Barnabas, a Levite and a Cypriot by nation, was one of the seventy-two disciples. His name is interpreted “son of one who comes,” “son of consolation,” or “son who concludes.”
He is greatly commended in the Acts of the Apostles. Of the seventy-two disciples of Christ, the Church throughout the world solemnly celebrates Barnabas alone.
The apostles gave him to Paul as a companion for preaching among the Gentiles and for procuring alms for the poor worshipers of Christ who lived together in common at Jerusalem, especially during the famine that occurred throughout the world under Emperor Claudius.
Paul himself bears witness to this in Galatians 2. He says that when he had conferred the Gospel with Peter, James the Less, and John at Jerusalem, they gave to him and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship so that they would remember the poor who were at Jerusalem.
Barnabas was also the man who presented Saul, converted into Paul, before the apostles when Paul went to Jerusalem three years after his conversion. He attested Paul’s true conversion, which many believed not to be genuine but feigned. Hence they did not dare associate with him.
Barnabas was very well ordered with respect to himself, to God, and to his neighbor.
With respect to himself, he was ordered according to all his powers: the rational, the concupiscible, and the irascible. The rational power is ordered through the light of true knowledge. Barnabas possessed this not only in the common manner, through true faith, but in a singular manner, because he is numbered among the teachers and prophets.
Acts 13 says that there were teachers and prophets in the church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon, and others. As blessed Dorotheus writes, Barnabas was the first to preach Christ at Rome.
The concupiscible power is well ordered when it is clean from the dust of worldly affection and greed. Acts 4 shows that Barnabas possessed this purity, saying that Joseph, who was called Barnabas, owned a field, sold it, and placed its price at the apostles’ feet.
The irascible power is governed through the strength of fortitude by undertaking difficult things as one ought and patiently enduring adversities. The apostles bore witness to this concerning him when they sent Barnabas with Paul and letters to the faithful at Antioch. Acts 15 says: “To our most beloved Paul and Barnabas, who delivered their souls”—that is, their lives—“for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” For Christ he finally endured the martyrdom of fire, as will be said below.
With respect to God, he was well ordered by showing deference to divine authority, majesty, and goodness.
He deferred to divine authority because he did not usurp for himself the office of preaching, which was instituted by God, but was sent by God. Thus in Acts 13 the Holy Spirit said: “Set apart for me Paul and Barnabas for the work to which I have assumed them,” namely, preaching.
He deferred to God’s majesty when some people wished to attribute divine majesty to him and Paul and to sacrifice to them as gods because they had healed a sick man. Calling Barnabas the god Jupiter and Paul Mercury, they wished to sacrifice. Paul and Barnabas tore their garments as a sign of detestation and restrained them, asserting that they were not gods but human servants of Jesus Christ, as appears in Acts 14.
He deferred to divine goodness when certain converts from the Jews disparaged the goodness of God’s grace—which saves us freely, not because of our works—by asserting that no one could be saved without circumcision and observance of the legal prescriptions. Paul and Barnabas resisted them, affirming that the faithful obtain eternal salvation solely by the goodness of God’s grace, without the legal observances. Against the error of the others, they procured letters from the apostles at Jerusalem and carried them to Antioch, as appears in Acts 15.
With respect to his neighbor, Barnabas was ordered most excellently by assisting him through word, example, and temporal aid.
He helped by word because he continually and diligently proposed God’s word. Thus Acts 15 says: “Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, teaching and evangelizing the word of God.”
He helped by example because his life was highly exemplary. He was conspicuous for the goodness of every virtue, full of the grace of the Holy Spirit, and distinguished in faith. Acts 11 says of him that “he exhorted everyone to remain in the Lord with purpose of heart, because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.”
He helped by temporal aid because he procured alms with Paul and carried them to those who were at Jerusalem. He also practiced spiritual almsgiving by forgiving the offense committed against him by Mark, his cousin, when Mark left him and Paul to go visit his relatives, overcome by a certain natural affection. This is in Acts 20 [read: Acts 15:37–39].
After Paul and Barnabas had long traveled together through the world preaching, an angel finally revealed to Paul that he should go to Jerusalem, while it was revealed to Barnabas that he should go to Cyprus.
When they related these revelations to each other, Barnabas prostrated himself at Paul’s feet with many tears poured forth from their intimate friendship, saying: “Now I go to Cyprus to end my life there. Alas, I shall see your face no more.”
Paul compassionately answered: “Do not weep, for this is the Lord’s will. The Lord also appeared to me this night and said: ‘Do not prevent Barnabas from going to Cyprus, for he will enlighten many there and consummate his martyrdom.’”
They therefore departed from each other. Barnabas and his cousin Mark, discussed above, who also wrote Barnabas’s passion in Greek, while Bede translated it into Latin, went to Cyprus.
Barnabas carried Saint Matthew’s Gospel with him and healed many by placing it upon the sick.
One day Barnabas saw men and women running together naked and celebrating their festivals. Indignant at such dishonor, he cursed the temple. Part of it immediately collapsed and crushed many of them.
When Barnabas entered the city of Salamis, a Jewish magician stirred up a sedition against him. The Jews seized Barnabas, inflicted many injuries upon him, and hastened to drag him before the judge. Fearing that the governor might release him free, they placed a rope around his neck, dragged him outside the city, and burned him with fire.
Still unsatisfied, they intended to place his bones in a certain little vessel and cast them into the sea. John, who is also called Mark, seized them by night and buried them in a crypt. The body lay hidden there until the five-hundredth year of the Lord. Then, while Gelasius was pope and Zeno emperor, it was revealed and raised from that place.