A pseudepigraphal work of the 5th century designed to strengthen the claim of the Church of Cyprus to apostolic authority, the Acts of Barnabas is a relatively short work that details the travels of Barnabas and Paul from the perspective of John Mark.
1 Since from the descent of the presence of our Savior Jesus Christ—the unwearied, and benevolent, and mighty Shepherd, and Teacher, and Physician—I beheld and saw the ineffable, and holy, and unspotted mystery of the Christians, who hold the hope in holiness, and who have been sealed; 2 and since I have zealously served Him, I have deemed it necessary to give an account of the mysteries which I have heard and seen. 3 I, John [Mark], accompanying the holy apostles Barnabas and Paul, being formerly a servant of Cyrillus the high priest of Jupiter, but now having received the gift of the Holy Spirit through Paul, and Barnabas, and Silas, who were worthy of the calling, and who immersed me in Iconium. 4 After I was immersed, then, I saw a certain man standing clothed in a white garment; and he said to me: “Be of good courage, John, for your name will assuredly be changed to Mark, and your glory will be proclaimed in all the world. And the darkness in you has passed away from you, and there has been given to you understanding to know the mysteries of God.” 5 And when I saw the vision, becoming greatly terrified, I fell at the feet of Barnabas and related to him the mysteries which I had seen and heard from that man. And the apostle Paul was not nearby when I disclosed the mysteries. 6 And Barnabas said to me: “Tell no one the miracle which you have seen. For by me also this night the Lord stood, saying, Be of good courage: for as you have given your life for My Name to death and banishment from your nation, thus you will also be made perfect. 7 Moreover, as for the servant who is with you, also take him with yourself; for he has certain mysteries. Now then, my child, keep to yourself the things which you have seen and heard; for a time will come for you to reveal them.”
1 And I, having been instructed in these things by him, remained in Iconium many days, for there was a holy and pious man there, who also entertained us, whose house Paul had also sanctified. 2 Therefore, from there we came to Seleucia, and after staying three days, sailed away to Cyprus; and I was ministering to them until we had gone around all of Cyprus. 3 And setting sail from Cyprus, we landed in Perga of Pamphylia. And there I then stayed about two months, wishing to sail to the regions of the West; and the Holy Spirit did not allow me. 4 Turning, therefore, I again sought the apostles; and having learned that they were in Antioch, I went to them. 5 And I found Paul in bed in Antioch from the toil of the journey, who also seeing me, was exceedingly grieved on account of my delay in Pamphylia. 6 And Barnabas coming, encouraged him and tasted bread, and he took a little of it. 7 And they preached the word of the Lord and enlightened many of the Jews and Greeks. And I only attended to them, and was afraid to come near Paul, both because he held me as having spent too much time in Pamphylia, and because he was quite enraged against me. 8 And I gave conversion on my knees on the earth to Paul, and he would not endure it. 9 And when I remained for three Sabbaths in petition and prayer on my knees, I was unable to prevail on him concerning myself; for his great grievance against me was on account of my keeping several parchments in Pamphylia.
1 And when it came to pass that they finished teaching in Antioch, on the first of the week they took counsel together to set out for the places of the East, and after that to go into Cyprus and oversee all the assemblies in which they had spoken the word of God. 2 And Barnabas implored Paul to first go to Cyprus and oversee his own in his village; and Lucius implored him to take the oversight of his city of Cyrene. 3 And a vision was seen by Paul in [his] sleep, that he should hasten to Jerusalem, because the brothers expected him there. But Barnabas urged that they should go to Cyprus, and pass the winter [there], and then that they should go to Jerusalem at the feast. Great contention, therefore, arose between them. 4 And Barnabas urged me also to accompany them, on account of my being their servant from the beginning, and on account of my having served them in all of Cyprus until they came to Perga of Pamphylia; and I had remained many days there. 5 But Paul cried out against Barnabas, saying, “It is impossible for him to go with us.” And those who were with us there urged me also to accompany them, because there was a vow on me to follow them to the end. 6 So that Paul said to Barnabas: “If you will take John”—who is also surnamed Mark—“with you, take another road, for he will not come with us.” 7 And Barnabas coming to himself, said: “The grace of God does not desert him who has once served the good news and journeyed with us. If, therefore, this is agreeable to you, Father Paul, I will take him and go.” 8 And he said: “Go in the grace of Christ, and we in the power of the Spirit.” Therefore, bending their knees, they prayed to God. 9 And Paul, groaning aloud, wept, and in like manner also Barnabas, saying to one another: “It would have been good for us, as at first, so also at last, to work in common among men; but since it has thus seemed good to you, Father Paul, pray for me that my labor may be made perfect to commendation: for you know how I have served you also to the grace of Christ that has been given to you. 10 For I go to Cyprus and hasten to be made perfect; for I know that I will no longer see your face, O Father Paul.” And falling on the ground at his feet, he wept long. 11 And Paul said to him: “The Lord stood by me also this night, saying, Do not force Barnabas not to go to Cyprus, for there it has been prepared for him to enlighten many; and you also, in the grace that has been given to you, go to Jerusalem to worship in the holy place, and there it will be shown you where your martyrdom has been prepared.” 12 And we saluted one another, and Barnabas took me to himself.
