And the Lives and Sufferings of His Holy Evangelists and Apostles," AD, Miller, Orton & Co. 1857

"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you have been doing."
(1 Thessalonians 5:11 NASB)