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Saturday, January 16 2010
Barnabas, a Levite (see also No Levites In The Lost Ten Tribes?), was born on the island of Cyprus.
"4:36 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" (Acts 4:36 KJV)
The apostle Paul was born in Tarsus, located near the Mediterranean Sea coast of what is today Turkey (Barnabas became a Christian before Saul/Paul did - in fact, Barnabas was a Christian, as recorded in Acts 4:36, while Paul was still persecuting and killing Christians, as recorded in Acts 9:1-2; see Was Paul Among Them?).
"22:3 I am verily a man which am a Jew [see the Fact Finder question below], born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day." (Acts 22:3 KJV)
"Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them"
What has become commonly known as Paul's first missionary journey (which it was) was actually a return home, as preachers of the Gospel, for both Barnabas and Paul. Their route took them first through Cyprus, the home country of Barnabas.
"13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." (Acts 13:1-3 KJV)
Barnabas was from Cyprus, so it seemed practical for him to lead on their journey which began there after they had sailed from Seleucia, the seaport of Antioch.
"13:4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 13:5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 13:7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer for so is his name by interpretation withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 13:9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 13:10 And said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 13:11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season.
And immediately there fell on him a mist and a Darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 13:12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." (Acts 13:4-12 KJV)
Paul and Barnabas then crossed over into Turkey, completing the rest of the journey through Paul's native land.
"13:13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. 13:14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 13:15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.13:16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience." (Acts 13:13-16 KJV)
Fact Finder: Why did Paul sometimes call himself a Jew, but at other times a Benjamite?
See Was Paul A Jew or a Benjamite?
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This Day In History, January 16
27 BC: The accession of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, (reigned 31 BC - 14 AD). He was emperor at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 2:1) (see Caesar Augustus)
1547: Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) became the first Russian Czar.
1556: Charles I of Spain was succeeded by his son, Philip II.
1581: The English parliament passed legislation against Catholicism.
1604: At the Hampton Court Conference in England, a motion was presented to King James I that a new translation of the Bible be made. It led to the publication of the "Authorized" version of the Bible in 1611 (see The King James Bible).
1756: The Treaty of Westminster was signed by King George II of England and Frederick of Prussia, providing Hanover's neutrality during the Anglo-French wars.
1780: The British under Admiral George Rodney defeated a Spanish squadron at Cape St. Vincent, thus relieving Gibraltar.
1786: The Council of Virginia guaranteed religious freedom.
1794: Edward Gibbon, author of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, died.
1809: The British army under Sir John Moore defeated a superior French force at the battle of Corunna, but Moore was killed in the fighting.
1920: Prohibition in the United States began, outlawing the sale or manufacture of alcohol.
1945: Adolf Hitler returned to his Berlin bunker where he would remain for the few remaining months of his life. This date is also regarded as the end of the failed German Ardennes offensive, known as the Battle of The Bulge.
1950: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg recognized Israel de jure.
1956: The Egyptian government made Islam the state religion.
1979: The Shah of Iran was forced into exile by Ayatollah Khomeini.
1982: Britain established full diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
1991: The Iraq war ("Operation Desert Storm") began with the massive bombing of targets in Iraq and occupied Kuwait.
