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BarnabasAid to Bible Understanding
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In the meantime a great deal of interest in Christianity had been aroused in Antioch of Syria by certain Greek-speaking Jews from Cyprus and Cyrene. As a result, the governing body at Jerusalem sent Barnabas down to Antioch to encourage and build up these new believers further. The choice of Barnabas for this work was a good one, since he was a Greek-speaking Cypriot. Well, when “a considerable crowd was added to the Lord” in Antioch, Barnabas hastened over to Tarsus and persuaded Paul to come and help out in the ministry. About that time divine warning of a coming famine caused the brothers in Antioch to gather many provisions that, in due time, were sent to the Jerusalem congregation in the hands of Barnabas and Paul.—Acts 11:22-24, 27-30; 12:25.
This relief work accomplished, the two were back in Antioch by 47 C.E., and from there left on a missionary assignment under the direction of the holy spirit. This took Barnabas and Paul first to Cyprus, where they were instrumental in bringing God’s truth to the proconsul Sergius Paulus. From there they traveled through the interior of Asia Minor. At times they were severely persecuted by the mobs. Once, when they cured a lame man in Lystra, they had no sooner succeeded in restraining “the crowds from sacrificing to them,” (thinking that Barnabas was the god Zeus and Paul, “the one taking the lead in speaking,” was Hermes or Mercury) than the Jews “persuaded the crowds, and they stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city.”—Acts 13:1-12; 14:1-20.
In 49 C.E. Barnabas and Paul took the burning question of circumcision of non-Jews up to the governing body in Jerusalem, and, with that settled, they were soon back in Antioch preparing for their next missionary tour. (Acts 15:2-36) However, because they could come to no agreement over taking John Mark along, they each departed for separate territories. Barnabas took his cousin Mark to Cyprus and Paul took Silas through the districts of Syria and Cilicia. (Acts 15:37-41) Thus ends the record made of Barnabas in the Scriptures, except for brief mention of him in some of Paul’s letters.—1 Cor. 9:6; Gal. 2:1, 9, 13; Col. 4:10.
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BarrennessAid to Bible Understanding
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BARRENNESS
Jehovah’s original mandate to Adam and Eve, later repeated to Noah’s sons, included the command, “Be fruitful and become many.” (Gen. 1:28; 9:7) Failure on the part of a married woman to bring forth children was therefore viewed in ancient times as a reproach, an affliction, a punishment, one of the greatest misfortunes. “Give me children or otherwise I shall be a dead woman,” pleaded Rachel with her husband Jacob.—Gen. 30:1.
That Jehovah is capable of making a barren woman fruitful is shown by the words of Jacob to Rachel: “Am I in the place of God, who has held back the fruit of the belly from you?” Finally, we are told, “God remembered Rachel, and God heard and answered her in that he opened her womb. And she became pregnant and brought a son to birth.” (Gen. 30:2, 22, 23) Other cases demonstrating Jehovah’s power to give children to women afflicted with natural barrenness over a long period of time may be cited: Sarah (Gen. 11:30; 17:19; 21:1, 2); Rebekah (Gen. 25:21); Samson’s mother (Judg. 13:2, 3); Hannah (1 Sam. 1:10, 11; 2:5); a Shunammite woman (2 Ki. 4:14-17); and Elizabeth. (Luke 1:7, 36) With Jehovah’s blessing the Israelites during their sojourn in Egypt became so prolific that the Egyptians were alarmed, thinking they would soon be outnumbered. (Ex. 1:7-12, 18-21) Jehovah was also given credit for granting conception to Ruth the ancestress of David.—Ruth 4:13.
When Jehovah withheld his blessing even the land would become a barren and desolate waste. On the other hand, with divine blessing the land was capable of bringing forth much fruitage. (Lev. 26:3-5) Similarly, with Jehovah’s rich blessing, it was promised, “neither a woman suffering an abortion nor a barren woman will exist in your land.” (Ex. 23:26; Deut. 7:13, 14; 28:4, 11; Ps. 127:3-5; 128:3) Conversely, Jehovah, on one occasion, “tightly shut up every womb” of Abimelech’s house when he contemplated taking Sarah as wife.—Gen. 20:17, 18.
