Who was Barnabas in the Bible?
Barnabas was an early church leader nicknamed "son of encouragement" who vouched for the new convert Saul, traveled with Paul on his first missionary journey, and later gave John Mark a second chance.
Generous from the start, Barnabas sold a field and laid the money at the apostles’ feet. When the new convert Saul was feared by the church, it was Barnabas who took him in and vouched for him.
He and Paul were sent out together on the first missionary journey, and Barnabas later gave a second chance to John Mark when Paul would not.
His name, "son of encouragement," captures a ministry of lifting others up — and reminds us that the church needs encouragers as much as it needs preachers.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.