WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.623 --> 00:00:05.023 Grace, mercy and peace, be yours from God our Father and the Lord 2 00:00:05.023 --> 00:00:05.623 Jesus Christ. 3 00:00:05.623 --> 00:00:06.923 Amen. 4 00:00:10.023 --> 00:00:11.423 Dear friends in Christ. 5 00:00:12.923 --> 00:00:15.923 Every time my attention is directed to Barnabas 6 00:00:15.923 --> 00:00:19.123 I tell myself that this will be the time 7 00:00:19.123 --> 00:00:25.223 I will finally read three ancient texts that are not part of our Bible 8 00:00:25.223 --> 00:00:28.923 but that all claim to have something to do with Barnabas. 9 00:00:29.823 --> 00:00:35.523 The Epistle of Barnabas, The Acts of Barnabas, and the Encomium on 10 00:00:35.523 --> 00:00:37.523 Barnabas or Vita et 11 00:00:37.523 --> 00:00:38.423 passio Barnabae. 12 00:00:40.523 --> 00:00:42.723 Well, it wasn't. 13 00:00:44.023 --> 00:00:45.723 I still haven't read any of them. 14 00:00:46.623 --> 00:00:52.323 But I did read more about them and that more reminded me of what I 15 00:00:52.323 --> 00:00:52.823 already knew. 16 00:00:53.823 --> 00:00:57.523 None of these three works is properly about Barnabas. 17 00:00:58.623 --> 00:00:59.523 In diverse ways 18 00:00:59.523 --> 00:01:02.023 each of these three writings weaves 19 00:01:02.023 --> 00:01:06.623 the name of Barnabas his reputation, his character threads of his 20 00:01:06.623 --> 00:01:07.123 history 21 00:01:08.123 --> 00:01:12.823 into a tapestry dominated by strands of its own real agenda. 22 00:01:14.323 --> 00:01:19.523 Agendas that have little if anything to do with the Barnabas, we know 23 00:01:19.523 --> 00:01:22.423 from Acts and the letters of Paul. 24 00:01:24.323 --> 00:01:28.223 Did Barnabas really teach that the true meaning of the Torah's 25 00:01:28.223 --> 00:01:33.523 prohibition of the eating of pork was that you shall not consorte with 26 00:01:33.523 --> 00:01:35.223 men who are like swine? 27 00:01:36.923 --> 00:01:40.323 Was the enduring accomplishment of Barnabas's years of ministry the 28 00:01:40.323 --> 00:01:45.323 antiquity, and the independence of the Cypriot church. 29 00:01:47.223 --> 00:01:48.823 Is his lasting legacy 30 00:01:48.823 --> 00:01:54.223 the fact that even today, we do not use the possibly Theopaschite 31 00:01:54.223 --> 00:01:59.023 edition to the tryisogie introduced by the non Caledonian 32 00:01:59.023 --> 00:02:03.623 and tyrannical, Peter, the Fuller the late 5th Century patriarch of 33 00:02:03.623 --> 00:02:03.923 Antioch. 34 00:02:07.123 --> 00:02:09.223 A Brief Review confirmed for me 35 00:02:10.323 --> 00:02:14.523 that none of these documents could provide us with a text 36 00:02:14.523 --> 00:02:19.523 that would justify today's commemoration of this apostle from the 37 00:02:19.523 --> 00:02:20.123 Levites. 38 00:02:22.523 --> 00:02:23.923 For that brief review 39 00:02:23.923 --> 00:02:25.123 did something else too. 40 00:02:26.423 --> 00:02:28.323 It raised for me, the question. 41 00:02:30.123 --> 00:02:33.323 When are we using Barnabas for? 42 00:02:35.523 --> 00:02:39.823 Could some part of our fascination with these lesser-known people, 43 00:02:39.823 --> 00:02:44.223 from the biblical record, be due to the fact that because we know so 44 00:02:44.223 --> 00:02:50.623 little, they have a kind of flexibility and makes them ready heroes 45 00:02:50.623 --> 00:02:52.123 for our campaigns. 