Epistle of Barnabas
(circa AD 70 - 79)
Some have attributed this letter to St Barnabas, St Paul’s companion, although most certainly it is not his work. It is a letter only in appearance; it contains nothing personal, and lacks the usual introduction and conclusion. Early Christian writers found the epistolary style suitable for instruction and resorted to it frequently.
The first part of this Epistle is doctrinal; the author’s purpose is to teach “perfect knowledge” and faith.
1 Greetings, sons and daughters. In the Name of the Lord who loves us, peace be to you.
Because the Lord has given you a great mission to accomplish, I rejoice immeasurably in your blessed and glorious company. You have abundantly received that indwelling grace which is the Spirit’s gift; for this reason, I hope in my own salvation. I give thanks all the more when I see that the Lord has poured upon you the bountiful fullness of the Spirit. I have longed so much for you that when I saw you I was overwhelmed.
There is a great store of faith and charity within you because you hope to live in Christ. I am fully aware that I have learned much by speaking with you, while the Lord accompanied me on the road to sanctity of life. Thus, I am compelled to love you more than my own life. I am passing on to you a portion of what I have received; thus, I will be rewarded for serving the spiritual needs of your souls. I am writing you, that you may have perfect knowledge along with your faith.
The author reproaches the Jews for their inability to correctly understand the prophecies of the Old Testament regarding the coming of the Messiah. The Jews misunderstand the Law because they interpret it only literally. God does not desire material gifts and bloody sacrifices from us but the offering of one’s heart in the form of repentance.
The Lord has given us these three basic doctrines: hope for eternal life, the beginning and end of our faith; justice, the beginning and end of sanctity; and charity, which bears cheerful and joyous witness to a holy life.
The Lord has made the past and present known to us through his prophets, and he has given us the ability to taste the fruits of the future beforehand. When we see prophecies fulfilled in their appointed order, we are bound to make a more generous and higher offering to adore him. Let me suggest a few things –not as a teacher, but as one of you– which will make you happy in the present situation.
2 Since evil days are upon us and the Worker of malice gains power, we must attend to our own souls and seek to know the ways of the Lord. In these times, reverential fear of the Lord and perseverance will sustain our faith. We will also need our allies, a spirit of mortification and sobriety. If we practice these virtues and look to the Lord, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and prudence will be the joyous harvest.
Truly, the Lord has revealed to us through the prophets that he has no need of holocausts, burnt offerings, or oblations. He said: “Your endless sacrifices, what are they to me? says the Lord. I have had my fill of holocausts; I do not want the fat of your lambs, nor the blood of your bulls and goats, nor your presence in my sight. Indeed, who has made these demands of you? No more will you trample my courts. Your sacrifices of fine flour are in vain; your incense is loathsome to me; I cannot bear your feasts of the new moon, nor your Sabbaths” (Is 1:11-13).
The New Law was implanted by our Lord.
God has abolished the sacrifices of the Old Law so that the New Law of our Lord Jesus Christ might have an offering not made by man. This New Law does not bind by compulsion, as you do with slaves, but by love, as children. On another occasion, God said to the Jews: “When I brought your forefathers out of Egypt, I gave them no commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices. I said not a word about them. What I did command was this: ‘Do not contrive any evil against one another, and do not love perjury.’“
We are not stupid; surely we ought to understand our Father’s kindly purpose in this. He speaks to us because he does not want us to go astray as the Jews did; he tells us how we are to approach him. Here is what he says to us: “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken heart; the fragrance pleasing to the Lord is a soul that gives glory to its Maker” (Ps 50:19).
You see, my brothers, we must carefully seek after our own salvation; otherwise, the Evil One, who is bent on deceiving us, will sneak himself in and push us away from the path that leads to life.
The New Law is not satisfied with the externals; it requires an inner conversion of the heart.
3 Once again God reproaches the Jews:
Look, you quarrel and squabble when you fast
and strike the poor man with your fist.
