Gospel of Barnabas 1:2
The virgin was frightened at the appearance of the angel; but the angel comforted her, saying, "Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God, *Luke 1:29 - 30 who has chosen you to be mother of a prophet, whom He will send to the people of Israel in order that they may walk in His laws with truth of heart." The virgin answered, "How will I bring forth sons, seeing I do not know a man?" The angel answered, "O Mary, God who made man without a man is able to generate a man in you without a man, because nothing is impossible with Him."
Gospel of Barnabas 1:3
Mary answered, "I know that God is Almighty, therefore His will be done." The angel answered, "Now be conceived in you, the prophet, whom you will name Jesus: and you will keep him from wine and from strong drink and from every unclean meat, because the child is a holy one of God." Mary bowed herself with humility, saying, "Behold the handmaid of God, let it be done according to your word."
Gospel of Barnabas 1:4
The angel departed, and the virgin glorified God, saying, "Know, O my soul, the greatness of God, and exult, my spirit, in God my Savior; for He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden, such that I will be called blessed by all the nations, for He who is mighty has made me great, and His holy name is blessed. For His mercy extends from generation to generation of those who fear Him. He has made His hand mighty, and He has scattered the proud in the imagination of his heart. He has put down the mighty from their seat, and has exalted the humble. He filled with good things him who has been hungry, and He has sent the rich empty away. For He keeps the promises made to Abraham in memory and to his son forever." *Luke 1:46 - 55
Gospel of Barnabas 2:1
Mary, having known the will of God, fearing the people, unless they should take offence at her being great with child and stone her as guilty of fornication, chose a companion of her own lineage, a man called Joseph by name, of blameless life: for as a righteous man he feared God and served Him with fastings and prayers, living by the works of his hands, for he was a carpenter. Knowing such a man, the virgin chose him for her companion and revealed to him the divine counsel [she had received].
Gospel of Barnabas 2:2
Joseph, being a righteous man, when he perceived that Mary was great with child, considered putting her away because he feared God. [But] behold, while he slept, he was rebuked by the angel of God, saying, "O Joseph, why are you thinking of putting away your wife Mary? *Matthew 1:19 - 20 Know that whatever has been done in her has all been done by the will of God. The virgin will bring forth a son, whom you will call by the name Jesus, and you will keep him from wine and strong drink and from every unclean meat, because he is a holy one of God from his mother's womb.
Gospel of Barnabas 2:3
He is a prophet of God sent to the people of Israel, in order that he may convert Judah to his heart, and ao that Israel may walk in the law of the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses. He will come with great power, which God will give him, and will work great miracles, whereby many will be saved." Joseph, arising from sleep, gave thanks to God, and abode with Mary all his life, serving God with all sincerity.
Gospel of Barnabas 3:1
Herod reigned in Judea at that time, by decree of Caesar Augustus, and Pilate was governor in the priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas. [In that time], by decree of Augustus, all the world was enrolled [in a census]; whereby each one went to his own country, and they presented themselves by their own tribes to be enrolled. Joseph accordingly departed from Nazareth, a city of Galilee, with his wife Mary, great with child, to go to Bethlehem (for that it was his city, he being of the lineage of David), so that he might be enrolled according to the decree of Caesar.
Gospel of Barnabas 3:2
Arriving at Bethlehem, Joseph found no place [to stay], for the city was small, and the multitude of those who were strangers there was great. Therefore, he took lodging outside the city in a lodging made for a shepherds' shelter. While Joseph abode there, the days were fulfilled for Mary to bring forth [the child].
Gospel of Barnabas 3:3
The virgin was surrounded by an exceedingly bright light, and brought forth her son without pain, !*19:23 whom she took in her arms, and wrapping him in swaddling clothes, she laid him in the manger, because there was no room in the inn. A great multitude of angels came to the inn with gladness and announcing peace to those who fear God. Mary and Joseph praised the Lord for the birth of Jesus, and nurtured him with greatest joy.
Gospel of Barnabas 4:1
At that time, the shepherds were watching over their flock, as is their custom. And behold, they were surrounded by an exceedingly bright light, out of which, an angel appeared to them, who blessed God. The shepherds were filled with fear because of the sudden light and the appearance of the angel, whereupon the angel of the Lord comforted them, saying, "Behold, I announce a great joy to you, for a child is born in the city of David who is a prophet of the Lord, who brings great salvation to the house of Israel. You will find the child in the manger, with his mother, who blesses God." And when he had said this, a great multitude of angels came blessing God, announcing peace to those who have good will.
Gospel of Barnabas 4:2
When the angels had departed, the shepherds spoke amongst themselves, saying, "Let us go even to Bethlehem, and see the word which God, by His angel, has announced to us." *Luke 2:15 Many shepherds came to Bethlehem seeking the newborn babe, and they found the child that was born, outside the city, according to the word of the angel, lying in the manger. They therefore made obeisance to him, and gave to the mother that which they had, announcing to her what they had heard and seen.
Gospel of Barnabas 4:3
Mary therefore kept all these things in her heart, and Joseph [likewise], giving thanks to God. The shepherds returned to their flock, announcing to everyone how great a thing they had seen. And so the whole hill country of Judea was filled with fear, and every man laid up this word in his heart, saying, "What will this child be?"
Gospel of Barnabas 5:1
When the eight days were fulfilled according to the law of the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses, they took the child and carried him to the temple to circumcise him. And so they circumcised the child, and gave him the name Jesus, as the angel of the Lord had said before he was conceived in the womb. Mary and Joseph perceived that the child must be for the salvation and [for the] ruin of many, so they feared God, and kept the child with fear of God.
Gospel of Barnabas 6:1
In the reign of Herod, king of Judea, when Jesus was born, three magi in the parts of the east were observing the stars of heaven. A star of great brightness appeared to them, so, having concluded amongst themselves, they came to Judea, guided by the star which went before them, and having arrived at Jerusalem, they asked where the king of the Jews [had been] born. When Herod heard this, he was afraid, and all the city was troubled. Herod therefore called the priests and the scribes together, saying, "Where should Christ be born?" They answered that he should be born in Bethlehem; for thus it is written by the prophet, "And you, Bethlehem, are not little among the princes of Judah, for a leader out of you will come forth, who will lead My people Israel." *Micah 5:2
Gospel of Barnabas 6:2
Herod accordingly called the magi together and asked them concerning their coming, who answered that they had seen a star in the east, which had guided them, therefore they wished to worship this new king manifested by his star with gifts. Then Herod said, "Go to Bethlehem and search out with all diligence concerning the child; and when you have found him, come and tell it to me, because I also am willing to come and worship him." And he spoke this deceitfully.
Gospel of Barnabas 7:1
The magi therefore departed out of Jerusalem, and look, the star which appeared to them in the east went before them. *Matthew 2:9 Seeing the star, the magi were filled with gladness. And so, having come to Bethlehem, outside the city, they saw the star standing still above the inn where Jesus was born. The magi went there, and entering the dwelling, found the child with his mother. Bending down, they did obeisance to him. And [they] presented spices, with silver and gold to him, recounting all that they had seen to the virgin.
Gospel of Barnabas 7:2
Then, while sleeping, they were warned by the child not to go to Herod; so departing by another way, they returned to their own home, announcing all that they had seen in Judea.
Gospel of Barnabas 8:1
Herod, seeing that the magi did not return, believed himself [to be] mocked by them; so he determined to put the child to death that was born. But behold, while Joseph was sleeping, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, saying, "Arise up quickly, and take the child with his mother and go into Egypt, for Herod wants to slay him."
Gospel of Barnabas 8:2
Joseph arose with great fear, and took Mary with the child, and they went into Egypt, and there they abode until the death of Herod, *Matthew 2:14 - 15 who, believing himself derided by the magi, sent his soldiers to slay all the newborn children in Bethlehem. The soldiers came and slew all the children that were there, as Herod had commanded them, and so were fulfilled the words of the prophet, saying, "Lamentation and great weeping are there in Ramah; Rachel laments for her sons, but consolation is not given [to] her because they are not." *Jeremiah 31:15
Gospel of Barnabas 9:1
When Herod was dead, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Return into Judea, for those who willed the death of the child are dead." So Joseph took the child with Mary ([Jesus] having come to the age of seven years), and came to Judea. But hearing that Archelaus, son of Herod, was reigning in Judea, he feared remaining [there and so] he went into Galilee, and they went to dwell at Nazareth. *Matthew 2:19 - 23 The child grew in grace and wisdom before God and before men.
Gospel of Barnabas 9:2
Jesus, having come to the age of twelve years, went up to Jerusalem with Mary and Joseph, to serve [God] there according to the law of the Lord written in the Book of Moses. When their prayers had ended, they departed, having lost Jesus, because they thought that he [had] returned home with their kinsfolk. Therefore, Mary returned with Joseph to Jerusalem, seeking Jesus among kinsfolk and neighbors. The third day, they found the child in the temple in the midst of the doctors, disputing with them concerning the law. Everyone was amazed at his questions and answers, *Luke 2:42 - 47 saying, "How can there be such doctrine in him, seeing he is so small and has not learned to read?"
Gospel of Barnabas 9:3
Mary reproved him, saying, "Son, what have you done to us? Your father and I have sought you for three days." Jesus answered, "Do you not know that the service of God should come before father and mother?" Jesus then went down with his mother and Joseph to Nazareth, and was subject to them with humility and reverence.
Gospel of Barnabas 10:1
Jesus, having come to the age of thirty years, as he himself said to me, went up to Mount Olives with his mother to gather olives. Then at midday, as he was praying, when he came to these words, "Lord, with mercy..." he was surrounded by an exceedingly bright light and by an infinite multitude of angels, who were saying, "God is blessed."
Gospel of Barnabas 10:2
The angel Gabriel presented to him, as it were, a shining mirror, a Book, which descended into the heart of Jesus, in which he had knowledge of what God has done and what [God] has said and what God wills, such that everything was laid bare and open to him as he said to me, "O Barnabas, believe that I know every prophet with every prophecy, and so whatever I say, all of it has come forth from that Book."
Gospel of Barnabas 10:3
Jesus, having received this vision, and knowing that he was a prophet sent to the house of Israel, revealed everything to his mother Mary, telling her that he must suffer great persecution for the honor of God, and that he could not abide with her to serve her any longer. Having heard this, Mary answered, "Son, before you were born, everything was announced to me; therefore the holy name of God is blessed." Therefore, that day, Jesus departed from his mother to attend to his prophetic office.
Gospel of Barnabas 11:1
Descending from the mountain to come into Jerusalem, Jesus met a leper, who, by divine inspiration, knew Jesus to be a prophet. Therefore he prayed to him with tears, saying, "Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me." Jesus answered, "What do you want me to do for you, brother?" The leper answered, "Lord, give me health."
Gospel of Barnabas 11:2
Jesus reproved him, saying, "You are foolish. Pray to God who created you, and He will give you health; for I am a man, as you are." The leper answered, "I know that you, lord, are a man, but a holy one of the Lord, so pray to God, and He will give me health." Then Jesus, sighing, said, "Lord God Almighty, for the love of Your holy prophets, give health to this sick man." Then, having said this, he said, touching the sick man with his hands, "In the name of God, O brother, receive your health!"
Gospel of Barnabas 11:3
When he had said this, the leprosy was cleansed, such that the flesh of the leper was left like that of a child. Seeing that he was healed, the leper cried out with a loud voice, "Come here, Israel, to receive the prophet whom God sends to you!" Jesus asked him, saying, "Brother, hold your peace and say nothing," but the more he asked him, the more he cried out, saying, "Behold the prophet! Behold the holy one of God!" At which words, many who were going out of Jerusalem ran back, and entered with Jesus into Jerusalem, recounting that which God, through Jesus, had done to the leper.
Gospel of Barnabas 12:1
The whole city of Jerusalem was moved by these words so they all ran together to the temple to see Jesus, who had entered it to pray, so that they could scarcely be contained there. Therefore the priests sought Jesus, saying, "This people desires to see you and hear you. Ascend to the pinnacle, and if God gives you a word, speak it in the name of the Lord."
Gospel of Barnabas 12:2
Then Jesus ascended to the place from which the scribes were accustomed to speak, and having beckoned with [his] hand for silence, he opened his mouth, saying, "Blessed is the holy name of God, who, of His goodness and mercy, willed to create His creatures [so] that they might glorify Him. Blessed is the holy name of God, who created the splendor of all the saints and prophets before all things to send him for the salvation of the world, as He spoke by His servant David, saying, 'Before Lucifer, in the brightness of the saints, I created you.' Blessed is the holy name of God, who created the angels so that they might serve Him.
Gospel of Barnabas 12:3
And blessed is God, who punished and reprobated Satan and his followers, who would not reverence him whom God wills to be reverenced. Blessed is the holy name of God, who created man out of the clay of the earth, and set him over His works. Blessed is the holy name of God, who drove man out of Paradise for having transgressed His holy precept. Blessed is the holy name of God, who, with mercy, looked upon the tears of Adam and Eve, first parents of the human race.
Gospel of Barnabas 12:4
Blessed is the holy name of God, who just punished Cain the fratricide, sent the deluge upon the earth, burned up three wicked cities, scourged Egypt, overwhelmed Pharaoh in the Red Sea, scattered the enemies of His people, chastised the unbelievers, and punished the impenitent. Blessed is the holy name of God, who, with mercy, looked upon His creatures, and therefore sent them His holy prophets, so that they might walk in truth and righteousness before He who delivered His servants from every evil, and gave them this land, as He promised to our father Abraham and to his son forever. Then He gave us His holy law by His servant Moses, so that Satan should not deceive us, and He exalted us above all other peoples. But, brethren, what do we do today, so that we are not punished for our sins?"
Gospel of Barnabas 12:5
And then with great vehemence, Jesus rebuked the people for forgetting the word of God, and [for] giving themselves only to vanity. He rebuked the priests for their negligence in God's service and for their worldly greed. He rebuked the scribes because they preached vain doctrine, and forsook the law of God. He rebuked the doctors because they made the law of God of no effect through their traditions. Such did Jesus speak to the people, that everyone wept, from the least to the greatest, crying [for] mercy and begged Jesus to pray [for] them - [everyone except] their priests and leaders, who conceived hatred for Jesus on that day for having spoken against the priests, scribes, and doctors.
Gospel of Barnabas 12:6
And they meditated upon his death, but for fear of the people, who had received him as a prophet of God, they [said nothing]. Jesus raised his hands to the Lord God and prayed, and the people, weeping, said, "So be it, O Lord, so be it." The prayer being ended, Jesus descended from the temple, and that day he departed from Jerusalem with many who followed him. And the priests spoke evil of Jesus amongst themselves.
Gospel of Barnabas 13:1
Some days having passed, Jesus, having perceived the desire of the priests in spirit, ascended the Mount of Olives to pray. And having passed the whole night in prayer, in the morning, praying, Jesus said, "O Lord, I know that the scribes hate me, and the priests [have it in their minds] to kill me, Your servant; therefore, Lord God Almighty and Merciful, hear the prayers of [Your] servant in mercy, and save me from their snares, for You are my salvation. You know, Lord, that I, Your servant, seek You alone, O Lord, and speak Your word; for Your word is truth, which endures forever."
Gospel of Barnabas 13:2
When Jesus had spoken these words, the angel Gabriel came to him saying, "Do not fear, O Jesus, for a thousand thousand who dwell above the heaven guard your garments, and you will not die till everything is fulfilled, and the world will be near its end." Jesus fell with his face to the ground, saying, "O Great Lord God, how great is Your mercy upon me! What will I give You, Lord, for all that You have granted me?"
Gospel of Barnabas 13:3
The angel Gabriel answered, "Arise, Jesus, and remember Abraham, who, being willing to sacrifice his only begotten son Ishmael to God, to fulfill the word of God, [when] the knife [was] not able to cut his son, offered a sheep in sacrifice at my word. Therefore, you will [do the same], O Jesus, servant of God." Jesus answered, "Willingly, but where will I find the lamb. I have no money, and it is not lawful to steal it." [So] the angel Gabriel showed a sheep to him, which Jesus offered in sacrifice, praising and blessing God, who is glorious forever.
Gospel of Barnabas 14:1
Jesus descended from the mount, and passed alone by night to the farther side of Jordan, and fasted forty days and forty nights, *Matthew 4:2 not eating anything day or night, making continual supplication to the Lord for the salvation of his people to whom God had sent him. And when the forty days had passed, he was hungry. Then Satan appeared to him, and tempted him in many words, but Jesus drove him away by the power of the words of God. [Then,] Satan having departed, the angels came and ministered to Jesus [in] everything that he needed.
Gospel of Barnabas 14:2
Jesus, having returned to the region of Jerusalem, was found again by the people with exceedingly great joy, and they asked him that he would abide with them; for his words were not as those of the scribes, but were with power, for they touched the heart.
Gospel of Barnabas 14:3
Jesus, seeing that the multitude of those who returned to their heart to walk in the law of God was great, went up into the mountain, and abode all night in prayer, and when day had come, he descended from the mountain, and chose twelve, whom he called apostles, among whom is Judas, who was slain upon the cross. Their names are: Andrew and Peter his brother, fishermen, Barnabas, who wrote this, with Matthew the publican, who sat at the receipt of custom; John and James, sons of Zebedee; Thaddaeus and Judas, Bartholomew and Philip, James, and Judas Iscariot the traitor. He always revealed the divine secrets to these, but Iscariot Judas, he made his dispenser of that which was given in alms, but he stole the tenth part of everything.
Gospel of Barnabas 15:1
When the feast of tabernacles was near, a certain rich man invited Jesus with his disciples and his mother to a marriage. Jesus therefore went, and as they were feasting, the wine ran short. His mother accosted Jesus, saying, "They have no wine." Jesus answered, "What is that to me, mother [of] mine?" His mother commanded the servants that whatever Jesus should command them, they should obey. There were there six vessels for water according to the custom of Israel to purify themselves for prayer. Jesus said, "Fill these vessels with water." The servants did so. *John 2:1 - 7 Jesus said to them, "In the name of God, give [the wine] to drink to those who are feasting." The servants thereupon bore [the wine] to the master of the ceremonies, who rebuked the attendants saying, "O worthless servants, why have you kept the better wine till now?" For he knew nothing of all that Jesus had done.
Gospel of Barnabas 15:2
The servants answered, "O sir, there is here a holy man of God, for he has made wine of water." The master of the ceremonies thought that the servants were drunk; but those who were sitting near Jesus, having seen the whole matter, rose from the table and paid him reverence, saying, "Truly you are a holy one of God, a true prophet sent to us from God!" Then his disciples believed him, and many returned to their heart, saying, "God is praised, who has mercy upon Israel, and visits the house of Judah with love, and His holy name is blessed."
Gospel of Barnabas 16:1
One day, Jesus called his disciples together and went up on to the mountain, and when he had sat down there, his disciples came near him; and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, "The benefits which God has bestowed on us are great, therefore it is necessary that we should serve Him with truth of heart. And forasmuch as new wine is put into new vessels, even so should you become new men, if you will contain the new doctrine that will come out of my mouth. Truly I say to you, that even as a man cannot see the heaven and the earth at one and the same time with his eyes, so it is impossible to love God and the world.
Gospel of Barnabas 16:2
No man can in any wise serve two masters that are at enmity with one another; for if the one will love you, the other will hate you. Even so I tell you in truth that you cannot serve God and the world, for the world lies in falsehood, covetousness, and malignity. You cannot therefore find rest in the world, but rather persecution and loss. Therefore serve God and despise the world, for you will find rest for your souls from me; hear my words, for I speak to you in truth.
Gospel of Barnabas 16:3
Truly, blessed are those who mourn this earthly life, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the poor who truly hate the delights of the world, for they will abound in the delights of the kingdom of God. Truly, blessed are those who eat at the table of God, for the angels will minister to them.
Gospel of Barnabas 16:4
You are journeying as pilgrims. Does the pilgrim encumber himself with palaces and fields and other earthly matters upon the way? Assuredly not, but he bears things light and prized for their usefulness and convenience upon the road. This now should be an example to you; and if you desire another example, I will give it to you, in order that you may do all that I tell you. Do not weigh down your hearts with earthly desires, saying, 'Who will clothe us?' or 'Who will give us [something] to eat?' But behold the flowers and the trees, with the birds, which God our Lord clothes and nourishes with greater glory than all the glory of Solomon. And He is able to nourish you, even God who created you and called you to His service; who for forty years caused the manna to fall from heaven for His people Israel in the wilderness, and did not allow their clothing to wax old or perish, they being six hundred and forty thousand men, besides women and children.
Gospel of Barnabas 16:5
Truly I say to you, that heaven and earth will fail, yet His mercy will not fail to those who fear Him. But the rich of the world, in their prosperity, are hungry and perish. There was rich man whose incomings increased, and he said, 'What will I do, O my soul? I will pull down my barns because they are small, and I will build new and greater ones: therefore you will triumph my soul!' Oh, wretched man! For that night he died. He should have been mindful of the poor, and made himself friends with the alms of unrighteous riches of this world; for they bring treasures in the kingdom of heaven.
Gospel of Barnabas 16:6
Tell me, I ask you, if you should give your money into the bank to a publican, and he should give to you tenfold and twentyfold, would you not give to such a man everything that you had? But I say to you, truly, that whatsoever you will give and will forsake for love of God, you receive it back a hundredfold, and everlasting life. See then how much you should be content to serve God?"
Gospel of Barnabas 17:1
When Jesus had said this, Philip answered, "We are content to serve God, but we desire, however, to know God, for Isaiah the prophet said, "Truly you are a hidden God," *Isaiah 45:15 and God said to Moses His servant, "I am that which I am." *Exodus 3:14 Jesus answered, "Philip, God is a good without which there is nothing good; God is a being without which there is nothing that is; God is a life without which there is nothing that lives; at that, He fills all and is everywhere. He alone has no equal. He has had no beginning, nor will He ever have an end, but He has given a beginning to everything, and He will give an end to everything. He has no father nor mother; He has no sons, nor brethren, nor companions. And because God has no body, therefore He does not eat, does not sleep, does not die, does not walk, does not move, but abides eternally without human similitude, for that He is incorporeal, uncompounded, immaterial, of the most simple substance. He is so good that He loves goodness only; He is so just that when He punishes or pardons, it cannot be denied. In short, I say to you, Philip, that here on earth you cannot see Him or know Him perfectly; but in His kingdom, you will see Him forever: wherein all our happiness and glory consist."
Gospel of Barnabas 17:2
Philip answered, "Master, what do you say? It is surely written in Isaiah that God is our Father; how then, does He have no sons?" Jesus answered, "Many parables are written in the prophets, therefore you should not attend to the letter, but to the sense. For all the prophets, that are one hundred and forty four thousand, whom God has sent into the world, have spoken darkly. But after me, the splendor of all the prophets and holy ones will come and shed light upon the darkness of all that the prophets have said, because he is the messenger of God." And having said this, Jesus sighed and said, "Have mercy on Israel, O Lord God and look with pity upon Abraham and upon his seed, in order that they may serve You with truth of heart."
Gospel of Barnabas 17:3
His disciples answered, "So be it, O Lord our God." Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, the scribes and doctors have made the law of God void with their false prophecies, contrary to the prophecies of the true prophets of God. Therefore God is angry with the house of Israel and with this faithless generation." His disciples wept at these words, and said, "Have mercy, O God, have mercy upon the temple and upon the holy city, and do not give it into contempt of the nations, so that they do not despise Your holy covenant." Jesus answered, "So be it, Lord God of our fathers."
Gospel of Barnabas 18:1
Having said this, Jesus said, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, so that you may be my disciples. If the world will then hate you, you will truly be my disciples; for the world has always been an enemy to servants of God. Remember [the] holy prophets that have been slain by the world, even as in the time of Elijah, ten thousand prophets were slain by Jezebel, insomuch that poor Elijah scarcely escaped, and seven thousand sons of prophets who were hidden by the captain of Ahab's host.
Gospel of Barnabas 18:2
Oh, unrighteous world that does not know God! Do not fear therefore, for the hairs of your head are numbered so that they will not perish. Behold the sparrows and other birds, whereof one feather does not fall without the will of God. Should God then, have more care for the birds than for man, for whose sake He has created everything? Is there any man, perhaps, who cares more for his shoes than for his own son? Assuredly not. Now how much less should you think that God would abandon you, while taking care of the birds? And why do I speak of the birds? A leaf of a tree does not fall without the will of God.
Gospel of Barnabas 18:3
Believe me, because I tell you the truth, that the world will greatly fear you if you will observe my words. For if it did not fear to have its wickedness revealed, it would not hate you, but it fears to be revealed, therefore it will hate you and persecute you. If you will see your words scorned by the world, do not lay it to heart, but consider how God is greater than you; who is in such wise scorned by the world that His wisdom is counted madness. If God endures the world with patience, therefore you will lay it to heart, O dust and clay of the earth? In your patience, you will possess your soul.
Gospel of Barnabas 18:4
Therefore if one will give you a blow on one side of the face, offer him the other so that he may strike it. Do not render evil for evil, for so do all the worst animals, but render good for evil, and pray to God for those who hate you. Fire is not extinguished with fire, but rather with water; even so I say to you that you will not overcome evil with evil, but rather with good. Behold God, who causes the sun to come upon the good and evil, and likewise the rain. So you should do good to all; for it is written in the law, 'Be holy, for I, your God, am holy; *Leviticus 11:45 be pure, for I am pure; and be perfect, for I am perfect.'
Gospel of Barnabas 18:5
Truly I say to you that the servant studies to please his master, and so he does not put on any garment that is displeasing to his master. Your garments are your will and your love. Beware then, not to will or to love a thing that is displeasing to God, our Lord. Be sure that God hates the pomps and lusts of the world, and therefore hate the world."
Gospel of Barnabas 19:1
When Jesus had said this, Peter answered, "O teacher, behold we have left all to follow you, what will become of us?" Jesus answered, "Truly you, in the Day of Judgement, will sit beside me, giving testimony against the twelve tribes of Israel." *4:41, *16:84, *16:89 And having said this, Jesus sighed, saying, "O Lord, what thing is this? For I have chosen twelve, and one of them is a devil." The disciples were sorely grieved at this word; whereupon he who writes secretly questioned Jesus with tears, saying, "O master, will Satan deceive me, and will I then become reprobate?"
Gospel of Barnabas 19:2
Jesus answered, "Do not be sorely grieved, Barnabas, for those whom God has chosen before the creation of the world will not perish. Rejoice, for your name is written in the Book of Life." Jesus comforted his disciples, saying, "Do not fear, for he who will hate me is not grieved at my saying, because the divine feeling is not in him." At his words, the chosen were comforted. Jesus made his prayers, and his disciples said, "Amen, so be it, Lord God Almighty and Merciful."
Gospel of Barnabas 19:3
Having finished his devotions, Jesus came down from the mountain with his disciples and met ten lepers, who, from afar off, cried out, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on us!" Jesus called them near to him, and said to them, "What do you will of me, O brethren?" They all cried out, "Give us health!" Jesus answered, "Ah, wretched that you are, have you so lost your reason, for you say, 'Give us health?' Do you not see me to be a man like yourselves? Call to our God who has created you, and He who is Almighty and Merciful will heal you." With tears, the lepers answered, "We know that you are man like us, but yet a holy one of God and a prophet of the Lord; therefore pray to God, and He will heal us."
Gospel of Barnabas 19:4
Thereupon the disciples asked Jesus, saying, "Lord, have mercy upon them." Then Jesus groaned and prayed to God, saying, "Lord God Almighty and Merciful, have mercy and listen to the words of Your servant; and for love of Abraham our father and for Your holy covenant, have mercy on the request of these men, and grant them health." Whereupon Jesus, having said this, turned himself to the lepers and said, "Go and show yourselves to the priests according to the law of God."
Gospel of Barnabas 19:5
The lepers departed and were cleansed on the way. Whereupon one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned to find Jesus, and he was an Ishmaelite. And having found Jesus, he bowed himself, doing reverence to him, and saying, "Truly you are a holy one of God," and with thanks he asked him that he would receive him for a servant. Jesus answered, "Ten have been cleansed; where are the nine?" And he said to him who was cleansed, "I have not come to be served, but to serve; O therefore, go to your home, and recount how much God has done in you, in order that they may know that the promises made to Abraham and his son, with the kingdom of God, are drawing near." The cleansed leper departed, and having arrived in his own neighborhood, recounted how much God, through Jesus, had done in him.
Gospel of Barnabas 20:1
Jesus went to the sea of Galilee, and having embarked in a ship, sailed to his city of Nazareth, whereupon there was a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was near to sinking. And Jesus was sleeping upon the prow of the ship. Then his disciples drew near to him, and awoke him, saying, "O master, save yourself, for we perish!" They were encompassed with very great fear, by reason of the great wind that was contrary and the roaring of the sea. Jesus arose, and raising his eyes to heaven, said, "O Elohim Sabaoth, have mercy upon Your servants." Then, when Jesus had said this, suddenly the wind ceased, and the sea became calm. Therefore the seamen feared, saying, "And who is this, that the sea and the wind obey him?"
Gospel of Barnabas 20:2
Having arrived at the city of Nazareth, the seamen spread all that Jesus had done through the city, whereupon the house where Jesus was, was surrounded by as many who dwelt in the city. And the scribes and doctors, having presented themselves to him, said, "We have heard how much you have done in the sea and in Judea, give us therefore some sign here in your own country."
Gospel of Barnabas 20:3
Jesus answered, "This faithless generation seeks a sign, but it will not be given to them, because no prophet is received in his own country. In the time of Elijah, there were many widows in Judea, but he was not sent to be nourished except to a widow of Sidon. There were many lepers in the time of Elisha in Judea; nevertheless, only Naaman the Syrian was cleansed." Then the citizens were enraged and seized him and carried him on to the top of a precipice to cast him down. But Jesus walking through the midst of them, departed from them. *Luke 4:24 - 30
Gospel of Barnabas 21:1
Jesus went up to Capernaum, and as he drew near to the city, behold, one who was possessed of a devil came out of the tombs, and in such wise that no chain could hold him, and he did great harm to the man. The demons cried out through his mouth, saying, "O holy one of God, why have you come before the time to trouble us?" And they asked him that he would not cast them forth.
Gospel of Barnabas 21:2
Jesus asked them how many they were. They answered, "Six thousand six hundred and sixty six." When the disciples heard this, they were affrighted, and asked Jesus that he would depart. Then Jesus said, "Where is your faith? It is necessary that the demon should depart, and not I." The demons therefore cried, "We will come out, but permit us to enter into those swine." There were feeding there, near the sea, about ten thousand swine belonging to the Canaanites.
Gospel of Barnabas 21:3
Thereupon Jesus said, "Depart, and enter into the swine." With a roar, the demons entered into the swine, and cast them headlong into the sea. Then those who fed the swine fled into the city, and recounted all that had been brought to pass by Jesus. Accordingly, the men of the city came forth and found Jesus and the man who was healed. The men were filled with fear and asked Jesus that he would depart out of their borders. *Mark 5:13 - 17, *Matthew 8:32 - 34, *Luke 8:32 - 37 Jesus accordingly departed from them and went up into the parts of Tyre and Sidon.
