Transcript

As the seasons change and it begins to get closer to winter, we often see geese flying in formation as many are winging their way to a warmer climate. They often cover thousands of miles as they fly to their destination.

There have been many fascinating facts discovered about their v-shaped flight pattern as well as their in-flight habits.

One of these interesting facts is that as each goose flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than if each goose flew on its own.

Those in front rotate their leadership. When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it. And another takes its place and flies point.

The geese in the rear of the formation are the ones who do the honking. It’s thought that the repeated honks encourage those up front to stay at it and also to announce their presence and that all is well.

When one goose gets sick or wounded, often two fall out of formation with it and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with the struggler until it’s able to fly again.

It is the natural instinct of geese to work together. And whether they are rotating, flapping, helping, or simply honking, the flock is in it together, which enables them to accomplish what they set out to do.

Paul did not serve alone. He needed the help, service, and encouragement of others in the Body of Christ to accomplish what God sent him to do as the apostle of the Gentiles. And serving with others, Paul got more accomplished than he ever would have alone.

In Paul’s letters and in the Book of Acts, we find numerous people who served alongside Paul, and Paul was quick to recognize and commend their labors for Christ.

Paul’s associates are referred to by a variety of terms, including brother, minister, fellowlaborer, fellowservant, fellowsoldier, fellowprisoner. These terms describe the different ways and circumstances that they ministered with Paul.

Paul’s companions assisted him in his travels, in his preaching and teaching ministry, in evangelizing and planting churches, in meeting needs and dealing with problems in the churches, and in delivering letters.

We’ll begin a series of looking at Paul’s co-workers and we’ll begin with one of Paul’s earliest and most prominent companions in ministry, Barnabas.

Acts 4:36-37: “And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

In Acts 4, we are introduced to Barnabas. He is introduced in light of those who had been saved and added to the kingdom church at Pentecost having “all things common” (v. 32).

This act was done in the power of the Holy Spirit and manifested His supernatural ministry among those kingdom believers at that time.

Verses 34 and 35 read, “Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.”

In verse 36, we learn that among those who were possessors of land and sold it was Joses, surnamed Barnabas.

Barnabas’s given name was Joseph. His parents named him after one of the heroes of the Jews in their history. This is the only time Barnabas is referred to as Joseph. Barnabas was a Jew, and a Levite, or from the tribe of Levi.

But Joseph “was surnamed Barnabas” by the apostles. Barnabas was a nickname given to Joseph. Nicknames often stick, and it did with Barnabas, as from this point on he is only mentioned by his surname in Scripture.

Nicknames often tell us something about the individual, such as Honest Abe, Doubting Thomas, or even Ivan the Terrible.

And the meaning of Barnabas’s nickname tells us something about him as well. Verse 36 gives the definition of Barnabas: “which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation.”

We see other examples in Scripture where surnames are given and they denote a person’s character or something characteristic about them. In Mark 3:16-17, we read,

“And Simon He surnamed Peter; And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and He surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder.”

Simon was surnamed “Peter,” meaning a rock or a stone, referring to his resoluteness and steadfastness in life. John and James were surnamed Boanerges or “the sons of thunder,” referring to their fiery disposition.

And for Barnabas, he was “the son of consolation” or encouragement. “Consolation” is the Greek word, parakaleo. It has the idea of coming to the aid or assistance of another.

One commentator said this about the meaning of this word, “It’s the picture of a weary traveler stumbling down the highway with a heavy load on his shoulders. His head is low, his shoulders stooped, his knees wobbly, his feet barely moving. Each step is an agony.

“As you watch him, he staggers and begins to fall. You can see that he will never make it. So you rush from your place, come alongside and you lift the load from his shoulders and place it on your own. Then you put your around him and say, ‘It’s all right, brother, I’ll help you make it.’ And together you walk on down the road.”

That’s what the word “consolation” is teaching. It’s about coming alongside another to help them in their moment of need. It is the ability to lift the load from a brother or sister and help them along their way.

Barnabas exemplified Romans 15:1-2, which says, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”

In this, we can all be like Barnabas and have a ministry of consolation, supporting, lifting burdens, counseling, and encouragement. The church needs this.

William Barclay wrote, “One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement… It is easy to laugh at men’s ideas; it is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm; it is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers.

“We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.”

You see the character of Barnabas in seeking to meet the needs of others by him: “Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet,” as verse 37 says.

Barnabas was from the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean. In biblical times, Cyprus was famous for its wine, wheat, oil, figs, and honey. To possess land there was significant and meant one was likely rich and influential.

But Barnabas sold his land. Barnabas’s gift is singled out here, likely because of the spirit in which his generous gift was given. Without reserve, he held nothing back and he freely gave it all.

He was generous, unselfish and willing to give all the proceeds from the land sale to have all things common with the others in the kingdom church. And he did so also because the gospel of the kingdom required one to sell all that they had at the time.

