St. Barnabas 16. Reflection on Antioch Years.       Continuing the story of St. Barnabas’ life, the next recorded event in the Bible is the first missionary journey of Barnabas, Saul, and Mark. But before we set on the journey with them we might reflect on Barnabas’ years in Antioch (probably three, but could be about five).       In past articles we’ve suggested that Barnabas was something of a mentor to Saul/St. Paul during their work together in Antioch. Historian Henri Daniel-Ropes writes, “[I]t was in Antioch that Saul concluded his studies in the art of apostleship, under the guidance of a truly wise and good teacher [Barnabas]. Antioch, we must remember, was the city in which the essential development in the Christian missionary outlook was even now taking shape.” [1]       This mentoring task may well have been through the influence of Barnabas’ goodness, gift of the Holy Spirit, and gift of faith ( Ac 11:24 ) ...

  St. Barnabas 15. Prison and Angelic Intervention. Starting in 37 AD and until his death in 41 AD, Emperor Caligula gradually had given kingship rule over all of Palestine to Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, the one who slaughtered the Holy Innocents. Herod Agrippa I is mentioned in Acts 12: “About that time [likely 43 AD] Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the Church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.” ( Ac 12:1-3 .) Now Barnabas and Saul are still in Jerusalem on their famine relief mission, and it is the week following Passover ( Ac 12:3 ), Easter week for the Church. Luke tells the story solely focusing on Peter: Peter is in prison, asleep, chained between two guards. While the Church was in “earnest prayer” for him, an angel came, the chains fell off, the gates opened, and they walk out of prison. God’s marvelous intervention! Peter goes to ...

  St. Barnabas 14. Famine Visit. In our continuing series on the life of St. Barnabas, we last surmised that Barnabas would have been an excellent teacher to Gentile Christian converts of the virtues of charity and generosity for those suffering a famine in Judea ( Ac 11:27-30 ). St. John Chrysostom’s (344/354-407 AD) homily on this passage points out, “Do you see how for them the famine was an encouragement to salvation, an opportunity to give alms, and a harbinger of many blessings? ... The famine was foretold so that they might prepare themselves beforehand for almsgiving.” An interesting note on the purpose of prophecy: that people might prepare to respond to the call of the prophetic message with generosity. [1] The Acts also tells us that the Church in Antioch sent their relief “to the elders [in Jerusalem] by the hand of Barnabas and Saul” ( Ac 11:30 ). Notice that Barnabas continues to be named first as the leader. The term translated “elders” here is the word “presb...

  St. Barnabas 13. Prophecy of Famine.       “Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius” ( Ac 11:27-28 ).       In the NT we hear much about the gift of prophecy. We also knew of prophets from the OT, but prophecy had ceased after Malachi in the late 5th Century BC. However, with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the gift of prophecy was poured out anew on the infant Church ( Ac 2 ).       Chronologically, it is now about 13 years since Pentecost, about 43 AD. By now, individual disciples are recognized as prophets (e.g., Ac 11:27-28 ; 13:1 ), and a few years later, St. Paul’s letters will show that the gift of prophecy was common (e.g., Ro 12:6 ; 1 Cor 12:10 , 28-29 ; 14 ; Eph 4:11 ). The Didache , written around 70-90 AD, t...