BAR'NABAS (Gk. BapvciPas). The surname given by the Apostles to Joseph, one of the mem bers of the early -Jerusalem Church, and inter preted by the author of Acts to mean 'Son of Consolation' (Acts iv. 36). or `of Exhortation.' Ile was a Levite and a Cyprian by race, though doubtless, in view of his aunt having her home in Jerusalem. he was at this time a resident of that city. He contributed to the commu nity of goods among the disciples (Acts iv. 36, :;7). .He was sponsor for Saul (Acts ix. 27), an act which would seen not only to indicate the influential position which Barnabas held among the disciples, but to involve some previous acquaintance between Barnabas and Saul—pos sibly in Tarsus, where Barnahas, as a Hellenist of Cyprus, might have attended the university. Both of these inferences are borne out by his subsequent commission by the Church of Jeru salem to investigate the work at Antioch. from which he goes to Tarsus to secure the ser vices of Saul, with whom he remains in Antioch and works for a year. In this Antioch church he also, quite naturally. came to assume a promi nent place, being represented at the head of the prophets and teachers who were active there (Acts xiii. 1). Together with Saul. he was com missioned by the Antioch Church to carry up to Jerusalem the relief prepared for the famine stricken brethren of the city (Acts xi. 27-30), from which journey they returned only to be sent out by the home church upon missionary work for which they had been divinely selected (Acts xiii. 2).
Throughout this first missionary tour, em bracing the southern region of Asia Minor. he was the efficient companion of Paul, returning with him to Antioeh, where they became involved in the contention started by the bigoted. Jews (see JUDAIZERS) regarding the necessity of cir cumcision as a condition of salvation (Acts xv. 1), a contention to which the Jews had doubtless been aroused by the extraordinary success of the mission among the uncircumcised Gentiles. The
question was brought by them before the Apos tles and elders (Acts xv. 2). From this jour ney they returned to Antioch, where they again engaged in the work of the local church, until Paul suggested that they visit once more the churches which they had established on their missionary tour, when, owing to a dispute be tween them as to the efficieney of Mark in the work, they separated from each other, Barnabas taking Mark with him and going to Cyprus, his native place (Acts xv. 36-39). This dissension was evidently prepared for by the difficulty which occurred in Antioch between Paul and Barnabas, immediately after their return from the council at Jerusalem (Gal. ii. 11-21), where Barnabas is shown to be more or less out of harmony with Paul's broader Gentile views, and is really included with Peter in Paul's severe rebuke. From this time Barnabas disappears from Apostolic history, for Paul's mention of him in 1. Co•. ix. 6 merely implies that Barnabas was still engaged in active missionary work, not that he was again in Paul's company; while his reference to him in Col. iv. 10 would seem to indicate his death, since otherwise it is difficult to account for \lark's return to work with Paul.
The traditions concerning his subsequent life —that he proclaimed the Gospel in Rome, even during the lifetime of -Jesus; that he was found er and first bishop of the Church at Milan; and that he suffered martyrdom at Salamis, on his native island of Cyprus—are valueless.
Tertullian assigns to him the authorship of the New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews (see HE BREWS, EPISTLE TO THE), referring to the current tradition of the Church as so accepting it. and quite evidently implying that he had MS. author ity for his view. There is also a pseudepigraph ieal epistle which has come down to us under his name. See BARNABAS, ACTS AND EPISTLE OF%