Becoming an Instrument: Defending Saint Barnabas

By Travis L. Matthews

Saint Barnabas did not disappear after the quarrel with Saint Paul.

This happy, loveable servant of the Lord knew God’s purpose for life, defiantly obeyed the spirit of the Lord, and overcame opposition, failure, rejection, and hardships to obtain an eternal reward through faith in Jesus.

Travis L. Matthews celebrates Saint Barnabas’s accomplishments and argues he should be more highly regarded. He explores his motives, conduct, and accomplishments. The portrait he conveys is a great servant of the Lord.

Barnabas was an ambassador for Christ who knew God’s purpose, recognized the time, and made contacts to accomplish God’s will. Barnabas changed the world by helping people make transitions in turbulent times. Two apostles trained by Barnabas were instrumental in developing Christianity into a worldwide faith.

Saint Barnabas became an instrument of God to facilitate the transition from Law to Grace. By completing his mission, the message of salvation was brought to the world and Jesus became the Lord of our lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781664271159

Travis L. Matthews

Travis L. Matthews has taught Sunday School, spoken in churches and at meetings, and assisted on mission trips to Vietnam and Nicaragua. He has been an avid supporter of missions for over forty years.

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Copyright © 2023 Travis L. Matthews.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Used by Permission HCSB ©1999,2000,2002,2003,2009 Holman Bible Publishers. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-7116-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-7117-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-7115-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022912288

