Figure Analysis
Barnabas was one of Paul's main traveling companions. He's mentioned a ton in Acts of the Apostles, so head over there for the full story.
Barnabas is the one who first vouches for Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 9:27), and then they go on to have all kinds of madcap adventures and generally cause all kinds of trouble while trying to tell people about Jesus.
Oh, Bible. How zany you can be.
Paul's mention of Barnabas in Galatians jibes with what it says in Acts. He says the two go up to Jerusalem together and the council blesses their mission to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:1, 9). Later, Barnabas has a bit of a snafu when he follows Peter's lead and stops eating with Gentiles.
But this is all before the falling out Paul and Barnabas have in Acts. When the two old friends disagree about who to take on their next missionary journey, they end up parting ways (Acts 15:39). Paul would take the road to fame and notoriety, while Barnabas would fall by the wayside, confined to the footnotes of Christian history.
Sorry, Barnabas.