“Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.” Acts 11:23-26
The power of encouragement is greater than we might realize. Barnabas stands out as a shining example. While outreach efforts were initially focused on Jews only (Acts 11:19), Barnabas was willing to go to Greeks, who were not readily welcomed. Witnessing the work of the Spirit of God in the non-Jewish church of Antioch, he encouraged them to remain true to the Lord. Growth and success in the church could easily have been its undoing, and so Barnabas’ encouragement was needed and helpful.
Barnabas was characterized in three ways. He was, first of all, “a good man” - morally upright and generous. He was “full of the Holy Spirit” - surrendered and yielding to God’s power within. He was “full … of faith” - trusting God’s work among unlikely people. With such character qualities evident, “considerable numbers were brought to the Lord” - not to Barnabas, or an organization, but to the Lord Jesus. Unselfish service points upward rather than to individuals.
It is highly significant that Barnabas left Antioch to seek out Paul. Paul had been dramatically converted, but had been living in relative obscurity (Galatians 1:15-24). Imagine how different things would be if this son of encouragement had not sought out Paul! Our Bibles would be considerably thinner.
The lesson of Barnabas is that encouragement is vital. His encouragement was not merely a warm hug or pat on the back, but helpful admonition to “remain true to the Lord” - both in personal relationship with him, and in faithfulness to His teaching.
His encouragement factored in the growth of the church. He witnessed God’s grace, rejoiced in it, and was used to further facilitate that growth.
He saw potential in a man named Paul, and sought him out to assist with his growth. The rest, we might say, is history.
There is ever a great need for more people like Barnabas. May he inspire and motivate us to be like him.
©Steve Taylor, 2026 --Used by permission
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