Barnabas

BARNABAS​—“SON OF COMFORT”
A prominent member of the early Jerusalem congregation was Joseph, a Levite and a native of Cyprus. The apostles gave him an additional name, descriptive of his personality​—Barnabas, meaning “Son of Comfort.” (Acts 4:36) When Barnabas saw a need among his fellow believers, he hastened to meet it.At Pentecost 33 C.E., 3,000 new disciples were baptized. It is likely that many of these had traveled to Jerusalem for the festival and had not planned to stay in the city for as long as they did. The congregation needed resources to care for this multitude. Therefore, Barnabas sold a piece of land and generously brought the money to the apostles as a contribution.​—Acts 4:32-37.
As a mature Christian overseer, Barnabas was eager to help others. It was he who aided newly converted Saul of Tarsus when all the other disciples feared him because of his reputation as a persecutor. (Acts 9:26, 27) Barnabas responded humbly when Paul gave him and Peter strong counsel concerning the proper relationship between Jewish and Gentile Christians. (Gal. 2:9, 11-14) These few examples show that Barnabas truly lived up to his name​—“Son of Comfort.”
Category:Barnabas