Meaning of the name “Joses”:

“Joses” (Greek: Ἰωσῆς, Iosēs) is a variant of “Joseph,” a Hebrew name meaning “He shall add” or “May He (God) increase.”

It was a fairly common Jewish name in the New Testament period.

Could he be confused with another “Joses”?

Several men named Joses appear in the New Testament, notably:

Joses, brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55).

Joses, son of Mary, who watched Christ’s crucifixion and burial (Mark 15:40, 47).

However, Barnabas is clearly identified separately as a Levite from Cyprus in Acts 4:36, which distinguishes him from these other figures.

Why the nickname “Barnabas”?

Acts 4:36 explicitly tells us the apostles nicknamed Joses “Barnabas,” clarifying it means “Son of Consolation” (Greek: υἱὸς παρακλήσεως, huios paraklēseōs).

The Greek word παράκλησις (paraklēsis) literally means “encouragement,” “comfort,” “consolation,” or “exhortation.”

Thus, “Barnabas” is a transliteration of the Aramaic “Bar” (son) + “nabas” (from Aramaic נְבוּאָה, nevu’ah, meaning prophecy or exhortation). The apostles saw Barnabas as embodying encouragement, thus giving him this meaningful nickname.

Levite from Cyprus

Acts 4:36 specifically states, “And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus.”

This tells us explicitly both his tribal affiliation (Levite—associated traditionally with temple duties and religious instruction) and his geographic origin (Cyprus—a significant Mediterranean island with a notable Jewish community).

“Sister’s son to Marcus” (Colossians 4:10)

Paul identifies Barnabas’s nephew, Mark, in Colossians 4:10: “Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas.”

This indicates a familial relationship where Mark was Barnabas’s nephew, specifically through Barnabas’s sister. However, Scripture doesn’t explicitly identify Barnabas’s sister by name.

Some speculate Barnabas’s sister could have been “Mary,” mother of John Mark, who appears in Acts 12:12, though the Bible does not directly confirm this connection. It’s important to acknowledge this speculation cautiously.

Generous Heart: He sold his property and gave the entire amount to support the apostles’ ministry (Acts 4:36–37).

Bridge-builder: After Saul’s (Paul’s) dramatic conversion, Barnabas took a big risk and introduced him to the apostles (Acts 9:27).

Pastor and Leader: Sent by the Jerusalem church to Antioch, Barnabas encouraged and strengthened the believers there (Acts 11:22–24).

Missionary Journey: Chosen by the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel alongside Paul (Acts 13–14).

Jerusalem Conference: Sent along with Paul to the Jerusalem Conference to discuss the implications of the new dispensation of the grace of God (Acts 15:1ff)

Conflict and Courage: After a strong disagreement with Paul about giving John Mark another chance, they went separate ways, yet both continued preaching (Acts 15:36–40).

Paul calls Barnabas an apostle and mentions that he had the right to receive financial support for his ministry (1 Corinthians 9:6).

At one point, even Barnabas struggled when influenced by legalistic pressures, leading Paul to rebuke his hypocrisy (Galatians 2:13).

Family ties highlighted again by Paul mentioning Barnabas’s nephew, Mark (Colossians 4:10).

Trusted and respected by the apostles, Barnabas clearly had strong integrity and character.

With Saul before he received the dispensational mystery (Eph. 3:1-12) as well as after.

Known for generosity, encouragement, patience, and forgiveness.

Played a crucial role in connecting different groups within the early church (especially Jews and Gentiles).

Some early Christians, like Tertullian, thought Barnabas wrote the book of Hebrews (though most today disagree).

Clement of Alexandria and Origen both liked and quoted a text called the Epistle of Barnabas, believing it genuinely from him.

Eusebius, an influential early historian, called this Epistle interesting but “spurious,” meaning questionable and not scripture.

Interprets Old Testament rituals and laws as symbols pointing to Christian truths—very allegorical.

Example: Circumcision isn’t about the body but a changed heart.

Food rules symbolize moral purity rather than literal diets.

Sabbath represents future heavenly rest, not just a weekly day off.

Has some strong anti-Jewish sentiments, claiming the Jews misunderstood their own scriptures.

Ends with moral teaching called the “Two Ways” (Way of Light vs. Way of Darkness).

Main copies include the famous Codex Sinaiticus (proportedly 4th century, though potentially a forgery) and later ones like Codex Hierosolymitanus (11th century).

These manuscripts show the Epistle was influential, though ultimately it wasn’t widely accepted into the canon.

Not a single text from the Byzentine family of texts (the basis of the KJV) contains the epistle of Barnabas.

A problem for those who accept the Critical Text:

the inclusion of the epistle of barnabus in what many falsly promote as “oldest and best” begs the question: if it is in the oldest and best, why don’t you add it to Bible translations based on that text?

They may argue that accuracy and canonicity are different things. However, this falls apart when they use the same text (Sinaiticus) for the removal of important texts, like Mark 16:9-20.

The Epistle was popular enough to be included in some early manuscripts (like Sinaiticus).

Church leaders debated whether or not it belonged alongside other scripture.

Unknown authorship and doubtful authenticity—Barnabas probably didn’t write it.

Strong allegorical interpretations didn’t match the teaching style of accepted apostles.

Anti-Jewish language later viewed as problematic and inconsistent with other New Testament teachings.

The Epistle was never included in the manuscripts behind the King James Version.

It wasn’t part of the Byzantine manuscript tradition Erasmus and others used in creating the Textus Receptus.

Although not scripture, it’s valuable historically for understanding early Christian thinking.

Useful academically, giving insight into how early Christians interpreted the Old Testament and saw themselves distinct from Judaism.

Barnabas himself was a remarkable believer: generous, encouraging, a peacemaker, and missionary.

The “Epistle of Barnabas” attached to his name illustrates early attempts to understand Christianity’s Jewish roots allegorically, though problematic in places.

Studying Barnabas helps us appreciate the careful way early believers decided what was truly Scripture—and why this matters to us today.