BARNABA. – An eminent collaborator of the Apostles, especially associated with s. Paolo. His name was Giuseppe; the Apostles surnamed him B., that is, “son of prophecy” or “of preaching” (Aramaic bar nébhú'áh), thereby signifying his effective gifts as an “exhorter” among the nascent Church.
A Levite by tribe and a Cypriot by birth, he was the cousin of Marco the Evangelist (Col. 4, 10). He went to live in Jerusalem, where he owned a house, which he sold and handed over the proceeds to the Apostles (Act. 4, 16-17). He presented the newly converted Paolo to the Apostles, supporting him with his authority (Act. 9, 26-27). Because of the great esteem in which he was held (« vir bonus et plénus Spiritu sancto et fide »; Act. 11, 24), he was sent to Antioch to direct the Christian community that had arisen there. From there « he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and having found him, brought him to Antioch » (Act. 11, 25), where they worked together for an entire year with great success. Paolo then went with him to Jerusalem to bring aid during the famine in the time of Claudius (Act. 11, 10). On returning to Antioch, he was consecrated together with Paolo for the evangelization of the Gentiles (Act. 13, 2).
They set out on a mission to Cyprus, from which they proceeded to Perge, Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, and Listri. At Listri the people, enthusiastic about the miracle-working preachers, believed them to be two gods: the eloquent Paolo was acclaimed as Mercury and B., perhaps because of his imposing physique, as Jupiter (Act. 13-14).
On returning to Antioch, both were again sent to Jerusalem, where they consulted the Apostles concerning the obligation of circumcision (Act. 15, 1-26). They then planned to return to Asia Minor to visit the communities founded during the preceding mission. But Paolo refused to take Marco as well, B.’s cousin, who had abandoned them on the previous journey. They therefore separated; B. preferred to go with Marco to Cyprus, while Paolo traveled overland and retraced the route of the first mission (Act. 15, 36-41). The harmony among the three remained unaltered, as appears from the benevolent references