Gospel of Barnabas 21:4
And look, a woman of Canaan with her two sons, who had come forth out of her own country to find Jesus. Having therefore seen him come with his disciples, she cried out, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on my daughter, who is tormented by the devil!" Jesus did not answer even a single word, because they were of the uncircumcised people. The disciples were moved to pity and said, "O master, have pity on them! Behold how much they cry out and weep!"
Gospel of Barnabas 21:5
Jesus answered, "I am not sent to [anyone] but the people of Israel." Then the woman, with her sons, went before Jesus, weeping and saying, "O son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus answered, "It is not good to take the bread from the children's hands and give it to the dogs." And Jesus said this by reason of their uncleanness, because they were of the uncircumcised people.
Gospel of Barnabas 21:6
The woman answered, "O Lord, the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." *Mark 7:28 Then Jesus was seized with admiration at the words of the woman, and said, "O woman, your faith is great." *Matthew 15:26 - 28 And having raised his hands to heaven, he prayed to God, and then he said, "O woman, your daughter is freed, go your way in peace." The woman departed, and returning to her home, found her daughter, who was blessing God. Therefore the woman said, "Truly there is none other God than the God of Israel." Whereupon all her kinsfolk joined themselves to the law of [God], according to the law written in the Book of Moses.
Gospel of Barnabas 22:1
The disciples questioned Jesus on that day, saying, "O master, why did you answer the woman [in that way], saying that they were dogs?" Jesus answered, "Truly I say to you that a dog is better than an uncircumcised man." Then the disciples were sorrowful, saying, "These words are hard. Who will be able to receive them?"
Gospel of Barnabas 22:2
Jesus answered, "If you consider, O foolish ones, what the dog, that has no reason, does for the service of his master, you will find my saying to be true. Tell me, does the dog guard the house of his master, and expose his life against the robber? Yes, surely. But what [does] he receive? Many blows and injuries with [a] little bread, and [yet] he always shows a joyful countenance to his master. Is this true?" "It is true, O master," the disciples answered.
Gospel of Barnabas 22:3
Then Jesus said, "Consider now how much God has given to man, and you will see how unrighteous he is in not observing the covenant of God made with Abraham His servant. Remember that which David said to Saul, king of Israel, against Goliath the Philistine, 'My lord,' David said, 'While your servant was keeping your servant's flock, the wolf, the bear, and the lion came and seized your servant's sheep, so your servant went and slew them, rescuing the sheep. And what is this uncircumcised one like to them? Therefore, your servant will go in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and will slay this unclean one that blasphemes the holy people of God.'" *1 Samuel 17:34 - 36 Then the disciples said, "Tell us, O master, for what reason man must be circumcised?" Jesus answered, "Let it [be enough for] you that God has commanded it to Abraham, saying, 'Abraham, circumcise your foreskin and that of all your house, for this is a covenant between Me and you forever.'"
Gospel of Barnabas 23:1
And having said this, Jesus sat near the mountain which they looked upon. And his disciples came to his side to listen to his words. Then Jesus said, "Adam, the first man, having eaten, by [the] fraud of Satan, the food forbidden by God in Paradise, his flesh rebelled against the spirit; whereupon he swore, saying, 'By God, I will cut you!' And having broken a piece of rock, he seized his flesh to cut it with the sharp edge of the stone, whereupon he was rebuked by the angel Gabriel. And he answered, 'I have sworn by God to cut it; I will never be a liar!'
Gospel of Barnabas 23:2
Then the angel showed him the superfluity of his flesh, and that he cut off. And hence, just as every man takes flesh from the flesh of Adam, so is he bound to observe all that Adam promised with an oath. Adam observed this in his sons, and from generation to generation, the obligation of circumcision came down. But in the time of Abraham, there were only a few circumcised upon the earth, because idolatry was multiplied upon the earth. Whereupon God told Abraham the fact concerning circumcision, and made this covenant, saying, 'The soul that will not have his flesh circumcised, I will scatter him from among My people forever.'"
Gospel of Barnabas 23:3
The disciples trembled with fear at these words of Jesus, for he spoke with vehemence of spirit. Then Jesus said, "Leave fear to him who has not circumcised his foreskin, for he is deprived of Paradise." And having said this, Jesus spoke again, saying, "The spirit is ready in the service of God in many, but the flesh is weak. The man therefore who fears God should consider what the flesh is, and where it had its origin, and whereto it will be reduced. Of the clay of the earth, God created flesh, and He breathed the breath of life into it, with an inbreathing therein. And therefore, when the flesh will hinder the service of God, it should be spurned like clay and trampled on, forasmuch as he who hates his soul in this world will keep it in eternal life. What the flesh is at this present, its desires make manifest that it is a harsh enemy of all good, for it alone desires sin.
Gospel of Barnabas 23:4
Should man then, for the sake of satisfying one of his enemies, leave off pleasing God, his Creator? Consider this, all the saints and prophets have been enemies of their flesh for service of God, therefore they went to their death readily and with gladness, so as not to offend against the law of God given by Moses His servant, and go and serve the false and lying gods.
Gospel of Barnabas 23:5
Remember Elijah, who fled through desert places of the mountains, eating only grass, clad in goat's skin. Ah, how many days he did not sup! Ah, how much cold he endured! Ah, how many showers drenched him, and [that] for the space of seven years, wherein he endured that fierce persecution of the unclean Jezebel!
Gospel of Barnabas 23:6
Remember Elisha, who ate barley bread, and wore the coarsest raiment. Truly I say to you that they, not fearing to spurn the flesh, were feared with great terror by the king and princes. This should suffice for the spurning of the flesh, O men. But if you will gaze at the sepulchres, you will know what the flesh is."
Gospel of Barnabas 24:1
Having said this, Jesus wept, saying, "Woe to those who are servants to their flesh, for they are sure to not have any good in the other life, but only torments for their sins.
Gospel of Barnabas 24:2
I tell you that there was a rich glutton who paid no heed to anything but gluttony, and so every day he held a splendid feast. There stood at his gate, a poor man by the name Lazarus, who was full of wounds, and was fain to have those crumbs that fell from the glutton's table. But no one gave them to him; no, all mocked him. Only the dogs had pity on him, for they licked his wounds. It came to pass that the poor man died, and the angels carried him to the arms of Abraham our father. The rich man also died, *Luke 16:19 - 22 and the devils carried him to the arms of Satan, whereupon, undergoing the greatest torment, he lifted up his eyes, and from afar, saw Lazarus in the arms of Abraham. Then the rich man cried, 'O father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, who upon his fingers may bring me a drop of water to cool my tongue, which is tormented in this flame.' *7:50
Gospel of Barnabas 24:3
Abraham answered, 'Son, remember that you received your good in the other life and Lazarus his evil; therefore now you will be in torment, and Lazarus in consolation.' *Luke 16:25 The rich man cried out again, saying, 'O father Abraham, in my house there are three brethren of mine. Therefore send Lazarus to announce to them how much I am suffering, in order that they may repent and not come here.' Abraham answered, 'They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.' The rich man answered, 'No father Abraham, but if one dead will arise they will believe.' Abraham answered, 'Whoever does not believe Moses and the prophets will not believe even if the dead should arise.'
Gospel of Barnabas 24:4
See then whether the poor are blessed," Jesus said, "Who have patience, and only desire that which is necessary, hating the flesh. O wretched they [are], [those] who bear others to the burial, to give their flesh for food of worms, and do not learn the truth. So far from it that they live here like immortals, for they build great houses and purchase great revenues and live in pride."
Gospel of Barnabas 25:1
Then he who writes said, "O master, your words are true, and therefore we have forsaken everything to follow you. Tell us then, how should we hate our flesh; for it is not lawful to kill oneself, and living, we must give [flesh] its livelihood."
Gospel of Barnabas 25:2
Jesus answered, "Keep your flesh like a horse, and you will live securely. For food is given to a horse by measure, and labor without measure, and the bridle is put on him so that he will walk at your will, he is tied up [so] that he will not annoy anyone, he is kept in a poor place, and beaten when he is not obedient. So [should] you do [also] then, O Barnabas, and you will always live with God. And do not be offended at my words, for David the prophet did the same thing, as he confesses, saying, 'I am as a horse before you, and am always by you.'
Gospel of Barnabas 25:3
Tell me, who is poorer, he who is content with little, or he who desires much? Truly I say to you, if the world had a sound mind, no one would amass anything for himself, but everything would be in common. But in this [we know the world's] madness, that the more it amasses, the more it desires. And as much as it amasses, for the fleshly repose of others, it amasses the same. Therefore let one single robe suffice for you, cast away your purse, carry no wallet, no sandals on your feet; and do not think, saying, 'What will happen to us?' but [only] think of doing the will of God, and He will provide for your needs so that you will lack nothing.
Gospel of Barnabas 25:4
Truly I say to you, that amassing much in this life gives sure witness of having nothing to receive in the other. For he who has Jerusalem for his native country does not build houses in Samaria since there is enmity between these cities. Do you understand?" "Yes," the disciples answered.
Gospel of Barnabas 26:1
Then Jesus said, "There was a man on a journey who, as he was walking, discovered a treasure in a field that was to be sold for five pieces of money. Straightway, the man, when he knew this, sold his cloak to buy that field. Is that credible?" The disciples answered, "He who would not believe this is mad."
Gospel of Barnabas 26:2
Thereupon Jesus said, "You will be mad if you do not give your senses to God to buy your soul in which the treasure of love resides; for love is an incomparable treasure. For he who loves God has God for his own; and whoever has God, has everything." Peter answered, "O master, how can one love God with true love? Tell us."
Gospel of Barnabas 26:3
Jesus replied, "Truly I say to you that he who will not hate his father and his mother, and his own life, and children and wife for love of God, such is not worthy to be loved of God." Peter answered, "O master, it is written in the law of God in the Book of Moses, 'Honor your father, so that you may live long upon the earth.' *Exodus 20:12 And further he says, 'Cursed is the son who does not obey his father and his mother.' God commanded that such a disobedient son should be stoned by the wrath of the people before the gate of the city. [Why] do you bid us to hate [our] father and mother?"
Gospel of Barnabas 26:4
Jesus replied, "Every word of mine is true, because it is not mine, but God's, who has sent me to the house of Israel. Therefore I say to you that all that which you possess, God has bestowed it upon you; and so, what is more precious, the gift or the Giver? When your father and your mother, with every other thing, is a stumbling block to you in the service of God, abandon them as enemies. Did God not say to Abraham, 'Go forth from the house of your father and of your kindred, and come to dwell in the land which I will give to you *Genesis 12:1 and to your seed?' Why did God say this, except that the father of Abraham was an image-maker, who made and worshipped false gods? [For this reason] there was enmity between them, such that the father wished to burn his son." Peter answered, "Your words are true. I pray you, tell us how Abraham mocked his father."
Gospel of Barnabas 26:5
Jesus replied, "Abraham was seven years old when he began to seek God. So one day he said to his father, 'Father, what made man?' The foolish father answered, 'Man [made man]; for I made you, and my father made me.' Abraham answered, 'Father, it is not so; for I have heard an old man weeping and saying, 'O my God, why have you not given me children?' His father replied, 'It is true, my son, that a god helps man to make man, but he does not put his hands to [the task]; it is only necessary that man come to pray to his god and to give him lambs and sheep, and his god will help him.' Abraham answered, 'How many gods are there, father?' The old man replied, 'They are infinite in number, my son.'
Gospel of Barnabas 26:6
Then Abraham said, 'O father, what will I do if I serve one god and another [god] wishes me evil because I do not serve him? In any case, discord will come between them, and so war will arise among the gods. And if, perhaps, the god that wills me evil will slay my own god, what will I do? It is certain that he will slay me also.' The old man, laughing, answered, 'O son, have no fear, for no god makes war upon another god; no, in the great temple there are a thousand gods with the great god Baal; and I am now near seventy years old, and yet never have I seen that one god has struck another god. And assuredly, all men do not serve one god, but one man one, and another.'
Gospel of Barnabas 26:7
Abraham answered, 'So then, they have peace amongst themselves?' His father said, 'They have.' Then Abraham said, 'O father, what are the gods like?' The old man answered, 'Fool, every day I make a god, which I sell to others to buy bread, and you do not know what the gods are like?' And then at that moment he was making an idol. 'This,' he said, 'Is of palm wood; that one is of olive; that little one is of ivory; see how fine it is! Does it not seem as though it were alive? Assuredly, it lacks [nothing] but breath!'
Gospel of Barnabas 26:8
Abraham answered, 'And so, father, the gods are without breath? Then how do they give breath? And being without life, how do they give life? It is certain, father, that these are not God.' The old man was angry at these words, saying, 'If you were of age to understand, I would break your head with this axe, but hold your peace, because you have no understanding!' Abraham answered, 'Father, if the gods help to make man, how can it be that man should make the gods? And if the gods are made of wood, it is a great sin to burn wood. But tell me, father, how is it that, when you have made so many gods, the gods have not helped you to make so many other children that you should become the most powerful man in the world?'
Gospel of Barnabas 26:9
The father was beside himself, hearing his son speak so; the son went on, 'Father, was the world without men for some time?' 'Yes,' the old man answered, 'And why?' 'Because,' Abraham said, 'I should like to know who made the first god.' 'Now go out of my house!' The old man said, 'And leave me to make this god quickly, and speak no words to me; for when you are hungry, you desire bread and not words.' Abraham said, 'A fine god, truly, that you cut him as you will, and he does not defend himself!' Then the old man was angry and said, 'All the world says that it is a god, and you, mad fellow, say that it is not. By my gods, if you were a man I could kill you!' And having said this, he gave blows and kicks to Abraham, and chased him from the house."
Gospel of Barnabas 27:1
The disciples laughed over the madness of the old man, and stood amazed at the prudence of Abraham. But Jesus reproved them, saying, "You have forgotten the words of the prophet, who says, 'Present laughter is a herald of weeping to come,' and further, 'You will not go where [there] is laughter, but sit where they weep, because this life passes in miseries.'" Then Jesus said, "In the time of Moses, do you not know that for laughing at and mocking others, God turned many men of Egypt into hideous beasts? Beware that in anywise you do not laugh at anyone, for you will surely weep [for it]."
Gospel of Barnabas 27:2
The disciples answered, "We laughed over the madness of the old man." Then Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, every like loves his like, and therein finds pleasure. Therefore, if you were not mad you would not laugh at madness." They answered, "My God have mercy on us." Jesus said, "So be it."
Gospel of Barnabas 27:3
Then Philip said, "O master, how did it come to pass that Abraham's father wished to burn his son?" Jesus answered, "One day, Abraham, having come to the age of twelve years, his father said to him, 'Tomorrow is the festival of all the gods; therefore we will go to the great temple and bear a present to my god, great Baal. And you will choose a god for yourself, for you are of age to have a god.'
Gospel of Barnabas 27:4
Abraham answered with guile, 'Willingly, O my father.' And so early in the morning, they went before everyone else to the temple. But Abraham bore a hidden axe beneath his tunic. Whereupon, having entered into the temple, as the crowd increased, Abraham hid himself behind an idol in a dark part of the temple. His father, when he departed, believed that Abraham had gone home before him, therefore he did not stay to seek him.
Gospel of Barnabas 28:1
When everyone had departed from the temple, the priests closed the temple and went away. Then Abraham took the axe and cut off the feet of all the idols, ~*37:91 - 93 except the great god Baal. *21:58 At its feet, he placed the axe, amid the ruins which the statues made, for they, through being old and composed of pieces, fell in pieces. Thereupon, Abraham, going forth from the temple, seen by certain men, who suspected him of having gone to thieve something from the temple. So they laid hold on him, and having arrived at the temple, when they saw their gods so broken in pieces, they cried out with lamentation, 'Come quickly, O men, and let us slay him who has slain our gods!' About ten thousand men ran together there with the priests and questioned Abraham of the reason why he had destroyed their gods.
Gospel of Barnabas 28:2
Abraham answered, 'You are foolish! Should a man then slay a god? It is the great god that has slain them. *21:63 Do you not see that axe which he has near his feet? Certainly it is that he desires no fellows.' Then the father of Abraham arrived there, who, mindful of the many discourses of Abraham against their gods, and recognizing the axe wherewith Abraham had broken the idols in pieces, cried out, 'It has been this traitor of a son of mine, who has slain our gods! For this axe is mine.' And he recounted to them all that had passed between him and his son. Accordingly, the men collected a great quantity of wood, and having bound Abraham's hands and feet, put him upon the wood, and put fire underneath.
Gospel of Barnabas 28:3
Look, God, through His angel, commanded the fire that it should not burn Abraham His servant. *21:69, *29:24 The fire blazed up with great fury, and burned about two thousand men of those who had condemned Abraham to death. Abraham truly found himself free, being carried by the angel of God near to the house of his father, without seeing who carried him; and thus Abraham escaped death."
Gospel of Barnabas 29:1
Then Philip said, "The mercy of God is great upon whoever loves Him. Tell us, O master, how Abraham came to [have] the knowledge of God." Jesus answered, "Having arrived near the house of his father, Abraham feared to go into the house; so he removed [himself] some distance from the house and sat under a palm tree, where, being by himself, he said, 'There must be a God who has life and power more than man, since He makes man, and man could not make man without God.'
Gospel of Barnabas 29:2
Thereupon, looking round upon the stars, the moon, and the sun, he thought that they had been God. *6:75 - 78 But after considering their variableness with their movements, he said, 'It must be [necessary] that God does not move and that clouds do not hide Him; otherwise men would be reduced to nothing.' Remaining thus in suspense, he heard himself called by name, 'Abraham!' And so, turning around and not seeing anyone on any side, he said, "I am sure I heard myself called by name, 'Abraham.' Then, two other times in a similar manner, he heard himself called by name, 'Abraham!'
Gospel of Barnabas 29:3
He answered, 'What calls me?' Then he heard [the voice] say, 'I am the angel of God, Gabriel.' Abraham was filled with fear; but the angel comforted him, saying, 'Do not fear, Abraham, for you are a friend of God *Book of Jubilees 19:11, *2 Chronicles 20:7, *Isaiah 41:8, *James 2:23 when you broke the gods of men in pieces, you were chosen [by] the God of the angels and prophets, such that you are written in the Book of Life.' Then Abraham said, 'What should I do to serve the God of the angels and holy prophets?' The angel answered, 'Go to that fount and wash yourself, for God wishes to speak with you.'
Gospel of Barnabas 29:4
Abraham answered, 'How should I wash myself?' Then the angel appeared to him as a beautiful youth, and washed himself in the fount, saying, 'Do the same as this, O Abraham.' When Abraham had washed himself, the angel said, 'Go up that mountain, for God wishes to speak to you there.' Abraham ascended the mountain as the angel [had instructed him], and having sat down upon his knees, he said to himself, 'When will the God of the angels speak to me?' He heard himself called with a gentle voice, 'Abraham!' Abraham answered him, 'Who calls me?' The voice answered, 'I am your God, O Abraham.'
Gospel of Barnabas 29:5
Abraham, filled with fear, bent his face to earth, saying, 'How will Your servant who is dust and ashes listen to You!' Then God said, 'Do not fear, but rise up, for I have chosen you as My servant, and I will bless you and make you increase into a great people. Therefore go forth from the house of your father and of your kindred, and come to dwell in the land which I will give to you and to your seed.' *Genesis 12:1
Gospel of Barnabas 29:6
Abraham answered, 'I will do everything, Lord; but guard me [so] that no other god may harm me.' Then God spoke, saying, 'I am God alone, and there is no other god but Me. I strike down, and make whole; I slay, and give life; I lead down to Hell, and I bring out thereof, and no one is able to deliver himself out of My hands.' *Deuteronomy 32:39 Then God gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so our father Abraham knew God." And having said this, Jesus lifted up his hands, saying, "To You is honor and glory, O God. So be it!"
Gospel of Barnabas 30:1
Jesus went to Jerusalem, near the Senofegia, a feast of our nation. The scribes and Pharisees, having perceived this, took counsel to catch him in his talk. Whereupon, a doctor came to him, saying, "Master, what must I do to have eternal life?" Jesus answered, "How is it written in the law?" The tempter answered, saying, "Love the Lord your God, and your neighbor. You will love your God above all things, with all your heart and your mind, *Deuteronomy 6:5 and your neighbor as yourself." *Leviticus 19:18, *4:36 Jesus answered, "You have answered well, therefore go and do so, I say, and you will have eternal life." He said to him, "And who is my neighbor?"
Gospel of Barnabas 30:2
Jesus answered, lifting up his eyes, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to go to Jericho, a city rebuilt under a curse. This man on the road was seized by robbers, wounded and stripped; whereupon they departed, leaving him half dead. It chanced that a priest passed by that place, and he, seeing the wounded man, passed on without greeting him. In like manner passed a Levite, without saying a word. It chanced that a Samaritan passed [also], who, seeing the wounded man, was moved to compassion, and alighted from his horse, and took the wounded man and washed his wounds with wine, and anointed them with ointment, and binding up his wounds for him and comforting him, he set him upon his own horse. *Luke 10:30 - 34
Gospel of Barnabas 30:3
Whereupon, having arrived in the evening at the inn, he gave him into the charge of the host. And when he had risen on the morrow, he said, 'Take care of this man, and I will pay you all.' And having presented four gold pieces to the sick man for the host, he said, 'Be of good cheer, for I will speedily return and conduct you to my own home.' Tell me," Jesus said, "Which of these was the neighbor?" The doctor answered, "He who showed mercy." Then Jesus said, "You have answered rightly; therefore go and do likewise." The doctor departed in confusion.
Gospel of Barnabas 31:1
Then the priests drew near to Jesus and said, "Master, is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar?" Jesus turned around to Judas and said, "Do you have any money?" And taking a penny in his hand, Jesus turned himself to the priests, and said to them, "This penny has an image, tell me, whose image is it?" They answered, "Caesar's." "Give therefore," Jesus said, "That which is Caesar's to Caesar, and that which is God's, give it to God." *Mark 12:14 - 17, *Matthew 22:17 - 21, *Luke 20:22 - 25 Then they departed in confusion.
Gospel of Barnabas 31:2
And behold, a centurion drew near there, saying, "Lord, my son is sick; have mercy on my old age!" Jesus answered, "The Lord God of Israel have mercy on you!" The man was departing; and Jesus said, "Wait for me, for I will come to your house, to make prayer over your son." The centurion answered, "Lord, I am not worthy that you, a prophet of God, should come to my house, the word that you have spoken is sufficient to me for the healing of my son; for your God has made you lord over every sickness, even as His angel said to me in my sleep."
Gospel of Barnabas 31:3
Then Jesus marveled greatly, and turning to the crowd, he said, "Behold this stranger, for he has more faith than all that I have found in Israel." And turning to the centurion, he said, "Go in peace, because God, for the great faith that He has given you, has granted health to your son." The centurion went his way, and on the road he met his servants, who announced to him how his son was healed. The man answered, "At what hour did the fever leave him?" They said, "Yesterday, at the sixth hour, the heat departed from him."
Gospel of Barnabas 31:4
The man knew that when Jesus said, "The Lord God of Israel have mercy on you," his son received his health. Whereupon the man believed in our God, and having entered into his house, he broke all his own gods in pieces, saying, "There is only the God of Israel, the true and living God." Therefore he said, "None will eat of my bread who does not worship the God of Israel."
Gospel of Barnabas 32:1
One skilled in the law invited Jesus to supper, in order to tempt him. Jesus came there with his disciples, and many scribes, to tempt him, waited for him in the house. Whereupon, the disciples sat down at the table without washing their hands. The scribes called Jesus, saying, "Why do your disciples not observe the traditions of our elders, in not washing their hands before they eat bread?" *Mark 7:5 Jesus answered, "And I ask you, for what cause have you annulled the precept of God to observe your traditions? *Matthew 15:1 - 3 You say to the sons of poor fathers, 'Offer and make vows to the temple.'
Gospel of Barnabas 32:2
And they make vows of that little wherewith they should support their fathers. And when their fathers wish to take money, the sons cry out, 'This money is consecrated to God;' whereby the fathers suffer. O false scribes, hypocrites, does God use this money? Assuredly not, for God does not eat, as He says by His servant David the prophet, 'Should I then eat the flesh of bulls and drink the blood of sheep? Render the sacrifice of praise to Me, and offer your vows to Me; *Psalms 50:13 - 14 for if I should be hungry I will not ask anything of you, seeing that all things are in My hands, *Psalms 50:12 and the abundance of Paradise is with Me.' Hypocrites! You do this to fill your purse, and therefore you tithe rue and mint.
Gospel of Barnabas 32:3
Oh miserable ones! For you show the most clear way to others, by which you will not go. You scribes and doctors lay weights of unbearable weight upon the shoulders of others, but you yourselves [all] the while are not willing to move them with one of your fingers. Truly I say to you, that every evil has entered into the world under the pretext of the elders. Tell me, who made idolatry to enter into the world, if not the usage of the elders? For there was a king who exceedingly loved his father, whose name was Baal.
Gospel of Barnabas 32:4
Whereupon, when the father was dead, his son, for his own consolation, caused an image like his father to be made, and set it up in the marketplace of the city. And he made a decree that everyone who approached that statue within a space of fifteen cubits should be safe, and no one by any account should do him hurt. Hence the malefactors, by reason of the benefit they received therefrom, began to offer roses and flowers to the statue, and in a short time, the offerings were changed into money and food, insomuch that they called it 'God,' to honor it. Which thing from custom was transformed into a law, insomuch that the idol of Baal spread throughout all the world; and how much does God lament this by the prophet Isaiah, saying, 'Truly this people worships Me in vain, for they have annulled My law given to them by My servant Moses, and follow the traditions of their elders.'
Gospel of Barnabas 32:5
Truly I say to you, that to eat bread with unclean hands does not defile a man, because that which enters into the man does not defile the man, but that which comes out of the man defiles the man." *Mark 7:15, *Matthew 15:11 Thereupon, one of the scribes said, "If I will eat pork, or other unclean meats, will they not defile my conscience?" Jesus answered, "Disobedience will not enter into the man, but will come out of the man, from his heart; and therefore he will be defiled when he will eat forbidden food."
Gospel of Barnabas 32:6
Then one of the doctors said, "Master, you have spoken much against idolatry as though the people of Israel had idols, and so you have done us wrong." Jesus answered, "I know well that in Israel today there are not statues of wood; but there are statues of flesh." Then all the scribes answered in wrath, "And so we are idolaters?" Jesus answered, "Truly I say to you, the precept does not say, 'You will worship,' but 'You will love the Lord your God with all your soul, and with all your heart, and with all your mind.' Is this true?" Jesus said. "It is true," everyone answered.
Gospel of Barnabas 33:1
Then Jesus said, "Truly all that which a man loves, for which he leaves everything else but that, is his god. And so the fornicator has the harlot for his image, the glutton and drunkard has his own flesh for an image, and the covetous has silver and gold for his image, and so likewise every other sinner." Then he who had invited him said, "Master, which is the greatest sin?"
Gospel of Barnabas 33:2
Jesus answered, "Which is the greatest ruin of a house?" Everyone was silent, when Jesus pointed to the foundation with his finger and said, "If the foundation gave way, immediately the house falls in ruin, in such wise that it is necessary to build it up anew, but if every other part gave way it can be repaired. Even so, then I say to you, that idolatry is the greatest sin, because it deprives a man entirely of faith, and consequently of God; so that he can have no spiritual affection. But every other sin leaves the hope of obtaining mercy to man, and therefore I say that idolatry is the greatest sin." All stood amazed at the speaking of Jesus, for they perceived that it could not be assailed in any wise.
Gospel of Barnabas 33:3
Then Jesus continued, "Remember that which God spoke and which Moses and Joshua wrote in the law, and you will see how grave this sin is. God said, speaking to Israel, 'You will not make any image to yourself of those things which are in heaven, nor of those things which are under the heaven, nor will you make it of those things which are above the earth, nor of those which are under the earth; nor of those which are above the water, nor of those which are under the water. For I am your God, strong and jealous, who will take vengeance for this sin upon the fathers and upon their children even to the fourth generation.' *Exodus 20:4 - 5
Gospel of Barnabas 33:4
Remember how, when our people had made the calf, and when they had worshiped it, by commandment of God, Joshua and the tribe of Levi took the sword and slew them - one hundred and twenty thousand of those who did not crave mercy of God. Oh, terrible judgement of God upon the idolaters!"
Gospel of Barnabas 34:1
There stood before the door, one who had his right hand shrunken in such fashion that he could not use it. Whereupon Jesus, having lifted up his heart to God, prayed, and then said, "In order that you may know that my words are true, I say, 'In the name of God, man, stretch out your infirm hand!'" He stretched it out whole, as if it had never had anything wrong with it.
Gospel of Barnabas 34:2
Then with fear of God, they began to eat. And having eaten somewhat, Jesus said again, "Truly I say to you, that it were better to burn a city than to leave an evil custom. For on account of such, God is angry with the princes and kings of the earth, to whom God has given the sword to destroy iniquities."
Gospel of Barnabas 34:3
Afterward Jesus said, "When you are invited, remember not to set yourself in the highest place, in order that if a greater friend of the host comes, the host does not say to you, 'Arise and sit lower down!' Which was a shame to you. But go and sit in the meanest place, in order that he who invited you may come and say, 'Arise, friend, and come and sit here, above!' For then will you have great honor, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Gospel of Barnabas 34:4
Truly I say to you, that Satan did not become reprobate for any other sin than for his pride. Even as the prophet Isaiah says, reproaching him with these words, 'How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, *Isaiah 14:12 that were the beauty of the angels, and shined like the dawn, truly your pride has fallen to earth!'
Gospel of Barnabas 34:5
Truly I say to you, that if a man knew his miseries, he would always weep here on earth and account himself most mean, beyond every other thing. For no other cause did the first man with his wife weep for a hundred years without ceasing, craving mercy of God. For they knew truly where they had fallen through their pride."
Gospel of Barnabas 34:6
And having said this, Jesus gave thanks; and that day it was published throughout Jerusalem what great things Jesus had said, with the miracle he had done, insomuch that the people gave thanks to God, blessing His holy name.
Gospel of Barnabas 34:7
But the scribes and priests, having understood that he spoke against the traditions of the elders, were kindled with greater hatred. And like Pharaoh, they hardened their heart, therefore they sought occasion to slay him, but did not find it.
Gospel of Barnabas 35:1
Jesus departed from Jerusalem, and went to the desert beyond Jordan, and his disciples who were seated around him said to Jesus, "O master, tell us how Satan fell through pride, for we have understood that he fell through disobedience, and because he always tempts man to do evil."