Due to the terrible distress foretold to come on first-century Jerusalem, Jesus said “barren women” would be happy, relieved, not having the anguish of seeing their children suffer.—Luke 23:29.
Isaiah and the psalmist prophesied of a barren woman whose reproach and shame are to be forgotten, for she will bring forth many sons, all of them taught by Jehovah. (Ps. 113:9; Isa. 54:1-15) The apostle Paul applies Isaiah’s words to the “free woman,” that is, “the Jerusalem above.”—Gal. 4:26-31.
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BarsabbasAid to Bible Understanding
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BARSABBAS
(Barʹsab·bas).
The meaning of the name is uncertain: Bar, “son of”, sab·basʹ, variously interpreted as “oath,” “conversion,” “captivity,” “quiet,” “rest”; hence the suggestion, “born (son) on the sabbath.”
It may have been a family name, or just an added name given to two individuals: Joseph, surnamed Justus, who was the rejected candidate for the apostleship vacated by Judas Iscariot; and Judas, who accompanied Paul, Barnabas and Silas from Jerusalem to Antioch in 49 C.E. There is no evidence that the two men were brothers.—Acts 1:23; 15:22; see JOSEPH; JUDAS.
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BartholomewAid to Bible Understanding
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BARTHOLOMEW
(Bar·tholʹo·mew) [son of Tolmai].
One of Jesus’ twelve apostles, generally thought to be Nathanael. A comparison of the Gospel accounts shows that Matthew and Luke link Bartholomew and Philip together in the same way that John associates the name Nathanael with Philip. (Matt. 10:3; Luke 6:14; John 1:45, 46) For details on this apostle’s activity, see NATHANAEL.
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BartimaeusAid to Bible Understanding
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BARTIMAEUS
(Bar·ti·maeʹus) [son of Timaeus].
A blind beggar whose sight Jesus restored. Bartimaeus and an unidentified companion were sitting outside Jericho when Jesus and a crowd came along. Bartimaeus inquired what the excitement was, and, when told, he began shouting: “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!” Others sternly told him to be silent, but he was even more persistent. When Jesus called, he threw off his outer garment, hurried to the Master, and begged for recovery of his sight. Jesus, discerning the man’s faith and moved to pity, cured Bartimaeus, who then followed him, glorifying God.—Mark 10:46-52; Matt. 20:29-34; Luke 18:35-43.
In reporting this event, Mark and Matthew say it occurred when Jesus was “going out of Jericho,” but Luke says it was “as he [Jesus] was getting near to Jericho.” Some have said that these refer to two separate incidents. On this, Joseph P. Free writes: “Archaeology, however, has thrown additional light on this apparent discrepancy. Early in the twentieth century A.D., excavations were made at Jericho by Ernest Sellin of the German Oriental Society (1907-1909). The excavations showed that the Jericho of Jesus’ time was a double city. The old Jewish city was about a mile away from the Roman city. In the light of this evidence, it is possible that Matthew is speaking of the Jewish city which Christ had left, whereas Luke is speaking of the Roman, at which Christ had not yet arrived. Thus, on His way from the old to the new city, Christ met and healed the blind Bartimaeus.”—Archaeology and Bible History, p. 295.
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BaruchAid to Bible Understanding
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BARUCH
(Barʹuch) [blessed].
1. The scribal secretary of Jeremiah. Baruch was the son of Neriah and brother of Seraiah, Zedekiah’s quartermaster who read Jeremiah’s scroll alongside the Euphrates.—Jer. 32:12; 51:59.
In the fourth year of King Jehoiakim, 625 B.C.E., Baruch began writing in a scroll the prophetic
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