Long-Haul Faith, Pt 5: Barnabas
As a kid, I loved climbing on and in my grandfather’s semi tractor in part because it was so different than the cars my parents drove. The driver’s seat of his semi, for instance, was much bigger and cushier than that of a typical driver. The shifter was also different, with more gears and high-low toggles for each gear. The dashboard had more gauges, and behind his driver’s seat was a full-sized bed, TV, and even a mini-fridge. You see, when Fuzz (that is what we called him) was on the road, he was on the road, and everything in his truck was designed to help him deliver his load to its destination as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
In Acts 4:32-37, we are introduced to Barnabas. Actually, his real name was Joseph, and we learn in the passage that he was a Levite originally from the island of Cyprus. For whatever reason, though, Barnabas came to Jerusalem and became connected to the church there, and he was presented as a prime example of three characteristics that marked the Church at the time.
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas (which is translated Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 4:32-37 CSB
We must be united.
As Luke, the author of Acts, considered the characteristics that marked the Church, the first thing that he observed is found in verse 32, where we discover that the whole Church was “of one heart and mind.” This was significant because the heart, to Luke’s reader, was the center of emotion and desire, and the mind was the seat of reason and will. Luke, then, was saying that all of the believers wanted – and were committed to accomplishing – the same thing. In other words, they were united, thus fulfilling Jesus’ prayer for his disciples – that they would be one – from John 17.
This was not, however, to say that the entire group was the same. Indeed, in verse 36, when Barnabas appeared for the first time, we learn that he was “a Levite from Cyprus by birth.” Again, this highlights some interesting things. For instance, Barnabas was a Levite, a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi which was set apart from Moses’ time for service in the temple. While most other tribal affiliations had become inconsequential by the first century, being a Levite still meant something: Barnabas was a member of the Jewish elite. We also discover that Barnabas was from Cyprus by birth. Today, this Mediterranean island is a quick 30-minute flight from Jerusalem, but in the first century, it would have taken three weeks to make the trip. Moreover, the island was heavily influenced by Greek culture, with its particular style of thought and education.
As a result of these things, Barnabas was likely trained in Jewish Scripture and thought. Yet, his first language was probably Greek, and he was much more philosophical than other Jews and Christians of his day. His unique perspective made him an outsider to both groups, but it also positioned him to be an effective mediator between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Indeed, Luke notes here that the nickname by which everyone knew him, Barnabas, meant “Son of Encouragement.” So great was his perpetual optimism, resolve to bring people together despite their differences, and instill in them the courage to do the right thing!
I would suggest to you that this is the very definition of unity: a bunch of people with different perspectives and ideas committed unswervingly to the same overarching goal so that they pool all of their ideas and choose together to do what is right and best. And I tell you that, if we are going to have a faith that endures for the long haul, we must be like Barnabas and the first-century Church. That is, we must be united.
More specifically, the ancient Church was united because men and women like Barnabas were committed to working together to accomplish God’s mission of making more and better followers of Jesus, and the Church today can only be united if men and women like you and me will commit to doing the same. Simply put, that means that the absolutely most important thing in all of our minds must be making more and better followers of Jesus. So if my idea is good, but yours is better, we go with your idea. I am not as concerned about where I sit or that I get to hear my favorite songs, etc. I will extend grace when I have a disagreement or someone hurts me. I will not say or share anything that I know might hurt you, and I will listen more than I speak.
We must be generous.
The second characteristic that Luke observed in the Church and Barnabas can be found in verses 34 and 35. There, he tried to provide more practical insight into the unity of the church by explaining, “there was not a needy person among them.” How was this happening? Luke continued, “because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.” In other words, whenever the believers saw someone in need, they would not hesitate to offer their own stuff to meet that need.
To be clear, Luke was not saying that the Church fulfilled everyone’s wildest dreams. People did not sell lands or houses so that everyone in the congregation could have a helicopter or a sports car. Rather, the point was that the Church made sure no one was missing anything that they truly needed.
Several things should be pointed out about this generosity. First, the owner was the one selling and giving. That is, the owner voluntarily chose to sell the plot and give the proceeds to the apostles. Second, it did not include all private property. In fact, depending on your translation, you may see that this happened only “from time to time.” This, then, was not a universal mandate for all believers, but rather, when there was a need, no one hesitated to give to meet the need. Finally, the gifts were not compulsory. People who gave were not granted special favors, and people who did not give were not relegated to the kiddy table in the other room.
No, this was pure generosity that came from one believer recognizing the need of another and resolving to do something to meet it, and in verse 37, we discover that Barnabas did this in a most extreme way. He sold a field that he owned, brought the money to the apostles, and laid it all at their feet to do as they saw fit.
