Son of Encouragement

Acts 4:36-37 “Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostle’s feet.”

Barnabas as a son of encouragement is an interesting and yet encouraging example to us of our ability to encourage and the necessity to encourage. The new converts in Acts 4 were all selling what they had and giving to the apostles and to others who have needs, among these people is Barnabas who also sells a field and gives the money to the apostles. Barnabas is a good example to us of what it looks like to trust God and what it looks like to encourage the brothers.

Barnabas as an individual who trusts God is probably not something that we attribute to him directly from his reference in Acts 4 but when we look at what was being done we can see that he is an individual who trusts God both to provide and to protect. Barnabas as an individual who trusts God to provide is seen in the concept that he is willing to sell of his possessions to help those in greater need than himself and to give to the apostles. It seems as though this might be a foreign concept because in our culture to sell and give of our property to the needy of the church is ok when it is “extra,” and by no means does this not include myself. We are good at giving out of the abundance of what God has given us but we have a difficult time considering selling what God has given us for the benefit of others…especially if it is NOT out of the abundance of what we have. Barnabas trusted God in the midst of selling a field he owned…he trusted God to provide for him similar to the church in 2 Corinthians 8 which gave according to their means and even beyond their means. This is not to say we must live in a destitute state but it is asking…what we are cherishing above the benefit of the believers who are in need, and are we willing to trust God to provide for ALL of our needs and to sustain us?

Barnabas also trusted in God for protection due to fact that he was willing to meet with the newly converted Saul when no one else would. Acts 9:26-27 states, “And when he [Paul] 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. 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.” We see a different mentality that Barnabas had toward Paul than the rest of the disciples, he was willing to meet with and talk with Paul even before the church in Jerusalem believed that he was truly a convert…this is a type of trust and boldness which we rarely have to deal with. The concept that earlier the same man who was partially responsible for the death of a faithful member of their ministry [Stephen] as well as seeking to persecute and throw in prison other faithful members is now claiming salvation and seeking to join into fellowship is foreign to most of us, however, Barnabas still meets him, talks with him and then defends his claim of salvation to the other apostles.

Barnabas is an excellent example of encouraging other believers. Not only does he seek to benefit and give to the apostles whose sole work was for the proclaiming of God’s word. They received support from some of the people of God and Barnabas is seen laying his proceeds down at their feet. We see Barnabas also encouraging the other believers since he was part of the group that would sell what he had and give it to those in need. He was refreshing to the people of God and was dubbed by the apostles, the son of encouragement, almost as if his nick name was to remind people of the encouragement that he is in real life.

We can continue to look to individuals and see their unique ability to encourage people. Encouragement is necessary among the believers especially as we go through different difficulties. Seek to encourage one another, to trust God the way that Barnabas trusted Him, with both, our possessions as well as our safety and protection. We are in His care and provision continually even when it seems as though nothing good can come from the situation. Remain faithful, continue in fellowship, encourage one another to be strong in the Lord.