Alexander of Cyprus, Praise of Barnabas the Apostle

Laudatio barnabae apostoli an encomium of alexander the monk for the holy apostle barnabas, at the prompting of the presbyter and key-holder of his ve

Boorish and violent. but when he saw the great works of wonders being done through the apostles and the multitude of the people being added daily to t

The lord ordained for himself. then paul recounted to them what had happened to him on the road, and that he had seen the lord and that he had spoken

To be circumcised and to keep the law. but when mark saw them honored by all and that after so many tortures and dangers they were strong and whole, c

Jesus christ, and to keep his commandments and to do them and to abstain from every evil thing for we must all appear before the judgment seat of chr

Being pleased, he knew it to be divinely inspired and having ordained mark, he sent him as most capable to alexandria, which is by egypt and libya an

To recall him from the abyss of impiety, but when they saw him contradicting and becoming more audacious against the orthodox faith, then they pronoun

Ruling city and to be judged by the ecumenical patriarch against those of antioch, he was numbed with fear, suspecting the machinations of knapheus n

And he permitted the patriarch to hold a hearing with the resident synod concerning the matters between the parties and to discuss the issue at hand.

The cypriots of constantia on the eleventh of the tenth month, mesori, but according to the asians, that is, according to the paphians, on the ninetee

desiring to raise up the apostle with encomia, and he has not yet touched the introduction; for the wonderful one happens to be unapproachable by praises. Therefore, setting aside as impossible the discourse concerning his encomia, I will set before your holiness a few things that have come down to us about his life and consummation, both from the Stromateus and from other ancient writings, and thus we will put an end to the narrative, yielding to the divinely-inspired Scripture to magnificently crown the head of the renowned one; for it says, "Now Barnabas was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith." What could ever be equal or similar to this? Now, this thrice-blessed one came from the blessed tribe of Levi, from which were Moses and Aaron, the great prophets of God and first of the people of Kohath, tracing his lineage from the family of Samuel the prophet. But his ancestors, having come to the land of the Cypriots because of the circumstance of wars, dwelt in it kindly; and they were devout according to the law and exceedingly rich, whence also in Jerusalem they had sufficient substance and a most beautiful field near the city, not only beautified with all sorts of fruit-bearing plants, but also most conspicuous for the size of its buildings; for since they had heard Isaiah the prophet saying, "Blessed is he who has seed in Zion and kinsmen in Jerusalem," the children of the Hebrews, taking the prophecy carnally, each of the wealthy hastened to have a possession in Jerusalem. And when this righteous one was born in Cyprus, since his parents saw that he was comely before God, they immediately named him Joseph, honoring the child with the name of the patriarch; and the nobility of his character concurred with the name given. For Joseph is interpreted as addition of God; for the righteous one received an addition of grace from God, so that he might attain to apostolic perfection; again, Joseph is interpreted as glory of God; for through his excellent way of life he became the glory of God; and let no one think this saying is an exaggeration, but let him understand that it is of the divine Scripture; for Paul says, "A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God." If, therefore, the chosen vessel called the common man the image and glory of God, what might one say about the most perfect man according to God? And when Barnabas grew and became a youth, his parents brought him up to Jerusalem and delivered him to learn the law accurately and the prophets at the feet of Gamaliel; and he had Paul as a fellow student, at that time named Saul. And Barnabas progressed daily both in learning and in all virtue; however, he was not yet assigned to the daily course of the Levites because of his insufficient age; for he was still a youth. But he did not depart from the temple, serving with fastings and prayers night and day; and he recited the law and the other scriptures in such a way as not to need prompting from the letters; and he held quietness so dear, as the mother of prudence; and detesting harmful conversations he fled them, being a pure and sincere and undefiled image; and he was renowned to all for his virtue.

