THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS Part 1
I Bid you greeting, sons and daughters, in the name of the Lord that
loved us, in peace.
Seeing that the ordinances of God are great and rich unto you, I
rejoice with an exceeding great and overflowing joy at your blessed and
glorious spirits; so innate is the grace of the spiritual gift that ye
have received. Wherefore also I the more congratulate myself hoping to
be saved, for that I truly see the Spirit poured out among you from the
riches of the fount of the Lord. So greatly did the much-desired sight
of you astonish me respecting you. Being therefore persuaded of this,
and being conscious with myself that having said much among you I know
that the Lord journeyed with me on the way of righteousness, and am
wholly constrained also myself to this, to love you more than my own
soul (for great faith and love dwelleth in you through the hope of the
life which is His)--considering this therefore, that, if it shall be my
care to communicate to you some portion of that which I received, it
shall turn to my reward for having ministered to such spirits, I was
eager to send you a trifle, that along with your faith ye might have
your knowledge also perfect. Well then, there are three ordinances of
the Lord; *the hope of life, which is the beginning and end of our
faith; and righteousness, which is the beginning and end of judgment;
love shown in gladness and exultation, the testimony of works of
righteousness.* For the Lord made known to us by His prophets things
past and present, giving us likewise the firstfruits of the taste of
things future. And seeing each of these things severally coming to
pass, according as He spake, we ought to offer a richer and higher
offering to the fear of Him. But I, not as though I were a teacher, but
as one of yourselves, will show forth a few things, whereby ye shall be
gladdened in the present circumstances.
Seeing then that the days are evil, and that the Active One himself
has the authority, we ought to give heed to ourselves and to seek out
the ordinances of the Lord. The aids of our faith then are fear and
patience, and our allies are long-suffering and self-restraint. While
these abide in a pure spirit in matters relating to the Lord, wisdom,
understanding, science, knowledge rejoice with them. For He hath made
manifest to us by all the prophets that He wanteth neither sacrifices
nor whole burnt offerings nor oblations, saying at one time; What to Me
is the multitude of your sacrifices, saith the Lord I am full of whole
burnt-offerings, and the fat of lambs and the blood of bulls and of
goats desire not, not though ye should come to be seen of Me. or who
required these things at your hands? Ye shall continue no more to tread
My court. If ye bring fine flour, it is in vain; incense is an
abomination to Me; your new moons and your Sabbaths I cannot away with.
These things therefore He annulled, that the new law of our Lord Jesus
Christ, being free from the yoke of constraint, might have its oblation
not made by human hands. And He saith again unto them; Did command your
fathers when they went forth from the land of Egypt to bring Me whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices? Nay, this was My command unto them, Let
none of you bear a grudge of evil against his neighbor in his heart,
and love you not a false oath. So we ought to perceive, unless we are
without understanding, the mind of the goodness of our Father; for He
speaketh to us, desiring us not to go astray like them but to seek how
we may approach Him. Thus then speaketh He to us; The sacrifice unto
God is a broken heart, the smell of a sweet savor unto the Lord is a
heart that glorifies its Maker. We ought therefore, brethren, to learn
accurately concerning our salvation, lest the Evil One having effected
an entrance of error in us should fling us away from our life.
He speaketh again therefore to them concerning these things;
Wherefore fast ye for Me, saith the Lord, so that your voice is heard
this day crying aloud? This is not the fast which have chosen, saith
the Lord; not a man abasing his soul; not though ye should bend your
neck as a hoop, and put on sackcloth and make your bed of ashes, not
even so shall ye call a fast that is acceptable. But unto us He saith;
Behold, this is the fast which I have chosen, saith the Lord; loosen
every band of wickedness, untie the tightened cords of forcible
contracts, send away the broken ones released and tear in pieces every
unjust bond. Break thy bread to the hungry, and if thou seest one naked
clothe him; bring the shelterless into thy house, and if thou seest a
humble man, thou shalt not despise him, neither shall any one of thy
household and of thine own seed. Then shall thy light break forth in
the morning, and thy healing shall arise quickly, and righteousness
shall go forth before thy face, and the glory of God shall environ
thee. Then shalt thou cry out and God shall hear thee; while thou art
still speaking, He shall say 'Lo, I am here'; if thou shalt take away
from thee the yoke and the stretching forth of the finger and the word
of murmuring, and shalt give thy bread to the hungry heartily, and
shalt pity the abased soul. To this end therefore, my brethren, He that
is long-suffering, foreseeing that the people whom He had prepared in
His well-beloved would believe in simplicity, manifested to us
beforehand concerning all things, that we might not as novices
shipwreck ourselves upon their law.
It behooves us therefore to investigate deeply concerning the
present, and to search out the things which have power to save us. Let
us therefore flee altogether from all the works of lawlessness, lest
the works of lawlessness overpower us; and let us loathe the error of
the present time, that we may be loved for that which is to come. Let
us give no relaxation to our soul that it should have liberty to
consort with sinners and wicked men, lest haply we be made like unto
them. The last offence is at hand, concerning which the scripture
speaketh, as Enoch saith. For to this end the Master hath cut the
seasons and the days short, that His beloved might hasten and come to
His inheritance. And the prophet also speaketh on this wise; Ten reigns
shall reign upon the earth, and after them shall arise another king,
who shall bring low three of the kings under one. In like manner Daniel
speaketh concerning the same; And I saw the forth beast to be wicked
and strong and more intractable than all the beasts of the earth, and
how there arose from him ten horns, and from these a little horn and
excrescence, and how that it abased under one three of the great horns.
Ye ought therefore to understand. Moreover I ask you this one thing
besides, as being one of yourselves and loving you all in particular
more than my own soul, to give heed to yourselves now, and not to liken
yourselves to certain persons who pile up sin upon sin, saying that our
covenant remains to them also. Ours it is; but they lost it in this way
for ever, when Moses had just received it. For the scripture saith; And
Moses was in the mountain fasting forty days and forty nights, and he
received the covenant from the Lord, even tablets of stone written with
the finger of the hand of the Lord. But they lost it by turning unto
idols. For thus saith the Lord; Moses, Moses, come down quickly; for
thy people whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt hath done
unlawfully. And Moses understood, and threw the two tables from his
hands; and their covenant was broken in pieces, that the covenant of
the beloved Jesus might be sealed unto our hearts in the hope which
springeth from faith in Him. But though I would fain write many things,
not as a teacher, but as becometh one who loveth you not to fall short
of that which we possess, I was anxious to write to you, being your
devoted slave. Wherefore let us take heed in these last days. For the
whole time of our faith shall profit us nothing, unless we now, in the
season of lawlessness and in the offenses that shall be, as becometh
sons of God, offer resistance, that the Black One may not effect an
entrance. Let us flee from all vanity, let us entirely hate the works
of the evil way. Do not entering in privily stand apart by yourselves,
as if ye were already justified, but assemble yourselves together and
consult concerning the common welfare. For the scripture saith; Woe
unto them that are wise for themselves, and understanding in their own
sight. Let us become spiritual, let us become a temple perfect unto
God. As far as in us lies, let us exercise ourselves in the fear of
God, [and] let us strive to keep His commandments, that we may rejoice
in His ordinances. The Lord judgeth the world without respect of
persons; each man shall receive according to his deeds. If he be good,
his righteousness shall go before him in the way; if he be evil, the
recompense of his evil-doing is before him; lest perchance, if we relax
as men that are called, we should slumber over our sins, and the prince
of evil receive power against us and thrust us out from the kingdom of
the Lord. Moreover understand this also, my brothers. When ye see that
after so many signs and wonders wrought in Israel, even then they were
abandoned, let us give heed, lest haply we be found, as the scripture
saith, many are called but few are chosen.
For to this end the Lord endured to deliver His flesh unto
corruption, that by the remission of sins we might be cleansed, which
cleansing is through the blood of His sprinkling. For the scripture
concerning Him containeth some things relating to Israel, and some
things relating to us. And it speaketh thus; He was wounded for your
transgressions, and He hath been bruised for our sins; by His stripes
we were healed. As a sheep He was led to slaughter, as a lamb is dumb
before his shearer. We ought therefore to be very thankful unto the
Lord, for that He both revealed unto us the past, and made us wise in
the present, and as regards the future we are not without
understanding. Now the scripture saith; Not unjustly is the net spread
for the birds. He meaneth this that a man shall justly perish, who
having the knowledge of the way of righteousness forceth himself into
the way of darkness. There is yet this also, my brethren; if the Lord
endured to suffer for our souls, though He was Lord of the whole world,
unto whom God said from the foundation of the world, Let us make man
after our image and likeness, how then did He endure to suffer at the
hand of men? Understand ye. The prophets, receiving grace from Him,
prophesied concerning Him. But He Himself endured that He might destroy
death and show forth the resurrection of the dead, for that He must
needs be manifested in the flesh; that at the same time He might redeem
the promise made to the fathers, and by preparing the new people for
Himself might show, while He was on earth, that having brought about
the resurrection He will Himself exercise judgment. Yea and further, He
preached teaching Israel and performing so many wonders and miracles,
and He loved him exceedingly. And when He chose His own apostles who
were to proclaim His Gospel, who that He might show that He came not to
call the righteous but sinners were sinners above every sin, then He
manifested Himself to be the Son of God. For if He had not come in the
flesh neither would men have looked upon Him and been saved, forasmuch
as when they look upon the sun that shall cease to be, which is the
work of His own hands, they cannot face its rays. Therefore the Son of
God came in the flesh to this end, that He might sum up the complete
tale of their sins against those who persecuted and slew His prophets.
To this end therefore He endured. For God saith of the wounds of His
flesh that they came from them; When they shall smite their own
shepherd, then shall the sheep of the flock be lost. But He Himself
desired so to suffer; for it was necessary for Him to suffer on a tree.
For he that prophesied said concerning Him, Spare My soul form the
sword; and, Pierce My flesh with nails, for the congregations of
evil-doers have risen up against Me. And again He saith; Behold I have
given My back to stripes, and My cheeks to smitings, and My face did I
set as a hard rock.
When then He gave the commandment, what saith He? Who is he that
disputeth with Me? Let him oppose Me. Or who is he that goeth to law
with Me? Let him draw nigh unto the servant of the Lord, Woe unto you,
for ye all shall wax old as a garment, and the moth shall consume you.
And again the prophet saith, seeing that as a hard stone He was
ordained for crushing; Behold I will put into the fountains of Zion a
stone very precious, elect, a chief corner-stone, honorable. Then again
what saith He; And whosoever shall set his hope on Him, shall live
forever. Is our hope then set upon a stone? Far be it. But it is
because the Lord hath set His flesh in strength. For He saith; And He
set Me as a hard rock. And the prophet saith again; The stone which the
builders rejected, this became the head and the corner. And again He
saith; This is the great and wonderful day, which the Lord made. I
write to you the more simply, that ye may understand, I who am the
offscouring of your love. What then saith the prophet again? The
assembly of evildoers gathered around Me, they surrounded Me as bees
surround a comb; and; For My garment they cast a lot. Forasmuch then as
He was about to be manifested in the flesh and to suffer, His suffering
was manifested beforehand. For the prophet saith concerning Israel; Woe
unto their soul, for they have counseled evil counsel against
themselves saying, Let us bind the righteous one, for he is
unprofitable for us. What sayeth the other prophet Moses unto them?
Behold, these things saith the Lord God; enter into the good land which
the Lord swear unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and inherit it, a land
flowing with milk and honey. But what saith knowledge? Understand ye.
Set your hope on Him who is about to be manifested to you in the flesh,
even Jesus. For man is earth suffering; for from the face of the earth
came the creation of Adam. What then saith He? Into the good land, a
land flowing with milk and honey. Blessed is our Lord, brethren, who
established among us wisdom and understanding of His secret things. For
the prophet speaketh a parable concerning the Lord. Who shall
comprehend, save he that is wise and prudent and that loveth his Lord?
Forasmuch then as He renewed us in the remission of sins, He made us to
be a new type, so that we should have the soul of children, as if He
were recreating us. For the scripture saith concerning us, how He saith
to the Son; Let us make man after our image and after our likeness, and
let them rule over the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the heaven
and the fishes of the sea. And the Lord said when He saw the fair
creation of us men; Increase and multiply and fill the earth. These
words refer to the Son. Again I will shew thee how the Lord speaketh
concerning us. He made a second creation at the last; and the Lord
saith; Behold I make the last things as the first. In reference to this
then the prophet preached; Enter into a land flowing with milk and
honey, and be lords over it. Behold then we have been created anew, as
He saith again in another prophet; Behold, saith the Lord, I will take
out from these, that is to say, from those whom the Spirit of the Lord
foresaw, their stony hearts, and will put into them hearts of flesh;
for He Himself was to be manifested in the flesh and to dwell in us.
For a holy temple unto the Lord, my brethren, is the abode of our
heart. For the Lord saith again; For wherein shall I appear unto the
Lord my God and be glorified? I will make confession unto Thee in the
assembly of my brethren, and I will sing unto Thee in the midst of the
assembly of the saints. We therefore are they whom He brought into the
good land. What then is the milk and the honey Because the child is
first kept alive by honey, and then by milk. So in like manner we also,
being kept alive by our faith in the promise and by the word, shall
live and be lords of the earth. Now we have already said above; And let
them increase and multiply and rule over the fishes. But who is he that
is able [now] to rule over beasts and fishes and fowls of the heaven;
for we ought to perceive that to rule implieth power, so that one
should give orders and have dominion. If then this cometh not to pass
now, assuredly He spake to us for the hereafter, when we ourselves
shall be made perfect so that we may become heirs of the covenant of
the Lord.
Understand therefore, children of gladness, that the good Lord
manifested all things to us beforehand, that we might know to whom we
ought in all things to render thanksgiving and praise. If then the Son
of God, being Lord and future Judge of quick and dead, suffered that
His wound might give us life, let us believe that the Son of God could
not suffer except for our sakes. But moreover when crucified He had
vinegar and gall given Him to drink. Hear how on this matter the
priests of the temple have revealed. Seeing that there is a commandment
in scripture, Whatsoever shall not observe the fast shall surely die,
the Lord commanded, because He was in His own person about to offer the
vessel of His Spirit a sacrifice for our sins, that the type also which
was given in Isaac who was offered upon the alter should be fulfilled.
What then saith He in the prophet? And let them eat of the goat that is
offered at the fast for all their sins. Attend carefully; And let all
the priests alone eat the entrails unwashed with vinegar. Wherefore?
Since ye are to give Me, who am to offer My flesh for the sins of My
new people, gall with vinegar to drink, eat ye alone, while the people
fasteth and waileth in sackcloth and ashes; that He might shew that He
must suffer at their hands. Attend ye to the commandments which He
gave. Take two goats, fair and alike, and offer them, and let the
priest take the one for a whole burnt offering for sins. But the other
one--what must they do with it? Accursed, saith He, is the one. Give
heed how the type of Jesus is revealed. And do ye all spit upon it and
goad it, and place scarlet wool about its head, and so let it be cast
into the wilderness. And when it is so done, he that taketh the goat
into the wilderness leadeth it, and taketh off the wool, and putteth it
upon the branch which is called Rachia, the same whereof we are wont to
eat the shoots when we find them in the country. Of this briar alone is
the fruit thus sweet. What then meaneth this? Give heed. The one at the
alter, and the other accursed. And moreover the accursed one crowned.
