Bernabé the Apostle
Bernabé (in Ancient Greek, Βαρναβᾶς) was one of the first Christians mentioned in the New Testament. Scripture presents him as an apostle but distinct from San Pablo, regarded by the Church with a special but unequal standing, in terms of authority, relative to the rest of the Twelve. A native of Cyprus, he was a Jew belonging to the tribe of Levi, and lived during the 1st century.
Conversations with Miguel
His original name was José. The apostles changed it to Bernabé (Acts 4:36), meaning Son of Encouragement, also called “The Apostle of Joy” for his cheerfulness, although according to San Lucas it means the vigorous one, the one who encourages and inspires.
The Acts of the Apostles state, in chapter 4, verses 34 to 37, that Bernabé sold his estate, and handed over the proceeds to the apostles to distribute among the poor.
He was a great collaborator of San Pablo, who on his return to Jerusalem three years after his conversion, received from Bernabé support before the other apostles, and intercession to secure the acceptance of his ministry by the rest of the apostles of Jerusalem (Acts 9:27).
He is not among the twelve chosen by Jesus Christ, but probably [citation needed] was one of the seventy disciples mentioned in the Gospel. Bernabé is regarded as an apostle by the early Fathers of the Church and also by San Lucas, owing to the special mission entrusted to him by the Holy Spirit.
The Apostles held him in high regard as “a good man, full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 11:24), which is why they chose him for the evangelisation of Antioch. Through his preaching, the number of converts grew (Acts 11:24).
Work with Pablo
He went to Tarsus and joined San Pablo. They returned to Antioch, where they remained for a year teaching (Acts 11:25-26). Antioch became a major centre of evangelisation, and it was there that followers of Christ’s teaching were first called Christians.
They returned to Jerusalem, sent by the Christians of the flourishing church of Antioch, with a collection for those suffering famine in Judea (Acts 11:27-30).
The Holy Spirit spoke through the teachers and prophets who were worshipping God: “Set apart for me Pablo and Bernabé for the work to which I have called them” Acts 13:1-2.
After fasting and prayer, Pablo and Bernabé received their mission and the laying on of hands (Acts 13:3). They set out accompanied by Juan Marcos, Bernabé’s cousin and future evangelist (Colossians 4:10), to preach in other places, including Cyprus, Bernabé’s homeland. There they converted the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus, and it is at this point that Saulo is first referred to in the Bible as Pablo, since in a Greco-Roman setting he used his Roman name (Acts 13:9-20).
They then went to Perga, in Pamphylia, where the most dangerous missionary journey began. Juan Marcos was not fully committed and abandoned them, returning alone to Jerusalem. They then continued their missionary journey through the cities and regions of Asia Minor.
In Iconium, the capital of Lycaonia, they narrowly escaped being stoned to death by the crowd. They took refuge in Lystra, where the Lord, through San Pablo, miraculously healed a paralysed man, leading the pagan inhabitants to say that the gods had visited them; they did everything possible to prevent the people from offering sacrifices in their honour, and so the mood swung to the opposite extreme, and they threw stones at San Pablo and left him badly injured (Acts 14:19-20).
After a brief stay in Derbe, where many converted (Acts 14:21), the two Apostles returned to the cities they had previously visited, to strengthen the converts and to appoint elders. They recalled that “it is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). After completing the first mission, they returned to Antioch in Syria.
Shortly afterwards, some Jewish Christians, opposed to the views of Pablo and Bernabé, demanded that new Christians, besides being baptised, should also be circumcised. As a result, the Council of Jerusalem was convened, attended by Pablo, Bernabé and Tito (Galatians 2 and Acts, chapters 13 to 15). It was declared that converted Gentiles were exempt from the duty of circumcision.
Second missionary journey
Ahead of the second missionary journey, a disagreement arose between Pablo and Bernabé. Bernabé wanted to bring his nephew Juan Marcos, while Pablo objected, since Juan Marcos had abandoned them halfway through the first journey (out of fear of the many hardships). For this reason, they decided to part ways. San Pablo set off on his planned journey with Silas, while Bernabé departed for Cyprus with Juan Marcos.
Later they met again as fellow missionaries in Corinth (1 Cor. 9:5-6), from which it can be inferred that Bernabé was still alive and working in the years 56 or 57 AD. San Pablo later invited Juan Marcos to join him while he was imprisoned in Rome [citation needed], which suggests that Bernabé had already died around the year 60 or 61. Others say [citation needed] that he was a preacher in Alexandria and Rome and the first bishop of Milan.
Martyrdom of San Bernabé
Apocryphal writings speak of a journey to Rome and of his martyrdom, around the year 70, in Salamina, at the hands of the Jews of the diaspora, who stoned him to death. Tertullian claims that Bernabé wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews; others believe he wrote the Epistle of Barnabas in Alexandria. In truth, what is known about him comes mainly from the New Testament.
San Bernabé
| Birth | Unknown, Cyprus |
|---|---|
| Death | 61 AD, Salamina, Cyprus |
| Venerated in | Orthodox Church, Catholic Church |
| Main shrine | Monastery of San Bernabé, Famagusta, Cyprus |
| Feast day | 11 June |
| Patronage | Cyprus, Arenas de San Juan, Bácor-Olivar, El Escorial, Logroño, Marbella, Marino, Membrío, Merindad de Sotoscueva, Peñarrubia, Pétrola, Ixil |
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