Gospel of Barnabas 35:2
Jesus answered, "God, having created a mass of earth, and having left it for twenty five thousand years without doing anything else; Satan, who was, as it were priest and head of the angels, by the great understanding that he possessed, knew that God of that mass of earth was to take one hundred and forty four thousand signed with the mark of prophecy, and the messenger of God, the soul of which messenger he had created sixty thousand years before anything else. Therefore, being indignant, he instigated the angels, saying, 'Look, God will one day will that this earth be revered by us. Therefore, consider that we are spirit, and therefore it is not fitting to do so.' Many therefore forsook God. Whereupon God said, one day when all the angels were assembled, 'Let each one that holds Me for his Lord straightway do reverence to this earth.'
Gospel of Barnabas 35:3
Those who loved God bowed themselves, but Satan, with those who were of his mind, said, 'O Lord, we are spirit, and therefore it is not just that we should do reverence to this clay.' ~*7:11 - 12, ~*15:30 - 33, ~*17:61, ~*38:73 - 76 Having said this, Satan became horrid and of fearsome look, and his followers became hideous; because for their rebellion, God took the beauty away from them wherewith He had endued them in creating them. Whereat, the holy angels, when, lifting their heads, saw how terrible a monster Satan had become and his followers, cast down their face to earth in fear. Then Satan said, 'O Lord, You have unjustly made me hideous, but I am content thereat, because I desire to annul all that You will do.' And the other devils said, 'Do not call Him Lord, O Lucifer, for you are lord.'
Gospel of Barnabas 35:4
Then God said to the followers of Satan, 'Repent, and recognize Me as God, your Creator.' They answered, 'We repent of having done You any reverence, for You are not just; but Satan is just.' Then God said, "Depart from Me, O you cursed, for I have no mercy on you.' And in his departing, Satan spat up that mass of earth, and that spittle, the angel Gabriel lifted up with some earth, so that therefore now man has the navel in his belly."
Gospel of Barnabas 36:1
The disciples stood in great amazement at the rebellion of the angels. Then Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, that he who does not make prayer is more wicked than Satan, and will suffer greater torments. Because Satan had, before his fall, no example of fearing, nor did God so much as send him any prophet to invite him to repentance, but man, now that all the prophets have come except the messenger of God, who will come after me, because God so wills, and so that I may prepare his way, and man, I say, albeit he has infinite examples of the justice of God, lives carelessly without any fear, as though there were no God. Even as the prophet David spoke of such, 'The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. Therefore they are corrupt and become abominable, without one of them doing good.' *Psalms 14:1
Gospel of Barnabas 36:2
Make prayer unceasingly, O my disciples, in order that you may receive. For he who seeks, finds, and he who knocks, it is opened to him, and he who asks, receives. And in your prayer, do not look to much speaking, for God looks on the heart; as He said through Solomon, 'O My servant, give Me your heart.' Truly I say to you, as God lives, the hypocrites make much prayer in every part of the city in order to be seen and held for saints by the multitude, but their heart is full of wickedness, and therefore they do not mean that which they ask. It is needful that you mean your prayer if you will that God receives it. Now tell me, who would go to speak to the Roman governor to Herod, except he first made up his mind to whom he is going, and what he is going to do? Assuredly none. And if man does so in order to speak with man, what should man do in order to speak with God, and ask mercy from Him for his sins, while thanking Him for all that He has given him?
Gospel of Barnabas 36:3
Truly I say to you, that very few make true prayer, and therefore Satan has power over them, because God wills, not those who honor Him with their lips, who ask for mercy [with] their lips in the temple, and their heart cries out for justice. Even as He says to Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'Take away this people that is irksome to Me, because they honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.' *Isaiah 29:13 Truly I say to you, that he who goes to make prayer without consideration mocks God.
Gospel of Barnabas 36:4
Now who would go to speak to Herod with his back towards him, and speak well of Pilate the governor before him, whom he hates to death? Assuredly none. Yet no less does the man who goes to make prayer and does not prepare himself. He turns his back to God and his face to Satan, and speaks well of him. For the love of iniquity is in his heart, whereof he has not repented. If one, having injured you, should say to you with his lips, 'Forgive me,' and should strike you with a blow with his hands, how would you forgive him? Even so will God have mercy on those who say with their lips, 'Lord, have mercy on us,' and love iniquity with their heart and think on fresh sins."
Gospel of Barnabas 37:1
The disciples wept at the words of Jesus and besought him, saying, "Lord, teach us to make prayer." Jesus answered, "Consider what you would do if the Roman governor seized you to put you to death, and do that same when you go to make prayer. And let your words be these:
Gospel of Barnabas 37:2
'O Lord our God, Your holy name is holy, may Your kingdom come in us, may Your will always be done, and as it is done in heaven, so be it done in earth; give us bread for every day, and forgive our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us, and do not allow us to fall into temptations, but deliver us from evil, *Luke 11:2 - 4 for You alone are our God, to whom pertains glory and honor forever." *Matthew 6:9 - 13
Gospel of Barnabas 38:1
Then John answered, "Master, let us wash ourselves as God commanded by Moses." Jesus said, "Do you think that I have come to destroy the law and the prophets? Truly I say to you, as God lives, I have not come to destroy it, but rather to observe it. For every prophet has observed the law of God and all that God has spoken by the other prophets. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, no one who breaks one least precept can be pleasing to God, but will be least in the kingdom of God, for he will have no part there. Moreover I say to you, that one syllable of the law of God cannot be broken without the gravest sin. But I do you to wit that it is necessary to observe that which God says by Isaiah the prophet, with these words, 'Wash and be clean, take away your thoughts from My eyes.' *Isaiah 1:16 Truly I say to you, that all the water of the sea will not wash him who loves iniquities with his heart.
Gospel of Barnabas 38:2
And furthermore I say to you, that no one will make prayer pleasing to God if he is not washed, but will burden his soul with sin like idolatry. Believe me, in sooth, that if man should make prayer to God as is fitting, he would obtain all that he should ask. Remember Moses, the servant of God, who scourged Egypt with his prayer, opened the Red Sea, and drowned Pharaoh and his host there. *Exodus 14:27 - 28, *20:77 - 78 Remember Joshua, who made the sun stand still, *Joshua 10:12 - 13 Samuel, who struck the innumerable host of the Philistines with fear; *1 Samuel 7:9 - 10 Elijah, who made the fire to rain from heaven, *1 Kings 1:12, *2 Kings 18:36 - 38 Elisha raised a dead man; *2 Kings 4:32 and so many other holy prophets, who, by prayer, obtained all that they asked. But those men truly did not seek their own in their matters, but sought only God and His honor."
Gospel of Barnabas 39:1
Then John said, "You have spoken well, O master, but we lack to know how man sinned through pride." Jesus answered, "When God had expelled Satan, and the angel Gabriel had purified that mass of earth whereon Satan spat, God created everything that lives, both of the animals that fly and of those that walk and swim, and He adorned the world with all that it has. One day, Satan approached the gates of Paradise, and seeing the horses eating grass, he announced to those that, if that mass of earth should receive a soul, there would be grievous labor for them; and that therefore, it would be to their advantage to trample that piece of earth in such wise that it should no longer be good for anything.
Gospel of Barnabas 39:2
The horses aroused themselves and impetuously set themselves to run over that piece of earth which lay among lilies and roses. Whereupon, God gave spirit to that unclean portion of earth, upon which the spittle of Satan lay, which Gabriel had taken up from the mass; and raised up the dog, who, barking, filled the horses with fear, and they fled. Then God gave His soul to man, while all the holy angels sang, 'Your holy name is blessed, O God our Lord.' Adam, having sprung upon his feet, saw in the air, a writing that shone like the sun, which said, 'There is only one God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.'
Gospel of Barnabas 39:3
Whereupon Adam opened his mouth and said, 'I thank You, O Lord my God, that You have deigned to create me; but tell me, I pray You, what does the message mean of these words, 'Muhammad is [the] messenger of God.' Have there been other men before me?' Then God said, 'Be welcome, O My servant Adam. I tell you that you are the first man whom I have created. And he whom you have seen [mentioned] is your son, who will come into the world many years hence, and will be My messenger, for whom I have created all things; who will give light to the world when he will come; whose soul was set in a celestial splendor; sixty thousand years before I made anything.'
Gospel of Barnabas 39:4
Adam besought God, saying, 'Lord, grant me this writing upon the nails of the fingers of my hands.' Then God gave that writing to the first man, upon his thumbs; upon the thumbnail of the right hand it said, 'There is only one God,' and upon the thumbnail of the left it said, 'Muhammad is [the] messenger of God.' Then with fatherly affection, the first man kissed those words, and rubbed his eyes, and said, 'Blessed is that day when you will come to the world.'
Gospel of Barnabas 39:5
Seeing the man alone, God said, 'It is not well that he should remain alone.' Therefore He made him sleep, and took a rib from near his heart, filling the place with flesh. He made Eve from that rib, and gave her to Adam for his wife. He set the two of them as lords of Paradise, to whom He said, 'Behold I give to you every fruit to eat, except the apples and the corn,' whereof He said, 'Beware that in no wise you eat of these fruits, for you will become unclean, insomuch that I will not allow you to remain here, but will drive you forth, and you will suffer great miseries.'
Gospel of Barnabas 40:1
When Satan had knowledge of this, he became mad with indignation, and so he drew near to the gate of Paradise where a horrid serpent with legs like a camel, and nails on his feet [that] cut like a razor on every side, stood on guard. The enemy said to him, 'Let me enter into Paradise.'
Gospel of Barnabas 40:2
The serpent answered, 'How will I let you enter [since] God has commanded me to cast you out?' Satan answered, 'You see how much God loves you; he has set you outside of Paradise to keep guard over a lump of clay, which is man! If you bring me into Paradise I will make you so terrible that everyone will flee you, and so you will go and stay at your pleasure.' Then the serpent said, 'And how will I set you within [Paradise]?'
Gospel of Barnabas 40:3
Satan said, 'You are great, therefore open your mouth, and I will enter into your belly, and so [when] you enter into Paradise [you] will place me near those two lumps of clay that are newly walking upon the earth.' Then the serpent did so, and placed Satan near Eve, for Adam, her husband, was sleeping. Satan presented himself before the woman like a beautiful angel, and said to her, 'Why do you not eat of those apples and corn?' Eve answered, 'Our God has said to us that [if we] eat [them], we will be unclean, and He will drive us from Paradise.'
Gospel of Barnabas 40:4
Satan answered, 'He does not speak the truth! You must know that God is wicked and envious, and allows no equals, but keeps everyone as a slave. [This is] why He has said this [to you]; in order that you may not become equal to Him. But if you and your companion do according to my counsel, you will eat of those fruits as [you eat] of the other [fruits], and you will not remain subject to others, but like God, you will know good and evil, and you will do whatever you please, because you will be equal to God.'
Gospel of Barnabas 40:5
Then Eve took and ate of those [fruits], and when her husband awoke, she told [him everything] that Satan had said; and he took and ate the fruit [when] his wife offered them to him. But, as the food was going down, he remembered the words of God, and wishing to stop the food, he put his hand into his throat, where every man has the mark.
Gospel of Barnabas 41:1
Then both of them knew that they were naked, and being ashamed, they took fig leaves and made clothing for their secret parts. When midday had passed, God appeared to them, and called Adam, saying, 'Adam, where are you?' He answered, 'Lord, I hid myself from Your presence because my wife and I are naked, and so we are ashamed to present ourselves before You.' Then God said, 'And who has robbed you of your innocence, unless you have eaten the fruit [that makes you] unclean, and will not be able to abide [any] longer in Paradise?'
Gospel of Barnabas 41:2
Adam answered, 'O Lord, the wife whom You have given me [urged] me to eat [it], and so I have eaten it.' Then God said to the woman, 'Why did you give [this] food to your husband?' Eve answered, 'Satan deceived me, and so I ate [the fruit].' 'And how did that reprobate enter into [the Garden]?' God said. Eve answered, 'A serpent that stands at the northern gate brought him near to me.'
Gospel of Barnabas 41:3
Then God said to Adam, 'Because you have [listened to] your wife and have eaten the fruit, the earth is cursed in your works; it will bring forth brambles and thorns for you, and you will eat bread by the sweat of your face. Remember that you are earth, and you [will] return to earth.' And He spoke to Eve, saying, 'And you who did [listen] to Satan, and gave the food to your husband, will abide under the dominion of man, who will keep you as a slave, and you will bear children with travail.'
Gospel of Barnabas 41:4
And having called the serpent, God called the angel Michael, who holds the sword of God, [and] said, 'First drive this wicked serpent forth from Paradise, and when outside, cut off his legs, for if he wants to walk, he must trail his body upon the earth.' Afterward, God called Satan, who came laughing, and He said to him, 'Because you, reprobate, have deceived [Adam and Eve] and have made them unclean, I will that every uncleanness [from] them and [from] all their children - [of which] they will be truly penitent and will serve Me - in going forth from their body, will enter through your mouth, and so will you be satiated with uncleanness.'
Gospel of Barnabas 41:5
Satan then gave a horrible roar and said, 'Since You will to make me [continually] worse, I will make me that which I will be able!' Then God said, 'Depart, cursed one, from my presence!' Then Satan departed, and God said to Adam [and] Eve, who were both weeping, 'Go forth from Paradise, and do penance, and do not let your hope fail, for I will send your son so that your seed will lift the dominion of Satan from off the human race, for I will give all things to he who will come, My messenger.'
Gospel of Barnabas 41:6
God hid Himself [from Adam and Eve], and the angel Michael drove them forth from Paradise. Then Adam, turning around, saw written above the gate, 'There is only one God, and Muhammad is [the] messenger of God.' Weeping, he said, 'May it be pleasing to God, O my son, that you come quickly and draw us out of misery.' And thus," Jesus said, "Satan and Adam sinned through pride, the one by despising man, the other by wishing to make himself equal with God."
Gospel of Barnabas 42:1
Then the disciples wept after this discourse, and Jesus was weeping, when they saw many who came to find him, for the chiefs of the priests took counsel amongst themselves to catch him in his talk. Therefore they sent the Levites and some of the scribes to question him, saying, "Who are you?"
Gospel of Barnabas 42:2
Jesus confessed and said the truth, "I am not the Messiah." !*3:45 They said, "Are you Elijah or Jeremiah, or any of the ancient prophets?" Jesus answered, "No." Then they said, "Who are you? Say, in order that we may give testimony to those who sent us." Then Jesus said, "I am a voice that cries through all Judea and cries, 'Prepare the way for the messenger of the Lord,' even as it is written in Esaias."
Gospel of Barnabas 42:3
They said, "If you are not the Messiah or Elijah, or any prophet, why do you preach a new doctrine, and make yourself of more account than the Messiah?" Jesus answered, "The miracles which God works by my hands show that I speak that which God wills; nor indeed do I make myself to be accounted as him whom you speak. For I am not worthy to unloose the ties of the hosen or the ratchets of the shoes of the messenger of God whom you call 'Messiah,' who was made before me, and will come after me, and will bring the words of truth, so that his faith will have no end."
Gospel of Barnabas 42:4
The Levites and scribes departed in confusion, and recounted all to the chiefs of the priests, who said, "He has the devil on his back who recounts all to him." Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I say to you, that the chiefs and the elders of our people seek occasion against me." Then Peter said, "Therefore do not go anymore into Jerusalem." Therefore Jesus said to him, "You are foolish, and do not know what you say, for it is necessary that I should suffer many persecutions, because so have all the prophets and holy one of God suffered. But do not fear, for there are those who are with us, and there are those who are against us."
Gospel of Barnabas 42:5
And having said this, Jesus departed and went to the Mount Tabor, and Peter and James and John his brother ascended there with him, with him who writes this. Whereupon a great light shined above him, and his garments became white like snow and his face glistened as the sun, and look, Moses and Elijah came speaking with Jesus concerning all that must come upon our race and upon the holy city.
Gospel of Barnabas 42:6
Peter spoke, saying, "Lord, it is good to be here. Therefore, if you will, we will make three tabernacles here, one for you and one for Moses and the other for Elijah." *Mark 9:5, *Matthew 17:4 And while he spoke, they were covered with a white cloud, *Luke 9:33 - 34 and they heard a voice saying, "Behold My servant, in whom I am well pleased; hear him."
Gospel of Barnabas 42:7
The disciples were filled with fear, and fell with their face upon the earth as dead. Jesus went down and raised up his disciples, saying, "Do not fear, for God loves you, and has done this in order that you may believe my words."
Gospel of Barnabas 43:1
Jesus went down to the eight disciples who were awaiting him below. And the four narrated to the eight, all that they had seen, and so all doubt of Jesus departed that day from their heart, except [from] Judas Iscariot, who believed nothing. Jesus seated himself at the foot of the mountain, and they ate of the wild fruits, because they had no bread. Then Andrew said, "You have told us many things of the Messiah, therefore, from your kindness, clearly tell us all." And in like manner, the other disciples besought him.
Gospel of Barnabas 43:2
Accordingly, Jesus said, "Everyone who works, works for an end in which he finds satisfaction. Therefore I say to you that God, truly because He is perfect, has no need of satisfaction, seeing that He has satisfaction Himself. And so, willing to work, He created the soul of His messenger before all things, for whom He determined to create the whole, in order that the creatures should find joy and blessedness in God, from where His messenger should take delight in all His creatures, which He has appointed to be His slaves. And why is this so, except because He has thus willed?
Gospel of Barnabas 43:3
Truly I say to you, that every prophet, when he has come, has borne to one nation only, the mark of the mercy of God. And so their words were not extended except to that people to which they were sent. But the messenger of God, when he will come, God will give the seal of his hand to him, as it were, insomuch that he will carry salvation and mercy to all the nations of the world that will receive his doctrine. He will come with power upon the ungodly, and will destroy idolatry, insomuch that he will make Satan confounded; for God so promised to Abraham, saying, 'Behold, I will bless all the tribes of the earth in your seed; *Genesis 22:18 and as you have broken the idols in pieces, O Abraham, even so will your seed do.'"
Gospel of Barnabas 43:4
James answered, "O master, tell us in whom this promise was made; for the Jews say, 'In Isaac,' and the Ishmaelites say 'In Ishmael.'" Jesus answered, "David, whose son was he, and of what lineage?" James answered, "Of Isaac; for Isaac was father of Jacob, and Jacob was father of Judah, of whose lineage is David."
Gospel of Barnabas 43:5
Then Jesus said, "And the messenger of God, when he will come, of what lineage will he be?" The disciples answered, "Of David." Whereupon Jesus said, "You deceive yourselves; for David, in spirit, calls him lord, saying thus, 'God said to my lord, 'Sit on My right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. God will send forth your rod which will have lordship in the midst of your enemies.' *Psalms 110:1 - 2 If the messenger of God, whom you call Messiah, were son of David, how should David call him lord? Believe me, for truly I say to you, that the promise was made in Ishmael, not in Isaac."
Gospel of Barnabas 44:1
The disciples said, "O master, it is written in the Book of Moses, that the promise was made in Isaac." Jesus answered with a groan, "It is so written, but Moses did not write it, nor Joshua, but rather our rabbis, who do not fear God. Truly I say to you, that if you consider the words of the angel Gabriel, you will discover the malice of our scribes and doctors. For the angel said, 'Abraham, all the world will know how God loves you; but how will the world know the love that you bear to God? Assuredly it is necessary that you do something for love of God.' Abraham answered, 'Behold the servant of God, ready to do all that which God will will.'
Gospel of Barnabas 44:2
Then God spoke, saying to Abraham, 'Take your son, your firstborn Ishmael, and come up the mountain to sacrifice him.' How is Isaac firstborn, if when Isaac was born, Ishmael was seven years old?" Then the disciples said, "The deception of our doctors is clear, therefore tell us the truth, because we know that you are sent from God." Then Jesus answered, "Truly I say to you, that Satan seeks to forever annul the laws of God; and therefore he, with his followers, hypocrites and evil-doers, the former with false doctrine, the latter with lewd living, today have contaminated almost all things, so that the truth is scarcely found. Woe to the hypocrites! For the praises of this world will turn into insults and torments in Hell for them.
Gospel of Barnabas 44:3
I therefore say to you that the messenger of God is a splendor who will give gladness to nearly all that God has made, for he is adorned with the Spirit of understanding and of counsel, the Spirit of wisdom and might, the Spirit of fear and love, the Spirit of prudence and temperance, he is adorned with the Spirit of charity and mercy, the Spirit of justice and piety, the Spirit of gentleness and patience, which he has received from God three times more than He has given to all His creatures.
Gospel of Barnabas 44:4
O blessed time, when he will come to the world! Believe me that I have seen him and have done him reverence, even as every prophet has seen him: seeing that, from His [Holy] Spirit, God gives prophecy to them. And when I saw him, my soul was filled with consolation, saying, 'O Muhammad, [may] God be with you, and may He make me worthy to untie your shoelatchet, for obtaining this, I will be a great prophet and a holy one of God.'" And having said this, Jesus rendered his thanks to God.
Gospel of Barnabas 45:1
Then the angel Gabriel came to Jesus and spoke to him in such wise that we also heard his voice, which said, "Arise, and go to Jerusalem." Accordingly, Jesus departed and went up to Jerusalem. And on the sabbath day, he entered into the temple, and began to teach the people. Whereupon the people ran together to the temple with the high priest and priests, who drew near to Jesus, saying, "O master, it has been said to us that you say evil of us; therefore beware unless some evil should befall you." Jesus answered, "Truly I say to you, that I speak evil of the hypocrites; therefore if you are hypocrites I speak against you." They answered, "Who is a hypocrite? Tell us plainly."
Gospel of Barnabas 45:2
Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, that he who does a good thing in order that men may see him, even he is a hypocrite, forasmuch as his work does not penetrate the heart which men cannot see, and so leaves therein every unclean thought and every filthy lust. Do you know who is a hypocrite? He who serves God with his tongue, but serves men with his heart. O wretched man! For dying, he loses all his reward. For on this matter, the prophet David says, 'Do not put your confidence in princes, *Psalms 118:9 [nor] in the children of men, *Psalms 118:8 in whom [there] is no salvation;' for at death their thoughts perish; no, before death they find themselves deprived of reward, for 'Man is,' as Job the prophet of God said, 'Unstable, so that he never continues in one stay.' So that if today he praises you, tomorrow he will abuse you, and if today he wills to reward you, tomorrow he will be fain to despoil you. Woe then to the hypocrites, because their reward is vain. As God lives, in whose presence I stand, the hypocrite is a robber and commits sacrilege, inasmuch as he makes use of the law to appear good, and thieves the honor of God, to whom alone pertains praise and honor forever.
Gospel of Barnabas 45:3
Furthermore, I say to you that the hypocrite has no faith, forasmuch as if he believed that God sees all and with terrible judgement would punish wickedness, he would purify his heart, which, because he has no faith, he keeps full of iniquity. Truly I say to you, that the hypocrite is as a sepulchre, that outside is white, but within is full of corruption and worms. So then, if you, O priests, do the service of God because God has created you and asks it of you, I do not speak against you, for you are servants of God; but if you do all for gain, and so buy and sell in the temple as in a marketplace, not regarding that the temple of God is a House of prayer *Isaiah 56:7 and not of merchandise, which you convert into a cave of robbers, *Jeremiah 7:11 if you do all to please men, and have put God out of your mind; then I cry against you that you are sons of the devil, and not sons of Abraham, who left his father's house for love of God, and was willing to slay his own son. Woe to you, priests and doctors, if you are such, for God will take the priesthood away from you!"
Gospel of Barnabas 46:1
Again Jesus spoke, saying, "I set an example before you. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, *Mark 12:1, *Matthew 21:33, *Luke 20:9 and made a hedge for it in order that it should not be trampled down by beasts. And in the midst of it, he built a press for the wine, and thereupon let it out to husbandman. Whereupon, when the time had come to collect the wine, he sent his servants; whom when the husbandman saw, they stoned some and burned some, and others they ripped open with a knife. And they did this many times. Tell me, what will the lord of the vineyard do to the husbandmen?"
Gospel of Barnabas 46:2
Everyone answered, "In evil wise, he will make them perish, and he will give his vineyard to other husbandman." Therefore Jesus said, "Do you not know that the vineyard is the house of Israel, *Isaiah 5:7 and the husbandman are the people of Judah and Jerusalem? Woe to you; for God is angry with you, having ripped open so many prophets of God; so that at the time of Ahab, there was not found one to bury the holy ones of God!" And when he had said this, the chief priests wished to seize him, but they feared the common people, who magnified him.
Gospel of Barnabas 46:3
Then Jesus, seeing a woman who, from her birth, had remained with her head bent toward the ground, said, "Raise your head, O woman, in the name of our God, in order that these may know that I speak truth, and that He wills that I announce it." Then the woman raised herself up whole, magnifying God. The chief of the priests cried out, saying, "This man is not sent from God, seeing he does not keep the sabbath; for today he has healed an infirm person."
Gospel of Barnabas 46:4
Jesus answered, "Now tell me, is it not lawful to speak on the sabbath day, and to make prayer for the salvation of others? And who is there among you who, if on the sabbath, his donkey or his ox fell into the ditch, would not pull him out on the sabbath? Assuredly none. And will I then have broken the sabbath day by having given health to a daughter of Israel? Surely, your hypocrisy is known here! Oh, how many are there today who fear the striking of a straw in another's eye, while a beam is ready to cut off their own head! Oh, how many there are who fear an ant, but pay no heed to an elephant!" And having said this, he went forth from the temple. But the priests chafed with rage amongst themselves, because they were not able to seize him and to work their will upon him, even as their fathers have done against the holy ones of God.
Gospel of Barnabas 47:1
Jesus went down, in the second year of his prophetic ministry, from Jerusalem, and went to Nain. Whereupon, as he drew near to the gate of the city, the citizens were bearing the only son of his mother to the sepulchre, a widow, over whom everyone was weeping. Whereupon, when Jesus had arrived, the men understood how Jesus, a prophet of Galilee, had come; and so they set themselves to beseech him for the dead man, that he, being a prophet, should raise him up; which his disciples also did. Then Jesus greatly feared, and turning himself to God, said, "Take me from the world, O Lord, for the world is mad, and they well near call me God!" And having said this, he wept.
Gospel of Barnabas 47:2
Then the angel Gabriel came and said, "O Jesus, do not fear, for God has given you power over every infirmity, insomuch that all that you will grant in the name of God will be entirely accomplished." Hereupon Jesus gave a sigh, saying, "Your will be done, Lord God Almighty and Merciful." And having said this, he drew near to the mother of the dead, and with pity said to her, "Woman, do not weep." And having taken the hand of the dead, he said, "I say to you, young man, in the name of God, arise up healed!" Then the boy revived, whereupon all were filled with fear, saying, "God has raised up a great prophet among us, and He has visited His people."
Gospel of Barnabas 48:1
At that time, the army of the Romans was in Judea, our country being subject to them for the sins of our forefathers. Now it was the custom of the Romans to call god and to worship he who did any new thing of benefit to the common people. And so [some] of these soldiers, finding themselves in Nain, now rebuked one, now another, saying, "One of your gods has visited you, and you make no account of it. Assuredly if our gods should visit us, we would give them all that we have. And you see how much we fear our gods, since we give the best of all we have to their images."
Gospel of Barnabas 48:2
Satan so instigated this manner of speaking that he aroused no small sedition among the people of Nain. But Jesus did not wait in Nain, but turned to go into Capernaum. The discord of Nain was such that some said, "He is our God who has visited us;" others said, "God is invisible, so that none have seen Him, not even Moses, His servant; therefore it is not God, but rather His son." Others said, "He is not God, nor son of God, for God has no body to beget anything; but he is a great prophet of God." And so Satan instigated that, in the third year of the prophetic ministry of Jesus, great ruin to our people was like to arise therefrom.
Gospel of Barnabas 48:3
Jesus went into Capernaum, whereupon the citizens, when they knew him, assembled together all the sick folk they had, and placed them in front of the porch of the house where Jesus was lodging with his disciples. And having called Jesus forth, they besought him for the health of them. Then Jesus laid his hands upon each of them, saying, "God of Israel, by Your holy name, give health to this sick person." Whereupon each one was healed. On the sabbath, Jesus entered into the synagogue, and all the people ran there together to hear him speak.
Gospel of Barnabas 49:1
The scribe that day read the Psalm of David, where David says, "When I will find a time, I will judge uprightly." Then, after the reading of the prophets, Jesus arose and made sign of silence with his hands, and opening his mouth, he spoke thus, "Brethren, you have heard the words spoken by David the prophet, our father, that when he should have found a time he would judge uprightly. I tell you in truth that many judge, in which judgement they fall for no other reason than because they judge that which is not meet for them, and that which is meet for them, they judge before the time. Therefore the God of our fathers cries to us by His prophet David, saying, 'Judge justly, O sons of men.' *Psalms 58:1
Gospel of Barnabas 49:2
Therefore, those who set themselves at street corners are miserable and do nothing but judge all those who pass by, saying, 'That one is fair, this one is ugly, that one is good, this one is bad.' Woe to them, because they lift the sceptre of His Judgement from the hand of God, who says, 'I am Witness and Judge, and I will give My honor to none.' Truly I tell you that these testify of that which they have not seen or really heard, and judge without having been constituted judges. Therefore they are abominable on the earth before the eyes of God, who will pass tremendous Judgement upon them in the Last Day.
Gospel of Barnabas 49:3
Woe to you, woe to you who speak good of the evil, and call the evil good, *Isaiah 5:20 for you condemn as a malefactor God, who is the author of good, and justify Satan as good, who is the origin of all evil. Consider what punishment you will have, and that it is horrible to fall into the Judgement of God, which will then be upon those who justify the wicked for money, and do not judge the cause of the orphans and widows. Truly I say to you, that the devils will tremble at the judgement of such, so terrible will it be. You, [O] man, who are set as a judge, regard no other thing, neither kinsfolk nor friends, neither honor or gain, but look solely with fear of God to the truth, which you will seek with greatest diligence, because it will secure you in the Judgement of God. But I warn you that he who judges without mercy will be judged without mercy.
Gospel of Barnabas 50:1
Tell me, O man, you who judges another man, do you not know that all men had their origin in the same clay? Do you not know that none is good except God alone? Therefore every man is a liar and a sinner. Believe me man, that if you judge others of a fault, your own heart has whereof to be judged. Oh, how dangerous it is to judge! Oh, how many have perished by their false judgement! Satan judged man to be more vile than himself; therefore he rebelled against God, his Creator: whereof he is impenitent, as I have knowledge by speaking with him. Our first parents judged the speech of Satan to be good, therefore they were cast out of Paradise, and condemned all their progeny. Truly I say to you, as God lives, in whose presence I stand, false judgement is the father of all sins. Forasmuch as none sins without will, and none wills that which he does not know. Woe therefore to the sinner who, with the judgement, judges sin worthy and goodness unworthy, who on that account rejects goodness and chooses sin. Assuredly, he will bear an intolerable punishment when God will come to judge the world.
