It was Barnabas who encouraged Paul in the ministry. Because Paul had persecuted the church, the believers in Jerusalem feared him. Barnabas came with Paul to these people and explained how God had called Paul into ministry (Acts 9:26-27). Later, Barabas was sent to help the church in Antioch, and he brought Paul in to teach and lead the church (Acts 11:19-30). After Barnabas and Paul taught for a year at Antioch, that church sent them out on a mission trip (Acts 13:1-5).
Encouraged in Failure
Barnabas had a younger cousin named John Mark who accompanied Paul and him on Paul’s first missionary trip. For whatever reason, mid-way through the trip, John Mark deserted them (Acts 13:13). When Paul planned his second mission trip, he asked Barnabas to join him. But Barnabas wanted to give John Mark a second chance, and Paul refused. This disagreement was so strong that Barnabas took John Mark and went on their mission trip. Paul had Silas accompany him on his second trip (Acts 15:36-41).
John Mark’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of second chances. Despite his initial failure on the first mission trip, under Barnabas’s mentorship, he matured and became a valuable asset to Paul’s ministry. His later contributions to the early church and his authorship of the Gospel of Mark are testaments to the life-changing impact of Barnabas’ encouragement.
Be an Encourager for the Kingdom
In this week’s story, Barnabas used his wealth to encourage the believers. Acts 4: 36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. [1]
Unfortunately, Ananias and Sapphira must have observed the honor this brought Barnabas and decided they wanted to look good to the others, too. So, they pretended to give all the money from the land sale. Their actions were all about making themselves look good and not about encouraging others in the Kingdom.
We don’t hear as much about Barnabas as we do about those he encouraged. We know about the Apostle Paul and the Gospel of Mark but not much about Barnabas. This was because he focused on building God’s Kingdom, not his. We, too, can be encouragers like Barnabas. Although we may not be great evangelists like Paul or writers of the story of Jesus like Mark, but we can encourage others. We can help others through failure, pray for them, and come alongside to urge them to persist in their walk with Jesus. While this isn’t flashy, it is so important. Who can you encourage this week? In what ways can you encourage them? If you don’t have answers to these questions, ask God. He knows just where he wants to use you. To find out more about Barnabas the encourager, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/ananias-sapphira
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 4:36–37). Tyndale House Publishers.