Saul was formerly the number one enemy of the growing Christian community as a result of his efforts to persecute and imprison any and every Christ-follower he could find. However, his encounter with the Lord Jesus Himself on the road to Damascus that left him blind was an immediate game-changer. But how could the believers know that it was not just a ploy by their enemy to get on the inside of their movement for evil purposes? Upon Saul’s arrival in Damascus, a believer named Ananias was willing to risk his life to obey God’s instructions to lay his hands on Saul so that he might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ananias even referred to Saul as “brother.” Saul’s return to Jerusalem many days later, however, did not meet with the same reception (Acts 9:26):
And when he had come to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
It was a very “human” response; one to which many of us can relate. But God raised up another “Ananias” in Jerusalem (v. 27):
But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of the Lord.
According to the end of Acts 4, Barnabas was not his actual name – it was Joseph. But he was called Barnabas by the apostles which means Son of Encouragement – quite the nickname: I’d gladly take that one! Later in Acts 14 we find that Barnabas was considered an apostle. Yet he was willing to risk his high reputation in order to vouch for Saul as a brother-in-Christ to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. And later when Barnabas was sent by the leaders in Jerusalem to encourage a new work that was emerging in the city of Antioch (Acts 11), we’re told that Barnabas eventually went to Tarsus, Saul’s home city, to find him and bring him to Antioch to help establish the new church there (v. 26).
…for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Have you had a Barnabas or two in your life – someone who was willing to give of themselves to encourage you in your Christian walk in ministry? If so, we should have a grateful heart to the Lord and to them. If not, that’s a good prayer request that God would love to answer. Even better, ask the Lord for that person or persons to whom you can be a Barnabas to encourage in the Lord for His sake.