What does Acts 11:24 mean?
When the Jewish Jesus-followers fled Jerusalem in the face of extreme persecution, they spread the news about Jesus to Jews all over the eastern Mediterranean (Acts 8:1–4). Some from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Syrian Antioch and spoke to pagan Gentiles, as well. When the church in Jerusalem hear that Gentiles were coming to faith in Christ by the witness of lay-leaders, they send Barnabas to investigate (Acts 11:19–23).We are first introduced to Barnabas in Jerusalem, in the very early years of the church. Jews from all over the Roman Empire tried to travel to Jerusalem whenever they could, often for feast days or so they could die in the City of David. Barnabas was a Levite from the island of Cyprus, which carries the same name today, south of modern-day Asia Minor. At some point, he came to Jerusalem and accepted Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and his personal savior.
Like many of the new foreign-born Jesus-followers, Barnabas stayed in Jerusalem to learn more from the apostles. And, like many others, he sold property to help support the church members. Barnabas quickly gained a reputation for his encouraging nature—so much so that the apostles called him "Barnabas" or "son of encouragement" rather than his given name of Joseph (Acts 4:36–37).
Barnabas has a significant influence on the spread of the news about Jesus to the Gentiles. When Saul came to Christ and tried to meet with the apostles in Jerusalem, only Barnabas had the courage to meet with him and determine if his conversion was real (Acts 9:26–27).
For now, Barnabas is in Syrian Antioch, encouraging the church and the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles. Soon, he will realize the job is far too big for him. He will bring Saul to Antioch to help grow the church (Acts 11:25–26). Then the two of them will set off on a missionary trip to modern-day Asia Minor (Acts 13—14). In their first stop, in Barnabas' home of Cyprus, the "son of encouragement" will let the former church-persecutor take the lead and rescue a proconsul from the clutches of a magician. "Saul" will take on the Greek version of his name, "Paul," and Barnabas will watch his protégé become the most significant evangelist in history.