46 00:02:53.823 --> 00:02:56.123 A question I was left with was not. 47 00:02:56.123 --> 00:02:58.023 Why should we? 48 00:02:59.823 --> 00:03:04.923 But why are we commemorating Barnabas here this morning? 49 00:03:06.823 --> 00:03:09.223 Is he the man who gave the church Paul? 50 00:03:11.023 --> 00:03:15.723 Is he the man who gave the church a necessary counterbalance to Paul? 51 00:03:16.823 --> 00:03:20.523 Is he the man who proved that disagreeing with Paul would always end 52 00:03:20.523 --> 00:03:20.523 badly? 53 00:03:22.623 --> 00:03:24.523 Should this message have been titled? 54 00:03:24.523 --> 00:03:27.423 Hi Barnabas. 55 00:03:28.323 --> 00:03:31.923 Even Barnabas from Galatians 2 56 00:03:31.923 --> 00:03:36.123 even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 57 00:03:37.823 --> 00:03:38.523 Our should 58 00:03:38.523 --> 00:03:41.423 Its title have been Barnabas da. 59 00:03:42.623 --> 00:03:44.023 But Barnabas 60 00:03:46.323 --> 00:03:51.623 From Acts 15, but Barnabas wanted to give John Mark a second chance. 61 00:03:51.623 --> 00:03:56.123 Not fail him out of the whole program because of one low grade. 62 00:03:58.323 --> 00:04:04.023 Barnabas the apostolic headhunter. Barnabas the coach. Barnabas the 63 00:04:04.023 --> 00:04:08.123 Pauline stepping-stone. Barnabas the bridge. Barnabas the mediator. 64 00:04:08.123 --> 00:04:14.123 Barnabas the soft. Barnabas the hypocrite. Barnabas the superseded. 65 00:04:14.123 --> 00:04:16.323 Barnabas the ecumenical. 66 00:04:17.923 --> 00:04:20.023 Barnabas the principal. 67 00:04:22.923 --> 00:04:27.223 All of these uses have been and are being made of Barnabas making him 68 00:04:27.223 --> 00:04:30.323 one of the most useful fellows in the whole New Testament. 69 00:04:31.923 --> 00:04:35.423 Though, some of them do point to things that we do need to know about 70 00:04:35.423 --> 00:04:36.023 Barnabas. 71 00:04:37.423 --> 00:04:38.923 Each and their own way 72 00:04:38.923 --> 00:04:40.423 miss, the main point. 73 00:04:41.123 --> 00:04:45.223 Miss the point of why we are even talking about him here this morning. 74 00:04:46.823 --> 00:04:48.523 Aware of the risks involved 75 00:04:48.523 --> 00:04:54.423 I want to know ask all of these pseudo and quasi Barnabas' to 76 00:04:54.423 --> 00:04:55.523 please leave the chapel 77 00:04:56.823 --> 00:05:03.423 so then we can focus on one brief one very intimate moment captured by 78 00:05:03.423 --> 00:05:05.223 Luke in Acts 11. 79 00:05:06.723 --> 00:05:11.023 A moment where we see just plain and simple Barnabas 80 00:05:12.023 --> 00:05:13.223 and his gaunt. 81 00:05:19.023 --> 00:05:21.923 I believe they've all left the room and we can proceed. 82 00:05:24.423 --> 00:05:26.723 Look again, at Acts 11:23. 83 00:05:28.323 --> 00:05:33.323 When Barnabas came to Antioch and saw the grace of God, 84 00:05:34.823 --> 00:05:35.523 he was glad. 85 00:05:37.823 --> 00:05:41.923 You can hear a hint of alliteration in the ESV translation but that 86 00:05:41.923 --> 00:05:44.123 hardly does justice to Luke's Greek. 