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Barnabae epistula

EPISTLE OF BARNABAS

1.1 Greetings, sons and daughters, in the name of the Lord who has loved us, in peace. 1.2 Since the ordinances of God towards you are great and rich, I rejoice exceedingly and beyond all measure over your blessed and glorious spirits; so innate is the grace of the spiritual gift you have received. 1.3a Wherefore I also congratulate myself the more, hoping to be saved, because I truly see in you a spirit poured out upon you from the rich fountain of the Lord. Thus the sight of you, for which I longed, has amazed me. 1.4 Being persuaded of this, therefore, and conscious in myself that, having spoken much among you, I understand that the Lord has accompanied me in the way of righteousness, and I am altogether compelled to this, to love you above my own soul, because great faith and love dwell in you in hope of His life. 1.5 Considering this, therefore, that if I should take care on your behalf to communicate some part of what I have received, it will be a reward for me for having ministered to such spirits, I have hastened to send you a little, so that with your faith you may also have perfect knowledge. 1.6 There are therefore three doctrines of the Lord: the hope of life, the beginning and end of our faith; and righteousness, the beginning and end of judgment; love, a testimony of the works of gladness and joy in righteousness. 1.7a For the Master has made known to us through the prophets things past and present, and has given us the first-fruits of the taste of things to come. And seeing these things severally being accomplished, even as he spoke, we ought to approach his fear more richly and more loftily. 1.8 But I, not as a teacher but as one of you, will show a few things, by which in the present circumstances you may be gladdened.

2.1 Since the days, then, are evil and the worker himself has the power, we ought to take heed to ourselves and to seek out the ordinances of the Lord. 2.2 Therefore, the helpers of our faith are fear and patience, and our allies are long-suffering and self-control. 2.3 While these, then, remain purely in things relating to the Lord, wisdom, understanding, science, and knowledge rejoice with them. 2.4 For he has made it plain to us through all the prophets that he needs neither sacrifices nor burnt offerings nor oblations, saying at one time: 2.5 ‘What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord. I am full of burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of lambs and the blood of bulls and goats I do not desire, not even when you come to appear before me. For who has required these things from your hands? You shall not continue to trample my court. If you bring fine flour, it is in vain; incense is an abomination to me; your new moons and sabbaths I cannot bear.’ 2.6 These things, therefore, he has abolished, so that the new law of our Lord Jesus Christ, being without a yoke of necessity, might have an offering not made by man. 2.7 And he says again to them: ‘Did I command your fathers when they came out of the land of Egypt, to offer me burnt offerings and sacrifices, 2.8 but rather I commanded them this: Let none of you bear a grudge in his heart against his neighbor, and do not love a false oath.’ 2.9 We ought therefore to understand, not being foolish, the counsel of our Father’s goodness, because he speaks to us, wishing us not to err in the same way as they, and to seek how we may approach him. 2.10a To us, therefore, he speaks thus: ‘A sacrifice to God is a broken heart, a smell of sweet savor to the Lord is a heart that glorifies its maker.’ We ought, therefore, to be careful

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Barnabae epistula

ΒΑΡΝΑΒΑ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ

1.1 Χαίρετε, υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς, ἐν εἰρήνῃ. 1.2 Μεγάλων μὲν ὄντων καὶ πλουσίων τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιω μάτων εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὑπέρ τι καὶ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ὑπερευφραίνομαι ἐπὶ τοῖς μακαρίοις καὶ ἐνδόξοις ὑμῶν πνεύμασιν· οὕτως ἔμφυ τον τῆς δωρεᾶς πνευματικῆς χάριν εἰλήφατε. 1.3a ∆ιὸ καὶ μᾶλ λον συγχαίρω ἐμαυτῷ ἐλπίζων σωθῆναι, ὅτι ἀληθῶς βλέπω ἐν ὑμῖν ἐκκεχυμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ πλουσίου τῆς πηγῆς κυρίου πνεῦμα ἐφ' ὑμᾶς. Οὕτως με ἐξέπληξεν ἐπὶ ὑμῶν ἡ ἐμοὶ ἐπιποθήτη ὄψις ὑμῶν. 1.4 Πεπεισμένος οὖν τοῦτο καὶ συνειδὼς ἐμαυτῷ, ὅτι ἐν ὑμῖν λαλήσας πολλὰ ἐπίσταμαι, ὅτι ἐμοὶ συνώδευσεν ἐν ὁδῷ δικαιοσύνης κύριος, καὶ πάντως εἰς τοῦτο κἀγὼ ἀναγκάζομαι, ἀγαπᾶν ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ τὴν ψυχήν μου, ὅτι μεγάλη πίστις καὶ ἀγάπη ἐγκατοικεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ζωῆς αὐτοῦ. 1.5 Λογισάμενος οὖν τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐὰν μελήσῃ μοι περὶ ὑμῶν τοῦ μέρος τι μεταδοῦναι ἀφ' οὗ ἔλαβον, ὅτι ἔσται μοι τοιούτοις πνεύμασιν ὑπηρετήσαντι εἰς μισθόν, ἐσπούδασα κατὰ μικρὸν ὑμῖν πέμπειν, ἵνα μετὰ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν τελείαν ἔχητε καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν. 1.6 Τρία οὖν δόγματά ἐστιν κυρίου· ζωῆς ἐλπίς, ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος πίστεως ἡμῶν, καὶ δικαιοσύνη, κρίσεως ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος, ἀγάπη, εὐφροσύνης καὶ ἀγαλλιάσεως ἔργων ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ μαρτυρία. 1.7a Ἐγνώρισεν γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ δεσπότης διὰ τῶν προφητῶν τὰ παρεληλυθότα καὶ τὰ ἐνεστῶτα, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων δοὺς ἀπαρχὰς ἡμῖν γεύσεως. Ὧν τὰ καθ' ἕκαστα βλέποντες ἐνεργούμενα, καθὼς ἐλάλησεν, ὀφείλομεν πλουσιώτερον καὶ ὑψηλότερον προσάγειν τῷ φόβῳ αὐτοῦ. 1.8 Ἐγὼ δέ, οὐχ ὡς διδάσκαλος ἀλλ' ὡς εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν, ὑποδείξω ὀλίγα, δι' ὧν ἐν τοῖς παροῦσιν εὐφρανθήσεσθε.