The whole-hearted generosity of Barnabas is put forth in striking contrast to the hypocrisy and deceit of Ananias and Sapphira in the very next verses, who kept back part of the proceeds from selling a possession and only brought part of it to the apostles.

And so the contrast is made to show how Barnabas laid all the money from his land sale at the apostles’ feet, but because the couple in Acts 5 did not do the same and lied to the Holy Spirit, their dead bodies ended up at the apostles’ feet!

We also see Barnabas’s character of encouragement and support in how he treated the Apostle Paul after he was saved.

After Paul was saved on the road to Damascus, he had a 3 year ministry in Damascus. Following this, a plot was formed to kill Paul. The believers in Damascus then let him down the walls of Damascus in a basket to escape the plot to take his life.

It is after this that Acts 9:26-27 reads, “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

“But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”

When Paul left Damascus, he went to Jerusalem. The last time Paul had been in Jerusalem was BEFORE his conversion three years earlier.

Thus, the last time he was there he had been viciously persecuting believers, dragging them out of their homes, arresting and putting them in prison, having people beaten and put to death for their faith in Christ.

Now he returns to Jerusalem a changed man, a believer who had been transformed by Jesus Christ. And when he tried to join himself to fellow-believers, they were afraid of him, and they doubted and were skeptical that he truly had become a follower of Christ.

After all, what better way to destroy the church than to fake a conversion, infiltrate the ranks, gain the trust of the leadership, and then put them all in the jail?

But then Barnabas, the son of consolation, enters the scene to help and support Paul. And Barnabas brought Paul to the apostles and reassured them that Paul’s conversion to Christ was genuine and that He had seen and spoke with the risen Lord.

He further pointed out that Paul had been ministering and fearlessly preaching Christ in Damascus for a number of years.

Barnabas was quick to respond to a human need; and with courageous kindness, he stood up for Paul and spoke up in his favor when those in Jerusalem were fearful and wanting nothing to do with him.

And Barnabas stood by Paul until he turned the tide of opinion in Jerusalem in Paul’s favor and they accepted him. By this account, we see that Barnabas was just as generous with his compassion as he had been with his money.

Acts 11:21-26: “And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

“Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

“Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

“For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:

“And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

As God’s work among the Gentiles was growing in Antioch and “a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord,” this news reached Jerusalem. The church then sent a representative to investigate, and that representative was Barnabas. In this, we see his willingness to do whatever was needed in ministry and to go wherever he was sent.

Coming to Antioch and seeing the grace of God in action, with souls being saved and the Word of God working in the lives of Greeks in Antioch, verse 23 says Barnabas “was glad.”

You see Barnabas’s priorities and heart for ministry and helping people that he was glad to see the spiritual awakening and the grace of God at work in the lives of those in Antioch.

Barnabas the consoler then became Barnabas an exhorter, “and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.” Later, in Acts 13:43, similarly, Paul and Barnabas persuaded new believers to “continue in the grace of God.”

Here Barnabas challenged believers in Antioch to continue serving the Lord with determination, and that with fortitude, they should purpose in themselves to not turn from the Lord because of opposition, but instead to cleave and remain devoted to Christ.

Verse 24 states of Barnabas, “For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.”

A man once tried to organize a hide-and-seek tournament, but it was a complete failure, because good players are really hard to find.

Barnabas was a good man, and good men can be hard to find. Barnabas did what was right and good in God’s sight. He was a godly, upright, benevolent, honorable, humble man of God.

And he was a man who was full of the Holy Spirit. Being full of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit was evident in his life. Thus, he was a man of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and temperance. The Holy Spirit had sovereign sway in his heart. The Spirit governed and guided him and used his life.

Barnabas was a Spirit-filled man who was a man of faith. And as a man of faith, he trusted the Lord implicitly. He knew that God could not lie and that His Word could not fail. He trusted that God is faithful and always present. And by faith, he relied on the Lord for His help, light, power, and wisdom in his ministry.

And through his ministry, “much people was added unto the Lord.” This verse is a wonderful testimony to the grace of God at work in Barnabas’s life.

And it is a verse to have as a goal for ourselves, that it might be true us too, that many people might be added to the Lord through our life and efforts for Christ.

Much people being added to the Lord was the direct consequence of Barnabas’s good testimony and the power of the Holy Spirit working through Barnabas’s faith.

And in the wisdom of the Spirit, as the church at Antioch began to grow larger and larger, Barnabas realized that he needed help to minister most effectively.

And when Barnabas saw the growing work in Antioch, and many Greeks believing and desiring the Word, his thought went to Paul and of Paul’s commission to the Gentiles.

In this, we see the honorable character of Barnabas. He did not think of himself here. Here he was leading a thriving, growing ministry, but he did not wish to build the work around himself or lift up himself.

Instead, selflessly, Barnabas thought to find Paul in Tarsus, and bring him to Antioch and give the Gentiles in Antioch the benefit of his teaching and the truth of the message of God’s grace toward the Gentiles that was revealed to him from Christ for this age.

