5 Smooth Stones

(Acts 11:24) and he had the fruit of an evangelist as “a great many people were added to the Lord.” (Acts 11:24). Barnabas’ real name was Joses, but the apostles renamed him Barnabas, which is translated Son of Encouragement. Encouragement here is from the Greek word paraklesis which means “comfort, consolation, or exhortation.” We see this word in 1 Corinthians 14:3 where it says, “he who prophesies speaks edi fi cation and exhortation and comfort.” The word translated in this verse as exhortation is paraklesis. Barnabas most likely had the gift of a prophet, this also being emphasized in Acts 13:1, “Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” We know that Paul was called as a teacher (2 Timothy 1:11) and we know that after he arrived in Antioch that concentrated teaching really began, “it was [after Paul arrived] that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people.” (Acts 11:25-26). Barnabas was sent down to Antioch by the apostles to help establish the work that had been planted there by the disciples who came over from Cyprus and Cyrene. He was most likely being raised up and discipled to function as an apostle by the more senior apostles in Jerusalem. We must understand that Jesus is the one who calls and gives people into ministry (Ephesians 4:11). But what He calls must be recognized and commissioned by leaders in the church. The gift a person is called to must be recognized by others and not only commissioned at some point; this person should be discipled and trained up to function in their gift. This is an area where the church has fallen short in its la tt er days. This will be addressed later in this work. While the prophets and teachers of Antioch were gathered to pray, the Holy Spirit spoke and said to them, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2). After more prayer and fasting the leaders of the church in Antioch laid hands on them and commissioned them to go forward as sent ones from the church of Antioch. Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. Too often in the church we make our decision based upon what we feel is right or proper, and then after having made the decision, we ask the Lord to bless what we have decided. Here we see they were seeking the Lord, following all that had been established through their biblical foundations and with an ear for the Lord’s voice present. After hearing instructions from the Spirit one can only assume that the additional prayer was for blessing and also direction on how to carry out what was instructed by the Lord. Verse 3 says the church (through their 119