Be an Encourager Like Barnabas

Mike Wencel

 

 

Nelson’s Bible Dictionary:   BARNABAS (“son of encouragement”)

An apostle in the early church (Acts 4:36-37; Acts 11:19-26) and Paul’s companion on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-15:41). A Levite from the island of Cyprus, Barnabas’ given name was Joseph, or Joses (Acts 4:36). When he became a Christian, he sold his land and gave the money to the Jerusalem apostles (Acts 4:36-37).

Early in the history of the church, Barnabas went to Antioch to check on the growth of this early group of Christians. Then he journeyed to Tarsus and brought Saul (as Paul was still called) back to minister with him to the Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:25). At this point Barnabas apparently was the leader of the church at Antioch, because his name is repeatedly mentioned before Paul’s in the Book of Acts. But after Saul’s name was changed to Paul, Barnabas’ name is always mentioned after Paul’s (Acts 13:43).

Because of his good reputation, Barnabas was able to calm the fear of Saul among the Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 9:27). He and Saul also brought money from Antioch to the Jerusalem church when it was suffering a great famine (Acts 11:27-30). Shortly thereafter, the Holy Spirit led the Antioch church to commission Barnabas and Paul, along with John Mark, Barnabas’ cousin (Colossians 4:10), to make a missionary journey (Acts 13:1-3) to Cyprus and the provinces of Asia Minor.

A rift eventually developed between Barnabas and Paul over John Mark (Colossians 4:10). Barnabas wanted to take John Mark on their second missionary journey. Paul, however, felt John Mark should stay behind because he had left the first mission at Cyprus (Acts 13:13). Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways, and Barnabas took John Mark with him on a second mission to Cyprus (Acts 15:36-39).

 

 

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: BARNABAS possibly “son of Nebo”.

Originally called Joses or Joseph (Acts 4:36), as a testimony to his eloquence. Its literal meaning is “son of prophecy” (bar: “son”; nebhū'āh: “prophecy”). Compare word for prophet in Gen 20:7; Deu 18:15, Deu 18:18, etc. This is interpreted in Acts 4:36 as “son of exhortation” in the Revised Version (British and American), or “son of consolation” in the King James Version. The office of a prophet being more than to foretell, all these interpretations are admissible in estimating Barnabas as a preacher.

In Acts 11:24 he is described as “a good man and full of the Holy Spirit”,  “and of faith,” - traits that gave him influence and leadership.

At the close of a year's successful work, Barnabas and Paul were sent to Jerusalem with contributions from the infant church for the famine sufferers in the older congregation (Acts 11:30).

Ordained as missionaries on their return (Acts 13:3), and accompanied by John Mark, they proceeded upon what is ordinarily known as the “First Missionary Journey” of Paul (Acts 13:4-5). Barnabas as well as Paul is designated “an apostle” (Acts 14:14). The people at Lystra named Paul, because of his fervid oratory, Mercurius, while the quiet dignity and reserved strength of Barnabas gave him the title of Jupiter (Acts 14:12). Barnabas escaped the violence which Paul suffered at Iconium (Acts 14:19).

Upon their return from this first missionary tour, they were sent, with other representatives of the church at Antioch, to confer with the apostles and elders of the church at Jerusalem concerning the obligation of circumcision and the ceremonial law in general under the New Testament.

 Like Paul, he accepted no support from those to whom he ministered.

 

The name Barnabas is interesting and seems to have many different possible meanings.

˜ Strong: son of prophecy  ˜ Thayer: son of rest ˜ Nelson’s Bible Dictionary: son of encouragement ˜ ASV bible: son of exhortation  ˜ KJV: son of consolation

˜ Young’s Literal Translation: son of comfort

But the most common translation across all of the various bible translations including the NKJV, NASB, ESV, NIV is “son of encouragement”. And that is the one will focus on today.

 

 

Acts 4:37 - tells us that Barnabas owned some land and sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.  So he didn’t just talk the talk, we walked the walk. He was concerned for his fellow Christians and was willing sacrifice much of his own wealth for them.

 

u We see that Barnabas influenced a lot of people and led them to Christ and encouraged them to stay faithful.

 

u So we see that Barnabas was given the gift of prophecy and teaching to enhance his effectiveness in preaching the gospel. 

