Tell Me About Barnabas!

Though not an Apostle, Barnabas (birth name Joseph) was an important disciple and preached alongside the Apostles.  In Acts 4:36 we find his name to mean "son of encouragement."  He was converted to Christianity just after Pentecost then immediately sold all of his property giving the proceeds to the church.  The Apostles surnamed him "Barnabas" likely as a result of his success as a preacher.

When Saul, later to be named Paul and an Apostle, made his first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion, the church did not want to accept him because of his reputation as a persecutor of Christians.  Barnabas alone vouched for Saul and presented him to the Apostles "preaching boldly in the name of the Lord."  It is Barnabas who encourages Paul to go out and begin preaching (Acts 11:21-26).

Barnabas was very important as many were converted in Antioch and warmly accepted the Gentile converts though he himself was Jewish.  He was able to immediately see the amazing potential of such a group of Christians. 

With the exception of Paul and of the Twelve Apostles, Barnabas may have  have been the most esteemed man of the first Christian generation.  Luke speaks of him with affection, "for he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith (Acts 11:24)". Barnabas was marked by kindliness of heart, personal sanctity, and missionary labors.  He was also noted for his readiness to lay aside his Jewish prejudices and for his early perception of Paul's worth, to which the Christian Church is indebted, in large part at least, for this great Apostle.

You can find stories of Barnabas throughout Acts and in I Corinthians 9