Chapter Three
Barnabas
and the
Early Christians
Barnabas, or Bar Nabe, which means 'son of consolation' or 'son of
exhortation', was a Jew and was born in Cyprus. He was known as
[oses, or Joseph, but was given this new name by the disciples of
Jesus, peace be on him and them. Although little mention is made
of him in the four accepted Gospels, it is evident from sorne of the
other books in the New Testament that he became one of the lead
ers of the disciples after Jesus had disappeared. It was he above all
who endeavoured to hold to the pure teaching of Jesus and op
posed any innovators, notably Paul of Tarsus. Luke, who also wrote
the Acts of the Apostles, was Paul's personal physician and there
fore gavePaul's pointof view. This explainswhy Barnabasis only
mentioned by him when it serves to illustrate Paul's story.
Unfortunately, books like The Travels and Teachings of the Apos
tleswere destroyed by the Pauline Church, once it had adopted the
doctrine of Trinity, in its attempts to eliminate any record which
contradicted this dogma. Therefore, much that was known about
Barnabas and the early Christians has been 10s1. It is this policy of
the Trinitarians which probably indicates why any reference to
Barnabas during [esus's mission is strangely missing from the four
accepted Gospels; and why Barnabas, who, according to Luke, ac
quires an importance second to none soon after the disappearance
of Jesus, himself disappears from the pages of history as soon as he
and Paul have a disagreement 31).d part company.
Barnabas was with Jesus from the very start of bis mission. His
Gospel clearly demonstrates bis great loyalty to Jesus and the love
he had for him. Barnabas was not only his constant companion,
but also absorbed and retained his teaching, so that very soon he
must have acquired the reputation, which is attested to so dearly
in the Acts, as a man who had the ability to transmit what he had
learned from bis master.