Fasting like yours today
will never make your voice heard on high.
Is that the sort of fast that pleases me,
a truly penitential day for men?
Hanging your head like a reed,
lying down on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call fasting,
a day acceptable to Yahweh?
But to us he says:
Is it not this that I demand of you as a fast:
Loose the fetters of injustice,
untie the knots of all contracts that involve extortion,
set free those who have been crushed,
tear up every unjust agreement.
Share your food with the starving;
when you meet a naked man, give him clothing;
welcome the homeless into your house;
do not look down on a humble man (cf. Is 58:4-10).
4 We must be wise and seek what can save us. We must go away from every sort of injustice, or else, injustice will overcome us. We must hate the errors of the present time; thus, we will be loved in the time to come. We must not slacken in our struggle and associate with sinners and corrupted men; we will become like them. So, let us watch out for the judgment to come. The whole time we believed will profit us nothing, unless we resist the temptations to come, as children of God should. Thus, the Dark One will not be able to steal in upon us.
No one is assured of salvation; everyone is responsible for his actions.
Accordingly, we must flee from all vanity and show an utter hatred for the deeds of the evil way. Do not retire and live apart by yourselves as though already assured of salvation; come together and seek the common good. For, as Scripture says: “Shame on those who are wise in their own judgment and think themselves clever” (Is 5:21). Rather, let us have a supernatural outlook; let us be a perfect dwelling place for God. As far as we can, we should exercise ourselves in the fear of God and strive to keep his commandments; thus, we shall rejoice in obeying God’s Will.
The Lord will “judge the world without respect to persons;” everyone will receive according to his deeds. If he has been good, his good works will go before him; if wicked, the wages of sin will lie in wait for him. We must never slacken in our struggle as though our mission were already accomplished. Let us never fall asleep in a state of sin, lest the Prince of wickedness gain power over us and snatch us away from the Kingdom of the Lord.
My brothers, grasp this further point: The Israelites were rejected, even after the many signs and wonders worked among them; let us be wise so that what the Scripture says will not apply to us: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
The letter proclaims the divine nature of Christ; he existed before creation with God the Father. Christ became man to save mankind; he suffered for our salvation.
5 The Lord was willing to hand over his Body for destruction and to shed his Blood so that we might be made holy through the remission of our sins. What was written about Jesus also refers to both Israel and us: “He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised by our iniquities; by his wounds we are healed. He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, like a lamb that is dumb before its shearer” (Is 53:5.7).
What a debt of gratitude, then, do we owe the Lord; he has made known to us the meaning of the past; he has instructed us about the present; he has not left us in ignorance about the future. In the words of Scripture: “Not unjustly are nets spread for birds” (Prov 1:17). This means that a man will be justly condemned if he knows the right way, yet keeps on heading into the way of darkness.
The Lord was ready to undergo suffering for our souls’ sake, even though he is Lord of the whole earth. He is the One to whom God said at the foundation of the world: “Let us make man in our own image and likeness” (Gen 1:26). But, in that case, my brothers, how did he allow himself to suffer at the hands of men? This is the explanation. The prophets inspired by his grace foretold what he would do; he allowed himself to suffer, to be seen as a man vulnerable in his flesh, in order that he might destroy the power of death and manifest the resurrection from the dead. In this way, he would carry out the promises made to our forefathers, and while still on earth, prepare for himself a new people. He would also show that, after the resurrection, he will be our Judge.
Furthermore, by teaching Israel and working such great signs and wonders, he proclaimed the good news and showed the depths of his love for the people. When Jesus chose his apostles to preach the Gospel –utterly sinful and lawless as they were– he showed himself to be the Son of God, who had come not to call the just, but the sinners.
If he had not come in the flesh, as a man, how could men be saved by looking and imitating him? For men cannot look straight into the rays of the sun, even though it is just God’s work and doomed to destruction.
Baptism makes man a son of God; it stamps on man’s soul the image and likeness of God.
