St. Barnabas is recognized as one of the Apostolic Fathers of the Orthodox Church.
Joseph was born on the island of Cyprus into a family of the tribe of Levi. He was educated in Jerusalem, raised and educated with his friend, and fellow student, Saul (the Apostle Paul), under the renowned teacher of the Mosaic law, Gamaliel. In Acts 34, Gamaliel presented an argument against killing the apostles. His advice was accepted after his concluding argument:
“Therefore, in the present case, I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be about to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 34: 38-39.
Joseph was devout; he frequented the Temple, strictly observed the fasts, and avoided youthful distractions While studying in Jerusalem, Joseph heard the preachings of Christ, believed, and became a follower of the Lord.
The apostles soon gave Joseph a new name, Barnabas, meaning Son of Encouragement After joining the church in Jerusalem, Barnabas sold his land and gave the proceeds to the community. (Acts 4:36-37) The church in Jerusalem sent him to minister to the believers in Antioch. When he arrived, he saw the grace of God there, his spirit was glad, and he encouraged them to continue with the Lord with purpose of heart (Acts 11:22-23) Of St. Barnabas, it was written he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and great faith As a result of his ministry, a great many people were added to the Lord in his days (Acts 11: 24)
It is written that the Jews, exasperated by his extraordinarily successful preaching of the gospel, stoned him to death on the island of Cyprus St. Mark, who witnessed his martyrdom, took and buried his bod Today, St. Barnabas is the patron saint of the island of Cyprus, Greece, and Milan, Italy.
The parish of St. Barnabas endeavors to follow in his footsteps, encouraging one another in faith and love.