 

u We see here that Barnabas was ordained by the Holy Spirit. When you are specifically appointed by the Holy Spirit, you bear a heavy responsibility to preach the truth, regardless of what you have to suffer.    

 

u Shouldn’t we all be encouraging each other (and non-believers too) to continue to develop in their faith and devotion to God?

 

u Paul and Barnabas tell them in no uncertain terms that their rejection of Jesus will be the cause of God’s rejection of them.

u And they backed up their rebuke with Old Testament prophecies from Isaiah. So the rebuke was not coming from them personally, it was coming from God.

Acts 13:50 — But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.

u Barnabas remained strong and committed to his mission even after being verbally and physically abused to the point of nearly being stoned. But even these severe threats to his life did not lessen his desire to preach the word.

 

u The dispute was over the necessity of circumcision, but Peter quickly refuted that claim, and convinced the Jerusalem Council that they were wrong.

 

u It is interesting that Barnabas is called an apostle. Leo Boles says in his commentary that “Barnabas is  called an apostle; though he was not an apostle in the sense that the twelve were, or even as was Paul, yet he was an apostle in the sense that he was sent out by the church at Antioch.”

u Strong gives this definition of the word “apostle”: a delegate; specifically an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ, (with miraculous powers): a messenger, he that is sent.

Barbabas certainly fits this definition.

u Tearing their clothes was an expression of their abhorrence of what the people were doing, and of their deep grief that they should debase themselves by offering worship to human beings.

 

APPLICATION - WAYS THAT WE CAN BE ENCOURAGERS

 

u We need to encourage our brothers and sisters, especially when they are experiencing difficulties (physical, mental, spiritual) in their lives.

 

u Encouragers have to find ways of projecting a positive attitude in our speech, in our actions in our demeanor.

 

u We can gently encourage the non-participants among us to help in some work of the church. We can try to understand and encourage those whose faith has gotten weak and those who have fallen away.

 

u We can encourage others in their walk with Christ through what God has taught us in his Word. For example, most of the Psalms offer encouragement (e.g. Psalm 23, 34, 46, 62, 91, 121 to name a few)

 

u Our demeanor and tone of voice and focusing on the positive (good news) can be an encouragement to those we encounter every day.

 

u We can encourage people to take action by serving God in some practical way.

 

u We can review our own and the other person’s past, present and future blessings as an encouragement that God is with us.

 

u We can remind others of what God is doing in and through them, how others are benefitting from their efforts, and how they are laying up treasures in heaven.

 

u We should encourage and express gratitude to our teachers and preachers and anyone else who introduced us to the truth of the Gospel, or has encouraged or instructed us in any way in our Christian walk. Teachers love to know that they affected someone’s life positively.

 

Additional Thoughts on “Being an Encourager”

 

Charles Swindoll wrote, “The lack of encouragement is almost an epidemic. To illustrate this point, when did you last encourage someone else? I firmly believe that an individual is never more Christlike than when full of compassion for those who are down, needy, discouraged, or forgotten. How terribly essential is our commitment to encouragement!  Is there some soul known to you in need of encouragement? A student off at school, a young couple up against it, a divorcée struggling to gain back self-acceptance, a forgotten servant of God laboring in an obscure and difficult ministry; a widow who needs your companionship, someone who tried something new and failed? — Encourage them generously. Encouragement should be a new watchword for our times. Shout it out. Pass it around.”²

 

Can We ever have too much encouragement? Imagine if everyone truly committed themselves to encouraging everyone they encountered throughout the day. What do you think that day would be like? What do you suppose would be the attitude and spirit of people on that day? Imagine if we were the kind of people who lived by the adage, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

 

How can we be encouragers? Here are some simple ways:

˜ let people know you are praying for them—and actually pray for them;

˜ let people know what you appreciate, respect, like, and enjoy about them;

˜ let people know they are a great example to you and thank them for that;

˜ let people know you care by sending a card, giving them a call, or visiting them;

˜ let people know how you see God at work in their lives; and let people know the ways they encourage you.

˜ Perhaps one more way to be an encourager is in order: Smile a lot!

 

Remember the call of the Hebrew writer:

 

Let’s be encouragers!

 

² Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations and Quotes. Thomas Nelson, 1998.