11.08 | Son of the Prophets

Acts 11

‘The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.’

Acts 11:22-26

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When I was a teenager, I sensed one day God speaking to me about some themes about grace and freedom. I wrote them down, and shared them with my youth worker, Simon. Simon asked me to share them as the talk in an upcoming youth meeting. 

I’m pretty sure that the talk that day was technically a mess, although I still believe the message was truth, which is always the more important matter. But Simon saw something in what God was speaking to me that he believed needed shared with a wider group. I wouldn’t say that I realised on that day that God was calling me to teaching and preaching as a major part of my life story, but as I look back I’m grateful to Simon for seeing something in me that needed nurtured and released. And as I look back on my journey, I can write a long list of those who have listened and encouraged and created opportunities for me to lead and grow and find my calling. I’m now grateful to Karen, Andy, Mark, Pete, Fr. Nicolas, James, David, another James, Alistair, Richard, Rachel, Tim and Antony, not to mention my parents and so many other friends and encouragers, for giving me the courage to step forward and respond to God’s lead in my life.

There’s an unsung hero in the pages of Acts. He’s a guy that we can easily miss, because, in the moments that he appears, he seems peripheral, and we are more adept at noticing the characters that we consider to be the main ones. But this character is essential for the story, who, in quiet and unnoticed ways, is essential to the outworking of this Kingdom movement through Acts.

His name is Barnabas. 

His name is mentioned 28 times in Acts alone. And yet he’s surprisingly easy to miss.

Barnabas was previously a Levite—a Jewish worker in the temple—who was formerly known as Joseph. The apostles renamed him as Barnabas. He joins the story in Acts 4, selling a field and giving his resource to the church. 

We next meet Barnabas in Acts 9, where the Church doubt the truth of Saul’s (Paul’s) conversion. But it is Barnabas who finds Paul, brings him into the Church, and legitimates his ministry. 

Today we meet him again. This time, he has been sent to Antioch. We don’t know this yet, but Antioch is about to become a key mission base for the missionary work to the nations of Europe. Barnabas sees something of significant happening here, and knows that Paul will be essential to this work. So he goes and fetches him, bringing him to Antioch. 

So he goes on. In Chapter 12, he and Saul invite the young John Mark into missionary work (Mark goes on to write the second Gospel). In Chapter 13 he is named among the prophets of Antioch, and is sent, with Paul, on the first missionary journey, which takes them into incredible stories of power and transformation and new believers, in Acts 13-14. Barnabas is present at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, and he is still believing in and putting forward John Mark—even when Paul has lost trust in him.

Barnabas means ‘son of the prophets’, and he is an exemplar of the role of the prophetic in church community. For the prophetic gifting does not merely foretell; the prophetic gives heavenly insight and heavenly perspective, which includes calling out heavenly vocation. The prophetic encourages and mobilises the people of God, both hearing and responding to the plans of God for communities and individuals.

As the story of Acts continues, so often it is Barnabas who is behind the scenes, seeing potential in those who others would disregard. It is Barnabas who helps them find their right place for ministry, who encourages and directs, who accompanies and serves.

The Church of God needs people like Barnabas. It needs those who do not merely see what is, but the potential of what could be. It needs those who will encourage, mobilise, and help position the people of God within the purposes of God. It needs people who will give the microphone to teenagers and speak courage back to the fearful. It needs us to be a people, not focused merely on our own contribution, but continually thinking on how we can mobilise the contribution of others.

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Reflect:

Who has been a Barnabas for me? Thank God for them.

Who can I be a Barnabas for right now?

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Pray:

Father,

I give much attention,

At times,

To my story—

My vocation, my career, my gifts, my significance.

There is something, beautiful, though,

In the Barnabas way;

Whose ministry was the unseen work of

Enabling others into their story,

And who,

In doing so,

Mobilised such fruitfulness for your Kingdom.

Today, Father,

Would you open my eyes,

To see in people their potential rather than their past,

And their future rather than their failures.

Teach me to encourage and enable, 

To motivate and mobilise,

Positioning your people around me

With greater courage and true joy

Into your design for their lives.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

Old Testament: 

For those also reading the Old Testament this year, your additional readings are here:

Jeremiah 46-47 | Psalm 97