WestBow Press rev. date: 5/24/2023

CONTENTS

Reader Advisory

Preface

Acknowledgments

Part I. DIVINE DESIGN

1. Unleash Inspiration

• Discover Happiness in Purpose

• Feel the Spark of Life

• Implement God’s Plan

2. Divine Impartation

• The Neshamah

• The Pneuma

3. God’s Individual Mandate

• Exercise Dominion

• Proclaim the Good News

• Demonstrate Leadership and Personal Responsibility

• Get Help in Times of Need

• Stand Accountable

4. Eternal Destiny for Grabs

• Redemption

• Composite

• Authority

• Glorification

• Habitation

• Faith

• Eternity

5. Oh, So Many Choices!

• Conscious, Willful, Vocal Choice

• Free Moral Agency

• God in Humanity

• Empowered to Serve

6. Vital Connections

• The Spirit Connection

• The Natural Connection

• The Best Connection

7. The Human Predicament

• Perfect Design

• Perceptible Differences

• Regrettable Inconsistency

• Questionable Favoritism

• Primary Emphasis

• Measurable Compliance

Part II. TO REACH THE UTTERMOST

1. Prepare the Leader

• Ministry History

• Family History

• Endowed Gifts

• Divine Appointment

2. Go with the Flow

• Political Support

• Religious Persecution

• Decisive Change

• Extended Grace

3. Verify, Then Enlarge

• The Selection

• The Vision

• The Labor

• The Results

Part III. THE WORLD IS THE AUDIENCE

1. The Two-by-Four Approach

• Know the Objective

• Get the Attention

• Provide the Instruction

2. Wait for God’s Time

• Discerning the Time

• Deploying Zealous Assets

• Willingness to Take Risks

• Building Trust on the Back Burner

3. Basic Training Precedent

• Train Where You Are

• Expect Opportunity

• Refine Your Skills

• Glean from Experience

4. Fire Mission, Over!

• Bombard Paganism with Truth

• Victory at Paphos

• Unity of Purpose

5. Facing Harsh Realities

• Desertion

• Opposition

6. A Slippery Slope

• Fighting for Change

• Confronting the Issues

• Confirming the Results

7. Turf War: Separation and Revelation

• Irresistible Inspiration

• Definitive Revelation

• Expedient Problems

8. Build a Sure Foundation

• Accumulate Resources

• Establish Training Centers

• Understand the Opposition

• Demonstrate Courage

• Avoid Emotional Decisions

9. Falling off the Mountain

• Ignore the Warnings, and Trouble Follows

• Beware of Jews Bearing Praise

• Mourn the State of Malaise

• Know That Memories Endure

• Rise above Failures

10. Get to the Next Checkpoint

• A Commitment for Life

• A Commitment to Unity

• A Commitment to Relationship

11. Who Listens to Prophets Anymore?

• Ananias’s Prophesy

• Paul’s Prophesy

• Paul’s Example

• Paul’s Influence

• Paul’s Legacy

12. The Creed of True Love

• The Day of God’s Visitation

• The Creed of True Love on Trial

• The Knowledge That Compels Love and Action

13. The Fire

• Westward, the Direction

• Time, the Enemy

• Fire, the Accusation

14. Blaze of Glory

• Glorious Testimony

• Glorious Transformation

Part IV. THE GLORIOUS FUTURE

1. Persistence Pays Off

• The Crisis and the Call

• The Bug and the Cure

• The Martyr and the Witness

• The Pressure and the Product

• The Highlights and the Features

• The Transition and the Vision

• The Harvest and the Tragedy

2. Attributes of an Enduring Legacy

3. The Lessons of the Low Tide

• Gentle Breezes and Storms

• Casualties and Responsibility

• Disappointment and Changing Tides

4. Never Break off Engagement

• Quitters Never Inspire Good Works

• Quitters Never Experience Enduring Joy

5. The Crown of Victory

• The Glorified Body

• The Judgment Day

• The Straight and Narrow Path to New Jerusalem

• The Common Misconception of Heaven

6. The Complete Package

• Great Joy

• Great Escape

• Great White Throne

• Great Celebration

• Great Parade

7. Bon Voyage

Afterword

About the Author

Endnotes

Travis Matthews draws from decades of study in the scriptures to bring us this step-by-step account of the first-century founding fathers as they laid the foundations of the church. So well established was the foundation that we are still building on it two thousand years later. From place to place, we follow Paul’s four missionary journeys and the ministries of Barnabas and Mark as they carried the Gospel message to the known world.

As I read the manuscript, I was fascinated by the detailed unfolding of events offered in chronological sequence, and I was riveted by the question What happens next? As you read this masterful work, you will feel the weight of responsibility that rested on their shoulders, and you will see how the grace of God brought them through every hardship with victory.

Sure to become a classic and a must-read for serious students of the Bible, Becoming an Instrument: Defending Saint Barnabas leaves the reader with a renewed appreciation for the contributions these great men of faith made, which continues to serve the church well today.

—Dr. Carl Morris, author of An Offer I Couldn’t Refuse: The LaVerne Tripp Story

To the Lord:

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works

(Psalms 26:7).

To my uncle:

To my uncle, the Reverend Claude E. Hurley Sr., a faithful man of God who inspired my love for the Lord and the scriptures. His instruction and encouragement continue to shape my beliefs and practices.

READER ADVISORY

The endnotes are not necessary for readers to understand the text of this book. They are presented to acknowledge and appreciate the work of the authors, editors, translators, or compilers quoted or paraphrased and as supplementary information for readers who wish to verify the basis for statements made in the text.

PREFACE

The love of God for humanity has been and is extensive. God uniquely created humanity in his image and likeness to rule the earth by projecting a sinless character and nature. God’s covenants have been changed several times to encourage humanity to be witnesses exhibiting lifestyles of righteousness, truth, and justice. God wants every human being to experience the happiness of knowing and doing his perfect will. The New Covenant is God’s final covenant for the grand prize. The New Covenant established an understanding and a means of maintaining communications with humans who choose to be heirs of the living God. Jesus, the Son of God, was sent to redeem creation, communicate the terms of God’s covenant, train representatives, and demonstrate how to cooperate with God’s divine purpose. The sacrificial death of Jesus opened the door through which humanity can experience a more personal, powerful, continuing relationship with God. The gifts of God through Jesus are empowerments by which humans can know the will of God, be happy, and receive the resources to accomplish God’s purpose for human life on the earth.

The knowledge of the spiritual dimension of humanity, the spiritual kingdom from heaven, and the current dispensation of opportunity is essential to developing a satisfying, productive relationship with God. The human being has been created in the image of God to be the agent for God on the earth. The human spirit gives life and purpose to the human body. The human design renders satisfaction unattainable except through identifying and completing the call of God for human existence. The Creator God has offered the opportunity to enjoy a satisfying, productive human life that will ensure an eternal reward surpassing human imagination. His offer is available to everyone through the choice to be a part of God’s spiritual kingdom. The Dispensation of Grace is the limited time during which God’s offer may be accepted. Visionary people comprehend the purpose, time, and place. They choose to accept and go to work immediately. Others waste their valuable lives in rebellion, procrastination, and unhappiness.