6 Having thus renewed us by forgiving our sins, God refashioned us; he gave us the souls of children, as though he were creating us again. The Scripture refers to us when the Father says to the Son: “Let us make man according to our own image and likeness; and let him rule over the beasts on the earth and the birds in the air and the fish in the sea” (Gen 1:26). The Lord saw the beauty of our creation and added: “Increase and multiply and fill the earth.”
All this God said to his Son. But let me now point out to you how he also refers to us. The Lord made a second creation in these last days; thus, he says: “Behold, I am making the last things like the first” (Mt 20:16). The prophet had this in mind when he said: “Enter into a land flowing with milk and honey, and rule over it” (Ex 33:1.3). It is true, you see, that we have been completely recreated; we are a new product. God means this by the words of another prophet: “Behold, says the Lord, I will take the stony hearts out of this people,” that is, the people whom the Spirit of the Lord foreknew, “and put hearts of flesh into them” (cf. Ez 11:19; 36:26). For he willed to appear in the flesh and live among us.
And so, my brothers, the dwelling place of our hearts is a temple sacred to the Lord. Again, the Lord says: “Let me give thanks to you in the assembly of my brethren” (Ps 21:23). We, then, are the ones whom God brought into the good land.
The Way of Light, leading toward God, is described in detail.
19 Consider now the Way of Light; any man who wants to reach his appointed goal must be very careful in all he does. Now these are the directions that we have received for this journey: Love your Creator; have a filial fear for your Maker; give glory to him who redeemed you when you were dead in sin. Be simple at heart but rich in spiritual treasure. Avoid those who travel down death’s highway. Hate whatever is not pleasing to God; detest all hypocritical pretense; do not abandon God’s commandments. Do not exalt yourself, but be humble in all circumstances; claim no glory for yourself. Plot no evil against your neighbor, and do not give pride an entrance into your heart.
Do not commit fornication or adultery; do not corrupt young people. Do not go together with the impure. Do not discriminate against any person in correcting a fault. Be meek; be discreet; keep the instructions you have received from God. Do not harbor ill feelings against your brother, but trust him. Do not harbor doubts of faith. Do not take the Name of God in vain.
Love your neighbor more than your own life. Do not kill an unborn child through abortion, nor do away with him after birth. Do not refrain from chastising son or daughter, but bring them up from childhood in the fear of the Lord. Do not set your heart on what belongs to your neighbor and do not give in to greed. Do not associate with the arrogant, but cultivate friendship with those who are humble and virtuous.
Accept as a blessing whatever comes your way; nothing ever happens without God’s permission. Avoid duplicity in thought or in word, avoid gossiping, and do not be quick to proclaim your opinion; such deceptions are deadly snares. Obey the legitimate authorities; they are in the place of God. Do not give orders to your subordinates with bitterness, for all of you hope in the same God; they may cease to fear God, who is above you both. God did not call us because of our qualities, but just because he wanted to.
Share with your neighbor whatever you have, and do not say of anything, this is mine. If you both share an imperishable treasure, how much more must you share what is perishable. Do not be hasty in speech; the mouth is a deadly snare. For your soul’s good, make every effort to live a chaste life. Do not hold out your hand for what you can get, only to withdraw it when it comes to giving. Cherish as the apple of your eye anyone who speaks to you of the word of the Lord.
Night and day you will bear in mind the hour of judgment; every day you will seek out the company of God’s faithful, either by conversing with them, correcting them, instructing them, or else by serving them with your hands to make reparation for your past sins.
Never hesitate to give, and when you do give, never grumble; then you will know how good is the Paymaster who will repay you. Preserve the traditions you have received, adding nothing and taking nothing away. Hate the Evil One thoroughly. Be fair in your judgments. Never stir up dissension, but act as peacemaker and reconcile those who quarrel. Confess your sins; do not begin your prayer with a guilty conscience.
Such then is the Way of Light.
Children of love and peace, may you win salvation. May the Lord of glory and of all grace be always with you.