Gospel of Barnabas 50:2
Oh, how many have perished through false judgement, and how many have been near to perishing! Pharaoh judged Moses and the people of Israel to be impious, Saul judged David to be worthy of death, Ahab judged Elijah, Nebuchadnezzar [judged] the three children who would not worship their lying gods. The two elders judged Susanna, and all the idolatrous princes judged the prophets. Oh, tremendous judgement of God! The judge perishes, the judged are saved. And why this, O man, if not because they falsely judge the innocent [in] rashness?
Gospel of Barnabas 50:3
How nearly then the good approached to ruin by judging falsely, is shown by the brethren of Joseph, who sold him to the Egyptians, by Aaron and Miriam, sister of Moses, who judged their brother. Three friends of Job judged the innocent friend of God, Job. David judged Mephibosheth and Uriah. Cyrus judged Daniel to be meat for the lions; and many others, the which were near to their ruin for this. Therefore I say to you, 'Do not judge, and you will not be judged.'"
Gospel of Barnabas 50:4
And then Jesus, having finished his speech, many forthwith were converted to repentance, bewailing their sins; and they would fain have forsaken all to go with him. But Jesus said, "Remain in your homes, and forsake sin and serve God with fear, and thus you will be saved; because I have not come to receive service, but rather to serve." And having said thus, he went out of the synagogue and the city, and retired into the desert to pray, because he greatly loved solitude.
Gospel of Barnabas 51:1
When he had prayed to the Lord, his disciples came to him and said, "O master, two things we would know; one is, how you talked with Satan, who you nevertheless say is impenitent; the other is, how will God come to judge in the Day of Judgement." Jesus replied, "Truly I say to you, I had compassion on Satan, knowing his fall; and I had compassion on mankind whom he tempts to sin. Therefore I prayed and fasted to our God, who spoke to me by His angel Gabriel, 'What do you seek, O Jesus, and what is your request?' I answered, 'Lord, You know of what evil Satan is the cause, and that many perish through his temptations; he is Your creature, Lord, whom You created; therefore, Lord, have mercy upon him.' God answered, 'Jesus, behold I will pardon him. Only cause him to say, 'Lord, my God, I have sinned, have mercy upon me,' and I will pardon him and restore him to his first state.' I rejoiced greatly," Jesus said, "When I heard this, believing that I had made this peace. Therefore I called Satan, who came saying, 'What must I do for you, O Jesus?' I answered, 'You will do it for yourself, O Satan, for I do not love your services, but for your good, I have called you.'
Gospel of Barnabas 51:2
Satan replied, 'If you do not desire my services neither do I desire yours; for I am nobler than you, therefore you are not worthy to serve me, you who are clay, while I am spirit.' 'Let us leave this,' I said, 'And tell me if it were not well, you should return to your first beauty and your first state. You must know that the angel Michael must, on the Day of Judgement, strike you with the sword of God one hundred thousand times, and each blow will give you the pain of ten Hells.' Satan replied, 'We will see in that Day who can do most; certainly I will have many angels on my side and most potent idolaters who will trouble God, and He will know how great a mistake He made to banish me for the sake of a vile [piece of] clay.' Then I said, 'O Satan, you are infirm in mind, and do not know what you say.'
Gospel of Barnabas 51:3
Then Satan, in a derisive manner, wagged his head, saying, 'Come now, let us make up this peace between me and God; and what must be done, say, O Jesus, since you are sound in mind.' I answered, 'Only two words must be spoken.' Satan replied, 'What words?' I answered, 'These: I have sinned; have mercy on me.' Satan then said, 'Now I will willingly make this peace if God wills to say these words to me.' 'Now depart from me,' I said, 'O cursed one, for you are the wicked author of all injustice and sin, but God is just and without any sin.' Satan departed shrieking and said, 'It is not so, O Jesus, but you tell a lie to please God.' Now consider," Jesus said to his disciples, "How he will find mercy." They answered, "Never, lord, because he is impenitent. Speak to us now of the Judgement of God."
Gospel of Barnabas 52:1
The Judgement Day of God will be so dreadful that, truly I say to you, the reprobates would sooner choose ten Hells than go to hear God speak in wrath against them against whom all things created will witness. Truly I say to you, that the reprobates will not fear alone, but the saints and the elect of God, so that Abraham will not trust in his righteousness, and Job will have no confidence in his innocence. And what do I say? Even the messenger of God will fear, for that God, to make His majesty known, will deprive His messenger of memory, so that he will have no remembrance how God has given him all things. Truly I say to you that, speaking from the heart, I tremble because, by the world, I will be called God, and for this, I will have to render an account. *5:116
Gospel of Barnabas 52:2
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, I am a mortal man as other men are, for although God has placed me as prophet over the house of Israel for the health of the feeble and the correction of sinners, I am the servant of God, and you are witness of this, how I speak against those wicked men who, after my departure from the world, will annul the truth of my Gospel by the operation of Satan. But I will return towards the end, and Enoch and Elijah will come with me, and we will testify against the wicked, whose end will be accursed."
Gospel of Barnabas 52:3
And having thus spoken, Jesus shed tears, whereat his disciples wept aloud, and lifted their voices, saying, "Pardon, O Lord God, and have mercy on Your innocent servant." Jesus answered, "Amen, Amen.
Gospel of Barnabas 53:1
Before that day will come," Jesus said, "Great destruction will come upon the world, for there will be war so cruel and pitiless that the father will slay the son, and the son will slay the father by reason of the factions of peoples. Therefore the cities will be annihilated, and the country will become desert. Such pestilences will come that none will be found to bear the dead to burial, so that they will be left as food for beasts. To those who remain upon the earth, God will send such scarcity that bread will be valued above gold, and they will eat all manner of unclean things. O miserable age, in which hardly anyone will be heard to say, 'I have sinned, have mercy on me, O God;' but with horrible voices they will blaspheme Him who is glorious and blessed forever.
Gospel of Barnabas 53:2
After this, as that Day draws near, for fifteen days, every day a horrible sign will come over the inhabitants of the earth. The first day, the sun will run its course in heaven without light, but black as the dye of cloth; and it will give groans, as a father who groans for a son near to death. The second day, the moon will be turned into blood, and blood will come upon the earth like dew. The third day, the stars will be seen to fight amongst themselves like an army of enemies. The fourth day, the stones and rocks will dash against each other as cruel enemies.
Gospel of Barnabas 53:3
The fifth day, every plant and herb will weep blood. The sixth day, the sea will rise without leaving its place to the height of one hundred and fifty cubits, and will stand all day like a wall. The seventh day, it will, on the contrary, sink so low as scarcely to be seen. The eighth day, the birds and the animals of the earth and the water will gather themselves close together, and will give forth roars and cries. The ninth day, there will be a hailstorm so horrible that it will kill [such] that the tenth part of the living will scarcely escape.
Gospel of Barnabas 53:4
The tenth day, such horrible lightning and thunder will come [such] that the third part of the mountains will be split and scorched. The eleventh day, every river will run backwards, and will run blood and not water. The twelfth day, every created thing will groan and cry. The thirteenth day, the heaven will be rolled up like a book, and it will rain fire, so that every living thing will die. The fourteenth day, there will be an earthquake so horrible that the tops of the mountains will fly through the air like birds, and all the earth will become a plain. The fifteenth day, the holy angels will die, and God alone will remain alive; to whom is honor and glory."
Gospel of Barnabas 53:5
And having said this, Jesus struck his face with both his hands, and then struck the ground with his head. And having raised his head, he said, "Everyone who will insert that I am the son of God into my sayings is cursed." At these words, the disciples fell down as dead, whereupon Jesus lifted them up, saying, 'Let us fear God now, if we would not be affrighted in that Day.'
Gospel of Barnabas 54:1
When these signs have passed, there will be darkness over the world forty years, God alone being alive, to whom is honor and glory forever. When the forty years have passed, God will give life to His messenger, who will rise again like the sun, but resplendent as a thousand suns. He will sit, and will not speak, for he will be, as it were, beside himself. God will again raise the four angels favored by God, who will seek the messenger of God, and having found him, will station themselves on the four sides of the place to keep watch upon him. Next, God will give life to all the angels, who will come like bees circling around the messenger of God. Next, God will give life to all His prophets, who, following Adam, everyone will go to kiss the hand of the messenger of God, committing themselves to his protection. Next, God will give life to all the elect, who will cry out, 'O Muhammad be mindful of us!' At whose cries, pity will awake in the messenger of God, and he will consider what he should be doing, fearing for their salvation.
Gospel of Barnabas 54:2
Next, God will give life to every created thing and they will return to their former existence, but everyone will besides possess the power of speech. Next, God will give life to all the reprobates, at whose resurrection, by reason of their hideousness, all the creatures of God will be afraid, and will cry, 'Do not let Your mercy forsake us, O Lord our God.' After this, God will cause Satan to be raised up, at whose aspect, every creature will be as dead, for fear of the horrid form of his appearance. May it please God," Jesus said, "That I do not behold that monster on that Day. The messenger of God alone will not be affrighted by such shapes, because he will only fear God.
Gospel of Barnabas 54:3
Then the angel, at the sound of whose Trumpet all will be raised, will sound his Trumpet again, saying, 'Come to the Judgement, O creatures, for your Creator wills to judge you.' Then [there] will appear in the midst of heaven, over the valley of Jehoshaphat; a glittering Throne over which a white cloud will come, whereupon the angels will cry out, 'You are blessed, our God, who has created us and saved us from the fall of Satan.' Then the messenger of God will fear, for he will perceive that none has loved God as he should. For he who would get in change, a piece of gold, must have sixty mites; therefore, if he has only one mite, he cannot change it. But if the messenger of God will fear, what will the ungodly do who are full of wickedness?"
Gospel of Barnabas 55:1
The messenger of God will go to collect all the prophets, to whom he will speak, praying them to go with him to pray God for the faithful. And everyone will excuse himself for fear; nor, as God lives, would I go there, knowing what I know. Then God, seeing this, will remind His messenger how He created all things for love of him, and so his fear will leave him, and he will go near to the Throne with love and reverence, while the angels sing, 'Your holy name is blessed O God, our God.'
Gospel of Barnabas 55:2
And when he has drawn near to the Throne, God will open [His mind] to His messenger, even as a friend to a friend when they have not met for a long while. The first to speak will be the messenger of God, who will say, 'I adore and love You, O my God, and with all my heart and soul, I give You thanks for You vouchsafed to create me to be Your servant, and made all for love of me, so that I might love You for all things and in all things and above all things; therefore let all Your creatures praise You, O my God.' Then [they] will say, 'We give You thanks, O Lord, and bless Your holy name.' Truly I say to you, the demons and reprobates with Satan will then weep so that more water will flow from the eyes of one of them than is in the river of Jordan. Yet they will not see God. And God will speak to His messenger, saying, 'You are welcome, O My faithful servant; therefore ask what you will, for you will obtain all.' The messenger of God will answer, 'O Lord, I remember that when You created me, You said that You had willed to make the world and Paradise for love of me, and angels and men, that they might glorify You by me, Your servant. Therefore, Lord God, merciful and just. I pray You that You recollect Your promise made to Your servant.'
Gospel of Barnabas 55:3
And God will answer even as a friend who jests with a friend, and will say, 'Do you have witnesses of this, My friend Muhammad?' And he will say with reverence, 'Yes, Lord.' Then God will answer, 'Go, call them, O Gabriel.' The angel Gabriel will come to the messenger of God and will say, 'Lord, who are your witnesses?' The messenger of God will answer, 'They are Adam, Abraham, Ishmael, Moses, David, and Jesus, son of Mary.' Then the angel will depart and he will call the aforesaid witnesses, who will go there with fear. And when they are present, God will say to them, 'Remember that which My messenger affirms?' They will reply, 'What thing, O Lord?' God will say, 'That I have made all things for love of him, so that all things might praise Me by him.'
Gospel of Barnabas 55:4
Then every one of them will answer, 'There are three witnesses with us better than we are, O Lord.' And God will reply, 'Who are these three witnesses?' Then Moses will say, 'The Book that You gave to me is the first;' and David will say, 'The Book that You gave to me is the second;' and he who speaks to you will say, 'Lord, the whole world, deceived by Satan, that I was Your son and Your fellow, but the Book that You gave me truly said that I am Your servant; and that Book confesses that which Your messenger affirms.' Then the messenger of God will speak and say, 'Thus says the Book that You gave me O Lord.' And when the messenger of God has said this, God will speak, saying, 'All that I have now done, I have done in order that everyone should know how much I love you.' And when He has thus spoken, God will give a Book to His messenger, in which all the names of the elect of God are written. Therefore every creature will do reverence to God, saying, 'To You alone O God, is glory and honor, because You have given us to Your messenger.
Gospel of Barnabas 56:1
God will open the Book in the hand of His messenger, and His messenger, reading therein, will call all the angels and prophets and all the elect, and the mark of the messenger of God will be written on the forehead of each one. And the glory of Paradise will be written in the Book.
Gospel of Barnabas 56:2
Then each will pass to the right hand of God; next to whom the messenger of God will sit. And the prophets will sit near him, and the saints will sit near the prophets, and the blessed near the saints, and the angel will then sound the Trumpet, and will call Satan to Judgement.
Gospel of Barnabas 57:1
Then that miserable one will come, and will be accused by every creature with greatest contumely. Therefore, God will call the angel Michael, who will strike him one hundred thousand times with the sword of God. He will strike Satan, and every stroke is heavy as ten Hells, and he will be the first to be cast into the abyss. The angel will call his followers, and they will in like manner be abused and accused. Therefore, the angel Michael, by commission from God, will strike some a hundred times, some fifty, some twenty, some ten, some five. And then they will descend into the abyss, because God will say to them, 'Hell is your dwelling place, O cursed ones.'
Gospel of Barnabas 57:2
After that, all the unbelievers and reprobates will be called to Judgement, against whom all creatures inferior to man will first arise, testifying before God how they have served these men, and how the same have outraged God and His creatures. And the prophets, every one will arise, testifying against them; therefore they will be condemned by God to infernal flames. Truly I say to you, that no idle word or thought will pass unpunished in that tremendous Day. Truly I say to you, that the hair-shirt will shine like the sun, and every louse a man will have borne for love of God will be turned into pearl. O, the poor are blessed three and four times, who in true poverty will have served God from the heart, for they are destitute of worldly cares in this world, and will therefore be freed from many sins, and in that Day, they will not have to render an account of how they have spent the riches of the world, but they will be rewarded for their patience and their poverty. Truly I say to you, that if the world knew this, it would choose the hair-shirt sooner than purple, lice sooner than gold, fasts sooner than feasts.
Gospel of Barnabas 57:3
When all have been examined, God will say to His messenger, 'Behold, O My friend, their wickedness, how great it has been, for I, their Creator, did employ all created things in their service, and they have dishonored Me in all things. It is most just, therefore, that I have no mercy on them.' The messenger of God will answer, 'It is true, Lord, our glorious God, not one of Your friends and servants could ask You to have mercy on them; no, I, Your servant before all, ask justice against them.'
Gospel of Barnabas 57:4
And he, having said these words, all the angels and prophets, with all the elect of God, no, why do I say the elect? Truly I say to you, that spiders and flies, stones and sand will cry out against the impious, and will demand justice. Then God will cause every living soul inferior to man to return to earth, and He will send the impious to Hell. Who, in going, will see that earth again, to which dogs and horses and other vile animals will be reduced. Therefore they will say, 'O Lord God, cause us also to return to that earth.' But that which they ask will not be granted to them."
Gospel of Barnabas 58:1
While Jesus was speaking, the disciples wept bitterly. And Jesus wept many tears. Then after he had wept, John spoke, "O master, we desire to know two things. The one is, how it is possible that the messenger of God, who is full of mercy and pity, should have no pity on reprobates that Day, seeing that they are of the same clay as himself? The other is, how is it to be understood that the sword of Michael is [as] heavy as ten Hells? Is there more than one Hell?"
Gospel of Barnabas 58:2
Jesus replied, "Have you not heard what David the prophet says, how the just will laugh at the destruction of sinners, and will deride him with these words, saying, 'I saw the man who put his hope in his strength and his riches, and forgot God.' Truly, I therefore say to you that Abraham will deride his father, and Adam [will deride] all reprobate men; and this will be because the elect will rise again so perfect and united to God that they will not conceive in their minds the small[est] thought against His justice. Each of them will demand justice, and above all, the messenger of God. As God lives, in whose presence I stand, though now I weep for pity of mankind, on that Day I will demand justice without mercy against those who despise my words, and most of all against those who defile my Gospel.
Gospel of Barnabas 59:1
Hell is one, O my disciples, and in it, the damned will suffer punishment eternally. Yet it has seven rooms or regions, *15:43 - 44 one deeper than the other, and he who goes to the deep will suffer greater punishment. Yet my words [are] true concerning the sword of the angel Michael, for he who commits only one sin merits Hell, and he who commits two sins merits two Hells. Therefore in one Hell, the reprobates will feel punishment as though they were in ten, or in a hundred or in a thousand; and the omnipotent God, through His power and by reason of His justice, will cause Satan to suffer as though he were in ten hundred thousand Hells, and the rest, each one according to his wickedness."
Gospel of Barnabas 59:2
Then Peter answered, "O master, truly the justice of God is great, and today this discourse has made you sad; therefore, we pray you, rest, and tomorrow tell us what Hell is like." Jesus answered, "O Peter, you tell me to rest; O Peter, you do not know what you say, [or] else you would not have spoken thus.
Gospel of Barnabas 59:3
Truly I say to you, that rest in this present life is the poison of piety and the fire which consumes every good work. Have you forgotten how Solomon, God's prophet, with all the prophets, has reproved sloth? It is true that he says, 'The idle will not work the soil for fear of the cold, therefore he will beg in summer.' *Proverbs 20:4 [And for this reason] he said, 'All that your hand can do, do it without rest.' And what does Job say, the most innocent friend of God, 'As the bird is born to fly, man is born to work.' Truly I say to you, I hate rest above all things.
Gospel of Barnabas 60:1
Hell is one, and is contrary to Paradise, as winter is contrary to summer, and cold to heat. Therefore, he who would describe the misery of Hell must have seen the Paradise of God's delights. O place accursed by God's justice for the malediction of the faithless and reprobate, of which Job, the friend of God, said, 'There is no order there, but everlasting fear!' And Isaiah the prophet, against the reprobate, says, 'Their flame will not be quenched, nor [will] their worm die.' *Isaiah 66:24
Gospel of Barnabas 60:2
And David our father, weeping said, 'Then lightning and bolts and brimstone and great tempest will rain upon them.' O miserable sinners, how loathsome delicate meats, costly raiment, soft couches, and [the] concord of sweet song will seem to them! How sick will raging hunger, burning flames, scorching cinders, and cruel torments with bitter weeping make them!"
Gospel of Barnabas 60:3
And then Jesus uttered a lamentable groan, saying, "Truly, it is better never to have been formed than to suffer such cruel torments, for imagine a man suffering torments in every part of his body, who has no one to show him compassion, but is mocked by everyone; tell me, would this not be great pain?" The disciples answered, "The greatest."
Gospel of Barnabas 60:4
Then Jesus said, "This is a delight [in comparison] to Hell. For I tell you in truth, that if God should place in one balance, all the pain which all men have suffered in this world and will suffer till the Day of Judgement, and in the other [balance] one single hour of the pain of Hell, the reprobates would choose the worldly tribulations without doubt, for the worldly [tribulations] come from the hand of man, but the others from the hand of devils, !*66:6 who are utterly without compassion.
Gospel of Barnabas 60:5
O what cruel fire they will give to miserable sinners! O what bitter cold, which yet will not temper their flames! What gnashing of teeth and sobbing and weeping! For the Jordan has less water than the tears which will flow from their eyes every moment. Their tongues will curse all created things, with their father and mother, and their Creator, who is blessed forever."
Gospel of Barnabas 61:1
Having said this, Jesus washed himself, with his disciples, according to the law of God written in the Book of Moses; *Exodus 30:17 - 19 and then they prayed. And the disciples, seeing [Jesus] sad, did not speak at all to him that day, but each stood terror-struck at his words. Then Jesus, opening his mouth after the evening [prayer], said, "What father of a family, if he knew that a thief meant to break into his house, would sleep? None surely; for he would watch and stand prepared to slay the thief. Do you not know then that Satan is as a roaring lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour? Thus he seeks to make man sin. Truly I say to you, that if man would act as the merchant, he should have no fear in that Day, because he would be well prepared.
Gospel of Barnabas 61:2
There was a man who gave money to his neighbors so that they might trade with it, and the profit should be divided in a just proportion. And some traded well, so that they doubled the money. But some used the money in the service of the enemy of him who gave them the money, speaking evil of him. Tell me now, when the neighbor will call the debtors to account, how will the matter go? Assuredly, he will reward those who traded well, but against the others, his anger will vent itself in reproaches. And then he will punish them according to the law.
Gospel of Barnabas 61:3
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, the neighbor is God, who has given all that He has to man, with life itself, so that [man], living well in this world, God may have praise, and man [may have] the glory of Paradise. For those who live well double their money by their example, because sinners, seeing their example, are converted to repentance; therefore men who live well will be rewarded with a great reward. But wicked sinners who, by their sins, halve what God has given them, by their lives spent in the service of Satan, the enemy of God, blaspheming God and giving offence to others, tell me what will their punishment be?" "It will be without measure," the disciples said.
Gospel of Barnabas 62:1
Then Jesus said, "He who would live well should take example from the merchant who locks up his shop, and selling, guards it day and night with great diligence. And again the things which he buys, he is fain to make a profit; for if he perceives that he will lose thereby, he will not sell, no, not to his own brother. Thus then should you do; for in truth your soul is a merchant, and the body is the shop; therefore what it receives from outside, through the senses, is bought and sold by it. And the money is love. See then that, with your love, you do not sell nor buy the small thought, by which work be all, for you cannot profit. But let thought, speech, and love of God; for you will so find safety in that Day.
Gospel of Barnabas 62:2
Truly I say to you, that many make ablutions and go to pray, many fast and give alms, many study and preach to others, whose end is abominable before God; because they cleanse the body and not the heart, they cry with the mouth, not with the heart; they abstain from meats, and fill themselves with sins; they give things not good for them to others, in order that they may be held good; they study so that they may know to speak, not to work; they preach to others against that which they do themselves, and thus are condemned by their own tongue. As God lives, these do not know God with their hearts; for if they knew Him they would love Him; and since whatsoever a man has, he has received it from God, even so he should spend all for the love of God."
Gospel of Barnabas 63:1
After certain days, Jesus passed near a city of the Samaritans; and they would not let him enter the city, nor would they sell bread to his disciples. Therefore James and John said, "Master, may it please you that we pray God that He send down fire from heaven upon these people?"
Gospel of Barnabas 63:2
Jesus answered, "You do not know by what spirit you are led, that you so speak. Remember that God determined to destroy Nineveh because He did not find one who feared God in that city; the which was so wicked that God, having called Jonah the prophet to send him to that city, he would fain, for fear of the people, have fled to Tarsus, therefore God caused him to be cast into the sea, and received by a fish and cast up near Nineveh. And he, preaching there, so that people converted to repentance, so that God had mercy on them.
Gospel of Barnabas 63:3
Woe to those who call for vengeance; for it will come on themselves, seeing that every man has cause for the vengeance of God in himself. Now tell me, have you created this city with this people? O madmen that you are? Assuredly no. For all creatures united together could not create a single new fly from nothing, *22:73 and this it is to create. If the blessed God who has created this city now sustains it, why do you desire to destroy it? Why did you not say, 'May it please you, master, that we pray to the Lord our God that this people may be converted to penitence?' Assuredly this is the proper act of a disciple of mine, to pray to God for those who do evil. Thus did Abel do when his brother Cain, accursed of God, slew him.
Gospel of Barnabas 63:4
Thus did Abraham do for Pharaoh, who took his wife from him, and whom therefore, the angel of God did not slay, but only struck with infirmity. Thus did Zechariah do when, by decree of the impious king, he was slain in the temple. Thus did Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and David do with all the friends of God and holy prophets. Tell me, if a brother were stricken with a frenzy, would you slay him because he spoke evil and struck those who came near him? Assuredly you would not do so; but rather would you endeavour to restore his health with medicines suitable to his infirmity."
Gospel of Barnabas 64:1
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, a sinner is of infirm mind when he persecutes a man. For tell me, is there anyone who would break his head for the sake of tearing the cloak of his enemy? Now how can he who separates himself from God, the head of his soul, be of a sane mind, in order that he may injure the body of his enemy?
Gospel of Barnabas 64:2
Tell me, O man, who is your enemy? Assuredly your body, and everyone who praises you. Therefore if you were of a sane mind, you would kiss the hand of those who revile you, and present gifts to those who persecute you and strike you much, because, O man, the more that you are reviled and persecuted in this life for your sins, the less you will be in the Day of Judgement. But tell me, O man, if the saints and prophets of God have been persecuted and defamed by the world even though they were innocent, what will be done to you, O sinner? And if they endured all with patience, praying for their persecutors, what should you do, O man, who are worthy of Hell?
Gospel of Barnabas 64:3
Tell me, O my disciples, do you not know that Shimei cursed the servant of God, David the prophet, and threw stones at him? Now what did David say to those who would fain have killed Shimei? 'What is it to you, O Joab, that you would kill Shimei? Let him curse me, for this is the will of God, who will turn this curse into a blessing.' And thus it was; for God saw the patience of David and delivered him from the persecution of his own son, Absalom.
Gospel of Barnabas 64:4
Assuredly, not a leaf stirs without the will of God. Therefore, when you are in tribulation, do not think of how much you have borne, nor of him who afflicts you; but consider how much you are worthy to receive at the hand of the devils of Hell for your sins. You are angry with this city because it would not receive us, nor sell bread to us. Tell me, are these people your slaves? Have you given them this city? Have you given them their corn? Or have you helped them to reap it? Assuredly no; for you are strangers in this land, and poor men. What thing is this then that you say?" The two disciples answered, "Lord, we have sinned; may God have mercy on us." And Jesus answered, "So be it."
Gospel of Barnabas 65:1
The Passover drew near, so Jesus, with his disciples, went up to Jerusalem. And he went to the pool called Probatica. And the bath was so called because the angel of God troubled the water every day, and whoever first entered the water after its movement was cured of every kind of infirmity. For this reason, a great number of sick persons remained beside the pool, which had five porticoes. And Jesus saw an impotent man there, who had been there thirty eight years sick with a grievous infirmity. So Jesus, knowing this by divine inspiration, had compassion on the sick man, and said to him, "Do you want to be made whole?"
Gospel of Barnabas 65:2
The impotent man answered, "Sir, when the angel troubles the waters I do not have anyone to put me into it, but while I am coming [to the water] another steps down before me and enters." *John 5:7 Then Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Lord our God, God of our fathers, have mercy upon this impotent man." And having said this, Jesus said, "In God's name, brother, be whole; rise and take up your bed."
Gospel of Barnabas 65:3
Then the impotent man arose, praising God, and carried his bed upon his shoulders, and went to his house praising God. Those who saw him cried, "It is the sabbath day; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." He answered, "He who made [me] whole said to me, 'Pick up your bed, and go your way to your home.'" Then they asked him, "Who is he?" He answered, "I do not know his name."
Gospel of Barnabas 65:4
So they said amongst themselves, "It must have been Jesus the Nazarene." Others said, "No, for [Jesus the Nazarene] is a holy one of God, whereas he who has done this thing is a wicked man, for he causes the sabbath to be broken." And Jesus went into the temple, and a great multitude drew near him to hear his words [for which reason] the priests were consumed with envy.
Gospel of Barnabas 66:1
One of them came to him, saying, "Good master, you teach well and truly; tell me therefore, what reward will God give us in Paradise?" Jesus answered, "You call me good, and do not know that God alone is good, even as Job, the friend of God, said, 'A child of a day old is not clean;' yes, even the angels are not faultless in God's presence." Moreover he said, "The flesh attracts sin, and sucks up iniquity even as a sponge sucks up water." The priest was silent, being confounded. And Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, nothing is more perilous than speech. For Solomon so said, 'Life and death are in the power of the tongue.'"
Gospel of Barnabas 66:2
And he turned to his disciples and said, "Beware of those who bless you, because they deceive you. With the tongue, Satan blessed our first parents, but the outcome of his words was miserable. So did the sages of Egypt bless Pharaoh. So did Goliath bless the Philistines. So did four hundred false prophets bless Ahab; but their praises were false, so that the praised one perished with the praisers. Therefore, God did not say without cause by Isaiah the prophet, 'O My people, those who bless you deceive you.' Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Woe to you, priests and Levites! Because you have corrupted the sacrifice of the Lord, so that those who come to sacrifice believe that God eats cooked flesh [in the manner of] a man.
Gospel of Barnabas 67:1
For you say to them, 'Bring your sheep and bulls and lambs to the temple of your God, and do not eat it all, but give to your God a share of that which He has given you;' and you do not tell them of the origin of sacrifice, that it is for a witness of the life granted to the son of our father Abraham, so that the faith and obedience of our father Abraham, with the promises made to him by God and the blessing given to him, should never be forgotten. But God says by Ezekiel the prophet, 'Remove these from Me, your sacrifices, your victims are abominable to Me.'
Gospel of Barnabas 67:2
For the time draws near when that will be done of which our God spoke by Hosea the prophet, saying, 'I will call the people chosen [who are] not chosen.' And as He says in Ezekiel the prophet, 'God will make a new covenant with His people, not according to the covenant which He gave to your fathers, which they did not do and He will take from them a heart of stone, and give them a new heart.' And all this will be because you do not walk now in His law. And you have the key and do not open, rather you block the road for those who would walk in it." The priest was departing to report everything to the high priest, who stood near the sanctuary, but Jesus said, "Stay, for I will answer your question.
Gospel of Barnabas 68:1
You ask me to tell you what God will give us in Paradise. Truly I say to you that those who think of the wages do not love the master. A shepherd who has a flock of sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, prepares to defend them; contrariwise, the hireling when he sees the wolf, leaves the sheep and flees. As God lives, in whose presence I stand, if the God of our fathers were your God, you would not have thought of saying, 'What will God give me?' But you would have said, as David His prophet did, 'What will I give to God for all that He has given to me?'
Gospel of Barnabas 68:2
I will speak to you by a parable so that you may understand. There was a king who found a man by the wayside [who was] stripped by thieves, who had wounded him to death. And he had compassion on him, and commanded his slaves to bear that man to the city and tend to him, and they did this with all diligence. And the king conceived a great love for the sick man, so that he gave him his own daughter in marriage, and made him his heir. Now assuredly, this king was most merciful; but the man beat the slaves, despised the medicines, abused his wife, spoke evil of the king, and caused his vassals to rebel against him. And when the king required any service, he was accustomed to say, 'What will the king give me as reward?' Now when the king heard this, what did he do to so impious a man?" They all replied, "Woe to him, for the king deprived him of all, and cruelly punished him."