The life and ministry of a familiar, too often criticized Bible character is used to explore the history, nature, and future of God’s offer. The choice to make Christ the Lord of his life was a choice to have an eternal relationship with the Creator and a quest to accomplish God’s specific purpose assigned to his earthly life. Encouraging and assisting people develop a closer, more productive relationship with God was the hallmark of this character’s love for Jesus and his understanding of the spiritual kingdom from heaven established on the earth by Jesus. Two New Testament authors and two strategic churches were some of the more famous recipients of this character’s exuberant ambassadorship for Christ.

The earth is the proving ground for eternal spirits inhabiting human bodies. For true Christians, life on the earth is a journey of faith and obedience that will determine the eternal rewards of reigning with Christ. Sacrifices and hardships are often the roads to achieving objectives. They serve as a forge for faith and commitment. The result may depend on who you know and what you believe.

This book portrays the life story of three servants of the Lord with different personalities. Their personal relationship with God and the knowledge of God’s kingdom enabled the servants in this story to overcome failures, rejections, and hardships in their pursuit to accomplish God’s specific purpose with joy and success. The faith and experiences of these three servants should help others overcome adversities and achieve their specific assignment from God.

The will of God for every human spirit is to allow Christ to live within and manifest the essence and nature of Christ through the human body to everyone in that person’s sphere of influence. Through proclaiming and demonstrating the love of God for every human being, disciples become witnesses for Christ and ambassadors for the kingdom from heaven. The effectiveness of the results will be determined by the relationship with Jesus, the knowledge of God’s Word, and the credibility of the testimony.

The people who reject God create rebellion. God deals with rebellion by making changes to the times, seasons, and the people chosen. The change from Law to Grace was a major shift in both the way God dealt with humanity and the people used to represent his character and nature. The Jews, as a nation, were set aside for rejecting God’s plan. Individual Jews continue to be a part of the nation of all people who choose to accept the New Covenant relationship. The New Covenant under grace was a passing of the mantle of opportunity and responsibility to evangelize the Gentiles of the world. The fact that God set aside Israel should be sufficient incentive for the Gentiles to be diligent and relentless in the completion of their assignment.

The change was announced hundreds of years in advance through Old Testament prophets. The prophetic messages were given to prepare the Jews and all the inhabitants of the earth to make the transition to the new and better life through a direct personal relationship. Moses predicted the virgin birth of Jesus in Genesis 3:15 (KJV). The psalmist praised his birth and ministry in Psalm 2:7–8 (KJV), and Isaiah, in chapters 52 and 53 (KJV), prophesied of the life, redemptive suffering, and restoration under Jesus, the Messiah. The goodness of God went much further than just announcements.

A parable for training the people was sent in the person of John the Baptist to demonstrate the change and prepare the way for Jesus to establish his spiritual kingdom. Water baptism was a natural portrayal of the coming emersion of the human spirit in the Spirit of God. Water baptism also portrays the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, as well as the believer’s death and burial of the old lifestyle of separation from God and the resurrection to the new lifestyle in Christ. This new lifestyle allows God to live in the human spirit and manifest his character and nature through the human body to the community in which the believer dwells or travels.

The redeemer-changer was and is Jesus. His earthly life was the human genesis of the new creation and relationship. His teachings, miracles, compassion, and wisdom were frequent displays of the superior quality of an influential life directed by the Holy Spirit. The operating principles of the spiritual kingdom at hand were taught by Jesus. The Gospel writers recorded the principles and operating procedures to be used by successive generations. The suffering of Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for the rebellion of humanity and a demonstration of God’s love for his creation. Redemption and reconciliation with God for all humanity was accomplished through the offering of the sinless human body and blood of Jesus. The Dispensation of Law, with all the rituals and sacrifices, was fulfilled in the offering of Jesus once for all. The Law era was, thereby, ended.

The resurrection of Jesus was the dawn of a new dispensation in which humans could be free from the bondage of sin that is the inevitable result of disobedience to God’s instructions. The first step to freedom is making the choice to be a part of the spiritual kingdom of God on the earth. The choice is made by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. Accepting Jesus as Lord qualifies the believer for the promise of God sent by Jesus that is the signature change in the relationship first available in the Dispensation of Grace. The Holy Spirit enduing and indwelling believers radically transformed life. The manifest presence of God in believers produced effective witnesses exhibiting boldness and joy. The Gospel message of Christ and his kingdom became more important than personal safety. Everywhere the believers traveled, the news quickly spread throughout those regions.

