Acts 4:36-37 36And Joseph, who was called Barnabas by the apostles, Barnabas, which translated means son of encouragement, a Levite, from Cyprus by birth, 37having sold his field, brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Luke then gives two contrasting stories that serve as examples of what the believers did. The first is from a person named Joseph, who becomes important later in the story of Acts as a travel companion with Paul. Luke gives several interesting details about Joseph. The first is his nickname given by the Apostles. Barnabas is an Aramaic word meaning son of encouragement. The exact connection between the Greek and Aramaic is uncertain, but it indicates a close relationship and honor among the apostles and Joseph.
The rest of the apostles saw something special in Joseph that earned him this nickname. There was something about him that was attractive and encouraging. He was a good person to be around. He uplifted those around him. As the story in Acts progresses and Barnabas becomes an important figure along with Paul, the picture of him matches his name. A good summary of his character is given in 11:24: “for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.”
He was also a Levite born on the island of Cyprus, which is a large island located in the Mediterranean Ocean. As a Levite, he may have been involved in the upkeep of the temple or assisted in worship. His ancestors may have fled to Cyprus when Babylon conquered Jerusalem in 587 B.C. At some point, he had come back to Jerusalem and purchased or inherited land. His sincerity suggests he was deeply spiritual, which may have been why he moved to Jerusalem and invested in property.
Luke names Barnabas as a prime example of how the Holy Spirit was moving believers to the great compassion and unity of selling their property in order to care for the poor. Luke’s style is to introduce persons who will have an important role later in the book. Barnabas’ sincerity and devotion led him to become a great leader in the early church. He gave of his own means and resources to provide for the needy. His obedience to the Holy Spirit’s prompting is behind the scenes of the words of the text and becomes an implied comparison with Ananias and Sapphira in the following story. We may mistakenly think that selling a piece of property today is much more sacrificial than in the early church, but if so, we miss the significance of the commitment of these early believers. They viewed their possessions and not their own but as gifts of God to be used for the needs of others.
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