Gospel of Barnabas 68:3
Then Jesus said, "O priests, and scribes, and Pharisees, and you high priests who hear my voice, I proclaim to you what God has said to you by His prophet Isaiah, 'I have nourished slaves and exalted them, but they have despised Me.' ~*Isaiah 1:2 The king is our God, who found Israel in this world full of miseries, and gave him therefore to His servants Joseph, Moses and Aaron, who tended to him. And our God conceived such love for him that, for the sake of the people of Israel, He struck Egypt, drowned Pharaoh, and discomfited a hundred and twenty kings of the Canaanites and Madianites; He gave him His laws, making him heir of all that [land] wherein our people dwell.
Gospel of Barnabas 68:4
But how does Israel bear himself? How many prophets has he slain; how many prophecies has he contaminated; how has he violated the law of God; how many have departed from God and gone to serve idols for that cause, through your offence, O priests! And how do you dishonor God with your manner of life! And now you ask me, 'What will God give us in Paradise?' You should be have asked me, 'What will be the punishment that God will give you in Hell;' and then what you should do is true penitence in order that God may have mercy on you; for I can tell you this, and I am sent to you to this end.
Gospel of Barnabas 69:1
As God lives, in whose presence I stand, you will not receive adulation from me, but truth. Therefore I say to you, repent and turn to God even as our fathers did after sinning, and do not harden your heart." The priests were consumed with rage at this speech, but for fear of the common people, they did not speak a word.
Gospel of Barnabas 69:2
And Jesus continued, saying, "O doctors, O scribes, O Pharisees, O priests, tell me. You desire horses like knights, but you do not desire to go forth to war; you desire fair clothing like women, but you do not desire to spin and nurture children; you desire the fruits of the field, and you do not desire to cultivate the earth; you desire the fish of the sea, but you do not desire to go fishing; you desire honor as citizens, but you do not desire the burden of the republic; and you desire tithes and first fruits as priests, but you do not desire to serve God in truth. What then will God do with you, seeing you desire every good here without any evil? Truly I say to you that God will give you a place where you will have every evil without any good."
Gospel of Barnabas 69:3
And when Jesus had said this, a demoniac was brought to him, who could not speak nor see, and was deprived of hearing. Whereupon Jesus, seeing their faith, raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Lord God of our fathers, have mercy on this sick man and give him health, in order that this people may know that You have sent me."
Gospel of Barnabas 69:4
And having said this, Jesus commanded the [jinn] spirit to depart, saying, "In the power of the name of God our Lord, depart, evil one, from the man. The [jinn] spirit departed and the dumb man spoke, and saw with his eyes. Whereupon everyone was filled with fear, but the scribes said, "In the power of Beelzebub, prince of the demons, he casts out the demons."
Gospel of Barnabas 69:5
Then Jesus said, "Every kingdom divided against itself destroys itself, and house falls upon house. If in the power of Satan, Satan is cast out, how will his kingdom stand? *Mark 3:23, *Matthew 12:25 - 26, *Luke 11:17 - 18 And if your sons cast out Satan with the Scripture that Solomon the prophet gave them, they testify that I cast out Satan in the power of God. As God lives, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is without remission in this and in the other world; because the wicked man reprobates himself of his own will, knowing the reprobation."
Gospel of Barnabas 69:6
And having said this, Jesus went out of the temple. And the common people magnified him, for they brought all the sick folk whom they could gather together, and Jesus, having made prayer, gave their health to all, whereupon on that day in Jerusalem, the Roman soldiery, by the working of Satan, began to stir up the common people, saying that Jesus was the God of Israel, who had come to visit His people.
Gospel of Barnabas 70:1
Jesus departed from Jerusalem after the Passover, and entered into the borders of Caesarea Philippi. Whereupon, the angel Gabriel, having told him of the sedition which was beginning among the common people, he asked his disciples, saying, "What do men say of me?" They said, "Some say that you are Elijah, others Jeremiah, and others, one of the old prophets." Jesus answered, "And you; what do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are Christ, *Mark 8:27 - 29, *Luke 9:18 - 20 son of God." *Matthew 16:13 - 16
Gospel of Barnabas 70:2
Then Jesus was angry, and he rebuked him with anger, saying, "Be gone and depart from me, because you are the devil and seek to cause me offences." And he threatened the eleven, saying, "Woe to you if you believe this, for I have won a great curse from God against those who believe this." And he was fain to cast away Peter; whereupon the eleven besought Jesus for him, who did not cast him away, but again rebuked him saying, "Beware that you never again say such words, because God would reprobate you!" Peter wept and said, "Lord, I have spoken foolishly; beseech God that He pardon me."
Gospel of Barnabas 70:3
Then Jesus said, "If our God did not will to show Himself to Moses His servant, nor to Elijah whom He so loved, nor to any prophet, will you think that God should show Himself to this faithless generation? But you do not know that God has created all things from nothing with one single word, and all men have had their origin out of a piece of clay? Now, how will God have likeness to man? Woe to those who allow themselves to be deceived by Satan!" And having said this, Jesus besought God for Peter, the eleven and Peter weeping, and saying, "So be it, so be it, O blessed Lord our God." Afterward, Jesus departed and went into Galilee, in order that this vain opinion which the common folk began to hold concerning him might be extinguished.
Gospel of Barnabas 71:1
Jesus, having arrived in his own country, it was spread through all the region of Galilee how Jesus the prophet had come to Nazareth. Whereupon they sought the sick with diligence and brought them to him, beseeching him that he would touch them with his hands. And the multitude was so great that a certain rich man, sick of the palsy, not being able to get himself carried through the door, had himself carried up to the roof of the house in which Jesus was, and having caused the roof to be uncovered, had himself let down by sheets in front of Jesus. Jesus stood for a moment in hesitation, and then he said, "Do not fear, brother, for your sins are forgiven." *Matthew 9:2 Everyone was offended hearing this, and they said, "And who is this who forgives sins?" *Mark 2:2 - 7, *Luke 5:18 - 21
Gospel of Barnabas 71:2
Then Jesus said, "As God lives, I am not able to forgive sins, nor is any man, but God alone forgives. But as servant of God I can beseech Him for the sins of others: and so I have besought Him for this sick man, and I am sure that God has heard my prayer. Therefore, so that you may know the truth, I say to this sick man, 'In the name of the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham and his sons, rise up healed!'" And when Jesus had said this, the sick man rose up healed, and glorified God.
Gospel of Barnabas 71:3
Then the common people besought Jesus that he would beseech God for the sick who stood outside. Whereupon Jesus went out to them, and having lifted up his hands, he said, "Lord God of hosts, the living God, the true God, the holy God, that will never die; have mercy upon them!" Whereupon everyone answered, "Amen." And this having been said, Jesus laid his hands upon the sick folk, and they all received their health. Thereupon they magnified God, saying, "God has visited us by His prophet, and God has sent a great prophet to us."
Gospel of Barnabas 72:1
At night, Jesus spoke in secret with his disciples, saying, "Truly I say to you that Satan desires to sift you as wheat; but I have besought God for you, and none among you will perish except he who lays snares for me." And he said this about Judas, because the angel Gabriel said to him how Judas had a hand with the priests, and reported all to them that Jesus spoke.
Gospel of Barnabas 72:2
With tears, he who writes this saying drew near to Jesus, "O master, tell me, who is he who should betray you?" Jesus answered, saying, "O Barnabas, this is not the hour for you to know him, but soon the wicked one will reveal himself, because I will depart from the world." Then the apostles wept, saying, "O master, why will you forsake us? It is much better that we should die than be forsaken by you!"
Gospel of Barnabas 72:3
Jesus answered, "Do not let your heart be troubled, neither be fearful, for I have not created you, but God our Creator who has created you will protect you. As for me, I have now come to the world to prepare the way for the messenger of God, who will bring salvation to the world. But beware so that you are not deceived, for many false prophets will come, who will take my words and contaminate my Gospel."
Gospel of Barnabas 72:4
Then Andrew said, "Master tell us some sign, so that we may know him." Jesus answered, "He will not come in your time, but will come some years after you, when my Gospel will be annulled, insomuch that there will scarcely be thirty faithful. At that time, God will have mercy on the world, and so He will send His messenger, over whose head will rest a white cloud, whereby he will be known of one elect of God, and will be manifested to the world by him. He will come with great power against the ungodly, and will destroy idolatry upon the earth. And it rejoices me because our God will be known and glorified through him, and I will be known to be true; and he will execute vengeance against those who will say that I am more than man.
Gospel of Barnabas 72:5
Truly I say to you that the moon will minister sleep to him in his boyhood, and when he will be grown up, he will take her in his hands. Let the world beware of casting him out because he will slay the idolaters, for many more were slain by Moses, the servant of God, and Joshua, who did not spare the cities which they burnt, and slew the children; for one applies fire to an old wound. He will come with truth more clear than that of all the prophets, and will reprove him who uses the world amiss. The towers of the city of our father will greet one another for joy, and so when idolatry will be seen to fall to the ground and confess me a man like other men, truly I say to you, the messenger of God will come.
Gospel of Barnabas 73:1
Truly I say to you, that Satan will try whether you are friends of God; because no one assails his own cities if Satan should have his will over you, he would allow you to glide at your own pleasure; but because he knows that you are enemies to him, he will do every violence to make you perish. But do not fear, for he will be against you as a dog that is chained, because God has heard my prayer." John answered, "O master, not only for us, but for those who will believe the Gospel, tell us how the ancient tempter lays wait for man."
Gospel of Barnabas 73:2
Jesus answered, "That wicked one tempts in four ways. The first is when he tempts by himself, with thoughts. The second is when he tempts with words and deeds by means of his servants; the third is when he tempts with false doctrine; the fourth is when he tempts with false visions. Now how cautious men should be, and all the more accordingly as he has in his favor, the flesh of man, which loves sin as he who has fever loves water. Truly I say to you, that if a man fears God, he will have victory over all, as David His prophet says, 'God will give His angels charge over you, who will keep your ways, *Psalms 91:11 so that the devil will not cause you to stumble. A thousand will fall on your left hand, and ten thousand on your right hand, so that they will not come near you.' *Psalms 91:7
Gospel of Barnabas 73:3
Furthermore, our God promised to us with great love by the same David to keep us, saying, 'I give understanding to you, which will teach you; and in your ways wherein you will walk, I will cause My eye to rest upon you.' ~*Psalms 32:8 But what will I say? He has said by Isaiah, 'Can a mother forget the child of her womb?' But I say to you, that when she forgets, I will not forget you. *Isaiah 49:15 Tell me then, who will fear Satan, having the angels for guard and the living God for protection? Nevertheless, it is necessary, as the prophet Solomon says, that 'You, my son, who have come to fear the Lord, prepare your soul for temptations.' Truly I say to you, that a man should do as the banker who examines money, examining his thoughts, that he does not against God his Creator.'
Gospel of Barnabas 74:1
There have been and are men in the world who hold no thought for sin [and] who are in the greatest error. Tell me, how [did] Satan sin? It is certain that he sinned in the thought he was more worthy than man. Solomon sinned in thinking to invite all the creatures of God to a feast, [so] a fish corrected him by eating all that he had prepared. Not without cause, our father David says, 'That to ascend in one's heart sets one in the valley of tears.' And why does God cry by His prophet Isaiah, saying, 'Take away your evil thoughts from My eyes?' And to what purpose [does] Solomon say, 'With all your keeping, keep your heart?'
Gospel of Barnabas 74:2
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, all [Scripture speaks] against the evil thoughts with which sin is committed, for it is not possible to sin without thinking. Now tell me, when the husbandman plants the vineyard, does he set the plants deep? Assuredly yes. Satan does [the same]. In planting sin, [he] does not stop at the eye or the ear, but passes into the heart, which is God's dwelling, as Moses His servant [said], 'I will dwell in them, in order that they may walk in My law.'
Gospel of Barnabas 74:3
Now tell me, if Herod the king gave you a house to keep in which he desired to dwell, would you let Pilate, his enemy, enter there or place his goods in it? Surely not. Then how much less should you let Satan enter into your heart, or place his thoughts [in your heart]. Our God has given you your heart to keep, which is His dwelling.
Gospel of Barnabas 74:4
Observe, therefore, [how] the banker considers [his] money. [He considers] whether the image of Caesar is right, whether the silver is good or false, and whether it is of due weight. He turns it over much in his hand. Ah, mad world! How prudent you are in your business; in the Last Day you will reprove and judge the servants of God of negligence and carelessness, for without doubt your servants are more prudent than the servants of God. Tell me now, who is he who examines a thought as the banker [examines] a silver coin? No one."
Gospel of Barnabas 75:1
Then James said, "O master, how is the examination of a thought like [that of] a coin?" Jesus answered, "The good silver in the thought is piety, because every impious thought comes from the devil. The right image is the example of the holy ones and prophets, which we should follow; and the weight of the thought is the love of God by which all should be done. Whereupon the enemy will bring impious thoughts there against your neighbor, [thoughts] conformed to the world, to corrupt the flesh; [thoughts] of earthly love to corrupt the love of God."
Gospel of Barnabas 75:2
Bartholomew answered, "O master, what should we do to think little, in order that we may not fall into temptation?" Jesus answered, "Two things are necessary for you. The first is to exercise yourselves much, and the second is to talk little, for idleness is a sink wherein every unclean thought is gathered, and too much talking is a sponge which picks up iniquities. It is therefore necessary not only [that] your working should hold the body occupied, but also that the soul [should] be occupied with prayer. For it needs to never cease from prayer.
Gospel of Barnabas 75:3
I tell you for an example, there was a man who paid ill, therefore none that knew him would go to till his fields. Whereupon he, like a wicked man, said, 'I will go to the marketplace to find idle ones who are doing nothing, and will therefore come to till my vines.' This man went forth from his house, and found many strangers who were standing in idleness, and had no money. He spoke to them and led them to his vineyard. But truly, none that knew him and had work for his hands went there.
Gospel of Barnabas 75:4
He is Satan, that one who pays ill; for he gives labor, and man receives the eternal fires for it in his service. Therefore he has gone forth from Paradise, and goes in search of laborers. Assuredly he sets those who stand in idleness to his labors, whoever they are, but much more those who do not know him. It is not in any wise enough for anyone to know evil in order to escape it, but it behoves to work at good in order to overcome it.
Gospel of Barnabas 76:1
I tell you for an example. There was a man who had three vineyards, which he let out to three husbandman. Because the first did not know how to cultivate the vineyard, the vineyard only brought forth leaves. The second taught the third how the vines should be cultivated; and he most excellently listened to his words; and he cultivated his, as he told him, insomuch that the vineyard of the third bore much. But the second left his vineyard uncultivated, spending his time solely in talking. When the time had come for paying the rent to the lord of the vineyard, the first said, 'Lord, I do not know how your vineyard should be cultivated: therefore I have not received any fruit this year.' The lord answered, 'O fool, do you dwell alone in the world, that you have not asked counsel of my second vinedresser, who knows how to cultivate the land well? It is certain that you will pay me.' And having said this, he condemned him to work in prison until he should pay his lord; who, moved with pity at his simplicity, liberated him, saying, 'Begone, for I do not will that you work longer at my vineyard; it is enough for you that I give you your debt.'
Gospel of Barnabas 76:2
The second came, to whom the lord said, 'Welcome, my vinedresser! Where are the fruits that you owe me? Assuredly, since you know how to prune the vines well, the vineyard that I let out to you must have borne much fruit.' The second answered, 'O lord, your vineyard is backward because I have not pruned the wood nor worked up the soil; but the vineyard has not borne fruit, so I cannot pay you.' Whereupon the lord called the third and said with wonder, 'You said to me that this man, to whom I let out the second vineyard, taught you perfectly to cultivate the vineyard which I let out to you. How then can it be that the vineyard I let out to him should not have borne fruit, seeing it is all one soil?'
Gospel of Barnabas 76:3
The third answered, 'Lord, the vines are not cultivated by talking only, but he must sweat a shirt every day who wills to make it bring forth its fruit. And how will your vineyard of your vinedresser bear fruit, O lord, if he does nothing but waste time in talking? Sure it is, O lord, that if he had put his own words into practice, [while] I, who cannot talk so much have given you the rent for two years, he would have given you the rent of the vineyard for five years.' The lord was angry, and said to the vinedresser with scorn, 'And so you have done a great work in not cutting away the wood and leveling the vineyard, therefore there is a great reward owed to you!' And having called his servants, he had him beaten without any mercy. And then he put him into prison under the keeping of a cruel servant who beat him every day, and was never willing to set him free for prayers of his friends.'
Gospel of Barnabas 77:1
Truly I say to you, that on the Day of Judgement, many will say to God, 'Lord, we have preached and taught by Your Law.' Even the stones will cry out against them, saying, 'When you preached to others, you condemned yourselves with your own tongue, O workers of iniquity.' As God lives," Jesus said, "He who knows the truth and works the contrary will be punished with such grievous penalty that Satan will almost have compassion on him. Tell me, now has our God given us the law for knowing or for working? Truly I say to you, that all knowledge has that wisdom which works all it knows for end. Tell me, if one were sitting at the table and beheld delicate meats with his eyes, but should choose unclean things and eat those with his hands, would he not be mad?" "Yes, assuredly," the disciples said.
Gospel of Barnabas 77:2
Then Jesus said, "O you are mad beyond all madmen, O man, that you know heaven with your understanding, and choose earth with your hands; you know God with your understanding, and desire the world with your affection; you know the delights of Paradise with your understanding, and choose the miseries of Hell with your works. Brave soldier, that leaves the sword and carries the scabbard to fight! Now, you do not know that he who walks by night desires light, not only to see the light, but rather to see the good road, in order that he may pass safely to the inn?
Gospel of Barnabas 77:3
O miserable world, to be a thousand times despised and abhorred! Since our God, by His holy prophets, has ever willed to grant it to know the way to go to His country and His rest: but you, wicked one, not only do you not will go, but, which is worse, you have despised the light! The proverb of the camel is true, that it does not like to drink clear water, because it does not desire to see its own ugly face. So does the ungodly who works ill; for he hates the light unless his evil works should be known. But he who receives wisdom, and not only does not work well, but, which is worse, employs it for evil, is like him who should use the gifts as instruments to slay the giver.
Gospel of Barnabas 78:1
Truly I say to you, that God had no compassion on the fall of Satan, but yet [had compassion on the fall of Adam. And let this suffice you to know the unhappy condition of he who knows good and does evil." Then Andrew said, "O master, it is a good thing to leave learning aside, so as not to fall into such condition."
Gospel of Barnabas 78:2
Jesus answered, "If the world is good without the sun, man without eyes, and the soul without understanding, then is it good not to know. Truly I say to you, that bread is not so good for the temporal life as is learning for the eternal life. Do you not know that it is a precept of God to learn? For thus God says, 'Ask your elders, and they will teach you.' And God says of the law, 'See that My precept be before your eyes, and when you sit down, and when you walk, and at all times meditate thereon.' Whether, then, it is good not to learn, you may now know. Oh, he who despises wisdom [is] unhappy, for he is sure to lose eternal life."
Gospel of Barnabas 78:3
James answered, "O master, we know that Job did not learn from a master, nor Abraham; nevertheless they became holy ones and prophets." Jesus answered, "Truly I say to you, that he who is of the bridegroom's house does not need to be invited to the marriage, because he dwells in the house where the marriage is held; but those who are far from the house. Now do you not know that the prophets of God are in the house of God's grace and mercy, and so have the law of God manifest in them, as David our father says on this matter, 'The law of his God is in his heart;' *Psalms 37:31 therefore his path will not be dug up.
Gospel of Barnabas 78:4
Truly I say to you that our God, in creating man, not only created him righteous, but inserted a light in his heart that should show him that it is fitting to serve God. Therefore, even if this light is darkened after sin, yet is it not extinguished. For every nation has this desire to serve God, though they have lost God and serve false and lying gods. Accordingly, it is necessary that a man be taught by the prophets of God, for they have clear light to teach the way to go to Paradise; our country, by serving God well, just as it is necessary that he who has his eyes diseased should be guided and helped."
Gospel of Barnabas 79:1
James answered, "And how will the prophets teach us if they are dead; and how will he be taught who has no knowledge of the prophets?" Jesus answered, "Their doctrine is written down, so that it should be studied, for [the writing] is a prophet to you. Truly, truly, I say to you that he who despises the prophecy despises not only the prophet, but also despises God who has sent the prophet. But concerning such [who] do not know the prophet, as the nations are, I tell you that if any man will live in those regions who lives as his heart will show him, not doing to others that which he would not receive from others, and giving to his neighbor that which he would receive from others, such a man will not be forsaken by the mercy of God.
Gospel of Barnabas 79:2
Therefore at death, if not sooner, God will show him and give him His law with mercy. Perhaps you think that God has given the law for love of the law? Assuredly this is not true, but rather has God given His law in order that man might work good for love of God. And so if God will find a man who works good for love of Him, will He perhaps despise him? Surely no, but rather, He will love him more than those to whom He has given the law.
Gospel of Barnabas 79:3
I tell you for an example: There was a man who had great possessions; and he had desert land in his territory that only bore unfruitful things. And so, as he was walking out one day through such desert land, he found a plant among such unfruitful plants that had delicate fruits. Whereupon this man said, 'Now how does this plant bear these so delicate fruits here? Assuredly, I do not will that it be cut down and put on the fire with the rest.' And having called his servants, he made them dig it up and set it in his garden. Even so, I tell you, that our God will preserve those who work righteousness from the flames of Hell, wheresoever they are.
Gospel of Barnabas 80:1
Tell me, where Job dwelt, but in Uz among idolaters? And at the time of the flood, how does Moses write? Tell me. He says, 'Noah truly found grace before God.' Our father Abraham had a father without faith, for he made and worshiped false idols. Lot abode among the most wicked men on earth. Daniel as a child, with Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar in such wise that they were only two years old when they were taken; and they were nurtured among the multitude of idolatrous servants. As God lives, even as the fire burns dry things and converts them into fire, making no difference between olive and cypress and palm; even so our God has mercy on everyone who works righteously, making no difference between Jew, Scythian, Greek, or Ishmaelite.
Gospel of Barnabas 80:2
But do not let your heart stop there, O James, because where God has sent the prophet, it is necessary entirely to deny your own judgement and to follow the prophet, and not to say, 'Why does he say thus? Why does he thus forbid and command?' But say, 'Thus God wills. Thus God commands.' Now what did God say to Moses when Israel despised Moses? 'They have not despised you, but they have despised Me.' Truly I say to you, that man should spend all the time of his life not in learning how to speak or to read, but in learning how to work well. Now tell me, who is that servant of Herod who would not study to please him by serving him with all diligence? Woe to the world that studies only to please a body that is clay and dung, and does not study but forgets the service of God who has made all things, who is blessed forevermore.
Gospel of Barnabas 81:1
Tell me, would it have been a great sin of the priests, if when they were carrying the ark of the testimony of God, they had let it fall to the ground?" The disciples trembled hearing this, for they knew that God slew Uzzah for having wrongly touched the ark of God. And they said, "Such a sin would be most grievous." Then Jesus said, "As God lives, it is a greater sin to forget the word of God, wherewith He made all things, whereby He offers you eternal life." And having said this, Jesus made prayer; and after the prayer, he said, "Tomorrow we must pass into Samaria, for so has the holy angel of God said to me."
Gospel of Barnabas 81:2
Early on the morning of a certain day, Jesus arrived near the well which Jacob made and gave his son to Joseph. Whereupon Jesus, being wearied with the journey, sent his disciples to the city to buy food. And so he sat himself down by the well, upon the stone of the well. And look, a woman of Samaria comes to the well to draw water. Jesus says to the woman, "Give me [something] to drink." The woman answered, "Now, are you not ashamed that you, being a Hebrew, ask drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman?" *John 4:5 - 9 Jesus answered, "O woman, if you knew who he is that asks you for a drink, perhaps you would have asked him for a drink." The woman answered, "Now how should you give me [something] to drink, seeing you have no vessel to draw the water, nor rope, and the well is deep?"
Gospel of Barnabas 81:3
Jesus answered, "O woman, whoever drinks of the water of this well, thirst comes to him again, but whosoever drinks of the water that I give, has no more thirst; but they give [something] to drink to those who have thirst, insomuch that they come to eternal life." Then the woman said, "O lord, give me of this, your water." Jesus answered, "Go call your husband, and I will give [something] to drink to both of you." The woman said, "I have no husband." Jesus answered, "Well, you have said the truth, for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband." *John 4:13 - 18
Gospel of Barnabas 81:4
The woman was confounded hearing this, and said, "Lord, hereby I perceive that you are a prophet; *John 4:19 therefore tell me, I pray, the Hebrews make prayer on Mount Sion in the temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem, and say that there, and nowhere else [men] find grace and mercy of God. And our people worship on these mountains, and say that only on the mountains of Samaria should worship be made. Who are the true worshipers?"
Gospel of Barnabas 82:1
Then Jesus gave a sigh and wept, saying, "Woe to you, Judea, for you glory, saying, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord," and live as though there were no God; given over wholly to the pleasures and gains of the world; for this woman in the Day of Judgement will condemn you to Hell; for this woman seeks to know how to find grace and mercy before God."
Gospel of Barnabas 82:2
And turning to the woman he said, "O woman, you Samaritans worship that which you do not know, but we Hebrews worship that which we know. *John 4:22 Truly, I say to you, that God is spirit and truth, and so He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. For the promise of God was made in Jerusalem, in the temple of Solomon, and not elsewhere. But believe me, a time will come that God will give His mercy in another city, and it will be possible to worship Him in truth in every place. And God will have accepted true prayer with mercy in every place."
Gospel of Barnabas 82:3
The woman answered, "We look for the Messiah; when he comes, he will teach us." Jesus answered, "Do you know, woman, that the Messiah must come?" She answered, "Yes, lord." Then Jesus rejoiced, and said, "So far as I see, O woman, you are faithful: know therefore that in the faith of the Messiah, everyone who is elect of God will be saved; therefore it is necessary that you know the coming of the Messiah." The woman said, "O lord, perhaps you are the Messiah." Jesus answered, "I am indeed sent to the house of Israel as a prophet of salvation; but the Messiah will come after me, !*3:45 sent by God to all the world; for whom God has made the world.
Gospel of Barnabas 82:4
And then God will be worshipped through all the world, and mercy received, insomuch that the year of jubilee, which now comes every hundred years, will, by the Messiah, be reduced to every year in every place." Then the woman left her waterpot and ran to the city to announce all that she had heard from Jesus.
Gospel of Barnabas 83:1
While the woman was talking with Jesus, his disciples came and marveled that Jesus was speaking so with a woman. Yet no one said to him, "Why do you speak thus with a Samaritan woman?" *John 4:27 Whereupon, when the woman departed, they said, "Master, come and eat." Jesus answered, "I must eat other food."
Gospel of Barnabas 83:2
Then the disciples said to one another, "Perhaps some wayfarer has spoken with Jesus and has gone to find him food." And they questioned him who writes this, saying, "Has there been any one here, O Barnabas, who might have brought food to the master?" Then he who writes answered, "There has not been here any other than the woman whom you saw, who brought this empty vessel to fill it with water." Then the disciples stood amazed, awaiting the issue of the words of Jesus. Whereupon Jesus said, "You do not know that the true food is to do the will of God; because it is not bread that sustains man and gives him life, but rather the word of God, by His will. And so for this reason, the holy angels do not eat, but live nourished only by the will of God. And thus we, Moses and Elijah and yet another, have been forty days and forty nights; without any food."
Gospel of Barnabas 83:3
And lifting up his eyes, Jesus said, "How far off is the harvest?" The disciples answered, "Three months." Jesus said, "Look now, how the mountain is white with corn; truly I say to you, that today there is a great harvest to be reaped." And then he pointed to the multitude who had come to see him. For the woman, having entered into the city, had moved all the city, saying, "O men, come and see a new prophet sent from God to the house of Israel;" and she recounted to them all that she had heard from Jesus. When they had come there they besought Jesus to abide with them; and he entered into the city and abode there two days, healing all the sick, and teaching concerning the kingdom of God. Then the citizens said to the woman, "We believe more in his words and miracles than we do in what you said; for he is indeed a holy one of God, a prophet sent for the salvation of those who will believe him."
Gospel of Barnabas 83:4
After the prayer of midnight; the disciples came near Jesus, and he said to them, "This night will be in the time of the Messiah, messenger of God, the jubilee every year that now comes every hundred years. Therefore I do not will that we sleep, but let us make prayer, bowing our head a hundred times, doing reverence to our God, Almighty and Merciful, who is blessed forevermore, and therefore each time let us say, 'I confess You, our God alone, that has not had beginning, nor will ever have end; for You gave to all things their beginning by Your mercy, and You will give an end to all by Your justice; that has no likeness among men, because You are not subject to motion nor to any accident in Your infinite goodness. Have mercy on us, for You have created us, and we are the works of Your hand."
Gospel of Barnabas 84:1
Having made the prayer, Jesus said, "Let us give thanks to God because He has given great mercy to us this night; for that He has made the time to come back that must pass in the night, in that we have made prayer in union with the messenger of God. And I have heard His voice." The disciples rejoiced greatly at hearing this and said, "Master, teach us some precepts this night." Then Jesus said, "Have you ever seen dung mixed with balsam?" They answered, "No, lord, for no one is so mad as to do this thing."
Gospel of Barnabas 84:2
"Now I tell you that there are greater madmen in the world," Jesus said, "Because they mingle the service of the world with the service of God. So much so that many of blameless life have been deceived by Satan, and have mingled worldly business with their prayer while praying, whereupon they have become, at that time, abominable in the sight of God. Tell me, when you wash yourselves for prayer, do you take care that no unclean thing touches you? Yes, assuredly. But what do you when you are making prayer? You wash your soul from sins through the mercy of God. Would you be willing then, while you are making prayer, to speak of worldly things? Take care not to do so, for every worldly word becomes dung of the devil upon the soul of him who speaks."
Gospel of Barnabas 84:3
Then the disciples trembled, because he spoke with vehemence of spirit; and they said, "O master, what will we do if, when we are making prayer, a friend will come to speak to us?" Jesus answered, "Allow him to wait, and finish the prayer." Bartholomew said, "But what if he will be offended and go his way, when he sees that we do not speak with him?" Jesus answered, "If he will be offended, believe me, he will not be a friend of yours nor a believer, but rather an unbeliever and a companion of Satan. Tell me, if you went to speak with a stable boy of Herod, and found him speaking into Herod's ears, would you be offended if he made you wait? No, assuredly; but you would be comforted at seeing your friend in favor with the king. Is this true?" Jesus said.
Gospel of Barnabas 84:4
The disciples answered, "It is most true." Then Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, that everyone, when he prays, speaks with God. Is it then right that you should leave speaking with God in order to speak with man? Is it right that your friend should, be offended for this cause, because you have more reverence for God than for him? Believe me that if he will be offended when you make him wait, he is a good servant of the evil. For the devil desires this, that God should be forsaken for man. As God lives, in every good work, he who fears God should separate himself from the works of the world, so as to not corrupt the good work.