87 00:05:45.123 --> 00:05:51.923 Grace, cháris, in Greek, and be glad, charo in 88 00:05:51.923 --> 00:05:56.623 Greek are two branches from the same lexical vine. 89 00:05:57.823 --> 00:06:00.523 AOur Greek Lexicon notes that cháris 90 00:06:00.523 --> 00:06:08.023 it seems is not always clearly differentiated in meaning from Chará the 91 00:06:08.023 --> 00:06:09.123 Greek word for joy. 92 00:06:10.923 --> 00:06:15.223 We could then translate Barnabas saw the joy of the Lord and was 93 00:06:15.223 --> 00:06:16.623 himself filled with joy. 94 00:06:17.923 --> 00:06:19.723 Or better still, I think. 95 00:06:21.223 --> 00:06:24.123 Barnabas saw the Lord's delight 96 00:06:25.323 --> 00:06:26.623 and was delighted. 97 00:06:29.823 --> 00:06:33.923 I can find no other place in the New Testament where a person is said 98 00:06:33.923 --> 00:06:36.923 to see the grace of God. 99 00:06:38.823 --> 00:06:43.323 The closest is probably Paul's statement in Galatians 2 that James 100 00:06:43.323 --> 00:06:46.523 Cephas and John knew the grace that had been given to Paul. 101 00:06:48.323 --> 00:06:52.623 Barnabas saw the grace of God. 102 00:06:55.523 --> 00:06:57.323 What exactly do you think he saw? 103 00:07:00.423 --> 00:07:04.123 We might be tempted to answer, well he saw that many people had 104 00:07:04.123 --> 00:07:07.023 come to Faith that they believed and turned to the Lord. 105 00:07:08.623 --> 00:07:11.123 And yet on the one hand, 106 00:07:12.623 --> 00:07:18.023 Faith may be even harder to see than Grace's is and on the other Luke 107 00:07:18.023 --> 00:07:22.523 could have simply said, Barnabas saw their faith and was glad. 108 00:07:25.123 --> 00:07:27.323 What Barnabas sees 109 00:07:28.523 --> 00:07:32.923 the thing that makes him glad is something that belongs to God. 110 00:07:34.223 --> 00:07:36.123 Not to the Believers of Antioch. 111 00:07:37.223 --> 00:07:40.123 And I think that's very important for us to see. 112 00:07:42.423 --> 00:07:50.923 Barnabas sees how God delights in people, all people, his people. 113 00:07:50.923 --> 00:07:55.923 God takes so much delight in people that he allows those who already 114 00:07:55.923 --> 00:08:00.223 belong to him to be scattered and persecuted for the sake of those 115 00:08:00.223 --> 00:08:00.523 who 116 00:08:00.523 --> 00:08:05.323 don't. God takes so much delight in people that he has people from 117 00:08:05.323 --> 00:08:10.223 Jerusalem traveling to Cyprus and people from Cyprus traveling to 118 00:08:10.223 --> 00:08:10.723 Antioch. 119 00:08:12.223 --> 00:08:16.023 God takes so much delight in people that He blesses, the work of these 120 00:08:16.023 --> 00:08:17.823 refugee missionaries. 121 00:08:17.823 --> 00:08:19.323 He gives them a hand. 122 00:08:20.123 --> 00:08:26.623 Not applause, but his hand, his mighty hand, a hand that can grab hold 123 00:08:26.623 --> 00:08:28.523 of a whole bunch of people all at once 124 00:08:29.923 --> 00:08:35.723 and bring them close and hold them to his heart. 125 00:08:36.823 --> 00:08:41.423 God takes so much delight in people that he made both Lord and Christ 126 00:08:41.423 --> 00:08:42.923 his own son. 127 00:08:42.923 --> 00:08:46.623 Whom we killed whom he raised, 128 00:08:47.423 --> 00:08:49.823 so that when Jesus comes to your house, 129 00:08:50.823 --> 00:08:53.223 salvation comes to your house. 