The Apostle History Forgot
Knowing Your Apostles — Part 7
This is a fun, lighthearted series intended not necessarily to teach, but to spark conversation. Consider this an open invitation to share what you know, like, dislike, or simply find interesting about any of the apostles. This is a judgment-free zone, so feel free to share your thoughts and opinions.
Series Question
The seventh question in this series is: Who is the apostle history forgot?
My Answer: Apostle Barnabas
Were you surprised by my answer? How many people even know that Barnabas was an apostle?
Perhaps you thought of the Apostle Matthias, who was chosen to replace Judas (Acts 1:26). He would certainly fit the question, but Scripture records nothing further about his ministry, and I doubt many Christians have even heard of him.
Or perhaps you assumed it would be one of the other apostles Jesus chose alongside Peter, James, and John—Andrew (Peter’s brother), Thomas (famously remembered as “the doubter”), Matthew the Gospel writer, Philip, whom we get to observe more closely in John’s Gospel, and the rest.
However, none of them fit my framework of an apostle who was once widely known but later faded from both the biblical and historical record. Barnabas is the only apostle who truly fits that profile.
A Few Biographical Facts
I previously established that Barnabas was an apostle. If you weren’t aware, I covered this in Part 4: The Greatest Apostolic Dispute.
Barnabas was a Levite (Acts 4:36), meaning he came from a priestly family. That detail is significant because it is one reason some believe he may have been the author of a book of the Bible.
Son of Encouragement
Barnabas was well known among the foundational apostles and the Jerusalem church. In fact, it was the apostles who gave him the name “Barnabas.”
“And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus.”
— Acts 4:36
At first glance, it seems they named him this because he sold his land and donated the proceeds to the church (Acts 4:37). But I don’t believe it was because of that act alone. Many others also sold lands and houses and gave the proceeds to the church (Acts 4:34–35). I believe the apostles recognized an innate quality in Barnabas that went beyond a single act of generosity—and we see that quality consistently throughout his life.
Scripture describes him as:
“...a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.”
— Acts 11:24
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is the only other person described in similarly exceptional terms (Acts 6:5).
When the church kept its distance from Paul after his conversion, it was Barnabas who accepted him and introduced him to the apostles (Acts 9:26–27).
Later, Barnabas traveled to Tarsus to find Paul and bring him to Antioch (Acts 11:25–26), which became the home base of Paul’s missionary ministry.
Barnabas was also the one the apostles entrusted to visit the newly converted believers outside Jerusalem. When he arrived in Antioch, Scripture says:
“When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.”
— Acts 11:23
This quality of encouragement, I believe, is what ultimately shaped his disagreement with Paul over Mark.
The Book of Hebrews
The book of Hebrews was once believed by some to have been written by the Apostle Paul. However, many scholars have since concluded that it was not.
Regardless of scholarly opinion, having read Hebrews many times myself, I also do not believe Paul wrote it. It lacks Paul’s customary opening, where he identifies himself as the author, and his distinguishing closing signature (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:17). There are other indicators that point away from Pauline authorship, but I won’t go into them here.
Because the author of Hebrews remains unknown, scholars have proposed two leading candidates: Barnabas and Apollos.
The case for Apollos rests on the book’s rigorous and systematic argumentation, which fits what we know of Apollos (Acts 18:24–28):
“...for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.”
— Acts 18:28
The case for Barnabas rests on the book’s emphasis on Jesus’ superiority to the Levitical priesthood and the Old Testament sacrificial system. The author is clearly someone with an intimate knowledge of priestly worship and rituals, which fits what we know of Barnabas, a Levite (Acts 4:36). It also aligns with his pastoral character as an encourager.
This is where I land. I believe Barnabas is the most likely author of the book of Hebrews.
Barnabas’ Disagreement With Paul
Barnabas’ disagreement with Paul and their subsequent separation seems to have been the catalyst for his disappearance from the biblical record. Luke, the author of Acts, evidently remained with Paul and continued recording Paul’s missionary journeys and ministry.
The last event Scripture records of Barnabas after the disagreement is his departure with Mark, the Gospel writer, to Cyprus—his homeland. Luke writes:
“Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.”
— Acts 15:39
After this, Barnabas disappears from the narrative of Acts. We only encounter brief references to him later in Paul’s letters.
According to early Christian tradition, Barnabas settled in Cyprus and became a leader of the church there. He is venerated as a saint in both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. That distinction doesn’t carry theological weight for me, however, because every believer is a saint in Christ, and no ecclesiastical canonization is necessary.
Barnabas’ Legacy
I believe that Barnabas’ decision to stand by Mark is his greatest contribution to the church—and to Christianity. Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark.
The Gospel of Mark is widely believed to have been the first of the four Gospels. Many scholars also believe it served as a primary source for Matthew and Luke.
The Gospel of Mark contains one of the first recorded mentions of the “Son of Man” in the New Testament. This designation points to Jesus as the Messiah prophesied in Daniel 7:13:
“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven...”
— Daniel 7:13
Beyond Mark himself, I believe we can also thank Barnabas for this profound contribution to biblical theology. By standing with Mark when others would not, Barnabas may have helped preserve the very Gospel that shaped the writing of Matthew and Luke.
We can only speculate what course Mark’s life might have taken if Barnabas had rejected him as well. Would he have gone on to write his Gospel?
If so, one of the greatest contributions to Christianity may have come through the apostle history forgot.
Your Turn
What do you think? Who do you believe is the apostle history forgot? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.