60 Jesus, Prophet of Islam
Both Barnabas and Peter regarded the guidance they had been
given as a continuation and an extension of [udaism, They could
not accept Paul's teaching where it differed from what they them
selves had heard from Jesus. They believed that Paul's new doc
trine was in the main a purely personal creation of his own. Albert
Schweitzer, in his book Paul and His Interpreters, says that, 'Paul
never appealed to the sayings and commands of the Master,' 5
It is likely that Barnabas hoped that the two extremes would
mellow,and that Paul, especially, by keeping company with the
followers of Jesus, would forsake his own ideas in favour of their
own knowledge of what must still have been a fairly complete
understanding and embodiment of whatJesus had taught. Itis clear
how important Barnabas's support was to Paul at this stage, since
Barnabas shielded and protected him against the unanimous op
position of the Apostles. It is probably for this reason that this part
of Barnabas's life is recorded with such detail in the Acts of the
Apostles. The relationship between Barnabas and Paul is indicated
in Acts 13: 1-2:
There was in the church that was at Antioch certain
prophets and teachers as Barnabas, and Simeon that was
called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen, which
hadbeenbroughtup with HerodtheTetrarch, andSaul.
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy
Ghost said: 'Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereunto 1 have called them.'In this list of these followers, Luke mentions Barnabas fust and
Paullast. Having been selected to work together, they set out, ac
companied by John Mark, who was Barnabas's nephew, to spread
the teaching of Jesus in Greece. James, who was related to Jesus on
his mother's side, was left at the head of the followers of Jesus.
Peter also stayed behind.
It is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles that, in spite of being
stoned in sorne places, these three missionaries were on the whole
successful. Their reputation as men of Truth spread far and wide.
When they reached Lucaonia and healed a cripple in Lystra, it was
rumoured that:
... the gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
And they called Barnabas, Jupiter and Paul, Mercurius,http://www.islamicbulletin.com