"[Barnabas] exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord…. Then
departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to seek Saul" (Acts 11:23-25).

How young converts need such exhortation and encouragement! Our Lord has warned us, "No
man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke
9:62). May God help us to plow a straight furrow_to go on in the path of devotion to the Lord,
to cleave unto Him with purpose of heart. What a valuable work did Barnabas carry out with the
new converts to Christ!

Barnabas was a self-effacing man; he realized his own limitations and was glad to recognize a man
with greater ability than he had himself. As he ministered, he thought, "There is another man who
can help in a better way. I am going to bring that man here.

Barnabas had been interested in Saul. Saul had come to Jerusalem and wanted to join himself to
the brethren there, but they were afraid of him and feared that he intended to turn them over to
the authorities. But Barnabas spoke up and told how Saul had seen the Lord in the way, and that
He had spoken to him, and that he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So the
believers at Jerusalem lost their fear of Saul and received him into their fellowship.

Barnabas recognized the remarkable ability of Saul of Tarsus, and knew he was a chosen vessel
to give the gospel to the Gentiles. Barnabas might have said, "I can go on ministering here with
nobody interfering with me." But no, he said, "I would do better to fade out a little and get a more
capable man to take my place," and off he went to Tarsus. So far as we know, Saul was in
retirement, as though he had failed to qualify as a preacher of the Word after he left Jerusalem.
Perhaps he felt he was not worthy to serve the Lord since he had persecuted the Church.

Barnabas found Saul and "brought him unto Antioch." I like that. It suggests to me that Paul was
not ready to go until Barnabas (gently and kindly, no doubt) persuaded him. And so Saul went,
and "it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much
people."

How blessed was the assembly at Antioch to have the ministry of the gifted apostle. And how
blessed has been the whole body of believers ever since to have the written ministry of the Apostle
Paul for their instruction. Let us be thankful for the work of encouragement carried out by men
like Barnabas in the Church.

(Adapted from Lectures on the Book of Acts, published by Loizeaux, Neptune, NJ; used by
permission.)