In your message on Thursday, you mentioned that you thought Barnabas was Paul’s brother in law. I imagine this has something to do with the “sister’s son” verses of Acts 23:16 and Col 4:10, but I can’t quite piece it together. Can you provide a brief explanation of the relevant verses?

When I have read Col 4:10, it seemed to me that the phrase “sister’s son to Barnabas” meant that Barnabas had a sister that had a child named Marcus, making Barnabas the uncle of Marcus. I did not connect the sister to Paul as there was no “my” before “sister’s” while there was a “my” in the preceding phrase involving Aristarchus.  Perhaps I have been reading this wrongly.  I will have to think about this.

Whether Acts 23:16 is a reference to Mark or not I don’t know, but it does confirm Paul has a sister.  So when Colossians 4:10 says:  “Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)”   It seem clear to me that Marcus is Paul’s sister’s son and that she had that son with Barnabas.

When the plain sense makes common sense seek no other sense.

Besides, if Barnabas was Saul’s brother-in-law, it would explain why Barnabas was the first to accept Saul’s conversion – Acts 9:27.