Acts 4: 36-37; 9: 26-29; 11: 22-26
I would like, beloved brethren, just to call attention to this man called Barnabas. He is quite a personality, “And Joseph, who had been surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which is, being interpreted, Son of consolation), a Levite, Cyprian by birth”. I know there is some thought as to how he managed to have retained his property; it has even been mentioned that it might have been a farm, but nonetheless he gives it up. A fine feature of unselfishness marked him; how unselfish he was, and certainly what he gave up was used for the testimony, which is a fine feature, “being possessed of land, having sold it, brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles”. We often remark on the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next, because it would seem that the enemy felt that he had to do something about this situation. But Barnabas gives up his land and, as I said, the money was used for the testimony; it furthered the testimony. That is a fine feature to be able to do that, to further things, to help things forward. It is easy, in one sense, to slow things up, but it is a fine feature to help things forward. It is a feature that marked certain sisters. One, Phoebe, was "a helper of many, and", Paul could say, “of myself”, Rom 16: 2.
Later on where I read we see Saul. He arrived at Jerusalem a great vessel of the testimony, an elect vessel, and, of course, there was a big history behind it all, but there was a new history beginning in Saul. That is fine, when a new history begins. These are simple words, I know, beloved brethren, but it says, “Saul increased the more in power, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ, v 22. .... And having arrived at Jerusalem he essayed to join himself to the disciples, and all were afraid of him”. You can understand the tardiness to take aboard such a personality as Saul had been. Someone said he had been approaching Damascus like a roaring lion. That is what marks the enemy, but the Lord had to do with him, and Barnabas, I hardly know how to explain it, can ease the situation. He eased Paul, or Saul as he is called here, into the affections of these saints. That is a fine feature. “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord in the way”. I wonder how Barnabas did that? He must have done it in such a way that the apostles were carried by it. He must have related it in such a way that they were carried by this matter, “related to them how he had seen the Lord in the way”. What a matter that is, to see the Lord in the way. How the Lord showed Himself to Saul, an elect vessel, as it goes on to say here, “he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him”. It was a wonderful matter: “he had spoken to him”. That speaking was direct, no mediator needed, it was a direct speaking to Saul, and it says, “and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus”. In Exodus 26: 6 it says, “And thou shalt make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains together with the clasps, that the tabernacle may be one”, and then again it says in verse 11, “And thou shalt make fifty clasps of copper, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent, that it may be one”. Someone has suggested, and I just pass this on, that that was Barnabas’s service, JT vol 24: p121. These clasps held things together. How wonderful that is if we can do that service, to hold things together. In a day when things around us are falling apart, when there are all kind of things showing their face, I was just impressed with that, that it was a service that Barnabas had rendered in his day. He had that way with him. We are not all blessed with it, but it is a fine thing to do a service like this.
Chapter 11 is most interesting, “And the report concerning them reached the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go through as far as Antioch”. You see there was great confidence in Barnabas, and what a service he had part in, and it says, - I love this verse - “who, having arrived and seeing the grace of God, rejoiced”. I look around tonight, and that is what I see, the grace of God, and it is in persons, what He has done in persons, securing persons. It says, “and seeing the grace of God, rejoiced, and exhorted all with purpose of heart to abide with the Lord”. What a thing that is! What a service that is! He was able to carry out this service of exhorting. I think it is a gift really, it says, “he that exhorts, in exhortation”, Rom 12: 8. We need to work at it. So it says, “and seeing the grace of God, rejoiced”. Well, there is rejoicing too, you know; there are exercises, but there is the side of rejoicing, “having arrived and seeing the grace of God, rejoiced, and exhorted all with purpose of heart to abide with the Lord; for he was a good man”. You get his credentials here, “he was a good man”. That is fine, if somebody says of a brother, “he was a good man". "And a large crowd of people were added to the Lord”. It is an attractive line of things. I think that is what it really brings out, that it is attractive, persons are attracted to it, they “were added to the Lord. And he went away to Tarsus to seek out Saul”. He saw a need. It is fine to be able to discern that, discern a need. There are needs amongst us, I appreciate that, but here is one who could discern a need, as it says, “And he went away to Tarsus to seek out Saul. And having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And so it was with them that for a whole year they were gathered together in the assembly and taught a large crowd; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch”.
Well, I just had a few simple thoughts as to Barnabas, what we might call Barnabas service. It says he was a good man. I am attracted to that. I will just read it again, “for he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith”. He had faith too. How faith is needed. Some things may look black, may look difficult, but it says that he was “full of the Holy Spirit and of faith”. We see how that characterised him. It is fine if Christ-like features characterise us. We have had what our brother has brought before us, what was seen in Christ, and that is wonderful, what a model for us, but then these certain features are to be found in us as patterned after Christ. "And so it was with them that for a whole year they were gathered together in the assembly and taught a large crowd”. What a year that must have been! How fruitful! What a fruitful year! A year has in mind every season; there is the thought of winter when things could be difficult, then there is the spring time when things begin to develop and show great promise, then there is the time of fruit. All that would enter into a year, as it says here, “And so it was with them that for a whole year they were gathered together in the assembly and taught a large crowd; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch”.
May we be encouraged! For His Name’s sake.
Edinburgh
9th August 2011