Barnabas Barnabas is presented in Acts as a model Christian leader. A native of Cyprus, Barnabas was active in the Jerusalem church and demonstrated unselfish generosity in meeting the needs of the poorer members of that community (Acts 4:32-37). His given name was Joseph, but he was nicknamed Barnabas (“Son of Encouragement,” 4:36), which indicates his character. He was a suitable person to give a fair and open-minded assessment of the new work in Antioch (11:19-22). Barnabas perceived God’s blessing there and “encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord” (11:23). His sterling character was clear in his transparent goodness, abundant faith, and Spirit-filled life and work (11:24). The Holy Spirit chose Barnabas and Saul for a special work (known to us as the first missionary journey), and they were sent out by the church at Antioch (13:1-3). Barnabas’s wisdom is evidenced in his earlier trip to Tarsus to find Saul (11:25). Barnabas had been impressed by the boldness of Saul’s preaching as a new Christian in Damascus and had taken him to the apostles, providing a vital introduction for a man who was under suspicion for his previous unrelenting attacks against believers....

Persecution Persecution is a common experience of God’s people. God’s servants have often faced hostility and opposition (e.g., Deut 30:7; 1 Kgs 18:13; Neh 4:1-3; Jer 37:11–38:28; Matt 23:34-37; Luke 11:49-51; 1 Thes 2:14-16). Jesus himself dealt with persecution (Luke 4:28-30; John 5:16). At the end of his earthly life, he endured mocking, beating, and a horrible death by crucifixion, and he told his disciples to expect the same kind of treatment (Matt 10:16-25; 24:9; Mark 13:9-13; Luke 21:12-17; John 16:2). He prepared his followers for such occasions, telling them that the Holy Spirit would give them the needed courage (Luke 12:11-12; 21:14-15; Acts 1:8). The book of Acts documents the persecution of the earliest Christians, beginning with the hostility of the Jewish high council and the attacks of Saul of Tarsus on the early church prior to his encounter with Jesus near Damascus (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-13, 21; 22:4; 26:9-11; see 1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13; Phil 3:6). Peter, John, Stephen, James, Paul, and Barnabas all suffered persecution (Acts 4:15-18; 5:17-18; 7:54-60; 12:1-4; 14:5-6). Jesus, in his parable of the farmer and the seed, noted the withering effects of persecution on th...