Primary Scriptures: Acts 4
Story Summary: Barnabas brings Paul into the Church, growth of Church outside Judea
Location: Roman Empire; Jerusalem, Damascus, Antioch, Cyprus
Time: 30 AD. Death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Pentecost. 33 AD (?) Paul becomes a Christian 46 AD Paul’s “famine” visit to Jerusalem
Acts 4:36 says that Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus who sold land to help the infant Church. The Bible does not say when Barnabas became a Christian or when he left his home of Cyprus, nor when or how he, as a Levite, came into possession of the land that he sold.
Land was very precious to the Jews, and selling land was an act of great sacrifice. Giving all of the proceeds to the apostles was an act of service, but the new Christians would have seen the act of selling the land itself as even more important than the money exchanged.
The growth of the early Church was possible because its leaders knew and trusted each other. Barnabas was one of these first leaders, chosen by God to vouch for Paul so he could become part of the Church. It was Barnabas who facilitated Paul’s relationship with Peter, James, and the other apostles.
Barnabas seems to have been more influential in the Church than Paul for many years. It also seems that Barnabas was Paul’s mentor for many years. You can get an inkling of that because Barnabas is always mentioned first when they are together.
More than fifteen years after the start of the Church, the Holy Spirit sent Paul and Barnabas on the First Missionary Journey, the first of many times there was a concerted effort to convert non-Jews to Christianity. The journey took place in Cyprus and modern-day Turkey. The trip was very successful in spreading the Gospel and starting new churches.
It would be easy to overlook two important events that happened on that trip. First, John Mark started the trip, but abandoned Paul and Barnabas after Cyprus, an event that would be a future source of contention. Second, Paul began to take preeminence over Barnabas. A few years later, these two events would result in Paul and Barnabas taking separate paths.
Eyewitness Bible Series
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