Barnabas Zhang
Encyclopedia
Barnabas Zhang was an early preacher for the True Jesus Church in China
, an indigenous Chinese church. Born in Wei County
, Shandong Province, Zhang's former name was Diàn-Jǚ (殿舉). His mother died when he was four years old and when his father remarried, Diàn-Jǚ often fled to distant locations. At the age of fifteen he began work as a farmer
and by the age of twenty, he started learning commerce - eventually becoming a collector and trader of antiques.
and the forgiveness
of sin
s. His wife was moved by the gospel but Diàn-Jǔ initially opposed it. However after three to four of reading through the Bible which his wife had brought back home, he became curious of the passages mentioning the prophet Elijah being taken up into heaven
, of the Apostles Paul and Peter performing wonders and he wanted to have the same spiritual powers that they had . He repented of his sin
s and sought for grace
. He often prayed in the quiet place, but without feeling anything different for a long time; then he thought of the Bible verse, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you ." This strengthened his resolve and Diàn-Jǔ increased the frequency of his prayer
day by day.
At dusk of 16 March 1911, while walking in the wilderness, Diàn-Jǚ heard a sound from above saying "Salvation during the last days comes from the east to west; Go and save all nations". He then started prayed on his knees and received the Holy Spirit
through glossolalia
.
Shortly afterwards, Diàn-Jǚ and his whole family were then baptised by Zhang Lingsheng. After cultivating their faith for four years, Ling-Sheng laid hands on Diàn-Jǔ as an Elder
and the 'faith of the foreigners'. Diàn-Jǔ had to flee to his aunt's house. He did not return home until five days later. On his way home, he knelt down near a river shore to pray that the persecution would stop, and the persecution ceased .
In the spring of 1914, Diàn-Jǔ intended to commence business in the leather
industry and aid in the formation of the church there. During his planning stage, he met with fierce resistance from his clan and the church was persecuted. His name Diàn-Jǚ was removed from the family scroll and his house
was burnt to the ground.
Diàn-Jǔ then moved his business operations to Qingdao, Shandong, but due to war
skirmishes and the ensuing civil unrest, his capital and goods were looted by bandits during the autumn of that same year.
At the beginning of 1915, Diàn-Jǔ and Zhang Lingsheng opened a primary school so that the children of the believers and their friends could receive education. The syllabus included hymn
singing and worshipping God. Within a year, the pupils achieved good grades and sixty of the pupils were willing to receive baptism. As they travelled two kilometres to the nearest river
, the locals there tried all they could to block them on the pretext that they were 'polluting' the river. So Diàn-Jǔ knelt down and prayed in the middle of the opposing crowd. After his prayer, an army officer, whom often attended his sermons, came out from the city to receive baptism. The crowd was afraid of his power and hence the opposition ceased.
In the spring of 1915, Pastor
Berntsen
and Zhào Délǐ (趙得理) from the Church of God
in Beijing
came to Wei County
and resided in Diàn-Jǔ's residence for several days. Berntsen and Zhào Délǐ proposed that their two church congregations be merged together into a single entity so that they could cooperate alongside each other and jointly preach the gospel. However Diàn-Jǔ rejected this proposal after he disagreed on a passage written by Berntsen in the Popular Gospel Truth periodical mentioning the Sabbath: .
.
In 1919 he headed to Southern China, preaching the gospel and establishing numerous True Jesus Church
prayer buildings. When preaching, Barnabas was humbly dressed up in normal peasant clothing. Most people believed him, owing to many miraculous signs and wonders attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit such as the casting out of demons and healing fatal illnesses on the sick
By 1926, he preached to Taiwan
and established three churches in forty days. In 1927 after an invitation from Southeast Asian believers he journeyed to Singapore
and what is now Malaysia where he established four churches for the first time.
" and the head of the Church by setting up his own General Assembly. As a result, he was later excommunicated by the church general coordination board in 1931.
The supporters of Isaac Wei labelled Barnabas as having gone 'insane' during his last years since he and his wife wore clothing which closely resembled that of a Cardinal
or Pope
during services in the Hong Kong church
Barnabas died in Singapore
on 25 January 1961
True Jesus Church in China
The True Jesus Church in China is a non-denominational church that was established in Beijing, China, in 1917 and continues today in the People's Republic of China...
, an indigenous Chinese church. Born in Wei County
Weifang
Weifang is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay to the north.-History:Weifang is a historical city...
, Shandong Province, Zhang's former name was Diàn-Jǚ (殿舉). His mother died when he was four years old and when his father remarried, Diàn-Jǚ often fled to distant locations. At the age of fifteen he began work as a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and by the age of twenty, he started learning commerce - eventually becoming a collector and trader of antiques.
Conversion to Christianity
In the autumn of 1909, when Diàn-Jǔ was twenty-seven years of age, his uncle Zhang Lingsheng paid a visit to his village where he preached sermons concerning repentanceRepentance
Repentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law...
and the forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
of sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s. His wife was moved by the gospel but Diàn-Jǔ initially opposed it. However after three to four of reading through the Bible which his wife had brought back home, he became curious of the passages mentioning the prophet Elijah being taken up into heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
, of the Apostles Paul and Peter performing wonders and he wanted to have the same spiritual powers that they had . He repented of his sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s and sought for grace
Grace (Christianity)
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
. He often prayed in the quiet place, but without feeling anything different for a long time; then he thought of the Bible verse, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you ." This strengthened his resolve and Diàn-Jǔ increased the frequency of his prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
day by day.
