Saint Barnabas: Daring to Trust a Former Persecutor

The community in Jerusalem was still afraid of Saul, the man who had once persecuted them. But Barnabas, a Levite Jew and a native of Cyprus, dared to vouch that Saul's conversion was truly sincere. He had settled in Jerusalem and was among the first to embrace the Christian faith after the Lord's Resurrection.

A generous son of consolation

The name Barnabas is actually a nickname. Pope Benedict XVI, who recounted his story from the Acts of the Apostles at a General Audience, explained that the name means son of consolation or son of encouragement. His faith showed itself in great generosity: he sold a field that belonged to him and gave the money to the Apostles for the needs of the Church.

Working with Paul

When he was sent to Antioch in Syria, Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, who is also known as Paul. At that time Paul had gone back to live in his hometown. The two spent a whole year proclaiming the Gospel in Antioch, an important city where Barnabas was known as a prophet and teacher. In Benedict XVI's reading, at the time of the first conversions of the Gentiles, Barnabas realized that Saul's hour had come. By going to get him, Barnabas, as it were, restored the Apostle to the Gentiles to the Church.

The Church of Antioch sent Barnabas with Paul to visit Cyprus and Central and Southern Anatolia. This journey is known as Paul's first missionary journey. But according to Benedict XVI, it was actually Barnabas who was in charge, while Paul came along as his collaborator. The former persecutor whom the community had once feared was now Barnabas's companion in mission.

The disagreement over Mark

Their partnership was tested at the beginning of the second missionary journey. Barnabas was determined to take John called Mark along as a traveling companion, but Paul refused, because the young man had deserted them during the previous journey. These two preachers of the Gospel did not agree. Benedict XVI saw this as a sign that disagreements can arise even among saints.

Barnabas and Paul went their separate ways. Barnabas returned to Cyprus with John Mark in about the year 49, while Paul took Silas as his new traveling companion. From that point on, Barnabas's trail is lost. According to the Pope, Paul, who had at first been somewhat harsh and bitter toward Mark, in the end found himself with him once again; in the Letter to Philemon and the Second Letter to Timothy, Mark is called his fellow worker. That account does not record a direct reconciliation between Barnabas and Paul.

Holiness according to Benedict XVI

From this disagreement, Benedict XVI drew a lesson about holiness. He taught that holiness does not mean that a person has never erred or sinned. Rather, holiness increases the capacity to repent, to start again, and above all to reconcile and forgive. It is this capacity, not a record free of mistakes, that makes a person a saint.