Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-21
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For Aug. 20 Barnabas
BY DIR. MARION MICH. HULL

with them, for Marks mother was
the sister of Barnabas.
Missionary
How much later than this, we
/ have no way oe knowing; but the
! Holy Spirit picked out Barnabas and
| Saul for a definite work-that of
| carrying the gospel to the uttermoSt
part; and Barnabas and Saul, with
! John Mark, set out from Antioch for
the first great missionary tour TO
| the heather world. Naturally their
| first stop was Cyprus, Barnabas
! home land.
On this tour something happened
which gives us picture 'ot bar
nabas' physical appearance. Al
Lystra Barnabas and Paul were
taken for Jupiter and Mercufyf
| Mercury was always depicted as inc
smaller of the two and more tluehI
of speech Jupiter was tall and OF
commanding appearance. Thus Bar
nabas must have been large man.
and of commanding physique OF
some reason he escaped the stoh'
ing and the terrible persecution
which Paul suffered there. At the
completion of their tour they gain
cred the church together at Anti
toch and reported to them all that
God had wrought through them
among the heather.
A Delegate
IF was not long before some Jdoa-
izers came down from Jerusalem to
insist upon the Gentle converts
conforminc to the ceremonies OF the
Low &C we'll as receive Christ by
faith, Barnabas and Paul recoS-
oized the effect this would have on
fbeiy work in the foreign field, and
resisted il strenuously. This result
cd in the first calling of the flfSt
convention of Christians to meet IN
Jerusalem to consider this Whoie
question, and Barnabas was one Oh
the delegates selected from Antloch'
Al Jerusalem it was his testimony
and that of PaulS as to what Goa
had done with them on the foreign
field which did much to win the day,
90 that we today are free from the
bondage to the ceremonial law 10
which the majority of the church
then would have subjected all be-
levers
And when the convention reached
it's decision. Barnabas was one OF tae
delegates chosen to carry the news
back to the disciples everywhere
the good news of freedom from the
law that comes by Christ Jesus.
Disagreements
After they went back to Antioch,
Paul and Barnabas continued to
teach the disciples there, for just
how long We have no means of know
ing. All went we'll until Peter came
on 2. visit. Peter had learned his
lesson. so he ate with the Gentlies
lust as though they were Jews. But
some strict Judaizers brethren caEne
down from Jerusalem, and Peter inn
mediately withdrew himself from his
former associations-andt the remark
able thing is that Barnabas also
was swept off his feet by their dis
similations. Not so Paul; he spoke
out in no uncertain manner, ana
called Peter and Barnabas down.
This probably had something to dc
with the fuss that took place short
ly after.
Paul proposed that they go on
visit again to the churches they had
formed. To this Batnabas agreed
fully: but he wanted to take Mark
along. and Paul would not nave any
one along who had left them in the
Jurch the very first time that dan
ger was sighted. Each insisted on
his position until there was par
oxysm," for so is the Greek word.
In the heat of it they separated. Inc
church seemed to have sided with
Paul; but the Holy Spirit sided with
Barnabas, for later on Paul himself
commended Mark as being profitable
for the Ministry, and the Holy Spirit
used Mark as His mouthpiece in
telling the first gospel story - the
first life of Christ.
Paul seems to have come in touch
with Paul later, too, for while he Is
not mentioned as his travelling com
panion again, Paul in writing to the
Corinthians says that he and Barna-
has have right to stop working II
they want to.
His Outstanding Characteristics
Barnabas was big of body, OF
brain. and of heart. There was moth
ing little about him. He was con
trolled by love, and love that dldn
stop to measure the consequence.
1t was this love that made him
sell all that he had and put it in
the common treasury; it was love
uf1dL Dldu6 IT'LL SlNC A1cNC'h q
when everyone else feared him. no
matter what the consequences TO
him might be. 1t was love that
made him the choice of the apostles
as an ambassador to Antioch; it was
love that made him go after Saul
TO come and teach them. 1t was
love that prompted the gift to the
saints at Jerusalem it was love that
made him go to the heather; 1t was
love that made him contend for>the
freedom from the ceremonial law; 1t
was love, the love of peace, that
made him swerve a little when Paul
swayed: and it was love that mace
him want to give John Mark sec
ond chance.
His love was not always wisely
directed as in the case of Peter, put
twas love, nevertheless.
Barnabas was controlled by love.
no wonder he was called the son OF
| consolation" Such men are needed
TODAY. but their love, to be the best
must be controlled; for truth is al
WAYS more TO be desired than eX'
pediency. Thank God for Barna'
! bas. Initiate him.