Son of Encouragement
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26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
We have thus far in Acts ch. 9 been studying together the transformation of the Apostle Paul.
A transformation that began on the road to Damascus as he sought to find, imprison, and even kill men and women who believed in Jesus.
It is there that he had a miraculous encounter with the risen Christ, which would radically change the direction of his entire life.
Last time we looked at Paul’s process of transformation, how God used his time with the disciples in Damascus to mould him into the image of Christ and take him from just being a disciple, to making disciples.
V.26a “And when he had come to Jerusalem,”
Now we see Paul leaving Damascus as a result of him being sought out to be killed by the Jews, and he is going to Jerusalem.
When Paul left Jerusalem, he left for the purpose of killing disciples of Jesus, now he returns as a disciple who is being sought out to be put to death for that very same reason.
If Jews are plotting to kill you, as we learned in v. 23, Jerusalem is probably not the best place to go.
V. 26b “he attempted to join the disciples.”
Wherever Paul went, he wanted to be among the disciples.
When you become a christian, you become a part of the universal church, the family of God from all nations, tribes, and tongues.
You should want to be with your family!
V.26c “And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.”
The ministry of Paul could have easily ended in this very moment. Without the support of the elders and believers in Jerusalem, it is not likely that Paul would have been able to do any real missionary work.
V.27 “But Barnabas”
How different would this passage read if it were not for V.27!
Do you not think that there were other disciples there among them that had witnessed the transformation of Paul? Yet they do not speak up, only Barnabas does.
One of the most amazing facts about God in Scripture is that the normal way in which He does His work here on earth is through people!
You never know when you could be the answer to someones prayer!
He chooses to put his own honor on the line in order to honor Paul. He chooses to do what is right, rather than to do what is easy. He chooses to speak up, while others remained silent.
Your choices matter!
But this is not the first we read of Barnabas, we actually met him way back in ch.4 of Acts.
34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Barnabas was a man that was so marked by encouragement that it gained him the nickname: “Son of Encouragement” among the disciples, even as early on as Acts 4.
In fact, this is the very thing we see him doing again and again throughout Acts.
22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
Barnabas was an encourager, it’s just who he was.
As with all of us, what he did flowed from who he was.
We would all do well I think to be a little more like Barnabas, to do what Hebrews 10 says and encourage one another.
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
For some of us that doesn’t come as naturally but that’s no excuse, we are commanded to encourage one another and we must make every effort to do so.
We should be more known for what we support than for what we oppose.
We should be more known for what we condone than for what we condemn.
We should spend as much time promoting what is right, as we do objecting to what is wrong.
We all need a Barnabas in our life and we need to be a Barnabas to someone else.
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
