The Feast of St. Barnabas
On Thursday, June 11, many of the Western Christian Churches observe the Feast of Saint Barnabas. He was an important and prominent Christian Disciple who, with the Apostle Paul, undertook missionary journeys together in their efforts to convert Gentiles (non-Jewish people) to Christianity. He and Paul funded their travels together by working at side jobs. He spent almost a year in Antioch (Turkey) with Paul building the church there.
It is also suggested that Barnabas was a cousin of Saint Mark, the Evangelist, who also traveled with Paul and him. Although his historical activities are found mainly in the Book of Acts, he is also mentioned in some of Paul’s epistles. The suggested meaning of the name Barnabas is "son of encouragement" or "son of consolation".
He is described in Acts 11:24 as “a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” The Christian author, Tertullian, attributed the Epistle to the Hebrews to Barnabas, but that authorship is highly unlikely. His activities appear in the New Testament Book of the Acts of the Apostles. At the Council of Jerusalem, both Barnabas and Paul proposed that circumcision should not be required for Gentile Christians. After his journeys with Paul, Barnabas and Mark journeyed to Cyprus.
Christian tradition suggests Barnabas was the founder of the Cypriot Orthodox Church and was martyred at Salamis, Cyprus. It is suggested that some Jews there, who may have been jealous of Barnabas’ success, dragged him out of the synagogue, first torturing him and then stoning him to death. A non-canonical book called the Acts of Barnabas, on the other hand, says that he was dragged out with a rope around his neck where he was then burned to death.
The color of the church paraments and vestments for this commemoration is red, as befitting a martyred saint. Barnabas is venerated as a peacemaker, the Patron Saint of Cyprus and Antioch, and the preventer of hailstorms. He is pictured in red, with a pilgrim’s staff and olive branch, holding the Gospel of Matthew. He is venerated in the Roman Catholic, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, and Lutheran churches as well as by the members of the Anglican Communion.
Our Christian commission tells us to go and make disciples of all nations. There may be no greater example of obedience to the Great Commission than Barnabas: prophet, disciple, apostle to Antioch and Cyprus, missionary, and martyr. May we follow his example as we bring others to Christ.
Written by Fr. Steve Sterry, Associate Priest at Anglican Church of the Epiphany