“So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” (Acts 11:25-26)
The man named Barnabas is mentioned several times in the book of Acts as a prominent follower of Jesus. He was nicknamed “son of encouragement” by the apostles though his name was originally Joseph, and so he proved to be. He sold his property and gave the proceeds to the church for the work of ministry and the benefit of all the believers. He supported the newly converted Paul in face of the doubts the apostles had about him. Barnabas was a companion of the apostle Paul in the early years of his ministry. He was chosen to go with Paul by the church in Antioch on one of the first authorized mission trips. Though he later disagreed with Paul about taking his nephew Mark on their second journey, Barnabas went to Cyprus to establish the church on that island, which was his homeland.
What we note from the ministry of Barnabas in Acts 11 and 13 was that he was a great teacher one who led many to the Lord as well as encouraged those who were believers. He brought the Lord’s ministry of encouragement from the saints in Jerusalem to the Church in Antioch, and back again at the leading of the Holy Spirit. Then he and Paul, then called Saul, were commissioned by the church at Antioch to bring the gospel to other parts of the world. And because he fostered the work of the Spirit through Paul, the gospel spread through the world. And so we have, through Paul, a large portion of the New Testament with its core theology of grace through faith and not of works.
These days we disciples of Jesus Christ are called to be sons and daughters of encouragement, first to one another, but also to the lost who are wandering around in darkness without a clue as to how to live. We all need encouragement because the times we live in are indeed evil. We are surrounded by the false teachings of our culture steeped in selfishness and debauchery, where evil is called good and good called evil. We need the encouragement of our brothers and sisters. We need to fellowship with them in church weekly if not more for as the Lord has told us, wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them. We need each other.