2.1 Ἡμερῶν οὖν οὐσῶν πονηρῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐνερ γοῦντος ἔχοντος τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ὀφείλομεν ἑαυτοῖς προσέχοντες ἐκζητεῖν τὰ δικαιώματα κυρίου. 2.2 Τῆς οὖν πίστεως ἡμῶν εἰσὶν βοηθοὶ φόβος καὶ ὑπομονή, τὰ δὲ συμμαχοῦντα ἡμῖν μακροθυμία καὶ ἐγκράτεια. 2.3 Τούτων οὖν μενόντων τὰ πρὸς κύριον ἁγνῶς, συνευφραίνονται αὐτοῖς σοφία, σύνεσις, ἐπιστήμη, γνῶσις. 2.4 Πεφανέρωκεν γὰρ ἡμῖν διὰ πάντων τῶν προφητῶν, ὅτι οὔτε θυσιῶν οὔτε ὁλοκαυτωμάτων οὔτε προσφορῶν χρῄζει, λέγων ὁτὲ μέν· 2.5 «Τί μοι πλῆθος τῶν θυσιῶν ὑμῶν; λέγει κύριος. Πλήρης εἰμὶ ὁλοκαυτωμάτων κριῶν, καὶ στέαρ ἀρνῶν καὶ αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων οὐ βούλομαι, οὐδ' ἂν ἔρχησθε ὀφθῆναί μοι. Τίς γὰρ ἐξεζήτησεν ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν; Πατεῖν μου τὴν αὐλὴν οὐ προσθήσεσθε. Ἐὰν φέρητε σεμίδαλιν, μάταιον· θυμίαμα βδέλυγμά μοί ἐστιν· τὰς νεομηνίας ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ σάββατα οὐκ ἀνέχομαι. » 2.6 Ταῦτα οὖν κατήργησεν, ἵνα ὁ καινὸς νόμος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἄνευ ζυγοῦ ἀνάγκης ὤν, μὴ ἀνθρωπο ποίητον ἔχῃ τὴν προσφοράν. 2.7 Λέγει δὲ πάλιν πρὸς αὐτούς· «Μὴ ἐγὼ ἐνετειλάμην τοῖς πατράσιν ὑμῶν ἐκπορευομένοις ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, προσενέγκαι μοι ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ θυσίας, 2.8 ἀλλ' ἢ τοῦτο ἐνετειλάμην αὐτοῖς· ἕκαστος ὑμῶν κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ κακίαν μὴ μνησικακείτω, καὶ ὅρκον ψευδῆ μὴ ἀγαπάτω. » 2.9 Αἰσθάνεσθαι οὖν ὀφείλομεν, μὴ ὄντες ἀσύνετοι, τὴν γνώμην τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἡμῖν λέγει, θέλων ἡμᾶς μὴ ὁμοίως πλανωμένους ἐκείνοις ζητεῖν πῶς προσάγω μεν αὐτῷ. 2.10a Ἡμῖν οὖν οὕτως λέγει· «Θυσία τῷ θεῷ καρδία συντετριμμένη, ὀσμὴ εὐωδίας τῷ κυρίῳ καρδία δοξάζουσα τὸν πεπλακότα αὐτήν. » Ἀκριβεύεσθαι οὖν