Barnabas

Barnabas was a Levite born in Cyprus who joined the Jerusalem church in its earliest days. His given name was Joseph, but the apostles gave him the surname Barnabas, interpreted as 'son of encouragement' (Act.4.36). He demonstrated that generosity by selling a field he owned and laying the proceeds at the apostles' feet — a deliberate contrast to the deceitful Ananias and Sapphira just pages later. When the newly converted Saul arrived in Jerusalem and the disciples were afraid of him, it was Barnabas who vouched for him and brought him to the apostles (Act.9.27). Barnabas was sent by the Jerusalem church to Antioch, where he saw the grace of God at work and encouraged the new believers; then he went to Tarsus to find Saul and bring him back to Antioch, where they taught together for a whole year. The Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Saul out from Antioch for the first missionary journey — through Cyprus and then into Asia Minor, where they planted churches and appointed elders. Back in Antioch a sharp disagreement over John Mark, who had turned back from Pamphylia, led to Barnabas and Paul parting ways. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; Paul chose Silas. This split, painful as it was, effectively doubled the missionary force.