And at that time it happened that the Lord came to Jerusalem and healed the paralytic at the sheep pool, and worked many other signs and wonders in the temple. Having seen these things, the blessed one was astonished and immediately approaching, he fell at his feet and begged to be blessed by him. And Christ, who searches the hearts, accepting his faith, received him kindly and gave him a share in his divine company; and he was kindled even more in the love of the Lord. And quickly reaching the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, who was said to be his aunt for which reason they also called him Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, he said to her, "Come," he said, "O woman, see the things which

ἀπόστολον ἐπᾶραι τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις ποθῶν, καὶ οὔπω ἥψατο τοῦ προοιμίου· τοῖς γὰρ ἐπαίνοις ἀπρό σιτος τυγχάνει ὁ θαυμάσιος. ∆ιὸ ἀφέντες ὡς ἀνέφικτον τὸν περὶ τῶν ἐγκωμίων λόγον, ὀλίγα τῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἰόντων περὶ τῆς τούτου βιώσεως καὶ τελειώσεως ἔκ τε τοῦ Στρωματέως καὶ ἐξ ἑτέρων ἀρχαίων συγγραμμάτων παραθήσομαι τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ὁσιότητι, καὶ οὕτω τὸ πέρας ἐπιθήσομεν τῷ διηγήματι, παραχωρήσαντες τῇ θεοπνεύστῳΓραφῇ τοῦ ἀοιδίμου τὴν κεφαλὴν μεγαλοπρεπῶς στε φανῶσαι· φησὶ γάρ· "Ἦν δὲ Βαρνάβας ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς καὶ πλήρης Πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ πίστεως." Οὗ τί ἂν γένοιτο ἴσον ἢ παραπλήσιον πώποτε;Ὡρμᾶτο μὲν οὖν ὁ τρισόλβιος οὗτος ἐκ τῆς εὐλογημένης φυλῆς τοῦ Λευΐ, ἐξ ἧς ὑπῆρχον Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἀαρών, οἱ μεγάλοι τοῦ θεοῦ προφῆται καὶ πρῶτοι τοῦ δήμου Καάθ, ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας Σαμουὴλ τοῦ προφήτου κατάγων τὸ γένος. Οἱ δὲ τούτου πρόγονοι, διὰ περί στασιν πολέμων καταλαβόντες τὴν Κυπρίων χώραν, φιλοφρόνως ᾤκουν αὐτήν· ἦσαν δὲ εὐλαβεῖς κατὰ τὸν νόμον καὶ πλούσιοι σφόδρα, ὅθεν καὶ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις εἶχον οὐσίαν ἱκανὴν καὶ ἀγρὸν πλησίον τῆς πόλεως περικαλλέστατον, οὐ μόνον παντοίοις καρπίμοις φυτοῖς ὡραϊζόμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγέθει κτισμάτων περιφανέστατον· ἐξότε γὰρ ἤκουσαν Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· "Μακάριος ὁ ἔχων σπέρμα ἐν Σιὼν καὶ οἰκείους ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ", σαρκικῶς τὴν προφητείαν ἐκδεχόμενοι Ἑβραίων παῖδες, ἔσπευδεν ἕκαστος τῶν εὐπορούντων ἔχειν τὸ κτῆμα ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.Τοῦ δὲ δικαίου τούτου τεχθέντος ἐν Κύπρῳ, ὡς εἶδον αὐτὸν οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ ἀστεῖον ὄντα τῷ θεῷ, εὐθέως μὲν αὐτὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἐπωνόμασαν, τῇ τοῦ πατριάρχου προσηγορίᾳ τιμῶντες τὸν παῖδα· συνέδραμε δὲ τῇ προση γορίᾳ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἡ τῶν τρόπων εὐγένεια· Ἰωσὴφ γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται πρόσθεσις θεοῦ· προσθήκην γὰρ χά ριτος ἔλαβε παρὰ θεοῦ ὁ δίκαιος, ὅπως φθάσῃ εἰς τὴν ἀποστολικὴν τελειότητα· πάλιν δὲ Ἰωσὴφ ἑρμηνεύεται δόξα θεοῦ· γέγονε γὰρ διὰ τῆς ἀρίστης πολιτείας δόξα θεοῦ· καὶ μηδεὶς ὑπερβολὴν εἶναι νομιζέτω τὸ ῥῆμα, ἀλλ' ἐπιστησάτω ὅτι τῆς θείας ἐστὶ Γραφῆς· φησὶ γοῦν ὁ Παῦλος· "Ἀνὴρ οὐκ ὀφείλει κατακαλύπτεσθαι τὴν κεφαλήν, εἰκὼν καὶ δόξα θεοῦ ὑπάρχων." Εἰ οὖν τὸν κοινὸν ἄνδρα εἰκόνα καὶ δόξαν θεοῦ ἐκάλεσε τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς, τί ἄν τις εἴποι περὶ τοῦ κατὰ θεὸν τελειοτάτου ἀνδρός;Ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐξήσας ὁ Βαρνάβας ἐγένετο παῖς, ἀνήγαγον οἱ γονεῖς εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ παρέδωκαν αὐτὸν μαθεῖν τὸν νόμον ἀκριβῶς καὶ τοὺς προφήτας παρὰ τοὺς πόδαςΓαμαλιήλ· εἶχε δὲ τὸν Παῦλον συμφοιτητήν, Σαῦλον τέως ὀνομαζόμενον. Προέκοπτε δὲ ὁσημέραι ὁ Βαρνάβας ἔν τε τῇ μαθήσει καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἀρετῇ· οὔπω μέντοι εἰς τὴν ἐφημερίαν τῶν Λευϊτῶν ἐτέτακτο διὰ τὸ ἐλλιπὲς τῆς ἡλικίας· ἔτι γὰρ ἔφηβος ἦν. Οὐκ ἀφίστατο δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, νηστείαις καὶ δεήσεσι λατρεύων νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν· οὕτω δὲ ἀπήγγειλε τὸν νόμον καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς γραφάς, ὡς μὴ δεῖσθαι τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν γραμμάτων ὑπομνήσεως· τὴν δὲ ἡσυχίαν οὕτως εἶχε φίλην, ὡς μητέρα τῆς σωφροσύνης· τὰς δὲ ἐπιβλαβεῖς ὁμιλίας μυσαττόμενος ἔφευγε, καθαρὸν ὑπάρχων καὶ ἀκέραιον καὶ ἀμόλυντον ἄγαλμα· ἦν δὲ πᾶσιν ἐπίδοξος δι' ἀρετήν.