Gospel of Barnabas 85:1
When a man works ill or talks ill, if one goes to correct him and hinders such work, what does such a one do?" Jesus said. The disciples answered, "He does well, because he serves God, who always seeks to hinder evil, even as the sun that always seeks to chase away the darkness."
Gospel of Barnabas 85:2
Jesus said, "And I tell you on the contrary that when one works well or speaks well, whosoever seeks to hinder him, under pretext of nothing that is not better, he serves the devil, no, he even becomes his companion. For the devil attends to nothing else but to hinder every good thing. But what will I say to you now? I will say to you as Solomon the prophet said, holy one, and friend of God, 'Of a thousand whom you know, one is your friend.'" Then Matthew said, "Then will we not be able to love anyone?"
Gospel of Barnabas 85:3
Jesus answered, "Truly I say to you, that it is not lawful for you to hate anything except only sin, insomuch that you cannot hate even Satan as a creature of God, but rather as enemy of God. Do you know why? I will tell you; because he is a creature of God, and all that God has created is good and perfect. Accordingly, whoever hates the creature hates also the Creator. But the friend is a singular thing, that is not easily found, but is easily lost. For the friend will not allow contradiction against Him whom he supremely loves. Beware, be cautious, and do not choose one who does not love Him whom you love for a friend. Do you know what friend means? Friend means nothing but physician of the soul. And so, just as one rarely finds a good physician who knows the sicknesses and understands to apply the medicines thereto, so also are friends rare who know the faults and understand how to guide to good. But herein is an evil, that there are many who have friends that do not feign to see the faults of their friend; others excuse them; others defend them under earthly pretext; and what is worse, there are friends who invite and aid their friend to err, whose end will be like their villainy. Beware that you do not receive such men for friends, for that in truth, they are enemies and slayers of the soul.
Gospel of Barnabas 86:1
Let your friend be such that, even as he wills to correct you, so he may receive correction; and even as he wills that you should leave all things for love of God, even so again it may content him that you forsake him for the service of God. But tell me, if a man does not know how to love God, how will he know how to love himself; and how will he know how to love others, not knowing how to love himself? Assuredly, this is impossible. Therefore when you choose one for a friend (for truly he is supremely poor who has no friend at all), see that you first consider, not his fine lineage, not his fine family, not his fine house, not his fine clothing, not his fine person, nor yet his fine words, for you will be easily deceived.
Gospel of Barnabas 86:2
But look how he fears God, how he despises earthly things, how he loves good works, and above all, how he hates his own flesh, and so you will easily find the true friend, if he will fear God above all things, and will despise the vanities of the world; if he will always be occupied in good works, and will hate his own body as a cruel enemy. Nor yet will you love such a friend in such wise that your love stays in him, for [so] you will be an idolater. But love him as a gift that God has given you, for so will God adorn [him] with greater favor. Truly I say to you, that he who has found a true friend has found one of the delights of Paradise; no, such is the key of Paradise."
Gospel of Barnabas 86:3
Thaddaeus answered, "But if a man will perhaps have a friend who is not such as you have said, O master? What should he do? Should he forsake him?" Jesus answered, "He should do as the mariner does with the ship, who sails it so long as he perceives it to be profitable, but when he sees it to be a loss, he forsakes it. So will you do with your friend that is worse than you, in those things wherein he is an offence to you, leave him if you would not be left of the mercy of God.
Gospel of Barnabas 87:1
Woe to the world because of offences. It must be that the offence comes, because all the world lies in wickedness. But yet woe to that man through whom the offence comes. It were better for the man if he should have a millstone about his neck and should be sunk in the depths of the sea *Luke 17:1 - 2 than that he should offend his neighbor. If your eye is an offence to you, pluck it out. For it is better that you go with only one eye into Paradise than with both of them into Hell. If your hand or your foot offends you, do likewise; for it is better that you go into the kingdom of heaven with one foot or with one hand, than with two hands and two feet go into Hell." *Matthew 18:7 - 9
Gospel of Barnabas 87:2
Simon said, called Peter, "Lord, how must I do this? Certainly it is that I will be dismembered in a short time." Jesus answered, "O Peter, put off fleshly prudence and straightway you will find the truth. For he who teaches you is your eye, and he who helps you to work is your foot, and he who ministers anything to you is your hand. Therefore when such are an occasion of sin to you, leave them; for it is better for you to go into Paradise ignorant, with few works and poor, than to go into Hell wise, with great works, and rich. Everything that may hinder you from serving God, cast it from you as a man casts away everything that hinders his sight."
Gospel of Barnabas 87:3
And having said this, Jesus called Peter close to him, and said to him, "If your brother will sin against you, go and correct him. If he amends, rejoice, for you have gained your brother; but if he will not amend, go and call afresh two witnesses and correct him afresh; and if he will not amend, go and tell it to the church; and if he will not then amend, count him for an unbeliever, *Matthew 18:15 - 17 and therefore you will not dwell under the same roof whereunder he dwells, you will not eat at the same table whereat he sits, and you will not speak with him; insomuch that if you know where he sets his foot in walking, you will not set your foot there."
Gospel of Barnabas 88:1
But beware that you do not hold yourself for better; rather you will say thus, 'Peter, Peter, if God did not help you with His grace, you would be worse than him.'" Peter answered, "How must I correct him?"
Gospel of Barnabas 88:2
Jesus answered, "In the way that you yourself would fain be corrected, and as you would fain be borne with, so bear with others. Believe me, Peter, for truly I say to you that every time you will correct your brother with mercy, you will receive mercy from God, and your words will bear some fruit; but if you will do it with rigour, you will be rigorously punished by the justice of God, and will bear no fruit. Tell me, Peter, those earthen pots wherein the poor cook their food, they wash them, perhaps with stones and iron hammers? No, assuredly; but rather with hot water. Vessels are broken in pieces with iron, things of wood are burned with fire; but man is amended with mercy. Therefore, when you will correct your brother, you will say to yourself, "If God does not help me, tomorrow I will do worse than all that he has done today."
Gospel of Barnabas 88:3
Peter answered, "How many times must I forgive my brother, O master?" Jesus answered, "As many times as you would fain be forgiven by him." Said Peter, "Seven times a day?" Jesus answered, "Not only seven, but you will forgive him every day seventy times seven; *Matthew 18:21 - 22 for he who forgives, it will be forgiven to him, and he who condemns will be condemned." Then he who writes this said, "Woe to princes! For they will go to Hell"
Gospel of Barnabas 88:4
Jesus reproved him, saying, "You have become foolish, O Barnabas. in that you have spoken thus. Truly I say to you, that the bath is not so necessary for the body, the bit for the horse, and the tiller for the ship, as the prince is necessary for the state. And for what cause did God give Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, and Solomon, and so many others who passed judgement? God has given the sword to such for the extirpation of iniquity."
Gospel of Barnabas 88:5
Then he who writes this said, "Now, how should judgement be given, condemning and pardoning?" Jesus answered, "Not everyone is a judge, for it appertains to the judge alone to condemn others, O Barnabas. And the judge should condemn the guilty, even as the father commands a putrefied member to be cut off from his son, in order that the whole body may not become putrefied."
Gospel of Barnabas 89:1
Peter said, "How long must I wait for my brother to repent?" Jesus answered, "So long as you would be waited for." Peter answered, "Not everyone will understand this; therefore speak more plainly to us." Jesus answered, "Wait for your brother as long as God waits for him." "Neither will they understand this," Peter said. Jesus answered, "Wait for him so long as he has time to repent."
Gospel of Barnabas 89:2
Then Peter was sad, and the others also, because they did not understand the meaning. Whereupon Jesus answered, "If you had sound understanding, and knew that you yourselves were sinners, you would not ever think to cut off your heart from mercy to the sinner. And so I tell you plainly, that the sinner should be waited for so that he may repent, so long as he has a soul beneath his teeth to breathe. For so does our God wait for him, the Almighty and Merciful. God did not say, 'In that hour that the sinner will fast, do alms, make prayer, and go on pilgrimage, I will forgive him.' Therefore many have accomplished this, and are damned eternally. But He said, 'In that hour that the sinner will bewail his sins, I will not remember his iniquities any more for My part.' Do you understand?" Jesus said.
Gospel of Barnabas 89:3
The disciples answered, "We understand part, and not part." Jesus said, "Which is the part that you do not understand?" They answered, "That many who have made prayer with fastings are damned." Then Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, that the hypocrites and the Gentiles make more prayers, more alms, and more fasts than the friends of God. But because they have no faith, they are not able to repent for love of God, and so they are damned." Then John said, "Teach us, for love of God, the faith." Jesus answered, "It is time that we say the prayer of the dawn." Whereupon they arose, and having washed themselves, made prayer to our God, who is blessed forevermore.
Gospel of Barnabas 90:1
When the prayer was done, his disciples again drew near to Jesus, and he opened his mouth and said, "Draw near, John, for today I will speak to you of all that you have asked. Faith is a seal whereby God seals His elect, which seal He gave to His messenger, at whose hands everyone who is elect has received the faith. For even as God is one, so is the faith one. Therefore God, having created all things before His messenger, gave the faith to him before anything else, which is, as it were, a likeness of God and of all that God has done and said. And so the faithful sees all things by faith, better than one sees with his eyes; because the eyes can err; no they almost always err; but faith never errs, for it has God and His word for a foundation. Believe me that by faith, all the elect of God are saved. And it is certain that without faith, it is impossible for anyone to please God. Therefore Satan does not seek to bring fastings and prayer, alms and pilgrimages to nothing, no, rather, he incites unbelievers thereto, for he takes pleasure in seeing man work without receiving pay. But he takes pain with all diligence to bring faith to nothing, therefore faith should especially be guarded with diligence, and the safest course will be to abandon the 'Why,' seeing that the 'Why,' drove men out of Paradise and changed Satan from a most beautiful angel into a horrible devil."
Gospel of Barnabas 90:2
Then John said, "Now, how will we abandon the 'Why,' seeing that it is the gate of knowledge?" Jesus answered, "No, rather the 'Why' is the gate of Hell." Thereupon John kept silence, when Jesus added, "When you know that God has said a thing, who are you, O man, that you should say, 'Why have You so said, O God, why have You so done?' Shall the earthen vessel, perhaps, say to its maker, 'Why have you made me to hold water and not to contain balsam?' Truly I say to you, it is necessary against every temptation to strengthen yourself with this word, saying 'God has so said;' 'So has God done;' 'God so wills;' for doing so you will live safely."
Gospel of Barnabas 91:1
At this time, there was a great disturbance throughout Judea because of Jesus. The Roman soldiery, through the operation of Satan, [had] stirred up the Hebrews, saying that Jesus was God coming to visit them. [The] sedition [that] arose [was] so great, that near the Forty Days, all Judea was in arms, such that the son was against the father, and the brother against the brother. Some said that Jesus was God coming to the world; others said, 'No, but he is a son of God;' and others said, 'No, for God has no human similitude, and therefore does not beget sons; but Jesus of Nazareth is a prophet of God.' This [sedition] arose because of the great miracles which Jesus did.
Gospel of Barnabas 91:2
To quiet the people, it was necessary that the high priest should ride in procession, clothed in his priestly robes, with the holy name of God, the tetragrammaton, on his forehead, and the governor Pilate, and Herod rode in a similar manner. Then, three armies assembled in Mizpeh, each one of two hundred thousand men that bore a sword. Herod spoke to them, but they were not quieted. Then the governor and the high priest spoke, saying, "Brothers, this war [has been] aroused by the work of Satan, for Jesus is alive, and we should resort to him, and ask him to give testimony of himself, and then believe him, according to his word."
Gospel of Barnabas 91:3
So at this, everyone was quieted; and having laid down their arms, they all embraced one another, saying to one another, 'Forgive me, brother!' On that day, therefore, everyone laid this in his heart, to believe [whatever] Jesus said. The governor and the high priest offered great rewards to whoever should come [foward and] announce where Jesus was to be found.
Gospel of Barnabas 92:1
At this time, by the word of the holy angel, we [had] gone to Mount Sinai with Jesus. There, Jesus [and] his disciples kept for the forty days.
Gospel of Barnabas 92:2
When this had past, Jesus drew near to the river Jordan, to go to Jerusalem. And he was seen by one of those who believed Jesus to be God. Then, crying with great gladness [over and over] "Our God comes!" he reached the city [and] moved the whole city saying, "Our God comes, O Jerusalem; prepare to receive him!" And he testified that he had seen Jesus near [the] Jordan.
Gospel of Barnabas 92:3
Then everyone, small and great, went out from the city to see Jesus, so that the city was left empty, for the women [carried] their children in their arms, and forgot to take food to eat. When they [saw] this, the governor and the high priest rode forth and sent a messenger to Herod, who [also] rode forth to find Jesus, in order to quiet the sedition of the people. For they sought him in the wilderness near [the] Jordan for two days, and they found him the third day, near the hour of midday, when he was purifying himself for prayer (with his disciples), according to the Book of Moses.
Gospel of Barnabas 92:4
Jesus marveled greatly, seeing the multitude which covered the ground with people, and [he] said to his disciples, "Perhaps Satan has raised sedition in Judea. May it please God to take the dominion away from Satan which he has over sinners." And when he had said this, the crowd drew near, and when they knew him, they began to cry out, "Welcome you, O our God!" And they began to do him reverence, as to God. Jesus gave a great groan and said, "Get from before me, O madmen, for I fear [that] the earth will open and devour me with you for your abominable words!" At this, the people were filled with terror and began to weep.
Gospel of Barnabas 93:1
Then Jesus, having lifted his hand in token of silence, said, "Truly you have greatly erred, O Israelites, in calling me, [who am] a man, your God. And I fear that God may give a heavy plague for this upon the holy city, handing it over in servitude to strangers. O a thousand times accursed Satan, that has moved you to this!"
Gospel of Barnabas 93:2
And having said this, Jesus struck his face with both his hands, whereupon arose such a noise of weeping that none could hear what Jesus was saying. Whereupon once more, he lifted up his hand in token of silence, and the people, being quieted from their weeping, he spoke once more,
Gospel of Barnabas 93:3
"I confess before heaven, and I call to witness everything that dwells upon the earth, that I am a stranger to all that you have said; seeing that I am man, born of a mortal woman, subject to the Judgement of God, suffering the miseries of eating and sleeping, of cold and heat, like other men. Whereupon, when God will come to judge, my words will pierce each one [of them] like a sword who believe me to be more than a man." And having said this, Jesus saw a great multitude of horsemen, whereby he perceived that the governor was coming with Herod and the high priest. Then Jesus said, "Perhaps they also have become mad."
Gospel of Barnabas 93:4
When the governor arrived there, with Herod and the priest, everyone dismounted, and they made a circle round about Jesus, insomuch that the soldiery could not keep the people back that were desirous to hear Jesus speaking with the priest. Jesus drew near to the priest with reverence, but he was wishful to bow himself down and worship Jesus, when Jesus cried out, "Beware of that which you do, priest of the living God! Do not sin against our God!"
Gospel of Barnabas 93:5
The priest answered, "Now Judea is so greatly moved over your signs and your teaching that they cry out that you are God; therefore, constrained by the people, I have come here with the Roman governor and king Herod. We pray you therefore from our heart, that you will be content to remove the sedition which has arisen on your account. For some say you are God, some say you are son of God, and some say you are a prophet."
Gospel of Barnabas 93:6
Jesus answered, "And you, O high priest of God, why have you not quieted this sedition? Have you also perhaps, gone out of your mind? Have the prophecies, with the law of God, so passed into oblivion, O wretched Judea, deceived by Satan!"
Gospel of Barnabas 94:1
And having said this, Jesus said again, "I confess before heaven, and call to witness everything that dwells upon the earth, that I am a stranger to all that men have said of me, to wit, that I am more than a man. For I am a man, born of a woman, subject to the Judgement of God; who lives here as other men, subject to the common miseries. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, you have greatly sinned, O priest, in saying what you have said. May it please God that great vengeance does not come upon the holy city for this sin." Then the priest said, "May God pardon us, and may you pray for us." Then the governor and Herod said, "Sir, it is impossible that a man should do that which you do; therefore we do not understand that which you say."
Gospel of Barnabas 94:2
Jesus answered, "That which you say is true, for God works good in man, even as Satan works evil. For man is like a shop, wherein whoever enters with his consent, works and sells therein. But tell me, O governor, and you O king, you say this because you are strangers to our law, for if you read the testament and covenant of our God, you would see that Moses, with a rod, made the water turn into blood, the dust into fleas, the dew into tempest, and the light into darkness. He made the frogs and mice to come into Egypt, which covered the ground, he slew the firstborn, and opened the sea, wherein he drowned Pharaoh. I have done none of these things.
Gospel of Barnabas 94:3
And of Moses, everyone confesses that he is a dead man at this present. Joshua made the sun to stand still, and opened the Jordan, which I have not yet done. And of Joshua, everyone confesses that he is a dead man at this present. Elijah made fire to visibly come down from heaven, and rain, which I have not done. And of Elijah, everyone confesses that he is a man. And [in like manner,] very many other prophets, holy men, friends of God, who have done things in the power of God which cannot be grasped by the minds of those who do not know our God, Almighty and Merciful, who is blessed forevermore."
Gospel of Barnabas 95:1
Accordingly, the governor and the priest and the king implored Jesus that in order to quiet the people, he should mount up into a lofty place and speak to the people. Then Jesus went up on to one of the twelve stones, which Joshua made the twelve tribes take up from the midst of Jordan, when all Israel passed over there dry-shoed; and he said with a loud voice, "Let our priest go up into a high place where he may confirm my words." Thereupon the priest went up there; to whom Jesus said distinctly, so that everyone might hear, "It is written in the testament and covenant of the living God that our God has no beginning, neither will He ever have an end." The priest answered, "Even so is it written therein."
Gospel of Barnabas 95:2
Jesus said, "It is written there, that our God, has created all things by His word alone." "Even so it is," the priest said. Jesus said, "It is written there that God is invisible and hidden from the mind of man, seeing He is incorporeal and uncomposed, without variableness." "So it is, truly" the priest said. Jesus said, "It is written there how the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, *2 Chronicles 2:6 seeing that our God is infinite." "So said the prophet Solomon," the priest said, "O Jesus." Jesus said, "It is written there that God has no need, forasmuch as He does not eat, does not sleep, and does not suffer from any deficiency." "So is it," the priest said.
Gospel of Barnabas 95:3
Jesus said, "It is written there that our God is everywhere, and that there is not any other God but Him, who strikes down and makes whole, and does all that pleases Him." "So it is written," the priest replied. Then Jesus, having lifted up his hands, said, "Lord our God, this is my faith wherewith I will come to Your Judgement, in testimony against everyone who will believe the contrary."
Gospel of Barnabas 95:4
And turning himself towards the people, he said, "Repent, for from all that of which the priest has said, that it is written in the Book of Moses, the covenant of God forever, you may perceive your sin; for that I am a visible man and a morsel of clay that walks upon the earth, mortal as other men are. And I have had a beginning, and will have an end, and [am] such that I cannot create a fly over again."
Gospel of Barnabas 95:5
Thereupon the people raised their voices weeping, and said, "We have sinned, Lord our God, against You; have mercy upon us. And they implored Jesus, everyone, that he would pray for the safety of the holy city, that our God, in His anger, should not give it over to be trodden down by the nations. Thereupon Jesus, having lifted up his hands, prayed for the holy city and for the people of God, everyone crying, "So be it, amen."
Gospel of Barnabas 96:1
When the prayer had ended, the priest said with a loud voice, "Stay, Jesus, for we need to know who you are, for the quieting of our nation." Jesus answered, "I am Jesus, son of Mary, of the seed of David, a man who is mortal and fears God, and I seek that honor and glory are given to God."
Gospel of Barnabas 96:2
The priest answered, "It is written in the Book of Moses that our God must send us the Messiah, who will come to announce to us that which God wills, and will bring the mercy of God to the world. Therefore I implore you, tell us the truth, are you the Messiah of God whom we expect?"
Gospel of Barnabas 96:3
Jesus answered, "It is true that God has promised so, but indeed I am not him, !*3:45 for he is made before me, and will come after me." The priest answered, "By your words and signs at any rate, we believe you to be a prophet and a holy one of God, therefore I implore you in the name of all Judea and Israel, that you, for love of God, should tell us in what wise the Messiah will come.
Gospel of Barnabas 97:1
Jesus answered, "As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, I am not the Messiah !*3:45 whom all the tribes of the earth expect, even as God promised to our father Abraham, saying, 'I will bless all the tribes of the earth in your seed.' But when God will take me away from the world, Satan will again raise this accursed sedition, by making the impious believe that I am God and son of God, where my words and my doctrine will be contaminated, insomuch that there will scarcely remain thirty faithful ones, whereupon God will have mercy upon the world, and will send His messenger for whom He has made all things, who will come from the south with power, and will destroy the idols with the idolaters, who will take away the dominion from Satan which he has over men. He will bring the mercy of God with him for salvation of those who will believe in him, and blessed is he who will believe his words. Though I am unworthy to untie his hosen, I have received grace and mercy from God to see him."
Gospel of Barnabas 97:2
Then the priest answered with the governor and the king, saying, "Do not distress yourself, O Jesus, holy one of God, because this sedition will not be anymore in our time, seeing that we will write to the sacred Roman senate in such wise that, by imperial decree, none will call you God or son of God anymore."
Gospel of Barnabas 97:3
Then Jesus said, "I am not consoled with your words, because where you hope for light, darkness will come; but my consolation is in the coming of the messenger, who will destroy every false opinion of me, and his faith will spread and will take hold of the whole world, for God has so promised to Abraham our father. And that which gives me consolation is that his faith will have no end, but will be kept inviolate by God." The priest answered, "After the coming of the messenger of God, will other prophets come?"
Gospel of Barnabas 97:4
Jesus answered, "True prophets sent by God will not come after him, but a great number of false prophets will come, whereat I sorrow. For Satan will raise them up by the just judgement of God, and they will hide themselves under the pretext of my Gospel." Herod answered, "How is it a just judgement of God that such impious men should come?"
Gospel of Barnabas 97:5
Jesus answered, "It is just that he who will not believe in the truth to his salvation should believe in a lie to his damnation. Therefore I say to you, that the world has forever despised the true prophets and loved the false, as can be seen in the time of Micaiah and Jeremiah. For every like loves his like."
Gospel of Barnabas 97:6
Then the priest said, "How will the Messiah be called, and what sign will reveal his coming?" Jesus answered, "The name of the Messiah is admirable, for God Himself gave him the name when He had created his soul, and placed it in a celestial splendor. God said, 'Wait Muhammad; for your sake I will to create Paradise, the world, and a great multitude of creatures, whereof I make you a present, insomuch that whoever will bless you will be blessed, and whoever will curse you will be accursed. When I will send you into the world I will send you as My messenger of salvation, and your word will be true, insomuch that heaven and earth will fail, but your faith will never fail.' Muhammad is his blessed name." Then the crowd lifted up their voices, saying, "O God, send us Your messenger; O Muhammad, come quickly for the salvation of the world!"
Gospel of Barnabas 98:1
And having said this, the multitude departed with the priest and the governor with Herod, having great disputations concerning Jesus and concerning his doctrine. Whereupon the priest implored the governor to write the whole matter to Rome, to the senate; which thing the governor did; therefore the senate had compassion on Israel, and decreed that on pain of death, none should call Jesus the Nazarene, prophet of the Jews, either God or son of God. Which decree was posted up in the temple, engraved upon copper.
Gospel of Barnabas 98:2
When the greater part of the crowd had departed, about five thousand men remained, without women and children, who, being wearied by the journey, having been without bread for two days, for through longing to see Jesus, they had forgotten to bring any, whereupon they ate raw herbs; therefore they were not able to depart like the others. Then Jesus, when he perceived this, had pity on them and said to Philip, "Where will we find bread for those who do not perish of hunger?" Philip answered, "Lord, two hundred pieces of gold could not buy so much bread that each one should taste a little." Then Andrew said, "There is a child here who has five loaves and two fish, but what will it be among so many?"
Gospel of Barnabas 98:3
Jesus answered, "Make the multitude sit down." And they sat down upon the grass by fifties and by forties. Thereupon Jesus said, "In the name of God!" And he took the bread, and prayed to God and then broke the bread, which he gave to the disciples, and the disciples gave it to the multitude; and they did so with the fish. Everyone ate and everyone was satisfied.
Gospel of Barnabas 98:4
Then Jesus said, "Gather up that which is over." So the disciples gathered those fragments, and filled twelve baskets. *Mark 6:39 - 43, *Matthew 14:19 - 20, *Luke 9:14 - 17 Thereupon everyone put his hand to his eyes, saying, "Am I awake, or do I dream?" And they remained, everyone, for the space of an hour. As it were beside themselves by reason of the great miracle.
Gospel of Barnabas 98:5
Afterwards Jesus, when he had given thanks to God, dismissed them, but there were seventy two men that willed to not leave him; therefore Jesus, perceiving their faith, chose them for disciples.
Gospel of Barnabas 99:1
Jesus, having withdrawn into a hollow part of the desert in Tiro near Jordan, called the seventy two together with the twelve, and when he had seated himself upon a stone, made them to sit near him. And he opened his mouth with a sigh and said, "This day we have seen a great wickedness in Judea and in Israel such that my heart trembles within my breast for fear of God. Truly I say to you, that God is jealous for His honor, and loves Israel as a lover. You know that when a youth loves a lady, and she does not love him, but another, he is moved to indignation and slays his rival. Even so, I tell you, God does: for, when Israel has loved anything such that he forgets God, God has brought such a thing to nothing.
Gospel of Barnabas 99:2
Now what thing is more dear to God here on earth than the priesthood and the holy temple? Nevertheless, in the time of Jeremiah the prophet, when the people had forgotten God, and boasted only of the temple, for there was none like it in all the world, God raised up His wrath by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and caused him to take the holy city with an army and burn it with the sacred temple, *Jeremiah 52:12 - 13 such that the sacred things which the prophets of God trembled to touch were trodden under foot by infidels full of wickedness.
Gospel of Barnabas 99:3
Abraham loved his son Ishmael a little more than was right, so in order to kill that evil love out of the heart of Abraham, God commanded that he should slay his son: which he would have done had the knife cut.
Gospel of Barnabas 99:4
David loved Absalom vehemently, and therefore God brought it to pass that the son rebelled against his father and was suspended by his hair and slain by Joab. O fearful judgement of God, that Absalom loved his hair above all things, and this was turned into a rope to hang him!
Gospel of Barnabas 99:5
Innocent Job came near to loving his seven sons and three daughters [too much], when God gave him into the hand of Satan, who not only deprived him of his sons and his riches in one day, but also struck him with grievous sickness, such that worms came out of his flesh for the next seven years.
Gospel of Barnabas 99:6
Our father Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons, so God caused him to be sold, and caused Jacob to be deceived by these same sons, such that he believed that the beasts had devoured his son, and so lived in mourning for ten years.
Gospel of Barnabas 100:1
As God lives, brothers, I fear that God will be angered against me. Therefore you must go through Judea and Israel, preaching the truth to the twelve tribes, that they may be undeceived." The disciples answered with fear, weeping, "We will do whatever you bid us [to do]."
Gospel of Barnabas 100:2
Then Jesus said, "Let us make prayer and fast for three days, and from henceforth, every evening when the first star will appear, when prayer is made to God, let us make prayer three times, asking Him for mercy three times: because the sin of Israel is three times more grievous than other sins." "So be it," the disciples answered.
Gospel of Barnabas 100:3
When the third day had ended, on the morning of the fourth day, Jesus called all the disciples and apostles together and said to them, "Barnabas and John will stay with me: you others are to go through all the region of Samaria and Judea and Israel, preaching penitence: because the axe is laid near to the tree, to cut it down. And make prayer over the sick, because God has given me authority over every sickness."
Gospel of Barnabas 100:4
Then he who writes said, "O master, if your disciples are asked how they should show penitence, what will they answer?" Jesus answered, "When a man loses a purse, does he only turn his eye back to see it? Or his hand to take it? Or his tongue to ask? No, but he turns his whole body back and employs every power of his soul to find it. Is this true?" Then he who writes answered, "It is most true."
Gospel of Barnabas 101:1
Then Jesus said, "Penitence is a reversing of the evil life, for every sense must be turned around to the contrary of that which it did while sinning. Instead of delight, [there] must be mourning; for laughter, weeping; for revellings, fasts; for sleeping, vigils; for leisure, activity; for lust, chastity; let storytelling be turned into prayer, and avarice into almsgiving." Then he who writes answered, "But if they are asked, how are we to mourn, how are we to weep, how are we to fast, how are we to show activity, how are we to remain chaste, how are we to make prayer and do alms; what answer will they give? And how will they do penance properly if they do not know how to repent."
Gospel of Barnabas 101:2
Jesus answered, "You have asked [a good question], O Barnabas, and I wish to fully answer all if it is pleasing to God. So today I will speak to you of penitence generally, and that which I say to one, I say to all. Know then that penitence, more than anything [else], must be done for pure love of God; otherwise it will be vain to repent. I will speak to you by a similitude. Every building, if its foundation is removed, falls into ruin, is this true?" "It is true," the disciples answered.
Gospel of Barnabas 101:3
Then Jesus said, "The foundation of our salvation is God, without whom there is no salvation. When man has sinned, he has lost the foundation of his salvation; so it is necessary to begin from the foundation. Tell me, if your slaves had offended you, and you knew that they did not grieve at having offended you, but grieved at having lost their reward, would you forgive them? Certainly not. I tell you that this is what God will do to those who repent for having lost Paradise. Satan, the enemy of all good, has great remorse for having lost Paradise and gained Hell. Yet he will he never find mercy. Do you know why? Because he does not love God; no, he hates his Creator.
Gospel of Barnabas 102:1
Truly I say to you, that every animal, according to its own nature, if it loses that which it desires, mourns for the lost good. Accordingly, the sinner who will be truly penitent must have [a] great desire to punish in himself that which he has done in opposition to his Creator: [to the extent that] when he prays, he does not dare to crave Paradise from God, or that God [will] free him from Hell, but in confusion of mind, prostrate before God, he says in his prayer,
Gospel of Barnabas 102:2
'Behold the guilty one, O Lord, who has offended You without any cause at the very time when he should have been serving You.' Here he seeks that what he has done may be punished by Your hand, and not by the hand of Satan, Your enemy; in order that the ungodly may not rejoice over Your creatures. 'Chastise, punish as it pleases You, O Lord, for You will never give me so much torment as this wicked one deserves.' The sinner, holding to this manner of [penitence], will find mercy with God in proportion to [the extent that] he craves justice. Assuredly, [the] laughter of a sinner is an abominable sacrilege since this world is rightly called a vale of tears by our father David.
