Barnabas Gathering

Barnabas was a very remarkable man in the New Testament. He might not be considered as one of the Twelve Apostles but without him, we would probably not have had Paul’s fruitful ministry and the benefit of his many Epistles. The apostles chose the perfect Christian name for Joses of Cyprus when they called him Barnabas—Son of Encouragement. His original name was Joses or Joseph, a Levite by family background and a wealthy landowner from Cyprus. He was so well regarded in the early Church for his encouragement of others that his name was changed from Joses to Barnabas. Every appearance of Barnabas in Scripture finds him encouraging others in the faith. He became an advocate and guide for Saul, the former enemy and persecutor of the early movement. 

Over time, with Barnabas’ coaching and encouragement, Paul became the central figure in the early spread of the gospel. Numerous churches…