Acts 4; 9; 11; 13; 15 · Share Leadership
Barnabas
He vouched for a man nobody trusted, went and found him, worked beside him, and let him take the lead.
The story
His name was Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus. The apostles called him Barnabas, which means son of encouragement. He first appears selling a field and laying the money at the apostles’ feet (Acts 4:36–37).
When Saul, the former persecutor, came to Jerusalem claiming to be a disciple, the believers were afraid of him. “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles” and told them his story (Acts 9:27).
Years later Barnabas was sent to help a new church in Antioch. He saw more work than he could do, so he went to Tarsus to look for Saul and brought him back. They taught together for a year.
“For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”Acts 11:24
The two were sent out together as “Barnabas and Saul.” Within a chapter, the text begins to say “Paul and Barnabas.” Later they disagreed sharply over John Mark, who had left them on an earlier journey. Paul refused to take him again. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus.
What the story teaches
He spent his credibility on someone else. Barnabas was trusted. Saul was not. Barnabas put his own name behind a man with a dangerous past, and the door opened.
He went and found him. Barnabas did not wait for Saul to apply. He traveled to another city to bring him into the work.
He worked beside him. A full year of shared teaching came before any sending. Development happened in the work, not in a classroom.
He let the order of the names change. The man he recruited became the lead. Nothing in the text suggests Barnabas resisted.
He gave a second chance at a cost. Standing by Mark ended his partnership with Paul. Years afterward Paul wrote, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11). Barnabas had been right about him.
Generosity came first. His first recorded act was giving something away. The rest of his life followed the same pattern.
Try this week
- Name someone capable whom others distrust or overlook. Put your own name behind that person in one specific way.
- Bring one person into work you could do alone, and do the work side by side.
- Think of someone who failed you once. Decide whether that person is owed a second assignment.
Read the ROAR issue When losing people is a win, and test yourself with The four-generation test.
Sources
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001.
Passages studied: Acts 4:36–37; 9:26–27; 11:19–26; 13:1–13; 15:36–39; 2 Timothy 4:11.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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