St. Barnabas

Barnabas begins as Joseph, a Levite of Cyprus, already so trusted that the apostles rename him for encouragement and single him out when he sells his property for the support of the Church. He is the man who takes Paul by the hand when the Christians of Jerusalem are still afraid of him after his conversion, and he is later sent from Jerusalem to steady and enlarge the fast-growing church at Antioch. Seeing the work widen, he goes to Tarsus to fetch Paul, and together they help form the community where the disciples are first called Christians. His life then moves through the famine relief mission to Jerusalem, through the moment when the Holy Ghost sets apart Paul and Barnabas for missionary work, and through the first great apostolic journey: Cyprus, the conversion of Sergius Paulus at Paphos, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, with both success and violence along the way. He is also present at the Council of Jerusalem, helping defend the freedom of Gentile converts from the full burden of Jewish ritual law.

The last clear New Testament scene is sadder. A sharp disagreement with Paul over John Mark leads Barnabas to sail back to Cyprus with Mark while Paul sets out with Silas. After that Scripture falls silent. Later writers assign Barnabas to places like Alexandria, Rome, and Milan and even attach books to his name, but the solid life ends where the New Testament leaves him: generous, trusted, missionary, and partly hidden from view.