10-26-2004, 09:29 PM
Who was St. Barnabas?
There are several references to the ‘People of the Book’ in Holy Qur’an. English translators like Marmaduke Pickthall have mistakenly translated the Arabic words of Holy Qur’an –‘Yahaaduu, Nasaaraa and Sabiina’ – as ‘the Jews, Christians and Sabians’. Holy Qur’an is actually referring to the Torah Jews, and the Nazarene and the Sabians.
Saint Barnabas (Joses), was one of half-brother to Jesus, by Joseph’s previous marriage – before he married to Jesus’ mother Mary. Barnabas was a man of integrity, honesty and Sincerity. He was totally dedicated to the service of
Jesus, as was Barnabas’s sister Mary, whose house in Jerusalem was used by Jesus for meetings of the Apostles and close disciples. His nephew John Mark, son of his sister Mary, was well versed in the Scriptures and was a fluent communicator in Greek – But he was not the writer of the Gospel of Mark; that task was left solely to his uncle, Barnabas, who was appointed by Jesus to record his Gospel.
St. Barnabas was well versed in Aramaic (Jesus’ mother tongue), Hebrew and the Old Testament (Torah), having studied under the eminent Pharisee Gamaliel. It was there that he became acquainted with Saul (a half Jew) who later relinquished his Jewish name for the Roman name Paul.