St. Barnabas 12. Commissioned to Antioch.       In St. Luke’s history of the early Church in the book of Acts, he begins with the story of the witness of the Apostles after Pentecost mostly in Palestine, and then transitions to the story of the witness of Saul/St. Paul mostly to the Gentiles. [1] The connecting person joining the two stories, or witnesses, is St. Barnabas, and the transition is found in Luke’s narration of Barnabas being sent by the Jerusalem Church to aid the Antioch Church, where he became something of a mentor to Saul ( Ac 11:19-26 ).       It is now about 41 AD, eleven years after the death of Christ and nine years after the death of St. Stephen, so disciples have already been evangelizing in Antioch for at least these nine years, both to Jews and Gentiles ( Ac 11:19-20 ). What was the result of these evangelization efforts at Antioch? “And the hand of the Lord was with them,” – a common OT expression signifying the presence of divine power validating their testimo

St. Barnabas 11. Events Leading Up to Assignment to Antioch.       Our series on the life of St. Barnabas has also brought us through the history of the Early Church. We are now up to about 35 AD, five years since Christ’s death and resurrection.       Luke sums up the next few years (probably 36-38 AD) as follows: “So the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied” ( Ac 9:31 ). Years of rest and growth for the Church.       Barnabas undoubtedly continued evangelizing over the next few years, but whether in Palestine or Antioch or elsewhere, we are not given the specifics.       In regards to Saul (not yet called Paul), now in his home town of Tarsus (modern day eastern Turkey), it may be about 38/39 AD when he had a visionary experience of being “caught up to the third heaven,” to Paradise, and “heard things that cannot be told” ( 2 Cor 12:2-4 ). This may be

Barnabas 10. Reconciliation with Saul.       During the early evangelization of the Church from around 32 to 34 AD which reached as far north as Antioch of Syria, another highly significant event occurred: the conversion of Saul, later known as St. Paul.       It was probably towards the end of 32 AD that the risen and glorified Christ Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, Syria. Jesus identified Himself with His Church as His Body when He said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” ( Ac 9:4 .) Saul, for his part, was “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” ( Ac 9:1 ), but Jesus said, “Why do you persecute Me?” and, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” ( Ac 9:4, 5 ).       Now Saul tells the story of his conversion many times in the Bible ( Ac 22:6-16 ; 26:12-18 ; Gal 1 ; Phil 3:3-11 ). Damascus of Syria is east of Tyre and Sidon, and a great distance south of Antioch. Saul remains in Damascus ( Ac 9:19b-22 ; 26:19-20 ) for a while, then spen

St. Barnabas 9. Antioch.       Last week we looked at the Biblical record of the early evangelization from around 32 to 34 AD by the Apostles, Deacons, and disciples, which undoubtedly would have included Barnabas. And we know that later, probably about 41 AD, Barnabas is sent to evangelize in Antioch of Syria ( Ac 11:22 ).       What were the beginnings of the Church in Antioch?       In the tradition of the Eastern Church, St. Peter founded the Church of Antioch in 34 AD, which is the same time frame of this early evangelization when some went as far as Antioch ( Ac 11:19-20 ). The Bible doesn’t tell us, but it may well be that Peter came to Antioch with this group. Barnabas also could have come. As he was a Cypriot, it may have been with the second group ( Ac 11:20 ). As one author puts it: “Barnabas as a Cypriote would have felt quite at home in Antioch, and the people of the city would have recognized him as a member of a neighboring community with which they were familiar.” [1] B