At dusk of 16 March 1911, while walking in the wilderness, Diàn-Jǚ heard a sound from above saying "Salvation during the last days comes from the east to west; Go and save all nations". He then started prayed on his knees and received the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
through glossolalia
Glossolalia
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...
.
Shortly afterwards, Diàn-Jǚ and his whole family were then baptised by Zhang Lingsheng. After cultivating their faith for four years, Ling-Sheng laid hands on Diàn-Jǔ as an Elder
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
Persecution
In 1913 Diàn-Jǔ was labelled as a 'devil' and beaten up by his own clan for preaching to them about JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and the 'faith of the foreigners'. Diàn-Jǔ had to flee to his aunt's house. He did not return home until five days later. On his way home, he knelt down near a river shore to pray that the persecution would stop, and the persecution ceased .
In the spring of 1914, Diàn-Jǔ intended to commence business in the leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
industry and aid in the formation of the church there. During his planning stage, he met with fierce resistance from his clan and the church was persecuted. His name Diàn-Jǚ was removed from the family scroll and his house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
was burnt to the ground.
Diàn-Jǔ then moved his business operations to Qingdao, Shandong, but due to war
Warlord era
The Chinese Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to 1928, when the country was divided among military cliques, a division that continued until the fall of the Nationalist government in the mainland China regions of Sichuan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia,...
skirmishes and the ensuing civil unrest, his capital and goods were looted by bandits during the autumn of that same year.
At the beginning of 1915, Diàn-Jǔ and Zhang Lingsheng opened a primary school so that the children of the believers and their friends could receive education. The syllabus included hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
singing and worshipping God. Within a year, the pupils achieved good grades and sixty of the pupils were willing to receive baptism. As they travelled two kilometres to the nearest river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
, the locals there tried all they could to block them on the pretext that they were 'polluting' the river. So Diàn-Jǔ knelt down and prayed in the middle of the opposing crowd. After his prayer, an army officer, whom often attended his sermons, came out from the city to receive baptism. The crowd was afraid of his power and hence the opposition ceased.
In the spring of 1915, Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
Berntsen
Bernt Berntsen
Bernt Berntsen , also known as Brother B. Berntsen, was a Norwegian-American Protestant Christian missionary to China. In 1904, Berntsen and his wife Magna was able to preach along with several other independent Norwegian missionaries in a mission station in Damingfu of Zhili Province...
and Zhào Délǐ (趙得理) from the Church of God
General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh-Day)
The General Conference of the Church of God , or simply Church of God or CoG7, is a seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Christian denomination...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
came to Wei County
Weifang
Weifang is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay to the north.-History:Weifang is a historical city...
and resided in Diàn-Jǔ's residence for several days. Berntsen and Zhào Délǐ proposed that their two church congregations be merged together into a single entity so that they could cooperate alongside each other and jointly preach the gospel. However Diàn-Jǔ rejected this proposal after he disagreed on a passage written by Berntsen in the Popular Gospel Truth periodical mentioning the Sabbath: .
Evangelism to the South
During February 1916, while walking on the road, Diàn-Jǔ again heard a voice saying "You are to head south to preach the gospel, I will give you great powers". On April, he changed his name to Barnabas after revelations by the Holy SpiritHoly Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
.
In 1919 he headed to Southern China, preaching the gospel and establishing numerous True Jesus Church
True Jesus Church
The True Jesus Church is a non-denominational Christian church that originated in Beijing, China, in 1917. The current elected chairman of the TJC International Assembly is Preacher Yong-Ji Lin. Today, there are approximately 2.5 million members in fifty three countries and six continents...
prayer buildings. When preaching, Barnabas was humbly dressed up in normal peasant clothing. Most people believed him, owing to many miraculous signs and wonders attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit such as the casting out of demons and healing fatal illnesses on the sick
By 1926, he preached to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and established three churches in forty days. In 1927 after an invitation from Southeast Asian believers he journeyed to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and what is now Malaysia where he established four churches for the first time.
Later life
Later on, Barnabas claimed to be the founder of the church and after a dispute with Isaac Wei, headed to Hong Kong where he declared himself "BishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
" and the head of the Church by setting up his own General Assembly. As a result, he was later excommunicated by the church general coordination board in 1931.
The supporters of Isaac Wei labelled Barnabas as having gone 'insane' during his last years since he and his wife wore clothing which closely resembled that of a Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
or Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
during services in the Hong Kong church
Barnabas died in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on 25 January 1961
See also
- Protestant missions in China 1807-1953Protestant missions in China 1807-1953In the early 19th century, Western colonial expansion occurred at the same time as an evangelical revival throughout the English-speaking world, leading to more overseas missionary activity...
- True Jesus Church in TaiwanTrue Jesus Church in TaiwanThe True Jesus Church is a nontrinitarian Christian denomination began in China, growing out of the Pentecostal movement. Since its foundation it has spread to other countries including Taiwan....
- Paul WeiPaul WeiPaul Wei , previously known as Wèi Ēnbō , was born in Hebei province, China. He was a farmer from a poor family background and had very little education. In 1902 he migrated to Beijing where he later became a prosperous silk and merchandise dealer.By his own accounts, he was previously a...