Barnabas the Encourager

(This is a long blog--1200 words. So here is a synopsis: Barnabas, the encourager, was God’s indispensable agent in launching the ministry of Paul. Barnabas lived the grace Paul preached. If your calling is more that of “encourager” than “apostle” blessings on you. Your ministry is no less significant than that of those who are more flamboyant, forceful or famous. Keep encouraging.)

If you want the whole thing, here it is. Or you can check out the audio once we get it posted. See the links to the right.

Barnabas: My Model for Ministry

When a guy named Paul showed up in Jerusalem looking to spend some time with the followers of Jesus there, he needed help. The church would have nothing to do with him. For good reason. Sure, they had heard the stories of his conversion in Damascus. But the people in Jerusalem knew his other side better. It was their relatives and friends Paul had arrested and prosecuted. Their relatives and friends had been subjected to Paul’s enhanced interrogation techniques.

Paul was scary. He was forceful, brilliant, outspoken, domineering, and . . . well scary. If he wanted to believe in Jesus, that was all well and good. But it would be recklessly irresponsible to give him ready access to the social networks of the church. Who knew how long his “conversion” would last. Maybe his “conversion” was a mere ploy, a set up for more dramatic arrests and prosecutions.

Then Barnabas got involved.

Barnabas was rich. Devout. Cultured. Respected. When the early church ran low on cash, Barnabas saved the day (Acts 4:36).

So when Barnabas took Paul around to visit the apostles, the apostles listened. When Barnabas insisted Paul’s conversion was genuine, his opinion mattered. The church doors opened, at least a bit.

This was just Barnabas’ first act in setting up the ministry of Paul.

Some time later word reached Jerusalem that crowds of Gentiles were showing up at church to hear about Jesus. The apostles had already been confronted with the story of Cornelius, the Roman centurion, whose non-Jewish household had been demonstrably filled with the Holy Spirit before they were even baptized. Probably the apostles remembered the words of the Jesus about the gospel going to all nations. But what to do with crowds of Gentiles?

They turned to Barnabas. Would he go and check out the situation?

Barnabas heads off to Antioch. “When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the lord will all their hearts.” There is ample evidence that the early church included people with all sorts of personal, moral and spiritual problems. What did Barnabas see when he met with these new believers? “Evidence of the grace of God.”

When Barnabas arrived, he saw evidence of grace and encouraged them. Not a bad model for us. Maybe the reason Barnabas saw so much grace is that his own life was full of grace. Luke writes about Barnabas: “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” One of the highest commendations given in the Bible.

While Barnabas was helping the believers in Antioch grow in their spiritual life he remembered Paul. Paul had dropped off the radar screen. Barnabas thought he should be involved in public ministry. So Barnabas traveled over a hundred miles to Tarsus, looking for Paul. When he finally found him, Barnabas insisted Paul come help in Antioch.

The two of them spent a year teaching and preaching in Antioch. They had such an impact the people in town began calling the believers “Christians, ” the first time that term was used.

Later that year, a prophet predicted a severe famine. In response to the prophecy, the church started an emergency fund for the believers back in Jerusalem. When they had enough money together, they asked Barnabas to deliver it to Jerusalem.

Who did Barnabas take with him? Paul.

The leaders may not have been impressed with Paul’s scholarship and preaching when Barnabas first introduced Paul. But they could not fail to be impressed if Paul showed up with a large donation. So Barnabas and Paul traveled to Jerusalem carrying the offering from the church in Antioch.

After delivering the aid, Barnabas and Paul returned to Antioch. There, while they were fasting and praying with three other church leaders, the Holy Spirit told the group to consecrate Barnabas and Paul for a special mission. They did so, and Barnabas and Paul took off on a missionary trip.

Paul was in his element. New people. New challenges. He was a fiery preacher. His first Sabbath in the town of Pisidian Antioch, Paul preached in the local synagogue. His sermon was so compelling that the next Sabbath nearly the entire city turned out to hear him preach. Whether or not you agreed with Paul, he was hard to ignore.

Paul was a riveting preacher, a compelling teacher. He had the gift of healing. He performed exorcisms. Paul was a terrific evangelist. He was a lousy pastor. He was skilled at preaching grace. He was lousy at practicing it.

On this missionary trip, Barnabas had invited his relative John Mark to come along. Mark dropped out part way through the trip. He couldn’t handle the pressure. When Barnabas and Paul got ready to go on their next trip, Barnabas wanted to give Mark another chance. Paul was adamant. No way! He’s a wimp, a wuss. I won’t have a quitter with me doing evangelism.

When Paul insisted he would not do mission work with John Mark, Barnabas said, “Fine. You don’t have to come.”

For all of Barnabas’ appreciation for Paul’s gifts and calling, Barnabas would not allow Paul to shut down another person whose gifts and weaknesses were different from his own.

Paul went on to the famous ministry we know about. He traveled widely, planting churches through his fiery preaching. He wrote letters that are still studied and quoted today. God clearly used Paul in a mighty way.

I think it is valuable to remember without Barnabas, we would have never heard of Paul. Barnabas could not have done Paul’s work. Paul could have never done his work without Barnabas.

God needs both fiery evangelists and sensitive pastors. Sensitive pastors make lousy evangelists (if you measure by counting). Fiery evangelists make lousy pastors (if you measure by sustainable church life). In the large scheme of things both are vital for the long term health of the church.

Barnabas’ story gives me courage in my work as a pastor. I’m a lousy evangelist (if you evaluate me by the numbers). But I’m pretty good at encouraging.

Congregations also have personalities or gift profiles. Some congregations are rigorous and strict in their teaching and church culture. Other congregations are known for their warmth and openness. Both kinds of congregations are needed to do the whole work of God.

North Hill is unabashedly committed to Barnabas as our model. We are more concerned with warmth and affection than we are with order and structure. We find our greatest joy and effectiveness in encouraging persons and ministries.

Those who use Paul as their “model” Christian are often critical of a Barnabas approach to pastoral work and congregational life. These critics are adamant that the church must ruthlessly proclaim the pure gospel and rid itself of any taint of uncertainty or impurity. I smile at the criticism. It sounds just like Paul talking. And the reason we know what Paul sounded like, the reason we have access to his words is because of a man named Barnabas.

Who knows, maybe our own Barnabas ministry will give birth to a new Paul, full of zeal and fire, impatient with our own patience with those who are less than perfect.