Some have attributed this letter to St Barnabas, St Paul’s companion, although most certainly it is not his work. It is a letter only in appearance; it contains nothing personal, and lacks the usual introduction and conclusion. Early Christian writers found the epistolary style suitable for instruction and resorted to it frequently.
The first part of this Epistle is doctrinal; the author’s purpose is to teach “perfect knowledge” and faith.
1 Greetings, sons and daughters. In the Name of the Lord who loves us, peace be to you.
Because the Lord has given you a great mission to accomplish, I rejoice immeasurably in your blessed and glorious company. You have abundantly received that indwelling grace which is the Spirit’s gift; for this reason, I hope in my own salvation. I give thanks all the more when I see that the Lord has poured upon you the bountiful fullness of the Spirit. I have longed so much for you that when I saw you I was overwhelmed.
There is a great store of faith and charity within you because you hope to live in Christ. I am fully aware that I have learned much by speaking with you, while the Lord accompanied me on the road to sanctity of life. Thus, I am compelled to love you more than my own life. I am passing on to you a portion of what I have received; thus, I will be rewarded for serving the spiritual needs of your souls. I am writing you, that you may have perfect knowledge along with your faith.
The author reproaches the Jews for their inability to correctly understand the prophecies of the Old Testament regarding the coming of the Messiah. The Jews misunderstand the Law because they interpret it only literally. God does not desire material gifts and bloody sacrifices from us but the offering of one’s heart in the form of repentance.
The Lord has given us these three basic doctrines: hope for eternal life, the beginning and end of our faith; justice, the beginning and end of sanctity; and charity, which bears cheerful and joyous witness to a holy life.
The Lord has made the past and present known to us through his prophets, and he has given us the ability to taste the fruits of the future beforehand. When we see prophecies fulfilled in their appointed order, we are bound to make a more generous and higher offering to adore him. Let me suggest a few things –not as a teacher, but as one of you– which will make you happy in the present situation.
2 Since evil days are upon us and the Worker of malice gains power, we must attend to our own souls and seek to know the ways of the Lord. In these times, reverential fear of the Lord and perseverance will sustain our faith. We will also need our allies, a spirit of mortification and sobriety. If we practice these virtues and look to the Lord, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and prudence will be the joyous harvest.
Truly, the Lord has revealed to us through the prophets that he has no need of holocausts, burnt offerings, or oblations. He said: “Your endless sacrifices, what are they to me? says the Lord. I have had my fill of holocausts; I do not want the fat of your lambs, nor the blood of your bulls and goats, nor your presence in my sight. Indeed, who has made these demands of you? No more will you trample my courts. Your sacrifices of fine flour are in vain; your incense is loathsome to me; I cannot bear your feasts of the new moon, nor your Sabbaths” (Is 1:11-13).
The New Law was implanted by our Lord.
God has abolished the sacrifices of the Old Law so that the New Law of our Lord Jesus Christ might have an offering not made by man. This New Law does not bind by compulsion, as you do with slaves, but by love, as children. On another occasion, God said to the Jews: “When I brought your forefathers out of Egypt, I gave them no commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices. I said not a word about them. What I did command was this: ‘Do not contrive any evil against one another, and do not love perjury.’“
We are not stupid; surely we ought to understand our Father’s kindly purpose in this. He speaks to us because he does not want us to go astray as the Jews did; he tells us how we are to approach him. Here is what he says to us: “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken heart; the fragrance pleasing to the Lord is a soul that gives glory to its Maker” (Ps 50:19).
You see, my brothers, we must carefully seek after our own salvation; otherwise, the Evil One, who is bent on deceiving us, will sneak himself in and push us away from the path that leads to life.
The New Law is not satisfied with the externals; it requires an inner conversion of the heart.
3 Once again God reproaches the Jews:
Look, you quarrel and squabble when you fast
and strike the poor man with your fist.
Fasting like yours today
will never make your voice heard on high.
