Acts 11:22-23

When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.

When the church leaders in Jerusalem heard about the rapid growth of the church in Antioch they had lots of questions. Because the church in Jerusalem was strongly Jewish in character, there were some who were deeply suspicious of what was going on in Antioch. Their concern was that the followers of Jesus should follow the Old Testament law. Others were excited but wanted to know more, so they sent a representative. For this role, they needed someone who would be able to understand the non-Jewish background of most of the new converts in Antioch and who could give them plenty of encouragement. They made a very good choice when they selected Barnabas.

Barnabas came from Cyprus. He had a much wider understanding of the world than the leaders in Jerusalem, who had probably never set foot outside Judaea. More importantly, he was a man who was famous for his gift of encouragement. When we first meet Barnabas in Acts 4:36-37, Luke notes that his name means “son of encouragement”. That particular gift was crucial. If another leader from Jerusalem had visited Antioch and demanded that they should all follow the Jewish law, it could have been incredibly destructive. Thank God that they sent an encourager. When Barnabas got to Antioch, all he could do was rejoice!

Making good appointments was crucial in the early Church, and it still is today. If the Church is to thrive it needs people like Barnabas whose love for the Lord is so strong that they bring encouragement wherever they go.

Question

Who has been the greatest encourager in your Christian life?

Prayer

Loving God, thank you for all those to whom you have given the special gift of encouragement. Amen