Who Was Barnabas in the Bible?

Barnabas, originally named Joseph, was a Levite from Cyprus who became one of the most important figures in the early church. The apostles gave him the name Barnabas, meaning 'Son of Encouragement,' because of his gift for building up others. He sold his property and gave the proceeds to the church. When the other disciples were afraid of the newly converted Paul, Barnabas vouched for him and introduced him to the apostles. He and Paul traveled together on the first missionary journey, planting churches across Asia Minor. Later, Barnabas and Paul disagreed over giving John Mark a second chance, and they parted ways — but Barnabas' faith in Mark was vindicated, as Mark later wrote the Gospel that bears his name.