Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 1-3
     New Testament Reading: Acts 11

News about them reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord.

Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:22-26).

The church leaders in Jerusalem had a responsibility to shepherd the scattered flock, which now included Gentile congregations such as this one in Antioch. And so, they commissioned Barnabas to go to Antioch just as they had earlier sent Peter and John to Samaria. This proved to be a wise choice, for Barnabas lived up to his nickname, Son of Encouragement.

Verse twenty-four gives us a spiritual profile of Barnabas. He was a righteous man who obeyed the Word in daily life so that his character was above reproach. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, which explains the effectiveness of his ministry. That he was a man of faith is evident from the way he encouraged the church and rejoiced at what he saw. He was a Christian man we would do well to emulate.

Since the church at Antioch included many Gentiles who would have lacked the understanding about God that the Jews had, Barnabas encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts. Worshiping with Gentiles was a new experience for Barnabas, but he approached it optimistically and supported their faith. It was a work of God, and Barnabas gave thanks for God’s grace.

The original mission of Barnabas may have been simply to investigate what was going on in Antioch and report back to the church at Jerusalem. But the Christians made such a great impact on the city that the church continued to grow, and Barnabas become increasingly involved in the congregation’s work. His teaching responsibility increased to where he needed help, and he knew just where he could find it. Saul had returned to his hometown of Tarsus and no one was better qualified to assist in this ministry than he was. The move proved to be a wise choice, as they worked together for a year, teaching the growing number of new believers.

What Barnabas did for Saul needs to be practiced more often in our churches today. Mature believers are to enlist others and then encourage and train them in their service for the Lord.