1 And having come down to Laodicea, we sought to cross to Cyprus; and having found a ship going to Cyprus, we embarked. 2 And when we had set sail, the wind was found to be contrary. And we came to Corasium; and having gone down to the shore where there was a fountain, we rested there, showing ourselves to no one, so that no one might know that Barnabas had separated from Paul. 3 And having set sail from Corasium, we came to the regions of Isauria, and from there came to a certain island called Pityusa; and a storm having come on, we remained there three days; and a certain pious man entertained us, Euphemus by name, whom Barnabas also instructed in many things in the faith, with all his house. 4 And from there we sailed past the Aconesiae and came to the city of Anemurium; and having gone into it, we found two Greeks. 5 And coming to us, they asked from where and who we were. And Barnabas said to them: “If you wish to know from where and who we are, throw away the clothing which you have, and I will put clothing on you which never becomes soiled; for neither is there in it anything filthy, but it is altogether splendid.” 6 And being astonished at the saying, they asked us: “What is that garment which you are going to give us?” And Barnabas said to them: “If you will confess your sins and submit yourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ, you will receive that garment which is incorruptible forever.” 7 And being pricked at heart by the Holy Spirit, they fell at his feet, begging and saying: “We beg you, father, give us that garment; for we believe in the living and true God whom you proclaim.” 8 And leading them down to the fountain, he immersed them into the Name of Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. 9 And they knew that they were clothed with power and a holy robe [that does not wear out]. 10 And having taken one robe from me, he put it on the one; and his own robe he put on the other. And they brought money to him, and immediately Barnabas distributed it to the poor. 11 And the sailors were also able to gain many things from them. 12 And they having come down to the shore, he spoke to them the word of God; and he having blessed them, we saluted them and boarded the ship. 13 And one of them, who was named Stephanus, wished to accompany us, and Barnabas did not permit him. 14 And we, having gone across, sailed down to Cyprus by night; and having come to the place called Crommyacita, we found Timon and Ariston, the temple servants, at whose house we were also entertained. 15 And Timon was afflicted by much fever. And having laid our hands on him, we immediately removed his fever, having called on the Name of the Lord Jesus. 16 And Barnabas had received documents from Matthew, a scroll of the word of God, and a narrative of miracles and doctrines. 17 This Barnabas laid [them] on the sick in each place that we came to, and it immediately cured their sufferings.
