ACTS 11. VISIT OF BARNABAS TO ANTIOCH Gifts have been given by God to the church for various reasons. Not every person is suited to do many things, nor does God always give a variety of gifts like was given to the apostles. When a person is equipped by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the time of their conversion, their gifts will soon develop and become obvious to others when they are exercised in heart to obey and serve the Lord.
Barnabas was the right man, with the right personality, who had been given the right gifts to say and do the right things at Antioch. He didn’t seem to be a man of prejudice. Perhaps because he was from Cyprus, he had lived more closely among people of different nationalities, cultures, and religions. He seemed to know what to do and how best to do what needed to be done.
What he was, v.24. “He was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.” Character is what a person is in themselves, and is developed by what a person allows to enter into their soul by way of their senses. What we listen to, see, read, and choose to think about forms our character. That which forms character within comes out in actions, attitudes, and words. We need to take care that we let nothing that defiles either come in or come out.
Barnabas was an all-around good man. He had been saved by grace and moved to give from that which he had for the benefit of others. The work of the Holy Spirit in Barnabas was not quenched nor was He grieved. His faith was not evident merely in the words he spoke but also in the way he spoke. He was one who consoled and encouraged others, and encouragement was characteristic of this man. He had the confidence of those who were more spiritually mature than he, and he was a man they could trust to carry out a mission to which he had been assigned.
Encouragers are always needed in the work of the Lord, particularly those who can say what is necessary in an acceptable manner with firmness and compassion at the same time. Such people usually know and face their own limitations and are willing to ask for help from those who are more qualified and capable to join them in the work.
What he saw, v.23. “Had seen the grace of God (what the grace of God had done).” Different people see in their own minds different things in the same event, position, or frame of reference. Barnabas saw what the grace of God had done in the lives of sinful people who have been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. A Roman philosopher could only see “vile superstition.” Hellenists saw with pride, the comparison of their many gods to the One True God.
Spiritual discernment comes with the new nature of a new creation in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away and all things become new. To see “the grace of God,” is to recognize the reality of the power of the Gospel in changing the repentant sinner into a child of God by the new birth. That becomes evident in a person desiring to be like their Lord Jesus Christ in thoughts, words, and deeds.
Every person is different, and those who respond to the work of God in their soul will be different in some ways from other believers. However, there are some things all Christians have in common. Each one knows God as their Father and the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. They love the Lord, and the love of God is in their heart. They will also love fellow believers, and will have a concern for lost souls. The word of God becomes important to them and they want to do the will of God guided by the Spirit of God and the word of God.
What he felt, v.23. “He was glad.” It is a characteristic of a child of God to have joy when we see the work of God go forward effectively and prosper, no matter whether we are involved in a particular work or not. Not only do we find joy in what God does through others, but if possible, we will encourage that work and do what we can to assist in its growth and continuance. Whatever gladdens or saddens one’s heart, reveals the character of a person. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
What he did, v.23. “Exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.” The Holy Spirit uses the person of His choice to do what he or she has been gifted to do. To “cleave” to the Lord means to be glued to Him as a branch is connected to the Vine: a child to its mother, a husband to his wife, and a faithful follower to his Lord. Purpose of heart will mean being steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. That is a choice we make.
To be able to discern the needs of people and knowing who is suitable to meet those needs is evidence of being guided by the Holy Spirit. Saul of Tarsus came to the mind of Barnabas as a man who was suited to the needs of the believers in Antioch. Tarsus wasn’t far away from Antioch and the culture and people would be similar to what Saul grew up with. The work of establishing believers in the faith and in the truth of God is not done quickly. Saul had spent three years in Arabia learning from the Lord and now it was time for him to press on with his calling and pass on what he had been taught by the Lord.
Not only did he and Barnabas teach the truth of God, but they also taught the believers to pass on what they had learned to other people. The title “Christian” likely began as a derogatory term at first, but it became an identifying name for those who had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, turned to Him in faith, and identified themselves as followers of the Lord by believers’ baptism. They were living out what they had been taught and were following the example of the Lord in meeting the needs of others.
The famine gave opportunity to apply the Christian principles they had learned, to the actual needs of others in Judea who were hungry. By responding with benevolence to helping others, the believers in Antioch became examples of true “Christ-followers.” Similar acts of kindness and meeting spiritual and physical needs of people, identify people today as true Christians, in contrast to those who are to those who are Christians in name only. Even the government recognizes the value of what they call “faith ministries.”
TOUGH FAITH