Barnabas, Letter of Barnabas

not to call according to appearance, but those whom the spirit has prepared. 19.8a You shall share all things with your neighbor and shall not say that they are your own; for if you are sharers in what is immortal, how much more in things that are mortal? You shall not be rash of tongue, for the mouth is a snare of death. As much as you are able, you shall keep your soul pure. 19.9a Do not be one who stretches out his hands to receive, but clenches them to give. You shall love as the apple of your eye everyone who speaks the word of the Lord to you. 19.10 You shall remember the day of judgment night and day, and you shall seek out each day, either by laboring in word and going to exhort and practicing to save a soul by the word, or you shall work with your hands for a ransom for your sins. 19.11a You shall not hesitate to give, nor shall you grumble when you give, for you will know who is the good paymaster of the reward. You shall keep what you have received, neither adding nor taking away. To the end you shall hate what is evil. You shall judge righteously. 19.12a You shall not make a schism, but you shall make peace between those who quarrel, bringing them together. You shall confess your sins. You shall not approach prayer with an evil conscience.

20.1a But the way of the black one is crooked and full of curse. For it is altogether a way of eternal death with punishment, in which are the things that destroy their soul: idolatry, boldness, arrogance of power, hypocrisy, duplicity, adultery, murder, robbery, pride, transgression, deceit, malice, stubbornness, sorcery, magic, greed, fearlessness of God. 20.2a Persecutors of the good, haters of truth, lovers of lies, not knowing the reward of righteousness, not clinging to the good, nor to righteous judgment, not paying attention to the widow and orphan, being vigilant not for the fear of God, but for evil— from whom gentleness and patience are far and distant— loving vain things, pursuing reward, not pitying the poor, not laboring for the one who is exhausted, quick to slander, not knowing the one who made them, murderers of children, corrupters of God's creation, turning away from the one in need, oppressing the afflicted, advocates of the rich, lawless judges of the poor— altogether sinful.

21.1a It is good, therefore, having learned the ordinances of the Lord, as many as have been written, to walk in them. For he who does these things will be glorified in the kingdom of God; he who chooses those other things will perish with his works. For this reason there is a resurrection, for this reason a recompense. 21.2 I ask the superiors—if you receive any counsel of my good intention—have among yourselves those to whom you will do good; do not fail. 21.3 The day is near, in which all things will perish with the evil one; near is the Lord and his reward. 21.4 Again and again I ask you: be good lawgivers to yourselves, remain faithful counselors to yourselves, remove all hypocrisy from yourselves. 21.5 May God, the Lord of the whole world, give you wisdom, understanding, knowledge, knowledge of his ordinances, patience. 21.6 And be taught by God, seeking out what the Lord seeks from you, and do it, so that you may be found in the day of judgment. 21.7 If there is any memory of good, remember me as you meditate on these things, so that both my desire and my vigilance may lead to some good. 21.8 I ask you, begging a favor, while the good vessel is still with you, fail in none of them, but continuously seek these things and fulfill every commandment—for they are worthy. 21.9a For this reason I was the more eager to write from what I was able. Be saved, children of love and peace. The Lord of glory and of all grace be with your spirit.

οὐ κατὰ πρόσωπον καλέσαι, ἀλλ' ἐφ' οὓς τὸ πνεῦμα ἡτοίμασεν. 19.8a Κοινωνήσεις ἐν πᾶσιν τῷ πλησίον σου καὶ οὐκ ἐρεῖς ἴδια εἶναι· εἰ γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ κοινωνοί ἐστε, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς φθαρτοῖς; Οὐκ ἔσῃ πρόγλωσσος, παγὶς γὰρ στόμα θανάτου. Ὅσον δύνασαι, ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς σου ἁγνεύσεις. 19.9a Μὴ γίνου πρὸς μὲν τὸ λαβεῖν ἐκτείνων τὰς χεῖρας, πρὸς δὲ τὸ δοῦναι συσπῶν. Ἀγαπήσεις ὡς κόρην ὀφθαλμοῦ σου πάντα τὸν λαλοῦντα σοι τὸν λόγον κυρίου. 19.10 Μνησθήσῃ ἡμέραν κρίσεως νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, καὶ ἐκζητήσεις καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ἢ διὰ λόγου κοπιῶν καὶ πορευόμενος εἰς τὸ παρακαλέσαι καὶ μελετῶν εἰς τὸ σῶσαι ψυχὴν τῷ λόγῳ, ἢ διὰ τῶν χειρῶν σου ἐργάσῃ εἰς λύτρον ἁμαρτιῶν σου. 19.11a Οὐ διστάσεις δοῦναι οὐδὲ διδοὺς γογγύσεις, γνώσῃ δὲ τίς ὁ τοῦ μισθοῦ καλὸς ἀνταποδότης. Φυλάξεις ἃ παρέλαβες, μήτε προστιθεὶς μήτε ἀφαι ρῶν. Εἰς τέλος μισήσεις τὸ πονηρόν. Κρινεῖς δικαίως. 19.12a Οὐ ποιήσεις σχίσμα, εἰρηνεύσεις δὲ μαχομένους συναγαγών. Ἐξομολογήσῃ ἐπὶ ἁμαρτίαις σου. Οὐ προσήξεις ἐπὶ προσευχὴν ἐν συνειδήσει πονηρᾷ.