Gospel of Barnabas 102:3
There was a king who adopted one of his slaves as [his] son [and] he made him lord of all that he possessed. Now it happened that, by the deceit of a wicked man, the wretched one fell under the displeasure of the king, so that he suffered great miseries, not only in his substance, but in being despised, and being deprived of all that he won each day by working. Do you think that such a man would laugh for any time?" "No," the disciples answered, "For if the king should have known it, he would have had him slain, seeing him laugh at the king's displeasure. But it is probable that he would weep day and night."
Gospel of Barnabas 102:4
Then Jesus wept saying, "Woe to the world, for it is sure of eternal torment. O wretched mankind, that God has chosen you as a son, granting you Paradise, at which you, O wretched one, by the operation of Satan, fell under the displeasure of God, and was cast out of Paradise and condemned to the unclean world, where you receive all things with toil and every good work is taken from you by continual sinning. And the world simply laughs, and what is worse, he who is the greatest sinner laughs more than the rest! It will be, therefore, as you have said, that God will give the sentence of eternal death upon the sinner who laughs at his sins and does not weep.
Gospel of Barnabas 103:1
The weeping of the sinner should be like that of a father who weeps over his son [who is] near to death. O madness of man, who weeps over the body from which the soul has departed, and [yet] does not weep over the soul from which the mercy of God has departed because of sin! Tell me, if the mariner, when his ship has been wrecked by a storm, could recover all that he had lost by weeping, what would he do? It is certain that he would weep bitterly. But I say to you truly, that in everything [for which] a man weeps, he sins, except when he weeps for his sin. For every misery that comes to man comes to him from God for his salvation, so that he should rejoice [when it befalls him]. But sin comes from the devil for the damnation of man, and [yet] man is not sad about that. Surely here you can perceive that man seeks loss and not profit."
Gospel of Barnabas 103:2
Bartholomew said, "Lord, what will he do who cannot weep because his heart is a stranger to weeping?" Jesus answered, "Not all those who shed tears weep, O Bartholomew. As God lives, there are men found, from whose eyes, no tear has ever fallen, and they have wept more than a thousand of those who [do] shed tears. The weeping of a sinner is a consumption of earthly affection by vehemence of sorrow.
Gospel of Barnabas 103:3
Just as the sunshine preserves what is placed uppermost from putrefaction, even so this consumption preserves the soul from sin. If God should grant as many tears to the true penitent as the sea has waters, he would desire far more, and so that desire consumes that little drop that he would shed, as a blazing furnace consumes a drop of water. But those who readily burst into weeping are like the horse that goes faster the more lightly he is laden.
Gospel of Barnabas 104:1
Truly there are men who have both the inward affection and the outward tears. But he who is thus, will be [as] Jeremiah. In weeping, God measures the sorrow more than the tears." Then John said, "O master, how does man lose in weeping over things other than sin?" Jesus answered, 'If Herod should give you a mantle to keep for him, and afterwards should take it away from you, would you have reason to weep?' "No," John said. Then Jesus said, "Now man has less reason to weep when he loses anything, or does not have that which he would; for all comes from the hand of God. Accordingly, will God not have power to dispose of His own things at His pleasure, O foolish man? For you have, of your own, sinned alone; and you should weep for that, and not for anything else."
Gospel of Barnabas 104:2
Matthew said, "O master, you have confessed before all Judea that God has no similitude like man, and now you have said that man receives from the hand of God; accordingly, since God has hands, He has a similitude with man." Jesus answered, "You are in error, O Matthew, and many have so erred, not knowing the sense of the words. For man should not consider the outward [form] of the words, but the sense; seeing that human speech is, as it were, an interpreter between us and God. Now did you not know, that when God willed to speak to our fathers on Mount Sinai, our fathers cried out, 'Speak to us, O Moses, and do not let God speak to us, unless we should die"? And what God said by Isaiah the prophet, but that, 'So far as the heaven is distant from the earth, even so are the ways of God distant from the ways of men, and the thoughts of God from the thoughts of men?'
Gospel of Barnabas 105:1
God is so immeasurable that I tremble to describe Him. But it is necessary that I make a proposition to you. I tell you then, that the heavens are nine !*71:15 and that they are distant from one another even as the first heaven is distant from the earth, which is distant from the earth five hundred years' journey. Therefore the earth is distant from the highest heaven four thousand and five hundred years' journey. I tell you accordingly, that [the earth] is in proportion to the first heaven as the point of a needle and the first heaven in like manner is in proportion to the second as a point, and similarly all the heavens are inferior, each one to the next. But all the size of the earth with that of all the heavens is as a point in proportion to Paradise, no, as a grain of sand. Is this greatness immeasurable?" The disciples answered, "Yes, surely."
Gospel of Barnabas 105:2
Then Jesus said, "As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, the universe before God is small as a grain of sand, and God is as many times greater [than it] as it would take grains of sand to fill all the heavens and Paradise, and more. Now consider if God has any proportion with man, who is a little piece of clay that stands upon the earth. Beware then, that you take the sense and not the bare words, if you wish to have eternal life." The disciples answered, "God alone can know Himself, and truly it is as Isaiah the prophet said, 'He is hidden from human senses.'"
Gospel of Barnabas 105:3
Jesus answered, "So it is true; therefore, when we are in Paradise, we will know God, as here one knows the sea from a drop of salt water. Returning to my discourse, I tell you that for sin alone, one should weep, because man forsakes his Creator by sinning. But how will he weep, who attends at revellings and feasts? He will weep even as ice will give fire! You must turn revellings into fasts if you will have lordship over your senses, because even so, our God has Lordship."
Gospel of Barnabas 105:4
Thaddaeus said, "So then, God has sense over which to have lordship." Jesus answered, "Go back to saying, 'God has this,' 'God is such?' Tell me, does man have sense?" "Yes," the disciples answered. Jesus said, "Can a man be found who has life in him, yet sense does not work in him?" "No," the disciples said. "You deceive yourselves," Jesus said, "For he who is blind, deaf, dumb, and mutilated, where is his sense? And when a man is in a swoon?"
Gospel of Barnabas 105:5
Then the disciples were perplexed; when Jesus said, "There are three things that make up a man: that is, the soul and the sense and the flesh, each one separate of itself. Our God created the soul and the body as you have heard, but you have not yet heard how He created the sense. Therefore tomorrow, if God pleases, I will tell you all." And having said this, Jesus gave thanks to God, and prayed for the salvation of our people, every one of us saying, "Amen."
Gospel of Barnabas 106:1
When he had finished the prayer of dawn, Jesus sat down under a palm tree, and his disciples drew near to him there. Then Jesus said, "As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, many are deceived concerning our life. For the soul and the sense are so closely joined together, that the more part of men affirm the soul and the sense to be one and the same thing, dividing it by operation and not by essence, calling it the sensitive, vegetative, and intellectual soul. But truly I say to you, the soul is one, which thinks and lives. O foolish ones, where will they find the intellectual soul without life? Assuredly, never. But life without senses will readily be found, as is seen in the unconscious when the sense leaves him."
Gospel of Barnabas 106:2
Thaddaeus answered, "O master, when the sense leaves the life, a man does not have life." Jesus answered, "This is not true, because man is deprived of life when the soul departs; because the soul does not return to the body anymore, except by a miracle. But sense departs by reason of fear that it receives, or by reason of great sorrow that the soul has. For God has created the sense for pleasure, and it lives by that alone, even as the body lives by food and the soul lives by knowledge and love. This sense is now rebellious against the soul, through indignation that it has at being deprived of the pleasure of Paradise through sin. Therefore there is the greatest need to nourish it with spiritual pleasure for him who does not will that it should live of carnal pleasure. Do you understand?
Gospel of Barnabas 106:3
Truly I say to you, that God, having created it, condemned it to Hell and to intolerable snow and ice; because it said that it was God; but when He deprived it of nourishment, taking away its food from it, it confessed that it was a slave of God and the work of His hands. And now tell me, how does sense work in the ungodly? Assuredly, it is as God in them, seeing that they follow sense, forsaking reason and the law of God. Whereupon they become abominable, and do not work any good.
Gospel of Barnabas 107:1
And so the first thing that follows sorrow for sin is fasting. For he who sees that a certain food makes him sick, he fears death for that, after sorrowing that he has eaten it, forsaken it, so as not to make himself sick. So should the sinner do. Perceiving that pleasure has made him to sin against God his Creator by following sense in these good things of the world, let him sorrow at having done so, because it deprives him of God, his life, and gives him the eternal death of Hell. But because man, while living, has need to take these good things of the world, fasting is needful here. So let him proceed to mortify sense and to know God for his Lord. And when he sees the sense abhor fastings, let him put the condition of Hell before it, where [there is] no pleasure at all but infinite sorrow is received; let him put the delights of Paradise before it, that are so great that a grain of one of the delights of Paradise is greater than all those of the world. For so will it be easily quieted; for that it is better to be content with little in order to receive much, than to be unbridled in little and be deprived of all and abide in torment.
Gospel of Barnabas 107:2
You should remember the rich feast in order to fast well. For he, wishing to fare deliciously every day here on earth, was deprived eternally of a single drop of water; while Lazarus, being content with crumbs here on earth, will live eternally in full abundance of the delights of Paradise. But let the penitent be cautious; for Satan seeks to annul every good work for that, and more in the penitent than in others, for the penitent has rebelled against him for that, and from being his faithful slave, he has turned into a rebellious foe. Whereupon Satan will seek to cause that he will not fast in any wise, under pretext of sickness, and when this will not avail, he will invite him to an extreme fast, in order that he may fall sick and afterwards live deliciously. And if he does not succeed in this, he will seek to make him set his fast simply upon bodily food, in order that he may be like himself, who never eats but always sins.
Gospel of Barnabas 107:3
As God lives, it is abominable to deprive the body of food and fill the soul with pride, despising those who do not fast, and holding oneself better than them. Tell me, will the sick man boast of the diet that is imposed on him by the physician, and call them mad who are not put on a diet? Assuredly not. But he will sorrow for the sickness by reason of which he must be put upon a diet. Even so I say to you, that the penitent should not boast in his fast, and despise those who do not fast; but he should sorrow for the sin by reason whereof he fasts. Nor should the penitent that fasts procure delicate food, but he should content himself with coarse food. Now will a man give delicate food to the dog that bites and to the horse that kicks? Surely no, but rather the contrary. And let this suffice you concerning fasting.
Gospel of Barnabas 108:1
Listen then, to what I will say to you concerning watching. For just as there are two kinds of sleeping, namely, that of the body and that of the soul, even so must you be careful in watching that, while the body watches, the soul does not sleep. For this would be a most grievous error. Tell me, in parable, there is a man who, while walking, strikes himself against a rock, and in order to avoid striking it more with his foot, he strikes with his head; what is the state of such a man?" "Miserable," the disciples answered, "For such a man is frenzied."
Gospel of Barnabas 108:2
Then Jesus said, "You have answered well, for truly I say to you that he who watches with the body and sleeps with the soul is frenzied. As the spiritual infirmity is more grievous than the corporeal, even so, is it more difficult to cure. Why will such a wretched one boast of not sleeping with the body, which is the foot of the life, while he does not perceive his misery that he sleeps with the soul, which is the head of the life? The sleep of the soul is forgetfulness of God and of His fearful Judgement. The soul then that watches is that which perceives God in everything and in every place, and gives thanks to His majesty in everything and through everything and above everything, knowing that it always receives grace and mercy from God at every moment. Therefore, in fear of His majesty, that angelic utterance always resounds in its ear, 'Creatures, come to Judgement, for your Creator wills to judge you.' For it habitually abides forever in the service of God. Tell me, which you desire more: to see by the light of a star or by the light of the sun?"
Gospel of Barnabas 108:3
Andrew answered, "By the light of the sun; for we cannot see the neighboring mountains by the light of the star, and we see the tiniest grain of sand by the light of the sun. Therefore we walk with fear by the light of the star, but we go securely by the light of the sun."
Gospel of Barnabas 109:1
Jesus answered, "Even so I tell you that you should watch with the soul by the sun of justice, [which is] our God, and not to boast yourselves of the watchings of the body. It is most true, therefore, that bodily sleep is to be avoided as much as is possible, but [to avoid it] altogether is impossible, the sense and the flesh being weighed down with food and the mind with business. Therefore let him who will sleep little avoid too much business and much food. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, it is lawful to sleep somewhat every night, but it is never lawful to forget God and His fearful Judgement; and the sleep of the soul is such oblivion."
Gospel of Barnabas 109:2
Then he who writes answered, "O master, how can we always have God in memory? Assuredly, it seems impossible to us." Jesus said with a sigh, "This is the greatest misery that man can suffer, O Barnabas. For man cannot have God his Creator always in memory here upon earth; except those who are holy, for they always have God in memory, because they have the light of the grace of God in them, so that they cannot forget God. But tell me, have you seen those who work quarried stones, how they have so learned by their constant practice to strike, that they speak with others and all the time are striking the iron tool that works the stone without looking at the iron, and yet they do not strike their hands? Now do likewise. Desire to be holy if you wish to overcome this misery of forgetfulness entirely. It is sure that water cleaves the hardest rocks with a single drop striking there for a long period.
Gospel of Barnabas 109:3
Do you know why you have not overcome this misery? Because you have not perceived that it is sin. I tell you then that it is an error, when a prince gives you a present, O man, that you should shut your eyes and turn your back upon him. Even so do they err who forget God, for man receives gifts and mercy from God at all times.
Gospel of Barnabas 110:1
Now tell me, does our God grant you [His bounty] at all times? Assuredly yes; for He unceasingly ministers the breath to you whereby you live. Truly, truly, I say to you, every time that your body receives breath, your heart should say, '[May] God be thanked!'" Then John said, "It is most true what you say, O master; teach us therefore the way to attain this blessed condition."
Gospel of Barnabas 110:2
Jesus answered, "Truly I say to you, one cannot attain such condition by human powers, but rather by the mercy of God our Lord. It is indeed true that man should desire the good in order that God may give it to him. Tell me, when you are at table, do you take those meats which you would not so much as look at? Assuredly no. Even so I say to you that you will not receive that which you will not desire. God is able, if you desire holiness, to make you holy in less time than the twinkling of an eye, but in order that man may be sensible of the gift and the Giver, our God wills that we should wait and ask.
Gospel of Barnabas 110:3
Have you seen those who practice shooting at a mark? Assuredly they shoot many times in vain. Howbeit, they never wish to shoot in vain, but are always in hope to hit the mark. Now do this, you whoever desires to have our God in remembrance, and when you forget, mourn; for God will give you grace to attain all that I have said.
Gospel of Barnabas 110:4
Fasting and spiritual watching are so united with one another that, if one breaks the watch, straightway the fast is broken. For in sinning, a man breaks the fast of the soul and forgets God. So is it that watching and fasting, as regards the soul, are always necessary for us and for all men. For is it lawful to none to sin. But the fasting of the body and its watchings, believe me, they are not possible at all times, nor for all persons. For there are sick and aged folk, women with child, men that are put upon a diet, children and others that are of weak complexion. For indeed everyone, even as he clothes himself according to his proper measure, so should choose his [manner of] fasting. For just as the garments of a child are not suitable for a man of thirty years, even so the watchings and fastings of one are not suitable for another.
Gospel of Barnabas 111:1
But beware that Satan will use all his strength [to bring it to pass] that you [will] watch during the night, and afterward be sleeping when, by commandment of God, you should be praying and listening to the word of God. Tell me, would it please you if a friend of yours should eat the meat and give you the bones?" Peter answered, "No, master, for such a one should not be called a friend, but a mocker."
Gospel of Barnabas 111:2
Jesus answered with a sigh, "You have well said the truth, O Peter, for truly everyone who watches with the body more than is necessary, sleeping or having his head weighed down with slumber when he should be praying or listening to the words of God, such a wretch mocks God his Creator, and so is guilty of such a sin. Moreover, he is a robber, seeing that he steals the time that he should give to God, and spends it when, and as much as, pleases him.
Gospel of Barnabas 111:3
In a vessel of the best wine, a man gave his enemies to drink so long as the wine was at its best, but when the wine came down to the dregs, he gave [it] to his lord to drink. What do you think the master will do to his servant when he will know all, and the servant is before him? Assuredly, he will beat him and slay him in righteous indignation according to the laws of the world. And now what will God do to the man who spends the best of his time in business, and the worst in prayer and study of the law? Woe to the world, because its heart is weighed down with this and with greater sin!
Gospel of Barnabas 111:4
Accordingly, when I said to you that laughter should be turned into weeping, feasts into fasting, and sleep into watching, I compassed in three words all that you have heard, that here on earth one should always weep, and that weeping should be from the heart, because God our Creator is offended; that you should fast in order to have lordship over the sense, and to watch in order not to sin; and that bodily weeping and bodily fasting and watching should be taken according to the constitution of each one."
Gospel of Barnabas 112:1
Having said this, Jesus said, "You must seek of the fruits of the field, the wherewithal to sustain our life, for it is now eight days that we have eaten no bread. Therefore I will pray to our God, and will await you with Barnabas."
Gospel of Barnabas 112:2
So all the disciples and apostles departed by fours and by sixes and went their way according to the word of Jesus. There remained with Jesus, he who writes; whereupon Jesus, weeping, said, "O Barnabas, it is necessary that I should reveal great secrets to you, which, after that I will have departed from the world, you will reveal it." Then he who writes answered, weeping, and said, "Allow me to weep, O master, and other men also, for we are sinners. And you, who are a holy one and prophet of God, it is not fitting for you to weep so much."
Gospel of Barnabas 112:3
Jesus answered, "Believe me, Barnabas, that I cannot weep as much as I should. For if men had not called me God, I should have seen God here as He will be seen in Paradise, and should have been safe to not fear the Day of Judgement. But God knows that I am innocent, because I have never harbored thought to be held more than a poor slave. No, I tell you that if I had not been called God I should have been carried into Paradise when I will depart from the world, whereas now I will not go there until the Judgement. Now you see if I have cause to weep. Know, O Barnabas, that I must have great persecution for this, and will be sold by one of my disciples for thirty pieces of money. Whereupon I am sure that he who will sell me will be slain in my name, for God will take me up from the earth, and will change the appearance of the traitor so that everyone will believe him to be me; nevertheless, when he dies an evil death, I will abide in that dishonor for a long time in the world. But when Muhammad will come, the sacred messenger of God, that infamy will be taken away. And God will do this because I have confessed the truth of the Messiah who will give me this reward, that I will be known to be alive and to be a stranger to that death of infamy."
Gospel of Barnabas 112:4
Then he who writes answered, "O master, tell me who is that wretch, for I fain would choke him to death." "Hold your peace," Jesus answered, "For God so wills, and he cannot do otherwise, but see that when my mother is afflicted at such an event, you tell her the truth, in order that she may be comforted." Then he who writes answered, "I will do all this, O master, if God pleases."
Gospel of Barnabas 113:1
When the disciples had come, they brought pine cones, and they found a good quantity of dates by the will of God. So after the midday prayer, they ate with Jesus. Whereupon the apostles and disciples, seeing him who writes of sad countenance, feared that Jesus must quickly depart from the world. Whereupon Jesus consoled them, saying, "Do not fear, for my hour has not yet come that I should depart from you. I will abide with you still for a little while. Therefore I must teach you now, in order that you may go, as I have said, through all Israel to preach penitence; in order that God may have mercy upon the sin of Israel. Let everyone therefore beware of sloth, and much more he who does penance; because every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and cast into the Fire.
Gospel of Barnabas 113:2
There was a citizen who had a vineyard, and had a garden in the midst thereof, which had a fine fig tree; whereon when the owner came he found no fruit for three years, and seeing every other tree bear fruit there, he said to his vinedresser, 'Cut down this bad tree, for it cumbers the ground.' The vinedresser answered, 'Not so, my lord, for it is a beautiful tree.' 'Hold your peace,' the owner said, 'For I do not care for useless beauties. You should know that the palm and the balsam are nobler than the fig. But I had planted a plant of palm and one of balsam in the courtyard of my house, which I had surrounded with costly walls, but when these bore no fruit, but leaves which heaped themselves up and putrefied the ground in front of the house, I caused them both to be removed. And how will I pardon a fig tree far from the house, which cumbers my garden and my vineyard where every other tree bears fruit? Assuredly I will not allow it any longer.'
Gospel of Barnabas 113:3
Then the vinedresser said, 'Lord, the soil is too rich. Wait therefore, one year more, for I will prune the fig plant's branches, and take the richness of the soil away from it, putting in poor soil with stones, and so it will bear fruit.' The owner answered, 'Now go and do so; for I will wait, and the fig plant will bear fruit.' Do you understand this parable?" The disciples answered, "No, lord, therefore explain it to us."
Gospel of Barnabas 114:1
Jesus answered, "Truly I say to you, the owner is God, and the vinedresser is His law. God then, had the palm and the balsam in Paradise; for Satan is the palm and the first man the balsam. Then He cast [them] out because they did not bear fruit of good works, but uttered ungodly words that were the condemnation of many angels and many men. Now that God has man in the world, in the midst of His creatures that serve God, all of them, according to His precept: and man, I say, bearing no fruit, God would cut him down and commit him to Hell, seeing He did not pardon the angel and the first man, punishing the angel eternally, and the man for a time. Whereupon the law of God says that man has too much good in this life, and so it is necessary that he should suffer tribulation and be deprived of earthly goods, in order that he may do good works. Therefore our God waits for man to be penitent. Truly I say to you, that our God has condemned man to work, so that, as Job said, the friend and prophet of God, 'As the bird is born to fly and the fish to swim, even so is man born to work.'
Gospel of Barnabas 114:2
So also David our father, a prophet of God, says, 'We will be blessed eating the labors of our hands, and it will be well with us.' Therefore let everyone work, according to his quality. Now tell me, if David our father and Solomon his son worked with their hands, what should the sinner do?" John said, "Master, to work is a fitting thing, but the poor should do this."
Gospel of Barnabas 114:3
Jesus answered, "Yes, for they cannot do otherwise. But do you not know that good, to be good, must be free from necessity? Thus the sun and the other planets are strengthened by the precepts of God so that they cannot do otherwise, therefore they will have no merit. Tell me, when God gave the precept to work, did He not say, 'A poor man will live from the sweat of his face?' And did Job not say that, 'As a bird is born to fly, so a poor man is born to work?' But God said to man, 'You will eat bread in the sweat of your countenance,' and Job that 'Man is born to work.' Therefore [only] he who is not man is free from this precept. Assuredly, for no other reason, all things are costly, but there are a great multitude of idle folk; if these were to labor, some attending the ground and some at fishing the water, there would be the greatest plenty in the world. And it will be necessary to render an account of the lack thereof in the dreadful Day of Judgement.
Gospel of Barnabas 115:1
Let man say somewhat to me. What has he brought into the world, by reason of which he would live in idleness? It is certain that he was born naked, and incapable of anything. Hence, of all that he has found, he is not the owner, but the dispenser. And he will have to render an account thereof in that dreadful Day.
Gospel of Barnabas 115:2
The abominable lust that makes man like the brute beasts, should be greatly feared; for the enemy is of one's own household, so that it is not possible to go into any place where your enemy may not come. Ah, how many have perished through lust! The deluge came through lust, insomuch that the world perished before the mercy of God and so that only Noah and eighty three human persons were saved. For lust, God overwhelmed three wicked cities from which only Lot and his two children escaped. For lust, the tribe of Benjamin was all but extinguished. And I tell you truly that if I should narrate to you how many have perished through lust, the space of five days would not suffice."
Gospel of Barnabas 115:3
James answered, "O master, what signifies lust?" Jesus answered, "Lust is an unbridled desire of love, which, not being directed by reason, bursts the bounds of man's intellect and affections; so that the man, not knowing himself, loves that which he should hate. Believe me, when a man loves a thing, not because God has given him such thing, but as its owner, he is a fornicator; for that, the soul, which should abide in union with God its Creator, he has united with the creature. And so God laments by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'You have committed fornication with many lovers; nevertheless, return to Me and I will receive you.'
Gospel of Barnabas 115:4
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, if there were not internal lust within the heart of man, he would not fall into the external; for if the root is removed, the tree dies speedily. Let a man content himself therefore with the wife whom his Creator has given him, and let him forget every other woman." Andrew answered, "How will a man forget the women if he lives in the city where there are so many of them?" Jesus replied, "O Andrew, it is certain that he who lives in the city, it will do him harm; seeing that the city is a sponge that draws in every iniquity.
Gospel of Barnabas 116:3
Elijah answered, 'May it please God that you are speaking the truth; because, O brother, if I should hate Elijah I should love God, and the more I should hate Elijah the more I should love God.' Hereupon the blind man was greatly angered, and said, 'As God lives, you are an impious fellow! Can God then be loved while one hates the prophets of God? Begone forthwith, for I will not listen to you any longer!' Elijah answered, 'Brother, may you now see with your intellect how evil bodily seeing is. For you desire sight to see Elijah, and hate Elijah with your soul.' The blind man answered, 'Now begone, for you are the devil, who would make me sin against the holy one of God.'
Gospel of Barnabas 116:4
Then Elijah gave a sigh and said with tears, 'You have spoken the truth, O brother, for my flesh, which you desire to see, separates you from God.' The blind man said, 'I do not wish to see you; no, if I had my eyes, I would close them so as not to see you.' Then Elijah said, 'Know, brother, that I am Elijah!' The blind man answered, 'You do not speak the truth.' Then the disciples of Elijah said, 'Brother, he truly is the prophet of God, Elijah.' 'Let him tell me,' the blind man said, 'If he is the prophet, of what seed am I, and how did I become blind?'
Gospel of Barnabas 117:1
Elijah answered, 'You are of the tribe of Levi; and because you, in entering the temple of God, look lewdly upon a woman, you, being near the sanctuary, our God took away your sight.' Then the blind man, weeping, said, 'Pardon me, O holy prophet of God, for I have sinned in speaking with you; for if I had seen you, I should not have sinned.'
Gospel of Barnabas 117:2
Elijah answered, 'May our God pardon you, O brother, because as [it] regards me, I know that you have told me the truth, seeing that the more I hate myself, the more I love God, and if you saw me, you would still your desire, which is not pleasing to God. For Elijah is not your creator, but God; from where, so far as [it] concerns you, I am the devil,' Elijah said weeping, 'Because I turn you aside from your Creator. Weep then, O brother, because you do not have that light which would make you see the true from the false, for if you had had that, you would not have despised my doctrine. Therefore I say to you, that many desire to see me and come from afar to see me, who despise my words. Therefore it were better for them, for their salvation, that they had no eyes, seeing that everyone who finds pleasure in the creature, be he who he may, and does not seek to find pleasure in God, has made an idol in his heart and forsaken God.'" Then Jesus said, sighing, "Have you understood all that Elijah said?" The disciples answered, "In sooth, we have understood, and we are beside ourselves at the knowledge that there are very few who are not idolaters here on earth."
Gospel of Barnabas 118:1
Then Jesus said, "You speak the truth, for now Israel was desirous to establish the idolatry that they have in their hearts, in holding me for God, many of whom have now despised my teaching, saying that I could make myself lord of all Judea, if I confessed myself to be God, and that I am mad to wish to live in poverty among desert places, and not abide continually among princes in delicate living. Oh hapless man, who prizes the light that is common to flies and ants and despises the light that is common only to angels and prophets and holy friends of God!
Gospel of Barnabas 118:2
If then, the eye will not be guarded, O Andrew, I tell you that it is impossible not to fall headlong into lust. Therefore Jeremiah the prophet, weeping vehemently, truly said, 'My eye is a thief that robs my soul.' For therefore David our father prayed with greatest longing to God our Lord that He would turn away his eyes in order that he might not behold vanity. For everything which has an end is truly vain. Tell me then, if one had two pence to buy bread, would he spend it to buy smoke? Assuredly not, seeing that smoke hurts the eyes and gives no sustenance to the body. Even so then, let man do, for he should seek to know God his Creator and the good pleasure of His will with the outward sight of his eyes and the inward sight of his mind, and should not make the creature his end, which causes him to lose the Creator.
Gospel of Barnabas 119:1
For every time that a man beholds a thing and forgets God who has made it for man, he has truly sinned. For if a friend of yours should give you something to keep in memory of him, and you should sell it and forget your friend, you have offended against your friend. Even so does man do; for when he beholds the creature and does not have the Creator in memory, who has created it for love of man, he sins against God his Creator by ingratitude.
Gospel of Barnabas 119:2
He therefore who will behold women and will forget God who, for the good of man, created woman, he will love her and desire her. And to such degree this lust of his will break forth, that he will love everything like the thing loved, so that that sin of which it is a shame to have memory, comes from here. If then, man will put a bridle upon his eyes, he will be lord of the sense, which cannot desire that which is not presented to it. For so the flesh will be subject to the spirit. Because as the ship cannot move without wind, so the flesh cannot sin without the sense.
Gospel of Barnabas 119:3
That thereafter it would be necessary for the penitent to turn story telling into prayer, reason itself shows, even if it were not also a precept of God. For man sins in every idle word, and our God blots out sin by reason of prayer. For that prayer is the advocate of the soul; prayer is the medicine of the soul; prayer is the defence of the heart; prayer is the weapon of faith, prayer is the bridle of sense; prayer is the salt of the flesh that allows it to not be corrupted by sin. I tell you that prayer is the hands of our life, whereby the man who prays will defend himself in the Day of Judgement, for he will keep his soul from sin here on earth, and will preserve his heart so that it is not touched by evil desires; offending Satan because he will keep his sense within the law of God, and his flesh will walk in righteousness, receiving all from God that he will ask.
Gospel of Barnabas 119:4
As God lives, in whose presence we are, a man without prayer can no longer be a man of good works than a dumb man can plead his cause to a blind one, than fistula can be healed without unguent, a man defend himself without movement, or attack another without weapons, sail without a rudder, or preserve dead flesh without salt. For truly, he who has no hand cannot receive. If man could change dung into gold and clay into sugar, what would he do?"
Gospel of Barnabas 119:5
Then Jesus, being silent, the disciples answered, "No one would exercise himself in any way other than in making gold and sugar." Then Jesus said, "Now why does man not change foolish story telling into prayer? Is time perhaps given to him by God so that he may offend God? For what prince would give a city to his subject in order that the latter might make war upon him? As God lives, if man knew after what manner the soul is transformed by vain talking, he would sooner bite off his tongue with his teeth than talk. O wretched world! For today men do not assemble together for prayer, but in the porches of the temple, and in the very temple itself Satan has the sacrifice of vain talk there, and that which is worse of things which I cannot talk of without shame.
Gospel of Barnabas 120:1
The fruit of vain talking is this, that it weakens the intellect in such wise that it is not ready to receive the truth; even as a horse accustomed to carry only one ounce of cottonflock cannot carry a hundred pounds of stone. But what is worse is the man who spends his time in jests. When he is fain to pray, Satan will put those same jests into his memory, insomuch that when he should weep over his sins to provoke God to mercy and to win forgiveness for his sins, he provokes God to anger by laughing; who will chastise him, and cast him out.
