St. Barnabas

Their story

Barnabas was a Jew from the island of Cyprus named Joseph. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that in the earliest days of the Church he sold a field he owned and laid the money at the apostles' feet. They gave him the name Barnabas, which means "son of encouragement," and he lived up to it. When Saul, the former persecutor, came to Jerusalem after his conversion, the disciples were afraid of him. It was Barnabas who took Saul, later called Paul, and vouched for him before the apostles. When the Church at Antioch began to grow, the apostles sent Barnabas to help. Acts says that when he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged everyone, "for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith." He went to Tarsus to find Paul and brought him to Antioch to help him. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. Barnabas and Paul set out together on the first great missionary journey, preaching in Cyprus and Asia Minor. Later they disagreed about whether to take along Barnabas's cousin Mark, who had left them before, and they went separate ways, Barnabas giving Mark a second chance. Though not one of the Twelve, Barnabas is honored as an apostle. Tradition says he died a martyr in Cyprus.