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The holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostle Barnabas was chosen by Fr Raymond and his flock to be the patron saint of their newly-founded parish on their reception into the Orthodox Church, due to his gift for encouragement and his association with the Church of Antioch. His icon is part of the banner for this website, and the Orthodox Church celebrates his feast day on June 11 each year.

Troparion (Tone 3): O Holy Apostle Barnabas, / intercede with our merciful God, / to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.

Directly to:
Early Life and Conversion
St Paul's Conversion
St Barnabas in Antioch
Missionary Journey with St Paul
Council of Jerusalem
Other Scriptural References
Martyrdom

St Barnabas was born to a wealthy family in the tribe of Levi, with the name of Joseph. He studied under Gamaliel under Saul (later St Paul).

Later, he converted to The Way (as Christianity was then called) and became numbered among the Seventy Apostles. The apostles dubbed him Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement) because of his gift at comforting people's souls (see Acts 4:36).

After his conversion, St Paul had some difficulty in convincing the disciples of Christ because they didn't believe that he had truly converted. It was St Barnabas who took him in to the apostles and told them the story of St Paul's conversion and his preaching in Damascus; after this, St Paul was able to stay with the disciples and preach in Jerusalem. (Acts 9:26-28)

Some Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and preached about Jesus, with the result that many converted. When the Church at Jerusalem learnt of this, they sent St Barnabas to Antioch to investigate. He went and found them to have God's grace and, encouraging them, helped to bring people to Christ. (Acts 11:20-24)

After this, St Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for St Paul and brought him to Antioch, where they taught many people. It was at this point that the residents of Antioch called the followers of Christ by the name 'Christians' (literally, 'Christ-people'). Some prophets came from Jerusalem and prophesied a severe famine, and in response, the Church in Antioch sent aid with Sts Barnabas and Paul (Acts 11:27-30). Later, they returned with St Mark (Acts 12:25).

St Barnabas, with St Paul, was a teacher at Antioch. They were sent by the Church for missionary work, leaving Antioch by Seleucia and sailing to Cyprus. On arrival at Salamis, they preached Christ in synagogues (Acts 13:1-5). They converted the proconsol, through a miracle involving his attached magician, who was opposed to Christianity. (Acts 13:8,11-12)

They then went to Pisidian Antioch (to be distinguished from Antioch, also called Antioch on the Orontes) and St Paul preached (Acts 13:13-41) and they were invited to preach again, this time with the whole city in attendance (Acts 13:42-44). Many Jews were jealous and spoke abusively against Sts Paul and Barnabas, and they responded that as God's chosen people had rejected salvation, they would turn to the Gentiles so that they could bring salvation to the ends of the earth. (Acts 13:45-47; cf. Isaiah 49:6). Many people heard the Gospel by the efforts of Sts Barnabas and Paul, but the same jealousy caused them to be expelled, causing them to go to Iconium (Acts 13:48-52).

They went into the synagogue at Iconium, converting many, but those who did not believe opposed them vigorously. Sts Paul and Barnabas spent much time and performed many miracles, which had the effect of dividing the city between converted and unconverted. In response to the uncovering of a plot to stone them, Sts Paul and Barnabas fled to Lystra. (Acts 14:1-7)

On arrival, they saw a crippled man, and St Paul healed him. This caused the populace to call them gods - St Paul was called Hermes (because he spoke) and St Barnabas called Zeus; it developed to such an extent that the priest of the temple of Zeus went to offer sacrifices. St Paul shouted in distress not to sacrifice, and he barely succeeded. After this, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium won the crowd over and stoned St Paul. The next day, Sts Paul and Barnabas left for Derbe. (Acts 14:8-14,18-20)

Many converts were made at Derbe, and they then returned for Lystra and Iconium, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them through their trials. Sts Paul and Barnabas made presbyters in each of those churches. They then went to Antioch, preaching along the way, and on arrival, they gave a report of what had happened, particularly with regard to the mission to the Gentiles. (Acts 14:21-23,26-27).

Leading up to the Council in Jerusalem - the archetype of Church governance to this day - Sts Paul and Barnabas were in conflict with Jewish Christians who preached that one had to first follow the Law of Moses to be considered a Christian (Acts 15:1-2). After much discussion in the council, particularly between the Jewish Christians and Sts Paul and Barnabas (15:5-6), St Peter made a decisive argument that the Gentiles were accepted and given the Holy Spirit, and there was no reason why Gentiles should be expected to bear a burden that none could bear previously (15:7-11). Sts Barnabas and Paul told of the miracles among the Gentiles (15:12), and as the host bishop, St James made the final proclamation that only certain, select portions of the Law must be kept by all (15:13-14,19-21). The Church in Jerusalem sent two elders, Sts Silas and Judas (Barsabbas) with Sts Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch to give them the news (15:22-23). Judas left after a short period, but Silas stayed, along with Sts Paul and Barnabas, for some time (15:33-34).

St Paul and St Barnabas, on planning a missionary journey, had a disagreement about whether to take St Mark with them; they could not agree, and so St Paul took Silas and went through Syria and Cilicia, while St Barnabas took St Mark to Cyprus (Acts 15:36-41).

St Barnabas is cited by St Paul in some of his letters. In St Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, he asks the Corinthians if it is only he and St Barnabas who have to work for a living in addition to preaching the Gospel (1 Cor 9:6). In St Paul's epistle to the Galatians, he tells how he went with St Barnabas and St Titus to Jerusalem in order to preach to the Gentiles (Gal 2:1-2). Lastly, in St Paul's epistle to the Colossians, it is revealed that St Mark is the cousin of St Barnabas (Col 4:10).

After travelling to Cyprus, he then went to Rome and was possibly the first to preach Christ there. He was probably the first to preach at Mediolalum (now Milan), and founded the episcopal see there, and then returned to Cyprus to preach. Around the year 62, at the age of 76, the Jews there incited pagans against St Barnabas, and they took him outside the city and stoned him, and built up a fire to burn his body. St Mark found the body unharmed and buried it in a cave at the western gate of Salamis. In accordance with St Barnabas' wishes, St Mark placed a copy of the Gospel of Matthew, which he had copied in his own hand.

His burial site was forgotten for centuries, and while the site was a place of healing, no one knew why. In 448, St Barnabas appeared three times in a dream to Abp Anthemius of Cyprus and told him where the relics were buried. On digging, Christians found the incorrupt body of the saint, with the Gospel on his chest. Based on finding the body of an apostle buried there, the Church of Cyprus was regarded as Apostolic and received the right of choosing its own head ('autocephalous').

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Contact the Parish
P.O. Box 448
Southport   4215
Ph: (07) 5573 7977
E-mail: Fr Raymond
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Regular Services
Divine Liturgy
Sunday 8am
The Chapel,
18 Tonga Pl, Parkwood

The Parish of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, 2007-2008, is in the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand.
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