Is that the sort of fast that pleases me,
a truly penitential day for men?
Hanging your head like a reed,
lying down on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call fasting,
a day acceptable to Yahweh?
But to us he says:
Is it not this that I demand of you as a fast:
Loose the fetters of injustice,
untie the knots of all contracts that involve extortion,
set free those who have been crushed,
tear up every unjust agreement.
Share your food with the starving;
when you meet a naked man, give him clothing;
welcome the homeless into your house;
do not look down on a humble man (cf. Is 58:4-10).
4 We must be wise and seek what can save us. We must go away from every sort of injustice, or else, injustice will overcome us. We must hate the errors of the present time; thus, we will be loved in the time to come. We must not slacken in our struggle and associate with sinners and corrupted men; we will become like them. So, let us watch out for the judgment to come. The whole time we believed will profit us nothing, unless we resist the temptations to come, as children of God should. Thus, the Dark One will not be able to steal in upon us.
No one is assured of salvation; everyone is responsible for his actions.
Accordingly, we must flee from all vanity and show an utter hatred for the deeds of the evil way. Do not retire and live apart by yourselves as though already assured of salvation; come together and seek the common good. For, as Scripture says: “Shame on those who are wise in their own judgment and think themselves clever” (Is 5:21). Rather, let us have a supernatural outlook; let us be a perfect dwelling place for God. As far as we can, we should exercise ourselves in the fear of God and strive to keep his commandments; thus, we shall rejoice in obeying God’s Will.
The Lord will “judge the world without respect to persons;” everyone will receive according to his deeds. If he has been good, his good works will go before him; if wicked, the wages of sin will lie in wait for him. We must never slacken in our struggle as though our mission were already accomplished. Let us never fall asleep in a state of sin, lest the Prince of wickedness gain power over us and snatch us away from the Kingdom of the Lord.
My brothers, grasp this further point: The Israelites were rejected, even after the many signs and wonders worked among them; let us be wise so that what the Scripture says will not apply to us: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
The letter proclaims the divine nature of Christ; he existed before creation with God the Father. Christ became man to save mankind; he suffered for our salvation.
5 The Lord was willing to hand over his Body for destruction and to shed his Blood so that we might be made holy through the remission of our sins. What was written about Jesus also refers to both Israel and us: “He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised by our iniquities; by his wounds we are healed. He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, like a lamb that is dumb before its shearer” (Is 53:5.7).
What a debt of gratitude, then, do we owe the Lord; he has made known to us the meaning of the past; he has instructed us about the present; he has not left us in ignorance about the future. In the words of Scripture: “Not unjustly are nets spread for birds” (Prov 1:17). This means that a man will be justly condemned if he knows the right way, yet keeps on heading into the way of darkness.
The Lord was ready to undergo suffering for our souls’ sake, even though he is Lord of the whole earth. He is the One to whom God said at the foundation of the world: “Let us make man in our own image and likeness” (Gen 1:26). But, in that case, my brothers, how did he allow himself to suffer at the hands of men? This is the explanation. The prophets inspired by his grace foretold what he would do; he allowed himself to suffer, to be seen as a man vulnerable in his flesh, in order that he might destroy the power of death and manifest the resurrection from the dead. In this way, he would carry out the promises made to our forefathers, and while still on earth, prepare for himself a new people. He would also show that, after the resurrection, he will be our Judge.
Furthermore, by teaching Israel and working such great signs and wonders, he proclaimed the good news and showed the depths of his love for the people. When Jesus chose his apostles to preach the Gospel –utterly sinful and lawless as they were– he showed himself to be the Son of God, who had come not to call the just, but the sinners.
If he had not come in the flesh, as a man, how could men be saved by looking and imitating him? For men cannot look straight into the rays of the sun, even though it is just God’s work and doomed to destruction.
Baptism makes man a son of God; it stamps on man’s soul the image and likeness of God.
