- Don't be a fool, Barnabas. Saul is a murderer and a spy!
Barnabas, Saul only wants to come to us that he can gather names to give to the council and bring us all to trial as he did to Stephen. Broter Peter, I turn to your leadership as always in this matter; please, tell Barnabas that we would be exposing ourselves to unnecessary risk.
Peter looked to Barnabas to speak.
- What I know, said Barnabas, is the change that came to me, to your life, Peter, and to yours, Isaac when Jesus called us . Saul met with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul is no longer a persecutor, but a brother in Christ. In fact, he left Damascus in fear for his own life because of the boldness of his testimony.
It was in such a way that Saul, who was destined to become Paul the apostle, was admitted as a brother to the church in Jerusalem by Barnabas, "the encourager".
Barnabas continued to travel with and encourage Saul for some time after that. They journeyed together to Antioch in Syria - the first to call themselves "Christians". He also supported Paul as he returned to Jerusalem to persuade the brothers there that Christianity was not to be a sect of Judaism - following all the laws of the Old Testament and just adding Jesus - but it was a transformation, surpassing the law to a life in the Spirit made possible by Jesus' death and resurection.
Barnaba was the chosen speaker over Paul on their 1st missionary journey. However, when God began to bring Paul to the forefront, Barnaba took the lesser place without complaint.
John Mark, Barnabas' nephew, had deserted Paul and Barnabas on their 1st missionaly journey when things looked like they were getting rough. Paul refused to let him come back along, but Barnabas stuck with John Mark. Paul took Silas and headed to Syria and Cilicia, and Barnabas and John Mark went to Cyprus.
Being originally from Cyprus, Barnabas stayed on there preaching Christ but fell into contention with a Jewish sorcerer because Barnabas freed the people from the fear of magic. The sorcerer stirred the non-Christians of the city against Barnabas and he was throw into prison.
When a time was set for Barnabas to come before a judge in Salamina, fearing the judge will see his inocence and release him, a mob led by the sorcerer raided the jail, put a rope around Barnabas' neck, dragged him outside the city, and burned him on 11th of June (The voice of martyrs).