Barnabas

When [Barnabas] arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

Acts 11:23, NIV

Did you learn about “junctural metanalysis” in grammar class? Not to worry—it means the process of forming new words when the boundaries between existing words get confused over time. For example, Old English “a napron” (little tablecloth) became “an apron.” Likewise, “an eke name” (“eke” meant “little” or “extra”) became “a nickname.”

One of the most famous nicknames in church history was given to a Jewish man named Joseph, from the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. When he became a follower of Christ, the apostles immediately began calling him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). What kind of person would a “son of encouragement” be—a self-centered person or an others-centered person? Obviously, the latter. From what Scripture tells us about Barnabas—especially his ministry relationship with Mark (Acts 15:37-39)—it is clear that he was focused on others. If you became part of a new group of friends, what kind of nickname would they give you?

Those who insist on living self-centered lives will never be known as others-centered.

Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us.

A. W. TOZER