Barnabas

Super little book

BARNABAS
A good man, full of faith
By Robert Dale
Day One. 94 pages. £6.00
ISBN 978-1-84625-088-0

This delightful little book surveys the New Testament material describing the life and work of Barnabas, ‘the son of encouragement’ (Acts 4.36). It is arranged in ten brief and very readable chapters. The style and level of the book would make it very suitable for someone who has never studied the Bible very much.

Each chapter covers some significant mention of Barnabas or incident in his life. The facts are carefully researched, links with other references are pointed out and followed by wise observations and comments.

The book covers topics such as: Barnabas’s generosity (selling his land), his friendship with Saul of Tarsus (bringing him to the church when everyone else was suspicious), his investigation of the new direction in Antioch (seeing God’s hand at work and encouraging it).

There is a chapter on the sharp difference of opinion over John Mark — who is taken to be the nephew of Barnabas, and another on the conflict mentioned in Galatians — when ‘even Barnabas was led astray’ (Galatians 2.13). An appendix deals very briefly with the possibility that Barnabas wrote any of the works attributed to him, and concludes that he didn’t.

The theological interpretations come from a traditional evangelical and Reformed framework, and might prompt some to delve a little deeper into the issues raised.

It is a super little book and would make an ideal present for a young Christian.

Philip Wells,
full-time elder of an independent church in bohemian Brighton

© Evangelicals Now - April 2008
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Main Articles

• Gaines without pains
• The Commentary
  Changing the nation?
• Who will take up the Gateway challenge?
• One million dollars to prove life could arise without God
• Ten for God
  How God used a music group in Communist Poland
• Husband and wife prayers
• Why it's cool to care
  Brian Edwards explains our responsibility to the elderly
• A Common Word: drawing the line
  Looking at a document from Islamic scholars
• Monthly arts and media column
  No dicing with Delia
• Letter from America
  The Cussing Preacher
• Monthly youth leaders column
  Support networks
• The Music Exchange
  On the road again
• Larry Norman, 1947-2008
  Obituary
• The Third Degree
  February missions

Other articles

• Dickens unplugged
• Barnabas
• BBC's Passion - The latest TV dramatisation for Easter
• Disciples and citizens - A vision for distinctive living
• There will be blood
• Suite Francaise - Shelf life: Looking at secular books
• The Baptists - Vol. 2: Beginnings in America
• There is a hope (CD & DVD)
• Who is my neighbour?
• From the beginning - Divorce and remarriage
• The money revolution - Applying Christian principles to handling your money
• Making the right impression - The experience of 21 British Christian home-educating families
• The works of Andrew Fuller
• Happy in my skin - Youth ministry with young people from minority ethnic groups
• Spirituality old and new
• Joshua - A devotional commentary
• Cold tangerines