1 And when we had come to Lapithus, and an idol festival being celebrated in the theater, they did not allow us to go into the city, but we rested for a while at the gate. And Timon, after he rose up from his disease, came with us. 2 And having gone forth from Lapithus, we traveled through the mountains and came to the city of Lampadistus, of which Timon was also a native; in addition to whom, having also found that Heracleius was there, we were entertained by him. 3 He was of the city of Tamasus and had come to visit his relations; and Barnabas, looking steadfastly at him, recognized him, having met with him formerly at Citium with Paul; to whom the Holy Spirit was also given at immersion, and he changed his name to Heracleides. 4 And having ordained him overseer over Cyprus, and having confirmed the assembly in Tamasus, we left him in the house of his brothers that dwelt there. 5 And having crossed the mountain called Chionodes, we came to Old Paphos, and there found Rhodon, a temple servant, who also, having himself believed, accompanied us. 6 And we met a certain Jew, by name Bar-Jesus, coming from Paphos, who also recognized Barnabas, as having formerly been with Paul. He did not wish for us to go into Paphos; but having turned away, we came to Curium. 7 And we found that a certain abominable race was being run in the road near the city, where a multitude of naked women and men were performing the race. And there was great deception and error in that place. 8 And Barnabas turning, rebuked it; and the western part fell, so that many were wounded, and many of them also died, and the rest fled to the temple of Apollo, which was close at hand in the city, which was called sacred. 9 And when we came near the temple, a great multitude of Jews who were there, having been put up to it by Bar-Jesus, stood outside of the city and did not allow us to go into the city; but we spent the evening under a tree near the city and rested there.
1 And on the following day, we came to a certain village where Aristoclianus dwelt. He, being a leper, had been cleansed in Antioch, whom Paul and Barnabas also sealed to be an overseer and sent to his village in Cyprus, because there were many Greeks there. 2 And we were entertained in the cave by him in the mountain, and there we remained one day. 3 And from there we came to Amathus, and there was a great multitude of Greeks in the temple in the mountain—low women and men pouring libations. 4 There also Bar-Jesus, getting a head start on us, gained over the nation of the Jews and did not allow us to enter into the city; but a certain widow woman, eighty years old, being outside of the city, and she also not worshiping the idols, coming forward to us, took us into her house [for] one hour. 5 And when we came out, we shook the dust off our feet near that temple where the libation of the abominable took place. 6 And having gone out from there, we went through desert places, and Timon also accompanied us. 7 And having come to Citium, and there also being a great uproar there in their hippodrome, having learned this, we came forth out of the city, having all shaken the dust off our feet; for no one received us, except that we rested one hour in the gate near the aqueduct.
And having set sail in a ship from Citium, we came to Salamis and landed in the so-called islands, where there was a place full of idols; and high festivals and libations took place there. And having found Heracleides there again, we instructed him to proclaim the good news of God, and to set up assemblies and ministers in them. And having gone into Salamis, we came to the synagogue near the place called Biblia; and when we had gone into it, Barnabas, having unrolled the Gospel which he had received from his fellow-laborer Matthew, began to teach the Jews. And Bar-Jesus, having arrived after two days, after not a few Jews had been instructed, was enraged and brought together all the multitude of the Jews; and they having laid hold of Barnabas, wished to hand him over to Hypatius, the governor of Salamis. And having bound him to take him away to the governor, and a pious Jebusite, a relative of Nero, having come to Cyprus, the Jews, learning this, took Barnabas by night and bound him with a rope around the neck; and having dragged him to the hippodrome from the synagogue, and having gone out of the city, standing around him, they burned him with fire, so that even his bones became ashes. And immediately that night, having taken his ashes, they cast it into a cloth; and having secured it with lead, they intended to throw it into the sea. But I, finding an opportunity in the night, and being able along with Timon and Rhodon to carry it, we came to a certain place, and having found a cave, put [his ashes] down there, where the nation of the Jebusites formerly dwelt. And having found a secret place in it, we hid [his ashes] away with the documents which he had received from Matthew. And it was the fourth hour of the night of the second [day] of the week. And when we were hidden in the place, the Jews made no small search after us; and having almost found us, they pursued us as far as the village of the Ledrians; and we, having also found a cave there near the village, took refuge in it, and thus escaped them. And we were hidden in the cave [for] three days; and the Jews having gone away, we came forth and left the place by night. And taking with us Ariston and Rhodon, we came to the village of Limnes. And having come to the shore, we found an Egyptian ship; and having embarked in it, we landed at Alexandria. And there I remained, teaching the brothers that came the word of the Lord, enlightening them, and preaching what I had been taught by the apostles of Christ, who also immersed me into the Name of Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit; who also changed my name to Mark in the water of immersion, by which I also hope to bring many to the glory of God through His grace; because to Him is due honor and everlasting glory. Amen.
The journeyings and martyrdom of the holy apostle Barnabas have been fulfilled through God.