20.1a Ἡ δὲ τοῦ μέλανος ὁδός ἐστιν σκολιὰ καὶ κατάρας μεστή. Ὅλως γάρ ἐστιν ὁδὸς θανάτου αἰωνίου μετὰ τιμωρίας, ἐν ᾗ ἐστὶν τὰ ἀπολλύντα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν· εἰδωλολατρεία, θρασύτης, ὕψος δυνάμεως, ὑπόκρισις, διπλοκαρδία, μοιχεία, φόνος, ἁρπαγή, ὑπερηφανία, παράβασις, δόλος, κακία, αὐθάδεια, φαρμακεία, μαγεία, πλεονεξία, ἀφοβία θεοῦ. 20.2a ∆ιῶκται τῶν ἀγαθῶν, μισοῦντες ἀλήθειαν, ἀγαπῶντες ψεῦδος, οὐ γινώσκοντες μισθὸν δικαιοσύνης, οὐ κολλώμενοι ἀγαθῷ, οὐ κρίσει δικαίᾳ, χήρᾳ καὶ ὀρφανῷ οὐ προσέχοντες, ἀγρυπνοῦντες οὐκ εἰς φόβον θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ πονη ρόν- ὧν μακρὰν καὶ πόρρω πραΰτης καὶ ὑπομονή- ἀγαπῶντες μάταια, διώκοντες ἀνταπόδομα, οὐκ ἐλεοῦντες πτωχόν, οὐ πονοῦντες ἐπὶ καταπονουμένῳ, εὐχερεῖς ἐν καταλαλιᾷ, οὐ γινώσκοντες τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτούς, φονεῖς τέκνων, φθορεῖς πλάσματος θεοῦ, ἀποστρεφόμενοι τὸν ἐνδεόμενον, καταπονοῦντες τὸν θλιβόμενον, πλουσίων παράκλητοι, πενήτων ἄνομοι κριταί- πανταμάρτητοι.

21.1a Καλὸν οὖν ἐστίν, μαθόντα τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ κυρίου, ὅσα γέγραπται, ἐν τούτοις περιπατεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ ταῦτα ποιῶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ δοξασθήσεται· ὁ ἐκεῖνα ἐκλεγόμενος μετὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ συναπολεῖται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀνάστασις, διὰ τοῦτο ἀνταπόδομα. 21.2 Ἐρωτῶ τοὺς ὑπερέχοντας-εἴ τινά μου γνώμης ἀγαθῆς λαμβάνετε συμβουλίαν-ἔχετε μεθ' ἑαυτῶν εἰς οὓς ἐργάσεσθε τὸ καλόν· μὴ ἐλλείπητε. 21.3 Ἐγγὺς ἡ ἡμέρα, ἐν ᾗ συνα πολεῖται πάντα τῷ πονηρῷ· ἐγγὺς ὁ κύριος καὶ ὁ μισθὸς αὐτοῦ. 21.4 Ἔτι καὶ ἔτι ἐρωτῶ ὑμᾶς· ἑαυτῶν γίνεσθε νομοθέται ἀγαθοί, ἑαυτῶν μένετε σύμβουλοι πιστοί, ἄρατε ἐξ ὑμῶν πᾶσαν ὑπόκρισιν. 21.5 Ὁ δὲ θεός, ὁ τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου κυριεύων, δώῃ ὑμῖν σοφίαν, σύνεσιν, ἐπιστήμην, γνῶσιν τῶν δικαιωμάτων αὐτοῦ, ὑπομονήν. 21.6 Γίνεσθε δὲ θεοδίδακτοι, ἐκζητοῦντες τί ζητεῖ κύριος ἀφ' ὑμῶν, καὶ ποιεῖτε, ἵνα εὕρητε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως. 21.7 Εἰ δέ τίς ἐστιν ἀγαθοῦ μνεία, μνημονεύετέ μου μελετῶντες ταῦτα, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία εἴς τι ἀγαθὸν χωρήσῃ. 21.8 Ἐρωτῶ ὑμᾶς, χάριν αἰτούμενος, ἕως ἔτι τὸ καλὸν σκεῦός ἐστιν μεθ' ὑμῶν, μὴ ἐλλείπητε μηδενὶ αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ συνεχῶς ἐκζητεῖτε ταῦτα καὶ ἀναπληροῦτε πᾶσαν ἐντολήν-ἔστιν γὰρ ἄξια. 21.9a ∆ιὸ μᾶλλον ἐσπούδασα γράψαι ἀφ' ὧν ἠδυνήθην. Σώζεσθε, ἀγάπης τέκνα καὶ εἰρήνης. Ὁ κύριος τῆς δόξης καὶ πάσης χάριτος μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν.