THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS Part 2
But let us enquire whether the Lord took care to signify before hand
concerning the water and the cross. Now concerning the water it is
written in reference to Israel, how that they would not receive the
baptism which bringeth remission of sins, but would build for
themselves. For the prophet saith; Be astonished, O heaven, and let the
earth shudder the more at this, for this people hath done two evil
things; they abandoned Me the fountain of life, and they digged for
themselves a pit of death. Is My holy mountain of Sinai a desert rock?
for ye shall be as the fledglings of a bird, which flutter aloft when
deprived of their nest. And again the prophet saith; I will go before
thee, and level mountains and crush gates of brass and break in pieces
bolts of iron, and I will give thee treasures dark, concealed, unseen,
that they may know that I am the Lord God. And; Thou shalt dwell in a
lofty cave of a strong rock. And; His water shall be sure; ye shall see
the King in glory, and your soul shall meditate on the fear of the
Lord. And again He saith in another prophet; And He that doeth these
things shall be as the tree that is planted by the parting streams of
waters, which shall yield his fruit at his proper season, and his leaf
shall not fall off, and all things whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Not so are the ungodly, not so, but are as the dust which the wind
scattereth from the face of the earth. Therefore ungodly men shall not
stand in judgment, neither sinners in the council of the righteous; for
the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly
shall perish. Ye perceive how He pointed out the water and the cross at
the same time. For this is the meaning; Blessed are they that set their
hope on the cross, and go down into the water; for He speaketh of the
reward at his proper season; then, saith He, I will repay. But now what
saith He? His leaves shall not fall off; He meaneth by this that every
word, which shall come forth from you through your mouth in faith and
love, shall be for the conversion and hope of many. And again another
prophet saith; And the land of Jacob was praised above the whole earth.
He meaneth this; He glorifieth the vessel of His Spirit. Next what
saith He? And there was a river streaming from the right hand, and
beautiful trees rose up from it; and whosoever shall eat of them shall
live forever. This He saith, because we go down into the water laden
with sins and filth, and rise up from it bearing fruit in the heart,
resting our fear and hope on Jesus in the spirit. And whosoever shall
eat of these shall live forever; He meaneth this; whosoever, saith He,
shall hear these things spoken and shall believe, shall live forever.
In like manner again He defineth concerning the cross in another
prophet, who saith; And when shall these things be accomplished? saith
the Lord. Whenever a tree shall be bended and stand upright, and
whensoever blood shall drop from a tree. Again thou art taught
concerning the cross, and Him that was to be crucified. And He saith
again in Moses, when war was waged against Israel by men of another
nation, and that He might remind them when the war was waged against
them that for their sins they were delivered unto death; the Spirit
saith to the heart of Moses, that he should make a type of the cross
and of Him that was to suffer, that unless, saith He, they shall set
their hope on Him, war shall be waged against them for ever. Moses
therefore pileth arms one upon another in the midst of the encounter,
and standing on higher ground than any he stretched out his hands, and
so Israel was again victorious. Then, whenever he lowered them, they
were slain with the sword. Wherefore was this? That they might learn
that they cannot be saved, unless they should set their hope on Him.
And again in another prophet He saith; The whole day long have I
stretched out My hands to a disobedient people that did gainsay My
righteous way. Again Moses maketh a type of Jesus, how that He must
suffer, and that He Himself whom they shall think to have destroyed
shall make alive in an emblem when Israel was falling. For the Lord
caused all manner of serpents to bite them, and they died (forasmuch as
the transgression was wrought in Eve through the serpent), that He
might convince them that by reason of their transgression they should
be delivered over to the affliction of death. Yea and further though
Moses gave the commandment; Ye shall not have a molten or a carved
image for your God, yet he himself made one that he might show them a
type of Jesus. So Moses maketh a brazen serpent, and setteth it up
conspicuously, and summoneth the people by proclamation. When therefore
they were assembled together they entreated Moses that he should offer
up intercession for them that they might be healed. And Moses said unto
them; Whensoever, said he, one of you shall be bitten, let him come to
the serpent which is placed on the tree, and let him believe and hope
that the serpent being himself dead can make alive; and forthwith he
shall be saved. And so they did. Here again thou hast in these things
also the glory of Jesus, how that in Him and unto Him are all things.
What again saith Moses unto Jesus (Joshua) the son of Nun, when he
giveth him this name, as being a prophet, that all the people might
give ear to him alone, because the Father revealeth all things
concerning His Son Jesus? Moses therefore saith to Jesus the son of
Nun, giving him this name, when he sent him as a spy on the land; Take
a book in thy hands, and write what the Lord saith, how the Son of God
shall cut up by the roots all the house of Amalek in the last days.
Behold again it is Jesus, not a son of man, but the Son of God, and He
was revealed in the flesh in a figure. Since then men will say that
Christ is the son of David, David himself prophesieth being afraid and
understanding the error of sinners; The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit
thou on My right hand until I set thine enemies for a footstool under
Thy feet. And again thus sayith Isaiah; The Lord said unto my Christ
the Lord, of whose right hand I laid hold, that the nations should give
ear before Him, and I will break down the strength of kings. See how
David calleth Him Lord, and calleth Him not Son.
Now let us see whether this people or the first people hath the
inheritance, and whether the covenant had reference to us or to them.
Hear then what the scripture saith concerning the people; And Isaac
prayed concerning Rebecca his wife, for she was barren. And she
conceived. Then Rebecca went out to enquire of the Lord. And the Lord
said unto her; Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples in thy
belly, and one people shall vanquish another people, and the greater
shall serve the less. Ye ought to understand who Isaac is, and who
Rebecca is, and in whose case He hath shown that the one people is
greater than the other. And in another prophecy Jacob speaketh more
plainly to Joseph his son, saying; Behold, the Lord hath not bereft me
of thy face; bring me thy sons, that I may bless them. And he brought
Ephraim and Manasseh, desiring that Manasseh should be blessed, because
he was the elder; for Joseph led him by the right hand of his father
Jacob. But Jacob saw in the spirit a type of the people that should
come afterwards. And what saith He? And Jacob crossed his hands, and
placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim, the second and younger,
and blessed him. And Joseph said unto Jacob, Transfer thy right hand to
the head of Manasseh, for he is my first born son. And Jacob said to
Joseph, I know it, my son, I know it; but the greater shall serve the
less. Yet this one also shall be blessed. Mark in whose cases He
ordained that this people should be first and heir of the covenant. If
then besides this He also recorded it through Abraham, we attain the
completion of our knowledge. What then saith he to Abraham when he
alone believed, and was ascribed for righteousness? Behold I have made
thee, Abraham, a father of nations that believe in God in
uncircumcision.
Yea verily, but as regards the covenant which He swear to the
fathers to give it to the people let us see whether He hath actually
given it. He hath given it, but they themselves were not found worthy
to receive it by reason of their sins. For the prophet saith; And Moses
was fasting in Mount Sinai forty days and forty nights, that he might
receive the covenant of the Lord to give to the people. And [Moses]
received from the Lord the two tables which were written by the finger
of the hand of the Lord in the spirit. And Moses took them, and brought
them down to give them to the people. And the Lord said unto Moses;
Moses, Moses, come down quickly; for thy people, whom thou leddest
forth from the land of Egypt, hath done wickedly. And Moses perceived
that they had made for themselves again molten images, and he cast them
out of his hands and the tables of the covenant of the Lord were
broken in pieces. Moses received them, but they themselves were not
found worthy. But how did we receive them? Mark this. Moses received
them being a servant, but the Lord himself gave them to us to be the
people of His inheritance, having endured patiently for our sakes. But
He was made manifest, in order that at the same time they might be
perfected in their sins, and we might receive the covenant through Him
who inherited it, even the Lord Jesus, who was prepared beforehand
hereunto, that appearing in person He might redeem out of darkness our
hearts which had already been paid over unto death and delivered up to
the iniquity of error, and thus establish the covenant in us through
the word. For it is written how the Father chargeth Him to deliver us
from darkness, and to prepare a holy people for Himself. Therefore
saith the prophet; I the Lord thy God called thee in righteousness, and
I will lay hold of thy hand and will strengthen thee, and I have given
thee to be a covenant of the race, a light to the Gentiles, to open the
eyes of the blind, and to bring forth them that are bound from their
fetters, and them that sit in darkness from their prison house. We
perceive then whence we were ransomed. Again the prophet saith; Behold
I have set Thee to be a light unto the Gentiles, that Thou shouldest
be for salvation unto the ends of the earth; thus saith the Lord that
ransomed thee, even God. Again the prophet saith; The Spirit of the
Lord is upon Me, wherefore He anointed Me to preach good tidings to the
humble; He hath sent Me to heal them that are broken-hearted, to preach
release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to proclaim
the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of recompense, to comfort
all that mourn.
Moreover concerning the Sabbath likewise it is written in the Ten
Words, in which He spake to Moses face to face on Mount Sinai; And ye
shall hallow the Sabbath of the Lord with pure hands and with a pure
heart. And in another place He saith; If my sons observe the Sabbath
then I will bestow My mercy upon them. Of the Sabbath He speaketh in
the beginning of the creation; And God made the works of His hands in
six days, and He ended on the seventh day, and rested on it, and He
hallowed it. Give heed, children, what this meaneth; He ended in six
days. He meaneth this, that in six thousand years the Lord shall bring
all things to an end; for the day with Him signifyeth a thousand years;
and this He himself beareth me witness, saying; Behold, the day of the
Lord shall be as a thousand years. Therefore, children, in six days,
that is in six thousand years, everything shall come to an end. And He
rested on the seventh day. this He meaneth; when His Son shall come,
and shall abolish the time of the Lawless One, and shall judge the
ungodly, and shall change the sun and the moon and the stars, then
shall he truly rest on the seventh day. Yea and furthermore He saith;
Thou shalt hallow it with pure hands and with a pure heart. If
therefore a man is able now to hallow the day which God hallowed,
though he be pure in heart, we have gone utterly astray. But if after
all then and not till then shall we truly rest and hallow it, when we
shall ourselves be able to do so after being justified and receiving
the promise, when iniquity is no more and all things have been made new
by the Lord, we shall be able to hallow it then, because we ourselves
shall have been hallowed first. Finally He saith to them; Your new
moons and your Sabbaths I cannot away with. Ye see what is His meaning
; it is not your present Sabbaths that are acceptable [unto Me], but
the Sabbath which I have made, in the which, when I have set all things
at rest, I will make the beginning of the eighth day which is the
beginning of another world. Wherefore also we keep the eighth day for
rejoicing, in the which also Jesus rose from the dead, and having been
manifested ascended into the heavens.
Moreover I will tell you likewise concerning the temple, how these
wretched men being led astray set their hope on the building, and not
on their God that made them, as being a house of God. For like the
Gentiles almost they consecrated Him in the temple. But what saith the
Lord abolishing the temple? Learn ye. Who hath measured the heaven with
a span, or hath measured the earth with his hand? Have not I, saith the
Lord? The heaven is My throne and the earth the footstool of My feet.
What manner of house will ye build for Me? Or what shall be my resting
place? Ye perceive that their hope is vain. Furthermore He saith again;
Behold they that pulled down this temple themselves shall build it. So
it cometh to pass; for because they went to war it was pulled down by
their enemies. Now also the very servants of their enemies shall build
it up. Again, it was revealed how the city and the temple and the
people of Israel should be betrayed. For the scripture saith; And it
shall be in the last days, that the Lord shall deliver up the sheep of
the pasture and the fold and the tower thereof to destruction. And it
came to pass as the Lord spake. But let us enquire whether there be any
temple of God. There is; in the place where he himself undertakes to
make and finish it. For it is written And it shall come to pass, when
the week is being accomplished, the temple of God shall be built
gloriously in the name of the Lord. I find then that there is a temple,
How then shall it be built in the name of the Lord? Understand ye.
Before we believed on God, the abode of our heart was corrupt and weak,
a temple truly built by hands; for it was full of idolatry and was a
house of demons, because we did whatsoever was contrary to God. But it
shall be built in the name of the Lord. Give heed then that the temple
of the Lord may be built gloriously. How? Understand ye. By receiving
the remission of our sins and hoping on the Name we became new, created
afresh from the beginning. Wherefore God dwelleth truly in our
habitation within us. How? The word of his faith, the calling of his
promise, the wisdom of the ordinances, the commandments of the
teaching, He Himself prophesying in us, He Himself dwelling in us,
opening for us who had been in bondage unto death the door of the
temple, which is the mouth, and giving us repentance leadeth us to the
incorruptible temple. For he that desireth to be saved looketh not to
the man, but to Him that dwelleth and speaketh in him, being amazed at
this that he has never at any time heard these words from the mouth of
the speaker, nor himself ever desired to hear them. This is the
spiritual temple built up to the Lord.
So far as it was possible with all simplicity to declare it unto
you, my soul hopeth that I have not omitted anything [of the matters
pertaining unto salvation and so failed in my desire]. For if I should
write to you concerning things immediate or future, ye would not
understand them, because they are put in parables. So much then for
this.
But let us pass on to another lesson and teaching. There are two
ways of teaching and of power, the one of light and the other of
darkness; and there is a great difference between the two ways. For on
the one are stationed the light giving angels of God, on the other the
angels of Satan. And the one is the Lord from all eternity and unto all
eternity, whereas the other is Lord of the season of iniquity that now
is.
This then is the way of light, if anyone desiring to travel on the
way to his appointed place would be zealous in his works. The knowledge
then which is given to us whereby we may walk therein is as follows.
Thou shalt love Him that made thee, thou shalt fear Him that created
thee, thou shalt glorify Him that redeemed thee from death; thou shalt
be simple in heart and rich in spirit; thou shalt not cleave to those
who walk the way of death; thou shalt hate everything that is not
pleasing to God; thou shalt hate all hypocrisy; thou shalt never
forsake the commandments of the Lord. Thou shalt not exalt thyself, but
shalt be lowly minded in all things. Thou shalt not assume glory to
thyself. Thou shalt not entertain a wicked design against thy neighbor;
thou shalt not admit boldness into thy soul. Thou shalt not commit
fornication, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not corrupt
boys. The word of God shall not come forth from thee where any are
unclean. Thou shalt not make a difference in a person to reprove him
for a transgression. Thou shalt be meek, thou shalt be quiet, thou
shalt be fearing the words which thou hast heard. Thou shalt not bear a
grudge against thy brother. Thou shalt not doubt whether a thing shall
be or not be. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. Thou
shalt love thy neighbor more than thine own soul. Thou shalt not murder
a child by abortion, nor again shalt thou kill it when it is born. Thou
shalt not withhold thy hand from thy son or daughter, but from their
youth thou shalt teach them the fear of God. Thou shalt not be found
coveting thy neighbors goods; thou shalt not be found greedy of gain.
Neither shalt thou cleave with thy soul to the lofty, but shalt walk
with the humble and righteous. The accidents that befall thee thou
shalt receive as good, knowing that nothing is done without God. Thou
shalt not be double minded nor double tongued. Thou shalt be subject
unto thy masters as to a type of God in shame and fear. Thou shalt not
command in bitterness thy bondservant or thine handmaid who set their
hope on the same God, lest haply, they should cease to fear the God who
is over both of you; for He came not to call with respect of persons,
but to call those whom the Spirit hath prepared. Thou shalt make thy
neighbor partake in all things, and shalt not say that anything is
thine own. For if ye are fellow partakers in that which is
imperishable, how much rather shall ye be in the things which are
perishable. Thou shalt not be hasty with thine own tongue, for the
mouth is the snare of death. So far as thou art able, thou shalt be
pure for thy soul's sake. Be not thou found holding out thy hands to
receive, and drawing them in to give. Thou shalt love as the apple of
thine eye every one that speaketh unto thee the word of the Lord. Thou
shalt remember the day of judgment night and day, and thou shalt seek
out day by day the persons of the saints, either laboring by word and
going to exhort them and meditating how thou mayest save souls by thy
word, or thou shalt work with thy hands for a ransom for thy sins. Thou
shall not hesitate to give, neither shalt thou murmur when giving, but
thou shalt know who is the good paymaster of thy reward. Thou shalt
keep those things which thou hast received, neither adding to them nor
taking away from them. Thou shalt utterly hate the Evil One. Thou shalt
judge righteously. Thou shalt not make a schism, but thou shalt pacify
them that contend by bringing them together. Thou shalt confess thy
sins. Thou shalt not betake thyself to prayer with an evil conscience.
This is the way of light.
But the way of the Black One is crooked and full of a curse. For it
is a way of eternal death with punishment wherein are the things that
destroy men's souls--idolatry, boldness, exhalation of power,
hypocrisy, doubleness of heart, adultery, murder, plundering, pride,
transgression, treachery, malice, stubbornness, witchcraft, magic,
covetousness, absence of the fear of God; persecutors of good men,
hating the truth, loving lies, not perceiving the reward of
righteousness, not cleaving to the good nor to the righteous judgment,
paying no heed to the widow and the orphan, wakeful not for the fear of
God but for that which is evil; men from whom gentleness and
forbearance stand aloof and far off; loving vain things, pursuing a
recompense, not pitying the poor man, not toiling for him that is
oppressed with toil, ready to slander, not recognizing Him that made
them murderers of children, corrupters of the creatures of God, turning
away from him that is in want, oppressing him that is afflicted,
advocates of the wealthy, unjust judges of the poor, sinful in all
things.
It is good therefore to learn the ordinances of the Lord, as many as
have been written above, and to walk in them. For he that doeth these
things shall be glorified in the kingdom of God; whereas he that
chooseth their opposites shall perish together with his works. For this
cause is the resurrection, for this the recompense. I entreat those of
you who are in a higher station, if ye will receive any counsel of good
advice from me, keep amongst you those to whom ye may do good. Fail
not. The day is at hand, in which everything shall be destroyed
together with the Evil One. The Lord is at hand and his reward. Again
and again I entreat you; be good lawgivers one to another; continue
faithful councilors to yourselves; take away from you all hypocrisy.
And may God, who is Lord of the whole world, give you wisdom, judgment,
learning, knowledge of His ordinances, patience. And be ye taught of
God, seeking diligently what the Lord requireth of you, and act that ye
may be found in the day of judgment. But if you have any remembrance of
good, call me to mind when ye practice these things these things, that
both my desire and my watchfulness may lead to some good result. I
entreat you asking it as a favor. So long as the good vessel (of the
body) is with you, be lacking in none of these things, but search them
out constantly, and fulfill every commandment; for they deserve it. For
this reason I was the more eager to write to you so far as I was able,
that I might give you joy. Fare ye well, children of love and peace.
The Lord of glory and of every grace be with your spirit.
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