Markus Öhler shows that Barnabas was more important to early Christianity than Luke's portrait of him in Acts suggests. He functioned as a mediator between the Jerusalem community centered around the Torah and the Christians in Antioch who tried to establish a mission to the pagans without being bound by the law. Although Luke gives a subtly differentiated portrait of the Cypriot Levite, he is nevertheless clearly overshadowed by Paul. In this work, the author's purpose is to show Barnabas in a new light.

For a long time, the role of Barnabas as a co-worker of Paul was neglected. Markus Öhler shows that he was in fact more important to early Christianity than Luke's portrait of him in Acts suggests. Barnabas functioned as a mediator between the Jerusalem community centered around the Torah and the Christians in Antioch who tried to establish a mission to the pagans without being bound by the law. In Paul's eyes, Barnabas acted as his patron in Antioch and in his first journey as a missionary, but they differed considerably in their personalities and their theology. Although Luke gives a subtly differentiated portrait of the Cypriot Levite, Barnabas is nevertheless clearly overshadowed by Paul. In this work, the author's purpose is to show Barnabas in a new light.

Autorentext
Geboren 1967; Studium der Ev. Theologie und Universitätsassistent in Wien; FWF-Stipendiat in Tübingen; Gastprofessor in Hamburg; seit 2011 Professor am Institut für Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft der Evangelisch-Theologischen Fakultät der Universität Wien.

Klappentext

Markus Öhler zeigt die große Bedeutung des Barnabas für die Entwicklung des frühen Christentums und die besondere Weise der Rezeption dieser Figur in der Apostelgeschichte auf. Historisch erweist sich Barnabas als Bindeglied zwischen dem toratreuen Christentum Jerusalemer Provenienz und dem heidenmissionarisch orientierten Christentum Antiochiens. Für die Mission im Süden Kleinasiens war er die entscheidende Gestalt und wirkte so auch als Patron des Paulus, der sich jedoch später von ihm löste. Lukas zeichnet in der Apostelgeschichte ein differenziertes Porträt des Barnabas, stellt ihn freilich auch deutlich in den Schatten des Paulus. Die Untersuchung von Markus Öhler stellt hingegen den großen Stellenwert des zypriotischen Leviten für das Urchristentum dar.