130 00:08:54.123 --> 00:08:59.423 That's how much delight God takes in people. And seeing it 131 00:08:59.423 --> 00:09:05.223 Barnabas could not Barnabas could not help, but be filled with that same 132 00:09:05.223 --> 00:09:05.723 delight. 133 00:09:08.523 --> 00:09:09.223 Can you? 134 00:09:11.223 --> 00:09:19.723 Do you see how much delight God takes in the people around you? 135 00:09:21.423 --> 00:09:23.023 Not because they've proven themselves 136 00:09:23.023 --> 00:09:27.423 faithful followers of the Lord, not because of anything in them. 137 00:09:27.423 --> 00:09:30.423 But because of something in your God. 138 00:09:31.323 --> 00:09:32.723 Because of his delight. 139 00:09:32.723 --> 00:09:34.423 That's why he Delights in them. 140 00:09:34.423 --> 00:09:36.223 He delights to delight in them. 141 00:09:38.323 --> 00:09:39.423 Can you see it? 142 00:09:41.823 --> 00:09:43.823 Does it fill you with delight? 143 00:09:47.023 --> 00:09:51.123 It's hard to be certain whether or not Barnabas is to be included 144 00:09:51.123 --> 00:09:51.923 among the disciples 145 00:09:51.923 --> 00:09:57.223 whom at the beginning of Acts, the Lord Jesus declares to be his 146 00:09:57.223 --> 00:09:58.023 witnesses. 147 00:09:59.023 --> 00:10:03.023 We just don't know at what moment, Barnabas joined, this fellowship. 148 00:10:04.623 --> 00:10:08.223 But he does add a deimension to the idea of witness that I especially 149 00:10:08.223 --> 00:10:08.923 like. 150 00:10:09.923 --> 00:10:13.523 Barnabas sees, and he rejoices. 151 00:10:14.923 --> 00:10:16.223 And he acts. 152 00:10:17.623 --> 00:10:22.323 And I mean acts. We more often see Barnabas doing stuff. 153 00:10:22.323 --> 00:10:25.823 Then we hear Barnabas saying stuff. 154 00:10:27.623 --> 00:10:31.823 Luke doesn't give us a single sermon, where Barnabas is, is the only 155 00:10:31.823 --> 00:10:32.723 voice we hear. 156 00:10:34.123 --> 00:10:38.123 Barnabas appears suddenly in Acts 4 and without saying a word 157 00:10:38.123 --> 00:10:41.423 lays, his gift at the feet of the Apostles 158 00:10:42.523 --> 00:10:43.923 and then gets back to work. 159 00:10:46.023 --> 00:10:48.323 And that brings us back to Acts 11. 160 00:10:49.823 --> 00:10:52.823 Barnabas, Luke tells us in verse 24, 161 00:10:53.923 --> 00:10:55.423 was a good man. 162 00:10:56.823 --> 00:11:01.923 And before you even begin to think that good is second only to nice as 163 00:11:01.923 --> 00:11:03.523 a watered-down compliment. 164 00:11:03.523 --> 00:11:05.123 Let me point out 165 00:11:05.123 --> 00:11:09.323 that Luke only refers to one other person by name 166 00:11:10.223 --> 00:11:11.423 as a good man. 167 00:11:13.323 --> 00:11:16.223 Oddly this other man's name was also Joseph. 168 00:11:17.123 --> 00:11:18.623 Joseph of Arimathea. 169 00:11:20.023 --> 00:11:23.423 Both of these men illustrate the truth taught by our Lord, that the 170 00:11:23.423 --> 00:11:27.823 good person out of the good treasure of his heart, produces good. 171 00:11:28.923 --> 00:11:30.723 Where out of the abundance of the heart 172 00:11:30.723 --> 00:11:32.323 his mouth speaks. 173 00:11:33.423 --> 00:11:37.723 And both of these men force us back to our Lord's statement that no one 174 00:11:37.723 --> 00:11:38.323 is good 175 00:11:38.323 --> 00:11:40.423 except God. 176 00:11:42.123 --> 00:11:43.723 How could Barnabas be good 177 00:11:43.723 --> 00:11:45.423 if no one is good but God alone? 