Acts 11:24 ... "For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord."
It is unusual for the Bible to pay such a high compliment to an individual, but Luke, the inspired writer of Acts, saw fit to pen these words of tribute to Barnabas. Luke introduces him into the record in Acts 4:36-37 as Joses (or Joseph), a Levite and native of the island of Cyprus. In the earliest stage of the church's existence he sold some land and handed the proceeds to the apostles to be distributed among destitute brethren. For this generosity the apostles gave him a new name, Barnabas, which is Aramaic for "son of encouragement." He is next mentioned when he made himself a friend to Saul of Tarsus and commended him to the Christians in Jerusalem, who conceded to admit him into their fellowship. Until then these Christians had doubted that Saul was sincere and supposed he was really seeking a devious way to continue his policy of persecuting them. Barnabas' third appearance in Acts is the one here in chapter 11. When the church in Jerusalem heard that the kingdom was growing rapidly in Antioch of Syria, it commissioned Barnabas to go there, look over the situation, and help it along the true path. This selection shows the high esteem and confidence with which the apostles and other brethren looked upon Barnabas.
Barnabas was a good man. His generosity in Acts 4, his desire to promote Saul as a Christian worker, and his personal interest in the growth and development of the church in Antioch illustrate what this expression means. He was unselfish, magnanimous and pure-minded. Second, Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit. Everyone who obeys the gospel to become a Christian receives "the gift of the Holy Spirit," (Acts 2:38). This "gift" is the indwelling of the Spirit Himself, for it says in I Cor. 6:19 that "your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God." The indwelling Spirit is sometimes likened to a holy fire that burns within the soul of a Christian, who is thus commanded in I Ths. 5:19 to "quench not the Spirit." The intensity of this spiritual Flame burns within us to the extent that we respond to it with zeal, enthusiasm, holiness and purity. The Flame is quenched and dimmed to the degree by which we allow indifference, worldliness and immorality to enter our lives. Barnabas welcomed the residence of the Spirit within him and cooperated with this divine Presence in an extraordinary way. Third, Barnabas was a man of faith. He was fully convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of all who repent and submit to His teaching, and that He is the Head of the church which is God's eternal kingdom.
The result of Barnabas' influence and work in Antioch was that "considerable numbers were brought to the Lord." This man had submitted his life to be an instrument in God's hand to perform the divine will among people. Wherever God has such a ready and willing tool, He can perform great deeds in our world. More people like Barnabas are needed in the church today, people who are pure minded and not absorbed in their own personal interests, people who are magnanimous in promoting their brethren with no desire or expectation of praise or reward. Barnabas was not a super-saint whose standard is unrealistic for average Christians today. What he accomplished in character and in deed is well within reach of any of us, if we really care to achieve it. Anyone who fully yields his will to God is a choice candidate to become another "son of encouragement." More bona fide Barnabas types in our brotherhood would surely result in "considerable numbers (being) brought to the Lord." People will listen to and cooperate much more readily with one whom they truly believe is more interested in their welfare and future than in his own status, acclaim, and career advancement.
