Barnabas is known as the Encourager in the Bible. Why?

Barnabas' original name was Joseph, which means to 'add or increase' in Hebrew.

However, because he was well-known for encouraging others, the disciples nicknamed him Barnabas, which in Greek means 'Son of Encouragement'. He had a reputation for being with people, and providing them with comfort and consolation, and anyone could depend on him during tough times.

1. He supported the early Church - Barnabas sold a piece of land and “brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:37). And he even refused any money (financial support) from the church, and insisted that he worked to finance himself while doing God's work. (See 1 Corinthians 9:6.)

2. He vouched for Paul - After Paul’s dramatic conversion, the believers were afraid to take him in because he was formerly a persecutor of the saints - they did not really believe he has changed. (Paul was formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, and he had persecuted Christians and gave death threats against the disciples.) Barnabas took Paul to the apostles and vouched for him, saying how Paul had “seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27).

3. He was a preacher of God's Word - The Church leaders in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to strengthen the members in the faith. He encouraged them to “continue with the Lord” and “a great many people were added to the Lord.” The reason for Barnabas’ great success as a preacher was that he was a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit, and of faith” (Acts 11:24).

4. He brought Paul to Antioch - After ministering in Antioch, Acts 11:25-26 says that Barnabas decided to get Paul who had been sent to Tarsus when his enemies tried to kill him. When Barnabas had found Paul, he brought him to Antioch where they worked together for a whole year, teaching the people.

5. He was a mentor - In Barnabas' and Paul’s second missionary journey, Barnabas’ cousin, called John Mark, wanted to accompany them. Paul refused since John Mark had abandoned them on their first missionary journey when things got tough. But Barnabas took John Mark and nurtured him while Paul continued with Silas. Barnabas did such a good job with John Mark that Paul later asked Timothy to take Mark to him, since he had become useful to him in ministry. (See Colossians 4:10; Acts 13:5; 15:37-39; 2 Timothy 4:10.)

And what happened after that?

Let's read the Bible and find out. Acts 4 and 14

Barnabas the Ecourager

Acts 4:32-37

³² All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Acts 14:1-28

¹ At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. ³ So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. ⁴ The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. ⁵ There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. ⁶ But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, ⁷ where they continued to preach the gospel.

In Lystra and Derbe

⁸ In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. ⁹ He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed ¹⁰ and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

¹¹ When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ¹² Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: ¹⁵ “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. ¹⁶ In the past, he let all nations go their own way. ¹⁷ Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” ¹⁸ Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. ²⁰ But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

²¹ They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, ²² strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. ²³ Paul and Barnabas appointed elders^[a] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. ²⁴ After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, ²⁵ and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶ From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ²⁷ On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.