178 00:11:47.923 --> 00:11:50.323 Because God filled him. 179 00:11:51.523 --> 00:11:56.923 Barnabas was full of the good spirit of God and Barnabas trusted that 180 00:11:56.923 --> 00:11:57.923 God completely. 181 00:11:58.923 --> 00:12:03.423 So, while the Lord was adding people to himself, Barnabas, went to 182 00:12:03.423 --> 00:12:03.923 look for Saul. 183 00:12:05.623 --> 00:12:08.823 He was a good man and so he went. 184 00:12:10.323 --> 00:12:11.623 He was filled with the spirit 185 00:12:12.923 --> 00:12:13.923 and so, he went. 186 00:12:15.023 --> 00:12:15.923 He was faithful 187 00:12:15.923 --> 00:12:18.123 and so he went. 188 00:12:19.523 --> 00:12:20.623 He was delighted 189 00:12:22.223 --> 00:12:23.423 and so, he went. 190 00:12:26.223 --> 00:12:30.323 Martin Franzmann said of Barnabas that he is a telling example of the 191 00:12:30.323 --> 00:12:36.323 validity of Jesus's law to him, who has will more be given and he will 192 00:12:36.323 --> 00:12:37.123 have abundance. 193 00:12:39.223 --> 00:12:40.423 I could not agree more. 194 00:12:41.723 --> 00:12:45.423 But I think it would be misunderstanding both, Franzmann and St. 195 00:12:45.423 --> 00:12:50.223 Luke to think that Barnabas lived, a life of ease and prosperity. 196 00:12:51.623 --> 00:12:53.323 What Barnabas had 197 00:12:54.623 --> 00:12:55.723 was the Lord. 198 00:12:57.023 --> 00:12:59.323 And the abundance he received 199 00:13:00.223 --> 00:13:01.323 was the Lord. 200 00:13:02.123 --> 00:13:06.523 He was filled with joy that his Lord should delight in him, and then he 201 00:13:06.523 --> 00:13:10.623 was rejoiced to see his Lord 202 00:13:10.623 --> 00:13:12.723 take the same delight in those around him. 203 00:13:13.923 --> 00:13:16.923 From this good man's good heart 204 00:13:16.923 --> 00:13:19.823 abundant goodness flowed. 205 00:13:22.623 --> 00:13:26.723 And that brings me to my final point a point which some of you may 206 00:13:26.723 --> 00:13:28.323 have expected me to begin with. 207 00:13:29.623 --> 00:13:34.823 We following Luke's lead have been referring to this Levite from 208 00:13:34.823 --> 00:13:36.023 Cyprus as Barnabas. 209 00:13:36.023 --> 00:13:40.223 Even though I just mentioned that his given name was Joseph. 210 00:13:41.723 --> 00:13:46.423 When Luke introduces Joseph in Acts 4, he tells us that the apostles 211 00:13:46.423 --> 00:13:47.623 all called him Barnabas. 212 00:13:49.023 --> 00:13:52.823 Which would seem to suggest that Joseph doesn't enter the story 213 00:13:52.823 --> 00:13:55.623 a stranger, at least not to the 12 214 00:13:55.623 --> 00:13:57.323 they already have a nickname for him. 215 00:13:58.623 --> 00:13:59.623 More importantly 216 00:14:00.823 --> 00:14:08.323 Luke tells us that this nickname means when translated is queos 217 00:14:08.323 --> 00:14:09.023 para queos. 218 00:14:10.323 --> 00:14:11.423 The son of 219 00:14:13.623 --> 00:14:14.523 something. 220 00:14:14.523 --> 00:14:16.123 But of what? 221 00:14:17.823 --> 00:14:22.723 Luke's Greek translation doesn't give a lot of help to today's English 222 00:14:22.723 --> 00:14:23.423 translator. 223 00:14:24.223 --> 00:14:27.523 That second word can mean encouragement. 