Today is the Memorial of St. Barnabas, an Apostle who never walked with Jesus during his earthly ministry but became one of the most consequential figures in spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles. His Jewish name was Joseph, but the Apostles renamed him Barnabas, meaning “son of encouragement,” and he lived up to that name in ways that shaped Christianity forever.
Who St. Barnabas was
Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus, part of the Jewish priestly tribe. According to Acts 4:36-37, he sold property he owned and laid the proceeds at the Apostles’ feet, an early example of the radical generosity that marked the Jerusalem church. The Acts of the Apostles places his death around 61 AD, likely by stoning in Salamis, Cyprus, where he had returned to preach.
His most famous act came when Saul of Tarsus, the former persecutor, tried to join the Jerusalem disciples and they were all terrified of him. Barnabas alone vouched for Saul, brought him to the Apostles, and testified that his conversion was genuine (Acts 9:27). Without that intervention, Paul’s ministry might never have begun.
Barnabas and Paul traveled together on what became known as Paul’s first missionary journey, preaching throughout Cyprus and Asia Minor. In Lystra, the locals tried to worship them as gods, calling Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes” (Acts 14:12). Barnabas must have had a commanding, dignified presence to be mistaken for the king of the gods.
What he’s known for
Barnabas is remembered for his extraordinary willingness to see potential in people others had written off. He gave Paul a chance when it was dangerous to do so. Later, when Paul refused to take John Mark on a second journey because the young man had abandoned them earlier, Barnabas insisted on giving Mark another opportunity. Paul and Barnabas parted ways over this disagreement (Acts 15:36-40).
History vindicated Barnabas. That same John Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark and became so valuable that Paul later asked for him by name (2 Timothy 4:11). The olive branch in Barnabas’s iconography represents this gift for reconciliation and peace. The stones reference his martyrdom by stoning; the book and Gospel represent his role in spreading apostolic teaching.
For today
Think of someone you’ve mentally written off: the coworker who disappointed you, the family member who let you down, the friend who proved unreliable. Ask yourself, “What would Barnabas do?” Not naively, not without boundaries, but with the creativity to imagine that people can change and the courage to act on that imagination. Before bed tonight, pray for that person by name.
St. Barnabas, teach us to encourage when it costs us something.
