The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-08-22
A Consecrated Man of Means
Acts 4: SO. 81: IL: 1851.

nan and full of the Holy ohoS'
md Of faith. Acts IL: "a.
The generosity at Jerusalem
sbowed Barnabas to be a conse-
gated and liberal church men,
bar He bore the good name OF
Joseph. He was of the tribe OF
levi, and must have had the
hest training. He was a native
Of Cyprus with its strict ortho-
dow and religious tolerance. He
WAS a good speaker with special
hortatory gifts. He was popular
With the Apostles who gave him
the happy surname of Barnabas'
Az the owner of farm he was
evidently well-to-do if not veal
| thv. He was generous, for he
sold a field and placed the pro-
cecds in the hands of the Apos-
Ties for the pressing benevolent
work of the church.
A CONSECRATED
| MISSIONARY
The ministry at Antioch show,
ed Barnabas to be a consecraIeo
and efficient missionary. Inc
persecution at Jerusalem culc
minating in the marthyrdom OF OF
stephen, far from putting out
the fires of Christian faith, only
spread them into distant lanus'
Thus a great missionary move
ment was started. The persec ~
ed believers did not stop IN Ine
OUTLYING districts of Judea' Sama anna
ria and Galilee, but went 10
pheniCia, the rich and influential
maritime country sklrting. 1 SltT
Mediterranean Sea north OF raj
cetine end including the cities OF
Tyre and Sidon, where pro6aDIS
churches were now founded; "
Cvprrs, the great island IN the
eastern Mediterranean, SO N
sixty miles from the MAINLAND
and to Antioch in Syria, which
with its population of half a NIL
lion was the third city IN th'
world, standing next to Rome
and Alexandria. These first ms
sionaries confined their minis
try TO the Jews only; they PROB
ably thought no others were pre-
nared to receive the gospel mes
sage, or perhaps they themselves
we're not qualified or inclined tC
nrcach to the Gentiles. But the
work was soon to widen. To An
tioch came some disciples IRON
the island of Cyprus and the re
zion of Cyrenc in North Africa
their sympathies doubtless beng
broader than those Of the Ter
nsalem saints. Under impulse
Of the Spirit, they now directly
addressed the Greeks with the
Gospel message. 1t was turn
inc, point in Christian missions
Rnt thew were manifestlv bless
ed in the undertaking, for thS
hand of the Lord was with them
And thus the church at Antlocf
was founded with a mixed popUu,
Iation of Jews and Gentiles. Vi
rourse tidiugs from Antioch
reached the mother church al
Jerusalem. 1t was good news
Int at the same time there wa:
doubtless a feeling of fear, II
not of criticism, concerning the
admission of Gentiles into the
church. Hence a fraternal mes
senger from the church at Ieru,
salem was sent to the church al
Antioch. The very best man tc
60 on this mission was a man
named Joseph, Levite, who was
so earnest, sympathetic, and et'
ficient that he was called Barn
abas, which means "Son of ex'
hortation." He seems to have
been wealthy and was certainly
LIBERAL He stood for Saul OF
Tarsus when he came to Jeru,
salem. He was a native OF
Cyprus, which would insure
breadth of view in dealing with
knottv questions. 1t was express,
w stated that he was a gooc
man. full of the Holy Spirit AND
OF 1allu. w llcH IC ISoNiiSN -Nh
tioch and came into the atmos-
phere of the church, he instantly
recognized that a great work of
grace was going on. whereupon
he was glad and "exhorted them
all, that's with purpose of heart
they could cleave unto the Lord"
He continued his special minis.
try among them with such zeal
and power that much people
was added unto the Lord" Soon
the work at Antioch assumed
such proportions that an extra
helper was needed. Barnabas
knew that the man of all men
to aid in the work was Saul of
Tarsus, Just now engaged in an
unrecorded ministry in his native
district of Cilicia. Unwilling to
risk sending a messenger to Saul,
Barnabas went himself, found