St. Barnabas, Son of Consolation (Remembrance Day June 11)

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion 'Your God reigns!'....Break forth into joy, sing together you waste places of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted His people..." Isaiah 52:7-9

There is a confusion in the Church today concerning the ministry of the gospel. For some reason, the preaching and teaching of the gospel has been given over to a professional class of ministers who have been educated in the seminaries and trained in the latest pastoral methods. They are polished in their presentation, up-to-date in their theology, on the cutting edge of counseling and crisis intervention; but where is the fire of the Holy Spirit Who alone can give the heart of God for a lost world? That's not to down play the importance of training and preparation for the ministry, but let us make a clear distinction here. A doctorate of divinity is no substitute for the calling of God, and we must never allow ourselves to confuse ability to perform ministry with divine authority to do so. We must be careful not to judge every book by its cover as the proverb goes, for "the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7 Remember that at the birth of the Church it was the uneducated fishermen, the tax collectors, the everyday men and women of no special account who were grabbed by the dragnet of the gospel, constrained by its calling upon their lives, and transformed by that calling so that they turned the world upside down with its power to save souls. Such a man was Barnabas of Cyprus.

We know that he was born Joseph, a Jew of the tribe of Levi and originally of the country of Cyprus for so it records in Acts 4:36. We have the impression that he was living in Jerusalem ( perhaps because of his priestly heritage) and that he was probably converted sometime after Pentecost in the early days of the Church. His first recorded act was one of submission and obedience to apostolic authority, for he "having land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostle's feet" as did many other converts of that day. We next pick him up in the Scriptures after the conversion of Saul on the Damascus road. Saul came to Jerusalem to join the disciples, but the Church was wary of this former persecutor and would have nothing to do with him. But Barnabas looked not at the outward appearance but rather at the heart, and extended to Paul the right hand of fellowship and presented him to the apostles (Acts 9:17-28). What more do we know of him? We know that after the Church was scattered by the great persecution mentioned in Acts 8:1 that communities of believers sprang up throughout the empire. One such community took root in Antioch and it was to Antioch that Barnabas was first sent by the Church in Jerusalem. It records in Acts 11:19-26 that "When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord." And leaving to seek out Paul in Tarsus, he returned with him and there ministered for a year "and a great many people were added to the Lord." It was perhaps this great ministry of reconciliation through his preaching and example which caused the apostles to give to this Joseph of Cyprus his surname by which he is better known, Barnabas, the Son of Consolation.

We know also that he was numbered with the prophets and teachers at Antioch (Acts 13:1) and that when the Lord opened the door for the expansion of the gospel throughout the known world the Holy Spirit said "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." One last fact from the scriptures. Throughout his ministry he walked humbly before God. At Lystra (Acts 14:8-17) the heathens, after seeing a lame man healed by the apostles' word, called them by the names of the gods and were about to sacrifice to them when Paul and Barnabas exclaimed "We are only men just as you are, bringing to you the good news that you might turn to the living God." Their lives were bound to their message.

We know very little about the end of his life with any accuracy. We can guess that he preceded Paul in death because Barnabas' later evangelical companion, John Mark, his cousin, went to be with Paul for a time during his imprisonment (Colossians 4:10). It is unlikely that the cousins would have parted except if Barnabas was no longer alive. Some traditions report that he returned to his native Cyprus and there in the city of Salamis was stoned to death for the preaching of the faith. Such a report is surely consistent with his life and calling. Earlier we talked of the calling to the ministry. What are the characteristics which we see clearly written concerning Barnabas and his response to that calling? They include submission, obedience, acknowledging authority over him, discernment, compassion, humility, perseverance, separation unto God. It is no wonder that the evangelist Luke gives this Son of Consolation perhaps one of the greatest eulogies whereby we might remember him down to our present age in Acts 11:24 "For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith."

We seem to live in a post-Christian era, and paganism and heathenism are on the rise again. Everywhere the preaching of true heart religion is persecuted and mocked. We look for the great preachers of the day to turn the tide, but perhaps it is in a different way that God will choose to work. It is not to the great and notable men of learning and persuasion, that the harvest of souls will be granted, but to the humble who have God's heart for the world, who are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to separate them out for the work. Are we willing to be sons and daughters of consolation to a world which no longer has the power to hope for a better day? It requires no great ability on our part, only a willingness to obey the Lord Jesus Christ's own words in Mark 5:19 "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." That is the start of true ministry.