For they shall see Him in that day wearing the long scarlet robe about
His flesh, and shall say, Is not this He, Whom once we crucified and
set at nought and spat upon; verily this was He, Who then said that He
was the Son of God. For how is He like the goat? For this reason it
says the goats shall be fair and alike, that, when they shall see Him
coming then, they may be astonished at the likeness of the goat.
Therefore behold the type of Jesus that was to suffer. But what meaneth
it, that they place the wool in the midst of the thorns? It is a type
of Jesus set forth for the Church, since whosoever should desire to
take away the scarlet wool it behoved him to suffer many things owing
to the terrible nature of the thorn, and through affliction to win the
mastery over it. Thus, He saith, they that desire to see Me, and to
attain unto My kingdom, must lay hold on Me through tribulation and
affliction.
But what think ye meaneth the type, where the commandment is given
to Israel that those men, whose sins are full grown, offer an heifer
and slaughter and burn it, and then that the children take up the
ashes, and cast them into vessels, and twist the scarlet wool on a tree
(see here again is the type of the cross and the scarlet wool), and the
hyssop, and that this done the children should sprinkle the people one
by one, that they may be purified from their sins? Understand ye how in
all plainness it is spoken unto you; the calf is Jesus, the men that
offer it, being sinners, are they that offered Him for the slaughter.
After this it is no more men (who offer); the glory is no more for
sinners. The children who sprinkle are they that preached unto us the
forgiveness of sins and the purification of our heart, they to whom,
being twelve in number for a testimony unto the tribes (for there are
twelve tribes of Israel), He gave authority over the Gospel, that they
should preach it. But wherefore are the children that sprinkle three in
number? For a testimony unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because these
are mighty before God. Then there is the placing the wool on the tree.
This means that the kingdom of Jesus is on the cross, and that they who
set their hope on Him shall live for ever. And why is there the wool
and the hyssop at the same time? Because in His kingdom there shall be
evil and foul days, in which we shall be saved; for he who suffers pain
in the flesh is healed through the foulness of the hyssop. Now to us
indeed it is manifest that these things so befell for this reason, but
to them they were dark, because they heard not the voice of the Lord.
Furthermore He saith concerning the ears, how that it is our heart
which He circumcised. The Lord saith in the prophet; With the hearing
of the ears they listened to Me. And again He saith; They that are afar
off shall hear with their ears, and shall perceive what I have done.
And; Be ye circumcised in your hearts, saith the Lord. And again He
saith; Hear, O Israel, for thus saith the Lord thy God. Who is he that
desireth to live forever, let him hear with his ears the voice of My
servant. And again He saith; Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth,
for the Lord hath spoken these things for a testimony. And again He
saith; Hear the words of the Lord, ye rulers of this people. And again
He saith; Hear, O my children, the voice of one crying in the
wilderness. Therefore He circumcised our ears, that hearing the word we
might believe. But moreover the circumcision, in which they have
confidence, is abolished; for He hath said that a circumcision not of
the flesh should be practiced. But they transgressed, for an evil angel
taught them cleverness. He saith unto them; Thus saith the Lord your
God (so I find the commandment); sow not upon thorns, be ye circumcised
in to your Lord. And what saith He? Be ye circumcised in the hardness
of your heart; and then ye will not harden your neck. Take this again;
Behold, sayith the Lord, all the Gentiles are uncircumcised in their
foreskin, but this people is uncircumcised in their hearts. But thou
wilt say; In truth the people hath been circumcised for a seal. Nay,
but so likewise is every Syrian and Arabian and all the priests of the
idols. Do all those then too belong to their covenant? Moreover the
Egyptians also are included among the circumcised. Learn therefore,
children of love, concerning all things abundantly, that Abraham, who
first appointed circumcision, looked forward in the spirit unto Jesus,
when he circumcised having received the ordinances of three letters.
