But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
I've heard the name Barnabas defined as “son of consolation” and “son of rest.” The ancient Hebrew appears to be closer to “son of the prophet.” The original Hebrew word likely meant something like “the fruit that’s inside” or one’s character.
No doubt, Barnabas was a man of character. He was:
- generous (selling his property to care for the poor),
- courageous (risking himself to meet with and vouch for Saul’s salvation),
- visionary (recognizing the work in Antioch and seeking out Saul to serve there),
- surrendered (willing to be sent as a missionary), and
- gracious (willing to forgive John Mark).
Every strength we have can also become a weakness. Barnabas’ graciousness later caused a division between he and Paul. I won’t say Paul was in the wrong—he was the man God used to give us the bulk of the New Testament, and Barnabas is never mentioned again. However, that doesn’t mean Barnabas was out of God’s will. Though we don’t hear of him again, we do see his fruit later—when Paul, near the end of his life, declares that John Mark is profitable for the ministry.
The quality of grace is of great value. But it must be checked by truth. Grace, without truth, can become license.
#BarnabasTheEncourager #GraceAndTruth#CharacterMatters #BoldForChrist #FaithfulFruit
The Encourager’s Strengths and Struggles: The Hidden Impact of Ministry
Barnabas showed us the power of grace and truth in action. How can you apply both in your life today? Share your thoughts in the comments! Start by reaching out to someone who needs encouragement and show them both grace and truth in your words and actions.
🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.
👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.
To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
For this and, more than 6700 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.
If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.
My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org
Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/
Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more
Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.
No comments:
Post a Comment