Κατ' ἐκεῖνον δὲ τὸν καιρὸν συνέβη τὸν κύριον παραγενέσθαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ ἰάσασθαι τὸν παράλυτον ἐν τῇ προβατικῇ, καὶ ἕτερα πολλὰ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐργάσασθαι ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ. Ταῦτα θεασάμενος ὁ μακάριος, ἐξεπλήσσετο καὶ εὐθέως προσελθών, ἔπεσε παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐδέετο εὐλογηθῆναι παρ' αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ τὰς καρδίας ἐμβατεύων Χριστός, ἀποδεξάμενος αὐτοῦ τὴν πίστιν, εὐμενῶς αὐτὸν ὑπεδέξατο καὶ τῆς θείας αὐτοῦ συντυχίας μετέδωκεν· ὁ δὲ πλέον ἐξεκαίετο εἰς τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἀγάπην. Καταλαβὼν δὲ τὸ τάχος τὴν οἰκίανΜαρίας, τῆς μητρὸς Ἰωάννου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Μάρκου, ἥτις ἐλέγετο εἶναι αὐτοῦ θεία διὸ καὶ Μάρκον τὸν ἀνεψιὸν Βαρνάβα ἐκάλουν αὐτόν, εἶπε πρὸς αὐτήν· "∆εῦρο, λέγων, ὦ γύναι, ἴδε ἅπερ