For the scripture saith; And Abraham circumcised of his household
eighteen males and three hundred. What then was the knowledge given
unto him? Understand ye that He saith the eighteen first, and then
after an interval three hundred In the eighteen 'I' stands for ten, 'H'
for eight. Here thou hast JESUS (IHSOYS). And because the cross in the
'T' was to have grace, He saith also three hundred. So He revealeth
Jesus in the two letters, and in the remaining one the cross. He who
placed within us the innate gift of His covenant knoweth; no man hath
ever learnt from me a more genuine word; but I know that ye are worthy.
But forasmuch as Moses said; Ye shall not eat seine nor eagle nor
falcon nor crow nor any fish which hath no scale upon it, he received
in his understanding three ordinances. Yea and further He saith unto
them in Deuteronomy; And I will lay as a covenant upon this people My
ordinances. So then it is not a commandment of God that they should not
bite with their teeth, but Moses spake it in spirit. Accordingly he
mentioned the swine with this intent. Thou shalt not cleave, saith he,
to such men who are like unto swine; that is, when they are in luxury
they forget the Lord, but when they are in want they recognize the
Lord, just as the swine when it eateth knoweth not his lord, but when
it is hungry it crieth out, and when it has received food again it is
silent. Neither shalt thou eat eagle nor falcon nor kite nor crow. Thou
shalt not, He saith, cleave unto, or be likened to, such men who now
not how to provide food for themselves by toil and sweat, but in their
lawlessness seize what belongeth to others, and as if they were walking
in guilelessness watch and search about for some one to rob in their
rapacity, just as these birds alone do not provide food for themselves,
but sit idle and seek how they may eat the meat that belongeth to
others, being pestilent in their evil-doings. And thou shalt not eat,
saith He, lamprey nor polypus nor cuttle fish . Thou shalt not, He
meaneth, become like unto such men, who are desperately wicked, and are
already condemned to death, just as these fishes alone are accursed and
swim in the depths, not swimming on the surface like the rest, but
dwell on the ground beneath the deep sea. Moreover thou shalt not eat
the hare. Why so? Thou shalt not be found a corrupter of boys, nor
shalt thou become like such persons; for the hare gaineth one passage
in the body every year; for according to the number of years it lives
it has just so many orifices. Again, neither shalt thou eat the hyena;
thou shalt not, saith He, become an adulterer or a fornicator, neither
shalt thou resemble such persons. Why so? Because this animal changeth
its nature year by year, and becometh at one time male and at another
female. Moreover He hath hated the weasel also and with good reason.
Thou shalt not, saith He, become such as those men of whom we hear as
working iniquity with their mouth for uncleanness, neither shalt thou
cleave unto impure women who work iniquity with their mouth. For this
animal conceiveth with its mouth. Concerning meats then Moses received
three decrees to this effect and uttered them in a spiritual sense; but
they accepted them according to the lust of the flesh, as though they
referred to eating. And David also receiveth knowledge of the same
three decrees, and saith; Blessed is the man who hath not gone in the
council of the ungodly--even as the fishes go in darkness into the
depths; and hath not stood in the path of sinners--just as they who
pretend to fear the Lord sin like swine; and hath not sat on the seat
of the destroyers--as the birds that are seated for prey. Ye have now
the complete lesson concerning eating. Again Moses saith; Ye shall
everything that divideth the hoof and cheweth the cud. What meaneth he?
He that receiveth the food knoweth Him that giveth him the food, and
being refreshed appeareth to rejoice in him. Well said he, having
regard to the commandment. What then meaneth he? Cleave unto those that
fear the Lord, with those who meditate in their heart on the
distinction of the word which they have received, with those who tell
of the ordinances of the Lord and keep them, with those who know that
meditation is a work of gladness and who chew the cud of the word of
the Lord. But why that which divideth the hoof? Because the righteous
man both walketh in this world, and at the same time looketh for the
holy world to come. Ye see how wise a lawgiver Moses was. But whence
should they perceive or understand these things? Howbeit we having
justly perceived the commandments tell them as the Lord willed. To this
end He circumcised our ears and hearts, that we might understand these
things.
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