This, however, was not the extent of Barnabas’ generosity. In Acts 9, he risked his reputation to vouch for a former persecutor turned Christian that would later be known as the apostle Paul. In Acts 11, when word came that there was a burgeoning church in Antioch where both Jews and Gentiles were getting along, Barnabas was the one who dropped everything to go check it out. Later in the same chapter, he again dropped everything to deliver aid to the people of Jerusalem who were suffering from a severe famine. In Acts 12, Barnabas allowed a very young John Mark to tag along with him and Paul. In Acts 13, Barnabas and Paul dropped everything yet again to go on the first missionary journey, and a few verses later, something remarkable happens: Barnabas’ name was shifted to the second position as he allowed Paul to take point on the expedition. In Acts 15, Barnabas again accompanied Paul to advocate for Gentile believers to be excused from obeying every jot and tittle of the Jewish law. At the end of that chapter, he gave John Mark a second chance. And then, rather than make a big fuss about all the attention Paul was getting or pulling some stunt to ensure that the spotlight followed him, Barnabas just disappeared into history. One gets the impression that Barnabas would give whatever he had, stop whatever he was doing, or forfeit whatever he wanted to make sure someone else had what they needed! That is what I call generosity, and if we are going to have a long-haul faith, we must generous.
It means that we should be happy to give up whatever we do not absolutely need to make sure someone else has what they do need. It means that we must be quick to sacrifice our own agendas and preferences to accomplish what God wants. It means that we will risk giving someone their first, second, or twelfth chance. It means that we will let someone else take the spotlight, and in fact, we will do our best to hand it off to them so they can do even more than we ever could. We must be generous.
We will be effective.
The final characteristic of the Church and Barnabas is a bit trickier to see because Luke did not organize his passage as we might expect. Typically, we expect A to lead to B, which then leads to C, but Luke organized this passage so that A leads to B because of C. Consider the cause in verse 32: “Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind.” Consider also the means in verse 34: “For there was not a needy person among them because…” Now, consider the effect of all this, which is found in verse 33: “With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.” Here, we discover that the result of the Church’s unity and generosity – both of which were epitomized in Barnabas – was two-fold.
With great power, the apostles were giving testimony. The Greek word translated as “power” carried the complementary ideas of ability and authority. That is, not only were the apostles able to give testimony, but people were listening. This is astonishing given that they were talking about a guy who they said came back from the dead! In fact, the only reason that people listened to such nonsense was that three things were happening in the Church. First, the Christians’ lives were changed for the better. For example, in Acts 2, the apostles stopped cowering in the upper room and rushed boldly into the streets. Second, the Christians were able to do amazing things. In Acts 3, they healed a guy who was lame from birth, and in Acts 4, when they prayed, the building shook! Finally, the Christians were united and taking care of each other in a way no one else would. As ridiculous as the gospel message was, others wanted these things for themselves, and so they listened and believed.
And great grace was on all of them. The word grace, of course, refers to unmerited favor. In the Bible, this word is used for something that God does because we are unable to do it for ourselves. So God was working on all of the believers in the Church. He was the one changing lives, healing and shaking, and enabling their unity and generosity. Indeed, none of these things are natural for us! Yet, there was more to this. In Luke’s eyes, God was using the Christians to bring grace to the rest of the community. Moreover, God was using the Christians to bring more people into grace as they put their faith in Jesus. That is, they were making more and better followers of Jesus! They were accomplishing the mission that Jesus set out for them in Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8!
The result of Christians’ unity and generosity was effectiveness. They were able to fulfill the commission that Jesus had given them, and if we will commit to these things, God will make sure that we are effective, too. We will see changed lives, signs and wonders, real unity, and profound generosity. We will see God working in and through us in ways that no one else can fathom, let alone explain. And as a result, we will see men, women, and children put their faith in Jesus.
The best part of this, though, is that new people putting their faith in Jesus only restarts the whole cycle!
Yes, if we commit ourselves to unity and generosity, which were key to Barnabas’ long-haul faith, God will make sure that we will be effective.
Conclusion
Would you take a moment today to invite the Holy Spirit’s examination? Are you really committed to unity? Do you do everything you can to overcome and even leverage different ideas and giftings to make more and better followers of Jesus? For that matter, are you really committed to generosity? Is there anything that you will not give?
If we are really as committed to these things as Barnabas was, then we will also experience great power when telling people about the resurrection of Jesus. When was the last time you told someone about Jesus? When was the last time someone listened when you told them about Jesus? If you do not remember the last time, then there is likely some work for you to do here.
So also, if we are really committed to these things, then we will also have great grace on us. Are your actions and attitudes truly demonstrating God’s grace? Are people drawing closer to the Lord because of you, even if they have not yet placed their faith in him just yet? Again, if you do not know, or if the answer to these questions is “no,” then there is probably some work to be done.