Thus, Barnabas departed for Tarsus, where Paul had been for around 6 years. He found Paul there and brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year, this duo worked with the church in Antioch, teaching a great many people.

Acts 13:1-4: “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.”

Barnabas is listed here with men who were prophets and teachers. This tells us that Barnabas had the ability by the Spirit, as others in the early Church did prior to the Scriptures being complete, to receive revelation and speak the inspired Word of God.

And as a teacher, Barnabas could also expound on and explain God’s Word and revelation to others in a simple and understandable manner.

As Paul and Barnabas were ministering in Antioch, the Holy Spirit separated them out from the others in the church to send them on an apostolic journey.

These two men had already formed a powerful ministry team in Antioch, and now the Spirit called this team to take God’s truth of grace to the world.

John LaVier wrote, “Compared to this voyage and its results the voyages of Columbus, Magellan, and others count for little, for this voyage marked the beginning of the sending forth of God’s message of grace to all the world.”

On this journey, they first traveled to the island of Cyprus. And that’s not without significance, because Barnabas was from Cyprus. This was familiar territory for him!
Barnabas had family and connections there and was a logical place for beginning their journey and sharing the gospel of God’s grace.

From Cyprus, their journey took them up to the region of southern Galatia, where they visited Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe and established churches there.

Preaching the grace of God in the synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia to both Jews and Greeks, many Gentiles responded with excitement and gladness toward the Word of God.

However, the Jews were filled with envy and opposed Paul and his message. Then, with Paul, we see the grit of Barnabas as he reared up in defense of the truth of the gospel and against the Jews’ opposition of them speaking to the Gentiles.

And Acts 13:46 says, “Then Paul AND BARNABAS waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.”

The labors of Paul and Barnabas on this journey together were marked by triumphs of the gospel and trials and persecutions as well. Throughout their journey, Paul and Barnabas faced persecution from the Jews who stirred up the people in opposition against them and Paul’s message of grace. Paul wrote of this time in 2 Timothy 3:11,

“Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch [of Pisidia], at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.”

At the end of his first apostolic journey, Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, their sending church.

And after returning to Antioch, men came to the church teaching the requirement of circumcision for Gentiles to be saved. This led to Paul and Barnabas going “up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question” (Acts 15:2).

There both Paul and Barnabas declared “what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them,” as they gave witness to the great things God had done among the people of the nations through their ministry on that apostolic journey.

And at the crucial council in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas stood firm for the truth of Gentile liberty from the law. Paul said, “To whom WE gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Gal. 2:5).

As a result of the council, James, Peter, and John “gave to me [Paul] and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that WE should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.”

Galatians 2:11-13: “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

“And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.”

Following the Jerusalem Council, two negative events took place between Paul and Barnabas.

You hate to end with a downer about Barnabas because he was such an important co-worker with Paul during the earlier part of his ministry, but Barnabas was a man, and while he was a good man, he was not perfect and he failed here in Galatians 2.

The first was when Peter traveled to Antioch to visit the church. While there, he was eating with some Gentiles, which was not a problem with God’s change in programs and was acceptable to God.

And Peter had learned this earlier in the case of Cornelius and eating with those Gentiles earlier in Acts 10.

But while they were eating with the Gentiles, as Peter had every right to do, word came that a group of Jews was coming from James to Antioch.

As soon as the announcement was made, a separation took place among these Jews and Gentiles who had been enjoying each other’s fellowship. Peter immediately withdrew, fearing those of the circumcision, or the Jews who were coming from James, afraid that they would carry the report back to James that he was eating with Gentiles.

And, as a result of Peter’s actions, “the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation [or hypocrisy].”

Surprisingly, Barnabas followed Peter in his hypocritical separation from the Gentiles, making them seem unclean when they are not under grace. And in this, Barnabas made a mistake. He should have stood his ground.

Also, after the Jerusalem Council, Barnabas wanted to take his family member, John Mark, on their second apostolic journey.

On their first apostolic journey, John Mark began the journey with Paul and Barnabas, but then during the trip he deserted them and returned home.

Barnabas, ever the encourager, wanted to give John Mark a second chance after his failure. Paul was not willing to do that. As a result, Acts 15:39-40 reads,

“And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul chose Silas, and departed…” Their disagreement was so sharp that each decided to go their own way.

Paul and Barnabas stood toe to toe and engaged in a disagreement so heated that in the end, they could no longer work together. And this is the last time we read about Barnabas in Acts.

When Paul and Barnabas did work together, in the power of the Spirit, they were a powerful team as they spread the gospel of the grace of God.

Barnabas was a big-hearted, zealous man of the truth, who cared for lost souls and was an encourager of the church. And there’s much we can learn from his example.

And this testimony of him in Scripture is one each of us should strive for: “For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and [by his life and ministry] much people was added unto the Lord.”