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Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.
Acts 11:24 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.
  • KJV For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
  • BSB Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
  • NKJV For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
  • NASB for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And considerable numbers were added to the Lord.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and many were added to the Lord. His Spirit-filled character bore much fruit.

Overview

Luke commends Barnabas's goodness, faith, and fullness of the Spirit, qualities that made his ministry fruitful. Under his encouragement still more people came to the Lord. The verse shows that godly, Spirit-filled leaders are instruments through whom God grows His church.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 19

  • Acts 5:14More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.
  • Acts 11:21The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
  • Ps 112:5It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends. He will maintain his cause in judgment.
  • Acts 6:5These words pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch;
  • Acts 9:31So the assemblies throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
  • Acts 6:3Therefore select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
  • Acts 6:8Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
  • 2 Sam 18:27The watchman said, “I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.”
  • Rom 15:15But I write the more boldly to you in part, as reminding you, because of the grace that was given to me by God,
  • Matt 12:35The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.
  • Rom 5:7For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die.
  • Prov 12:2A good man shall obtain favor from Yahweh, but he will condemn a man of wicked devices.
  • Ps 37:23A man’s goings are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way.
  • Luke 23:50Behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man
  • Acts 24:16Herein I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.
  • Matt 19:17He said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
  • John 7:12There was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others said, “Not so, but he leads the multitude astray.”
  • Prov 14:14The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
  • Prov 13:22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 11:24YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 11:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.