The Good News must be proclaimed. Jesus trained and sent his disciples into the world to proclaim the good news of redemption and the kingdom. The good news was first preached to the Jews. They were the first of whosoever will to be offered the opportunity afforded by this new outreach of God’s love for all creation. The Gentiles who heard the Gospel and accepted Jesus as Lord created a stirring that shook the earth in their time. Additional measures to reach out became necessary.

The colossal change required communication and education. A successful transition would use a person knowledgeable in the old concept yet fully embracing the new concept. The person chosen was a loveable, happy, generous priest of the Old Covenant who recognized Jesus as the Messiah early in the transition and chose to accept Jesus, the kingdom from heaven, and the New Covenant. The liaison of this enormous transition was a person who was filled with and directed by the Holy Spirit, and one of those to whom Paul later referred to as a son of God. That person was known by friends as an encourager, comforter, helper, teacher, and Christian.

The question is, how could a chosen servant of God with such a positive image be so often negatively characterized?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I gratefully acknowledge the love, support, patience, and assistance of Sandra A. Matthews, my wife, during the entire time that we were together and especially during the time that I was drafting this book. I also acknowledge the love, support, and assistance of Pamela M. Derikart, my daughter, who provided very helpful comments and suggestions on the title, text, and format of the book. These special ladies have been and are truly loved and appreciated for themselves and their talents.

I also acknowledge the inspiration and assistance of my pastor, Dr. Carl Morris, for his inspirational sermons, especially the New Year’s message in 2006 that inspired me to get back to work on this book. In 2005, I quit after writing only twenty pages. In addition, I am thankful for his assistance in reading the book and making suggestions for improvements. Thank you, Pastor Carl, for your generous love and support.

I thank the entire staff of WestBow Press for all their kind and gracious help and support. You are a wonderful people and organization to work with.

PART

I

Divine Design

CHAPTER 1

Unleash Inspiration

Discover Happiness in Purpose

C hange happens! Change is necessary, unavoidable, frustrating, devastating, decision demanding, challenging, creative, labor intensive, exciting, and rewarding. Whether instigated by God or humans, change is an opportunity to practice unleashing the latent inspiration of God resident in every human spirit. Releasing inspiration is the pathway to purpose and happiness. Opportunity may only knock at the door once. It is the chance for a person to influence destiny, if that person understands God’s purpose, believes in his cause, and makes the choice to go with the wind of his Spirit.

Achievement happens! Through hearing, believing, preparing, teaching, and sacrificing, Saint Barnabas achieved God’s specific purpose for his life and was rewarded accordingly. Procrastination was not his response when opportunity was presented. Barnabas was an ambassador for Christ who knew God’s purpose, recognized the time, and made the contacts necessary to accomplish God’s will for his natural, earthly life. Barnabas changed the world by helping people make transitions in turbulent times. Two apostles trained by Barnabas were instrumental in developing Christianity into a worldwide faith. The teacher’s assistance changed the course of history for all humanity. These three apostles overcame opposition, hardship, failure, and changing economic, political, and spiritual environments to proclaim to others the knowledge that had transformed their lives so much that even tragic deaths could not subdue the immense satisfaction of knowing they had fulfilled their call to aid.

Feel the Spark of Life

Experience inspiration as the spark of life. Inspiration is the driver of creativity and accomplishment. This ignition is breathed into the human creation as a contagious force designed to instill faith, joy, and perseverance in conducting the will of God on the earth. Without inspiration, the embryo of purpose is aborted by the cares of life.

Unleash your inspiration and experience the exhilaration of achievement. It is so very satisfying. Accumulating wealth falls miserably short by comparison. At best, wealth is only a measure of accomplishment. Ultimate satisfaction is in the experience of completing the mission. While suffering the most, Jesus experienced the joy of accomplishment when he said, It is finished. ¹

Do not hesitate. When God’s purpose pounds in your heart to let it out, obey. Allow your success to be a testimony that will inflame courage in yourself and others to break out of fear’s bondage and release all of God’s gifts and abilities in pursuit of life’s highest purpose.

Ignite and fuel inspiration in others. Certain people are born with this specific assignment. Barnabas, a son of God’s own essence, was born and gifted with these abilities to help facilitate the first-century transition to Gentile world evangelism. Barnabas became known as the Son of Exhortation for the transition from Law to Grace. Fulfilling the plan of God was the highest priority. These qualities are always present when God makes major changes. Gifted people may have these qualities but may not have made God’s plan their highest priority. Yield to God, and be the Lord’s servant to ignite