6 Having thus renewed us by forgiving our sins, God refashioned us; he gave us the souls of children, as though he were creating us again. The Scripture refers to us when the Father says to the Son: “Let us make man according to our own image and likeness; and let him rule over the beasts on the earth and the birds in the air and the fish in the sea” (Gen 1:26). The Lord saw the beauty of our creation and added: “Increase and multiply and fill the earth.”
All this God said to his Son. But let me now point out to you how he also refers to us. The Lord made a second creation in these last days; thus, he says: “Behold, I am making the last things like the first” (Mt 20:16). The prophet had this in mind when he said: “Enter into a land flowing with milk and honey, and rule over it” (Ex 33:1.3). It is true, you see, that we have been completely recreated; we are a new product. God means this by the words of another prophet: “Behold, says the Lord, I will take the stony hearts out of this people,” that is, the people whom the Spirit of the Lord foreknew, “and put hearts of flesh into them” (cf. Ez 11:19; 36:26). For he willed to appear in the flesh and live among us.
And so, my brothers, the dwelling place of our hearts is a temple sacred to the Lord. Again, the Lord says: “Let me give thanks to you in the assembly of my brethren” (Ps 21:23). We, then, are the ones whom God brought into the good land.
The Way of Light, leading toward God, is described in detail.
19 Consider now the Way of Light; any man who wants to reach his appointed goal must be very careful in all he does. Now these are the directions that we have received for this journey: Love your Creator; have a filial fear for your Maker; give glory to him who redeemed you when you were dead in sin. Be simple at heart but rich in spiritual treasure. Avoid those who travel down death’s highway. Hate whatever is not pleasing to God; detest all hypocritical pretense; do not abandon God’s commandments. Do not exalt yourself, but be humble in all circumstances; claim no glory for yourself. Plot no evil against your neighbor, and do not give pride an entrance into your heart.
Do not commit fornication or adultery; do not corrupt young people. Do not go together with the impure. Do not discriminate against any person in correcting a fault. Be meek; be discreet; keep the instructions you have received from God. Do not harbor ill feelings against your brother, but trust him. Do not harbor doubts of faith. Do not take the Name of God in vain.
Love your neighbor more than your own life. Do not kill an unborn child through abortion, nor do away with him after birth. Do not refrain from chastising son or daughter, but bring them up from childhood in the fear of the Lord. Do not set your heart on what belongs to your neighbor and do not give in to greed. Do not associate with the arrogant, but cultivate friendship with those who are humble and virtuous.
Accept as a blessing whatever comes your way; nothing ever happens without God’s permission. Avoid duplicity in thought or in word, avoid gossiping, and do not be quick to proclaim your opinion; such deceptions are deadly snares. Obey the legitimate authorities; they are in the place of God. Do not give orders to your subordinates with bitterness, for all of you hope in the same God; they may cease to fear God, who is above you both. God did not call us because of our qualities, but just because he wanted to.
Share with your neighbor whatever you have, and do not say of anything, this is mine. If you both share an imperishable treasure, how much more must you share what is perishable. Do not be hasty in speech; the mouth is a deadly snare. For your soul’s good, make every effort to live a chaste life. Do not hold out your hand for what you can get, only to withdraw it when it comes to giving. Cherish as the apple of your eye anyone who speaks to you of the word of the Lord.
Night and day you will bear in mind the hour of judgment; every day you will seek out the company of God’s faithful, either by conversing with them, correcting them, instructing them, or else by serving them with your hands to make reparation for your past sins.
Never hesitate to give, and when you do give, never grumble; then you will know how good is the Paymaster who will repay you. Preserve the traditions you have received, adding nothing and taking nothing away. Hate the Evil One thoroughly. Be fair in your judgments. Never stir up dissension, but act as peacemaker and reconcile those who quarrel. Confess your sins; do not begin your prayer with a guilty conscience.
Such then is the Way of Light.
Children of love and peace, may you win salvation. May the Lord of glory and of all grace be always with you.