Each apostle played a very important role in the formation and growth of the early Christian Church. As we saw last month, some apostles did not have a lot of documents or eyewitnesses about their lives and works. In fact, it’s a miracle that we even have as much information as we do now since the disciples preached all over the world! St. Barnabas was like St. Matthias in that he was not really all that well known, but he played a key role in shaping the way the early Church ministered to non-Jews or Gentiles. He did all of this by simply giving someone a second chance!
Barnabas was born in the first century on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus (located to the south of present-day Turkey) as Joseph. He is first mentioned in Acts 4:36-37 where he sells everything he owns to give to the small Christian community in Jerusalem and joins the apostles following Christ’s crucifixion. He is later renamed as Barnabas (son of encouragement) by the apostles to signify his new life as a missionary for Christ. Barnabas was what was called a Hellenized Jew or a Jewish person who lived and observed Greek culture. He also came from the tribe of Levi (the same tribe that Moses belonged to) who had the special responsibility of caring for the sanctuary of God and the tabernacle. This means that Barnabas would have been very knowledgeable about Jewish code and ceremonial practices.
In fact, Barnabas conducted himself in a way that was so dignified and refined that some Gentiles believed that he was an incarnation of the Roman god Jupiter! Even though he became an apostle relatively later, he was described to have a lot of credibility among the twelve due to his heritage and knowledge. This influence was shown when he vouched for Paul’s sincerity as a convert to Christianity. His word played a vital role in having the apostles and disciples accept someone who would go on to convert countless people through his writings and author more than half of the books in the New Testament. He even preached together with Paul when they went to Antioch (in present-day Syria). Antioch was the third largest city in the Roman empire after Rome and Alexandria. This is notable because the Roman empire had roads all over the known world at the time which made it easier for knowledge to spread. As a major city, Antioch would have been filled with very educated citizens which means that, of the twelve, Barnabas and Paul were well-equipped to bring the Gospel to the non-believers.
In 1 Corinthians 9:6, it was noted that Barnabas and Paul worked during missions to keep their ministry free and accessible to all. They both also gather resources to bring relief to Christians in Judea who were suffering from a severe famine. To understand who he was as a person, Barnabas stepped aside because he recognized Paul’s knowledge of theology, philosophy, and science made him the best suited to lead the mission to the Gentiles. He was eventually stoned and martyred in 61 A.D.
Church historians classify Barnabas as an Apostolic Father which meant that his works were a primary source of information about Christianity during the first two to three hundred years. So we obviously can’t go through all of his works but here are some things we can reflect on regarding the way he lived his life.
Get involved in your local Church. Not only does your Church preserve the Sacraments, it supports your local community through initiatives like food drives, free counseling clinics, free housing, job training…etc. Churches used to be built in the middle of a town to signify that God was at the center of everyday life. While the idea has largely gone out of practice today in America, we can help to build up our faith community by getting involved like St. Barnabas and St. Paul did with the early churches in Jerusalem and Antioch.
Give some people a second chance. There are times when the people in our life hurt us to the point where we do not even want to talk or forgive them. St. Barnabas shows us that, as Christians, we are called to an even higher standard and forgive even our enemies! Not only was St. Paul an enemy of Christians, he actively hunted and killed them! This does not mean that we forget what they have done, but by choosing forgiveness we open up the chance for the other person to seek God’s mercy and healing.
Support other people’s gifts and talents. It is natural for us to want other people to acknowledge our gifts, talents, and worth. However, as Christians, we know that our worth comes from God and our mission is to help as many souls as possible to choose God and choose eternal life. If there is someone who may be better suited for a particular mission or task, don’t be afraid to allow them to take the lead and support them in the process. When we support each other to put God’s mission above our own desires, we can become better disciples!
So if you feel that you need the strength to live the Gospel in your life, here is a good prayer to look to:
God our Father,
you filled St. Barnabas with faith and the Holy Spirit
and sent him to convert the nations.
Help us to proclaim the Gospel by word and deed.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Be awesome and blossom 🌱
By: anh Daniel
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