224 00:14:28.623 --> 00:14:33.623 It can mean exhortation. It can mean comfort or consolation and that's not 225 00:14:33.623 --> 00:14:34.823 even an exhaustive list. 226 00:14:37.323 --> 00:14:40.523 My final point is not to tell you which choice is best. 227 00:14:41.523 --> 00:14:45.923 Nor is it to explain how Luke even came up with this, not immediately 228 00:14:45.923 --> 00:14:48.823 obvious, meaning for the nickname Barnabas. 229 00:14:50.323 --> 00:14:54.123 My point is to ask you to think about that, meaning for a moment. 230 00:14:55.723 --> 00:15:00.823 Son of Paracles. Son of encouragement. 231 00:15:03.723 --> 00:15:09.423 Most discussions of the meaning of this, most discussions of this 232 00:15:09.423 --> 00:15:13.423 meaning focus, so much on that multivalent 233 00:15:13.423 --> 00:15:14.923 second word 234 00:15:15.823 --> 00:15:17.023 that a very simple 235 00:15:17.023 --> 00:15:19.323 first word is all but lost. 236 00:15:21.423 --> 00:15:22.723 Son of exhortation. 237 00:15:22.723 --> 00:15:27.923 That means preacher, son of encouragement, that means encourager and 238 00:15:27.923 --> 00:15:28.523 so on. 239 00:15:30.123 --> 00:15:31.323 But it seems to me 240 00:15:33.023 --> 00:15:37.723 that befor you, can even get to the like father, like son claim. 241 00:15:38.923 --> 00:15:41.923 You have to at least acknowledge that there is a father-son 242 00:15:41.923 --> 00:15:43.723 relationship involved here. 243 00:15:44.923 --> 00:15:49.723 You can't just say, Barnabas is encouragement personified. 244 00:15:50.723 --> 00:15:55.023 You have to, at least say he is encouragement junior. 245 00:15:56.423 --> 00:15:58.723 He is exhortation the second. 246 00:15:59.923 --> 00:16:03.523 His nickname refers to the fact that he is something 247 00:16:04.623 --> 00:16:07.523 because his father is something. 248 00:16:08.523 --> 00:16:12.223 He is born of something or someone. 249 00:16:13.823 --> 00:16:15.723 And that being born 250 00:16:16.723 --> 00:16:18.723 has given him his identity. 251 00:16:20.123 --> 00:16:23.423 He will never be Joseph again. 252 00:16:25.423 --> 00:16:29.523 And it's the one who gave Joseph his new and lasting identity. 253 00:16:29.523 --> 00:16:34.423 The one of whom, Joseph was born, the one who filled him and filled 254 00:16:34.423 --> 00:16:35.223 him with delight. 255 00:16:36.123 --> 00:16:39.823 That's the one that Barnabas would want us to fix our eyes on this 256 00:16:39.823 --> 00:16:40.223 morning. 257 00:16:42.323 --> 00:16:45.123 The Lord took delight in his servant Joseph. 258 00:16:45.123 --> 00:16:50.423 The Lord opened the eyes of this Joseph to see that delight. 259 00:16:51.423 --> 00:16:54.723 The Lord filled this Joseph with that same delight. 260 00:16:55.723 --> 00:16:59.123 And as we rehearse the Lord's uses of Barnabas. 261 00:17:00.223 --> 00:17:03.323 We got swallowed up in our Lord's delight too. 262 00:17:05.423 --> 00:17:07.723 We remember Barnabas. 263 00:17:09.323 --> 00:17:10.423 But the Encomium 264 00:17:10.423 --> 00:17:12.623 the lal doxio 265 00:17:12.623 --> 00:17:14.823 the praise the glory 266 00:17:14.823 --> 00:17:19.323 all goes to Barnabas' Lord and ours. 267 00:17:20.623 --> 00:17:25.323 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 268 00:17:25.323 --> 00:17:27.023 Amen. 269 00:17:29.223 --> 00:17:30.623 We rise for our hymn.