Gospel of Barnabas 120:2
Woe therefore to those who jest and talk vainly! But if our God has those in abomination who jest and talk vainly, how will He hold those who murmur and slander their neighbor, and in what plight will those be who deal with sinning as with a supremely necessary business? Oh impure world, I cannot conceive how grievously you will be punished by God! He, then, who would do penance, I say he must give out his words at the price of gold."
Gospel of Barnabas 120:3
His disciples answered, "Now who will buy a man's words at the price of gold? Assuredly no one. And how will he do penance? It is certain that he will become covetous!" Jesus answered, "You have your heart so heavy that I am not able to lift it up. Hence in every word it is necessary that I should tell you the meaning. But give thanks to God, who has given you grace to know the mysteries of God. I do not say that the penitent should sell his talking, but I say that when he talks he should think that he is casting forth gold. For indeed, so doing, even as gold is spent on necessary things, so he will [only] talk when it is necessary to talk. And just as no one spends gold on a thing which will cause hurt to his body, so let him not talk of a thing that may cause hurt to his soul.
Gospel of Barnabas 121:1
When the governor has arrested a prisoner whom he examines while the notary writes down [the case], tell me, how does such a man talk?" The disciples answered, "He talks with fear and to the point, so as not to give suspicion of himself, and he is careful not to say anything that may displease the governor, but seeks to speak something whereby he may be set free."
Gospel of Barnabas 121:2
Then Jesus answered, "The penitent should do this then, in order to not lose his soul. For that, God has given two angels to every man for notaries, the one writing the good, the other, the evil that the man does. If then, a man would receive mercy, let him measure his talking more than gold is measured.
Gospel of Barnabas 122:1
As for avarice, that must be changed into almsgiving. Truly I say to you, that even as the plummet has the centre for its end, so the avaricious has Hell for his end, for it is impossible for the avaricious to possess any good in Paradise. Do you know why? For I will tell you. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, the avaricious, even though he is silent with his tongue, says by his works, 'There is no other God than I.' Inasmuch as all that he has, he is fain to spend at his own pleasure, not regarding his beginning or his end, that he is born naked, and dying, leaves all.
Gospel of Barnabas 122:2
Now tell me, if Herod should give you a garden to keep, and you were fain to bear yourselves as owners, not sending any fruit to Herod, and when Herod sent for fruit, you drove away his messengers, tell me, would you be making yourselves kings over that garden? Assuredly you [are]. Now I tell you that even so the avaricious man makes himself God over his riches which God has given him.
Gospel of Barnabas 122:3
Avarice is a thirst of the sense, which having lost God through sin because it lives by pleasure, and being unable to delight itself in God, who is hidden from it, surrounds itself with temporal things which it holds as its good; and it grows stronger the more it sees itself deprived of God. And so the conversion of the sinner is from God, who gives the grace to repent. As our father David said, 'This change comes from the right hand of God.' It is necessary that I should tell you of what sort man is, if you would know how penitence should be done. And so today, let us render thanks to God, who has given us the grace to communicate His will by my word."
Gospel of Barnabas 122:3
Whereupon he lifted up his hands and prayed, saying, "Lord God Almighty and Merciful, who has created us in mercy, giving us the rank of men, Your servants, with the faith of Your true messenger, we thank You for all Your benefits and would fain adore You only all the days of our life, bewailing our sins praying and giving alms, fasting and studying Your Word, instructing those who are ignorant of Your will, suffering from the world for love of You, and giving up our life to serve You to the death. Do You, O Lord, save us from Satan, from the flesh and from the world, even as You save Your elect for love of Your own self and for love of Your messenger for whom You created us, and for love of all Your holy ones and prophets." The disciples ever answered, "So be it, so be it, Lord, so be it, O our Merciful God."
Gospel of Barnabas 123:1
When it was day, early Friday morning, Jesus, after the prayer, assembled his disciples and said to them, "Let us sit down; for even on this day, God created man from the clay of the earth; even so will I tell you what thing a man is, if God pleases." When all were seated, Jesus said again, "Our God, to show His goodness and mercy and His omnipotence to His creatures, with His liberality and justice, made a composition of four things contrary, one to the other, and united them in one final object, which is man, and this is earth, air, water, and fire in order that each one might temper its opposite. And He made a vessel of these four things, which is man's body, of flesh, bones, blood, marrow, and skin, with nerves and veins, and with all his inward parts; wherein God placed the soul and the sense, as two hands of this life, giving every part of the body to the sense for lodgement, for it diffused itself there like oil. And He gave the heart to the soul for lodgement, where, united with the sense, it should rule the whole life.
Gospel of Barnabas 123:2
God, having thus created man, put a light into him which is called reason, which was to unite the flesh, the sense, and the soul in a single end to work for the service of God. Whereupon He, placing this work in Paradise, and the reason being seduced of the sense by the operation of Satan, the flesh lost its rest, the sense lost the delight whereby it lives, and the soul lost its beauty. Man, having come to such a plight, the sense, which finds no repose in labor, but seeks delight, not being curbed by reason, follows the light which the eyes show it; from which the eyes, not being able to see anything but vanity, deceives itself, and so, choosing earthly things, sins.
Gospel of Barnabas 123:3
Thus it is necessary that, by the mercy of God, man's reason be enlightened afresh, to know good from evil and [to distinguish] the true delight; knowing which, the sinner is converted to penitence. Therefore I truly say to you, that if God our Lord does not enlighten the heart of man, the reasonings of men are of no avail."
Gospel of Barnabas 123:4
John answered, "Then to what end does the speech of men serve?" Jesus replied, "Man as man avails nothing to convert man to penitence; but man as a means which God uses converts man; so that seeing God works by a secret fashion in man for man's salvation, one should listen to every man, in order that he may be received among all, him in whom God speaks to us." James answered, "O master, if perhaps a false prophet and lying teacher will come pretending to instruct us, what should we do?"
Gospel of Barnabas 124:1
Jesus answered in a parable, "A man goes to fish with a net, and therein he catches many fish, but those that are bad, he throws away. A man went forth to sow, but only the grain that falls on good ground bears seed. Even so should you do; listening to all and receiving only the truth, seeing that the truth alone bears fruit to eternal life." Then Andrew answered, "Now how will the truth be known?"
Gospel of Barnabas 124:2
Jesus answered, "Everything that conforms to the Book of Moses, that you receive as true; seeing that God is one, the truth is one; from where it follows that the doctrine is one and the meaning of the doctrine is one; and therefore the faith is one. Truly I say to you, that if the truth had not been erased from the Book of Moses, God would not have given the second to David our father. And if the Book of David had not been contaminated, God would not have committed the Gospel to me; seeing that the Lord our God is unchangeable, and has spoken only one message to all men. Therefore, when the messenger of God will come, he will come to cleanse away all wherewith the ungodly have contaminated my Book."
Gospel of Barnabas 124:3
Then he who writes answered, "O master, what will a man do when the law will be found contaminated and the false prophet will speak?" Jesus answered, "Your question is great, O Barnabas; therefore I tell you that in such a time, few are saved, seeing that men do not consider their end, which is God. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, every doctrine that will turn man aside from his end, which is God, is a most evil doctrine. Therefore there are three things that you will consider in doctrine, namely, love towards God, pity towards one's neighbor, and hatred towards yourself, who had offended God, and offends Him every day. Therefore every doctrine that is contrary to these three heads, avoid, because it is most evil.
Gospel of Barnabas 125:1
I will return now to avarice: and I tell you that when the sense would fain acquire a thing or tenaciously keep it, reason must say, 'Such a thing will have its end.' It is certain that if it will have an end, it is madness to love it. Therefore it behoves one to love and to keep that which will not have an end. Let avarice then be changed into alms, distributing rightly what [a man] has acquired wrongly. And let him see to it that what the right hand will give, the left hand will not know. Because the hypocrites, when they do alms, desire to be seen and praised by the world. But truly they are vain, seeing that for whom a man works, he receives his wages from him. If then, a man would receive anything from God, it behoves him to serve God.
Gospel of Barnabas 125:2
And see that when you do alms, you consider that you are giving all that [you give] to God for love of God. Therefore do not be slow to give, and give of the best of that which you have, for love of God. Tell me, do you desire to receive anything from God that is bad? Certainly not, O dust and ashes! Then how have you faith in yourself if you will give anything bad for love of God? It were better to give nothing than to give a bad thing; for in not giving, you will have some excuse according to the world, but in giving a worthless thing, and keeping the best for yourselves, what will be the excuse? And this is all that I have to say to you concerning penitence."
Gospel of Barnabas 125:3
Barnabas answered, "How long should penitence last?" Jesus replied, "As long as a man is in a state of sin, he should always repent and do penance for it. Therefore as human life always sins, so should it always do penance; unless you would make more account of your shoes than of your soul, since every time that your shoes are burst you mend them."
Gospel of Barnabas 126:1
Jesus, having called his disciples together, sent them forth by two and two through the region of Israel, saying, "Go and preach even as you have heard." Then they bowed themselves and he laid his hand upon their heads, saying, "In the name of God, give health to the sick, cast out the demons, and undeceive Israel concerning me, telling them that which I said before the high priest."
Gospel of Barnabas 126:2
They departed therefore, all of them except him who writes, with James and John, and they went through all Judea, preaching penitence even as Jesus had told them, healing every sort of sickness, insomuch that the words of Jesus were confirmed in Israel, that God is one and Jesus is a prophet of God, when they saw such a multitude do that which Jesus did concerning the healing of the sick.
Gospel of Barnabas 126:3
But the sons of the devil found another way to persecute Jesus, and these were the priests and the scribes. Whereupon they began to say that Jesus aspired to the monarchy over Israel. But they feared the common people, therefore they plotted against Jesus secretly.
Gospel of Barnabas 126:4
Having passed throughout Judea, the disciples returned to Jesus, who received them as a father receives his sons, saying, "Tell me, how has the Lord our God done? Surely I have seen Satan fall under your feet and you trample upon him even as the vinedresser treads the grapes!" The disciples answered, "O master, we have healed innumerable sick persons, and cast out many demons which tormented men."
Gospel of Barnabas 126:5
Jesus said, "God forgive you, O brethren, because you have sinned in saying, 'We have healed,' seeing it is God that has done all." Then they said, "We have talked foolishly; therefore, teach us how to speak." Jesus answered, "In every good work, say, 'God has done,' and in every bad one say, 'I have sinned.'" "We will do so," the disciples said to him.
Gospel of Barnabas 126:6
Then Jesus said, "Now what does Israel say, having seen God do that by the hands of so many men which God has done by my hands?" The disciples answered, "They say that there is one God alone and that you are God's prophet." Jesus answered with joyful countenance, "The holy name of God is blessed, who has not despised the desire of me, His servant!" And when he had said this, they retired to rest.
Gospel of Barnabas 127:1
Jesus departed from the desert and entered into Jerusalem; whereupon all the people ran to the temple to see him. So after the reading of the Psalms, Jesus mounted up on the pinnacle where the scribe used to mount, and having beckoned for silence with his hand, he said, "The holy name of God is blessed, O brethren, who has created us from the clay of the earth, and not of flaming spirit. For when we sin, we find mercy before God, which Satan will never find, because he is incorrigible through his pride, saying that he is always noble, for that, he is flaming spirit.
Gospel of Barnabas 127:2
Have you heard, brethren, that which our father David says of our God, that he remembers that we are dust and that our spirit goes and does not return again, therefore He has had mercy upon us? Those who know these words are blessed, for they will not sin against their Lord eternally, seeing that they repent after the sin, therefore their sin does not abide. Woe to those who extol themselves, for they will be humbled to the burning coals of Hell. Tell me, brethren, what is the cause for self exaltation? Is there, perhaps, any good here upon earth? Assuredly no, for as Solomon says, the prophet of God, 'Everything that is under the sun is vanity.' But if the things of the world do not give us cause to extol ourselves in our heart, much less does our life give us cause; for it is burdened with many miseries, since all the creatures inferior to man fight against us.
Gospel of Barnabas 127:3
O, how many have been slain by the burning heat of summer; how many have been slain by the frost and cold of winter; how many have been slain by lightning and by hail; how many have been drowned in the sea by the fury of winds; how many have died of pestilence, of famine, or because they have been devoured by wild beasts, bitten by serpents, choked by food! O hapless man, who extols himself having so much to weigh him down, being laid wait for by all the creatures in every place! But what will I say of the flesh and the sense that only desire iniquity; of the world, that offers nothing but sin; of the wicked, who, serving Satan, persecute whosoever would live according to the law of God? It is certain, brethren, that if man, as our father David says, with his eyes should consider eternity, he would not sin.
Gospel of Barnabas 127:4
To extol oneself in one's heart is to lock up the pity and mercy of God, so that He does not pardon. For our father David says that our God remembers that we are only dust and that our spirit goes and does not return again. Whoever extols himself, then, denies that he is dust, and hence, not knowing his need, he does not ask for help, and so angers God his helper. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, God would pardon Satan if Satan should know his own misery, and ask mercy from his Creator, who is blessed forevermore.
Gospel of Barnabas 128:1
Accordingly, brethren, I, a man, dust and clay, who walks upon the earth, say to you, 'Do penance and know your sins.' I say, brethren, that Satan, by means of the Roman soldiery, deceived you when you said that I was God. Therefore, beware that you do not believe them, seeing they are fallen under the curse of God, serving the false and lying gods; even as our father David invokes a curse upon them, saying, 'The gods of the nations are silver and gold, the work of their hands; that have eyes and do not see, have ears and do not hear, have noses and do not smell, have a mouth and do not eat, have a tongue and do not speak, have hands and do not touch, have feet and do not walk.' *Psalms 115:4 - 7 Therefore our father David said, praying to our living God, 'Those who make them are like them, and those who trust in them.' *Psalms 115:8
Gospel of Barnabas 128:2
O pride unheard of, this pride of man, who being created by God out of earth forgets his condition and would fain make God at his own pleasure! Wherein he silently mocks God, as though he should say, 'There is no use in serving God.' For so do their works show. To this, Satan desired to reduce you, O brethren, in making you believe me to be God; because I, not being able to create a fly, and being passable and mortal, I can give you nothing of use, seeing that I myself have need of everything. How then could I help you in all things, as it is proper to God to do? Should we then, who have, for our God, the great God who has created the universe with His word, mock at the Gentiles and their gods?
Gospel of Barnabas 128:3
There were two men who came up here into the temple to pray, the one was a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee drew near to the sanctuary, and praying with his face uplifted said, 'I give You thanks, O Lord my God, because I am not as other men, sinners, who do every wickedness, and particularly as this publican; for I fast twice in the week and give tithes of all I possess.' The publican remained afar off, bowed down to the earth, and beating his breast, he said with a bent head, 'Lord, I am not worthy to look upon the heaven nor upon Your sanctuary, for I have sinned much; have mercy upon me!' *Luke 18:10 - 13
Gospel of Barnabas 128:4
Truly I say to you, the publican went down from the temple in a better case than the Pharisee, for that, our God justified him, forgiving his sin. But the Pharisee went down in a worse case than the publican, because our God rejected him, having his works in abomination.
Gospel of Barnabas 129:1
Should the axe perhaps boast itself at having cut down the forest where a man has made a garden? Assuredly no, for the man has done all, yes and [made] the axe, with his hands. And you, O man, will you boast yourself of having done anything that is good, seeing our God created you from clay and works all good that is done in you? And why do you despise your neighbor? Do you not know that if God had not preserved you from Satan, you would be worse than Satan?
Gospel of Barnabas 129:2
Do you not know that one single sin changed the fair angel into the most repulsive demon? And that the most perfect man that has come into the world, which was Adam, it changed into a wretched being, subjecting him to what we suffer, together with all his offspring? What decree, then, do you have, in virtue whereof you may live at your own pleasure without any fear? Woe to you, O clay, for because you have exalted yourself above God who created you; you will be abased beneath the feet of Satan who lays wait for you."
Gospel of Barnabas 129:3
And having said this, Jesus prayed, lifting up his hands to the Lord, and the people said, "So be it! So be it!" When he had finished his prayer, he descended from the pinnacle. Whereupon many sick folk were brought to him, whom he made whole, and he departed from the temple. Thereupon Simon, a leper whom Jesus had cleansed, invited him to eat bread. The priests and scribes, who hated Jesus, reported to the Roman soldiers that which Jesus had said against their gods. For indeed they were seeking how to kill him, but did not find it, because they feared the people.
Gospel of Barnabas 129:5
Jesus, having entered the house of Simon, sat down to the table. And while he was eating, behold, a woman named Mary, a public sinner, entered into the house, and flung herself upon the ground behind Jesus' feet, and washed them with her tears, anointed them with precious ointment, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Simon was scandalized, with all who sat at meat, and they said in their hearts, "If this man were a prophet he would know who and of what sort this woman is, and would not allow her to touch him." Then Jesus said, "Simon, I have a thing to say to you." *Luke 7:36 - 40 Simon answered, "Speak, O master, for I desire your word."
Gospel of Barnabas 130:1
Jesus said, "There was a man who had two debtors. The one owed his creditor fifty pence, the other five hundred. Whereupon, when neither of them had wherewithal to pay, the owner, moved with compassion, forgave the debt to each. *Luke 7:41 - 42 Which of them would his creditor love most?" Simon answered, "He to whom the greater debt was forgiven."
Gospel of Barnabas 130:2
Jesus said, "You have said well; I say to you, therefore, behold this woman and yourself; for you were both debtors to God, the one for leprosy of the body, the other for leprosy of the soul, which is sin. God our Lord, moved with compassion through my prayers, has willed to heal your body and her soul. You therefore, love me little, because you have received little as a gift. And so, when I entered your house, you did not kiss me nor anoint my head. But this woman, look! Straightway upon entering your house, she placed herself at my feet, which she has washed with her tears and anointed with precious ointment. Therefore, truly I say to you, many sins are forgiven to her, because she has loved much." And turning to the woman, he said, "Go your way in peace, for the Lord our God has pardoned your sins; but see [that] you sin no more. Your faith has saved you."
Gospel of Barnabas 131:1
His disciples drew near to Jesus after the nightly prayer, and said, "O master, how must we escape pride?" Jesus answered, "Have you seen a poor man invited to a prince's house eat bread?" John answered, "I have eaten bread in Herod's house. For before I knew you, I went to fish, and used to sell the fish to the family of Herod. Whereupon, one day when he was feasting, I, having brought a fine fish there, he made me stay and eat there." Then Jesus said, "Now how did you eat bread with disbelievers? God pardon you, O John! But tell me, how did you bear yourself at the table? Did you seek to have the most honorable place? Did you ask for the most delicate food? Did you speak when you were not questioned at the table? Did you account yourself more worthy than the others to sit at [the] table?"
Gospel of Barnabas 131:2
John answered, "As God lives, I did not dare to lift up my eyes, seeing myself, a poor fisherman, ill-clad, sitting among the king's barons. Whereupon, when the king gave me a little piece of flesh, I thought that the world had fallen upon my head, for the greatness of the favor that the king did to me. And truly I say that, if the king had been of our law, I should have been fain to serve him all the days of my life." Jesus cried out, "Hold your peace, John, for I fear unless God should cast us into the abyss, even like Abiram, for our pride!"
Gospel of Barnabas 131:3
The disciples trembled with fear at the words of Jesus; when he said again, "Let us fear God, so that He does not cast us into the abyss for our pride. O brethren, have you heard of John, what is done in the house of a prince? Woe to the men who come into the world, for as they live in pride, they will die in contempt and will go into confusion. For this world is a house where God feasts men, wherein have eaten all the holy ones and prophets of God. And truly I say to you, everything that a man receives, he receives it from God. Therefore man should bear himself with deepest humility; knowing his own vileness and the greatness of God, with the great bounty by which He nourishes us. Therefore it is not lawful for man to say, 'Ah, why is this done and this said in the world?' But rather to account himself, as in truth, he is unworthy to stand in the world at God's board. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, there is nothing so small received here in the world from [the hand of] God, but that in return, man should spend his life for love of God.
Gospel of Barnabas 131:4
As God lives, you did not sin, O John, in eating with Herod, for it was of God's disposition you did so, in order that you might be our teacher and [the teacher] of everyone who fears God. So do," Jesus said to his disciples, "So that you may live in the world as John lived in the house of Herod when he ate bread with him, for you will so be, in truth, free from all pride."
Gospel of Barnabas 132:1
Jesus, walking along the sea of Galilee, was surrounded by a great multitude of folk, therefore he went into a little boat which lay a little off from the shore by itself, and anchored so near to the land that the voice of Jesus might be heard. Whereupon they all drew near to the sea, and sitting down, awaited his word. He then opened his mouth and said,
Gospel of Barnabas 132:2
"Behold, the sower went out to sow, whereupon as he sowed, some of the seed fell upon the road, and this was trodden under foot of men and eaten up by birds; some fell upon the stones, whereupon when it sprang up, because it had no moisture, it was burnt up by the sun; some fell in the hedges, whereupon when it grew up, the thorns chocked the seed; and some fell on good ground, whereupon it bore fruit, even to thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. *Mark 4:3 - 8, *Matthew 13:3 - 8, *Luke 8:5 - 8
Gospel of Barnabas 132:3
Again Jesus said, "Behold, the father of a family sowed good seed in his field, whereupon, as the servants of the good man slept, the enemy of the man, their master, came and sowed tares over the good seed. *Matthew 13:24 - 25 Whereupon, when the corn sprang up, a great quantity of tares was seen sprung up amongst the corn. The servants came to their master and said, 'O sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Why then has a great quantity of tares sprung up therein?' The master answered, 'I did sow good seed, but while men slept, the enemy of man came and sowed tares over the corn.'
Gospel of Barnabas 132:4
The servants said, 'Do you will that we go and pull up the tares from among the corn?' The master answered, 'Do not do so, for you would pull up the corn therewith; but wait till the time of harvest comes. For then will you go and pull up the tares from amongst the corn and cast them into the fire to be burned, but you will put the corn into my granary.'"
Gospel of Barnabas 132:5
Again Jesus said, "Many men went forth to sell figs. But when they arrived at the marketplace, behold, men did not seek good figs but fair leaves. Therefore the men were not able to sell their figs. And seeing this, an evil citizen said, 'Surely I may become rich.' Whereupon he called his two sons together and [said], 'Go and gather a great quantity of leaves with bad figs.' And they sold these for their weight in gold, for the men were mightily pleased with leaves. Whereupon the men, eating the figs, became sick with a grievous sickness."
Gospel of Barnabas 132:6
Again Jesus said, "Behold a citizen has a fountain, from which all the neighboring citizens take water to wash off their uncleanness; but the citizen allows his own clothes to putrefy."
Gospel of Barnabas 132:7
Again Jesus said, "Two men went forth to sell apples. The one chose to sell the peel of the apple for its weight in gold, not caring for the substance of the apples. The other desired to give the apples away, receiving only a little bread for his journey. But men bought the peel of the apples for its weight in gold, not caring for him who was fain to give them, not even despising him."
Gospel of Barnabas 132:8
And thus on that day, Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables. Then having dismissed them, he went with his disciples to Nain, where he had raised the widow's son to life; who, with his mother, received him into his house and ministered to him.
Gospel of Barnabas 133:1
His disciples drew near to Jesus and asked him, saying, "O master, tell us the meaning of the parables which you spoke to the people." Jesus answered, "The hour of prayer draws near; therefore when the evening prayer has ended I will tell you the meaning of the parables." When the prayer had ended, the disciples came near to Jesus and he said to them, "The man who sows seed upon the road, upon the stones, upon the thorns, upon the good ground, is he who teaches the word of God, which falls upon a great number of men.
Gospel of Barnabas 133:2
It falls upon the road when it comes to the ears of sailors and merchants, who by reason of the long journeys which they make, and the variety of nations with whom they have dealings, have the word of God removed from their memory by Satan. It falls upon the stones when it comes to the ears of courtiers, for by reason of the great anxiety these have to serve the body of a prince, the word of God too does not sink into them. Therefore, albeit they have some memory thereof, as soon as they have any tribulation, the word of God goes out of their memory, for, seeing they do not serve God, they cannot hope for help from God.
Gospel of Barnabas 133:3
It falls among the thorns when it comes to the ears of those who love their own life, whereupon, though the word of God grows upon them, when carnal desires grow up, they choke the good seed of the word of God, for carnal comforts cause [men] to forsake the word of God. That which falls on good ground is when the word of God comes to the ears of him who fears God, whereupon it brings forth fruit of eternal life. Truly I say to you, that in every condition when man fears God, the word of God will bear fruit in him.
Gospel of Barnabas 133:4
Of that father of a family, I tell you truly that He is God our Lord; Father of all things, for He has created all things. But He is not a father after the manner of nature, for He is incapable of motion, without which generation is impossible. It is, then, our God, whose is this world; and the field where He sows is mankind, and the seed is the word of God. So when the teachers are negligent in preaching the word of God, through being occupied in the business of the world, Satan sows error in the heart of men, from which countless sects of wicked doctrine have come.
Gospel of Barnabas 133:5
The holy ones and prophets cry, 'O sir, did you not give then, good doctrine to men? Why then, are there so many errors?' God answers, 'I have given good doctrine to men, but while men have been given up to vanity, Satan has sowed errors to bring My law to nothing.' The holy ones say, 'O sir, we will disperse these errors by destroying men.'
Gospel of Barnabas 133:6
God answers, 'Do not do so, for the faithful are so closely joined to the disbelievers by kinship that the faithful will be lost with the disbeliever. But wait until the Judgement, for at that time the disbelievers will be gathered by My angels and will be cast out with Satan into Hell, while the good faithful ones will come to My kingdom.' Surely, many disbelieving fathers will beget faithful sons, for whose sake God waits for the world to repent.
Gospel of Barnabas 134:1
Those who bear good figs are the true teachers who preach good doctrine, but the world, which takes pleasure in lies, seeks leaves of fine words and flattery from the teachers. The which, seeing, Satan joins himself with the flesh and the sense, and brings a large supply of leaves; that is, a quantity of earthly things, in which he covers up sin; the which, receiving, man becomes sick and ready for eternal death.
Gospel of Barnabas 134:2
The citizen who has the water and gives his water to others to wash off their uncleanness, but allows his own garments to become putrefied, is the teacher who, preaches penitence to others and [he] himself still abides in sin. O wretched man, because not the angels, but his own tongue writes the punishment upon the air that is fitting for him! If one had the tongue of an elephant, and the rest of his body were as small as an ant, would this thing not be monstrous? Yes, surely. Now I say to you, truly, that he is more monstrous who preaches penitence to others, but [he] himself does not repent of his sins.
Gospel of Barnabas 134:3
Those two men who sell apples are the ones who, preach for love of God, therefore he flatters none, but preaches in truth, seeking only a poor man's livelihood. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, such a man is not received by the world, but rather despised. But he who sells the peel for its weight in gold, and gives the apple away, it is he who preaches to please men; and, so flattering the world, he ruins the soul that follows his flattery. Ah! How many have perished for this cause!"
Gospel of Barnabas 134:4
Then he who writes answered and said, "How should one listen to the word of God; and how should one know him who preaches for love of God?" Jesus answered, "He who preaches should be listened to as though God were speaking when He preaches good doctrine; because God is speaking through his mouth. But he who does not reprove sins, having respect of persons, flattering particular men, should be avoided as a horrible serpent, for in truth, he poisons the human ear. Do you understand? Truly I say to you, even as a wounded man has no need of fine bandages to bind up his wounds, but rather of a good ointment, so also does a sinner have no need of fine words, but rather of good reproofs, in order that he may cease to sin."
Gospel of Barnabas 135:1
Then Peter said, "O master, tell us how the lost will be tormented, and how long they will be in Hell, in order that man may flee from sin." Jesus answered, "O Peter, it is a great thing that you have asked, nevertheless, if God pleases, I will answer you. Do you know, therefore, that Hell is one, yet has seven centres one below another? Hence, even as sin is of seven kinds, for as seven gates of Hell, has Satan generated it, so are there seven punishments therein.
Gospel of Barnabas 135:2
For the proud, that is the loftiest in heart, will be plunged into the lowest centre, passing through all the centres above it, and suffering all the pains in them that are therein. And as he seeks to be higher than God here, in wishing to do after his own manner, contrary to that which God commands, and not wishing to recognize anyone above him, even so he will be put under the feet of Satan and his devils there, who will trample him down as the grapes are trampled when wine is made, and he will forever be derided and scorned by devils.
Gospel of Barnabas 135:3
The envious, who chaffs at the good of his neighbor and rejoices at his misfortune here, will go down to the sixth centre, and there he will be chafed by the fangs of a great number of infernal serpents. And it will seem to him that all things in Hell rejoice at his torment, and mourn that he has not gone down to the seventh centre. For although the damned are incapable of any joy, yet the justice of God will cause that it will so seem to the wretched envious man, as when one seems in a dream to be spurned by someone and feels torment thereby, even so will the object set before the wretched envious man be. For where there is no gladness at all, it will seem to him that everyone rejoices at his misfortune, and mourns that he has no worse.
Gospel of Barnabas 135:4
The covetous will go down to the fifth centre, where he will suffer extreme poverty, as the rich feast suffered. And the demons, for greater torment, will offer him that which he desires, and when he will have it in his hands other devils will snatch it with violence from his hands with these words, 'Remember that you would not give [anything] for love of God; so God wills that you now not receive [anything].' Oh unhappy man! Now he will find himself in that condition when he will remember past abundance and behold the penury of the present; and that with the goods that he may then not have, he could have acquired eternal delights.
Gospel of Barnabas 135:5
The lustful will go to the fourth centre, where those who have transformed the way given to them by God, will be as corn that is cooked in the burning dung of the devil. And they will be embraced by horrible infernal serpents there. And those who will have sinned with harlots, all these acts of impurity will be transformed for them into union with the infernal furies; which are demons like women, whose hair is serpents, whose eyes are flaming sulphur, whose mouth is poisonous, whose tongue is gull, whose body is all girt with barbed hooks like those wherewith they catch silly fish, whose claws are like those of gryphons, whose nails are razors, the nature of whose generative organs is fire. Now with these, all the lustful will enjoy the infernal embers which will be their bed.
Gospel of Barnabas 135:6
The slothful who will not work now will go down to the third centre. Here cities and immense palaces are built, which as soon as they are finished, they must be pulled down straightway, because a single stone is not placed aright. And these enormous stones are laid upon the shoulders of the slothful, who does not have his hands free to cool his body as he walks and to ease the burden, seeing that sloth has taken away the power of his arms. And his legs are fettered with infernal serpents. And, what is worse, the demons are behind him, who push him, and make him fall to earth many times beneath the weight; nor do any help him to lift it up, no, it being too much to lift, a double amount is laid upon him.
Gospel of Barnabas 135:7
The gluttonous will go down to the second centre. Now there is dearth of food here, to such a degree that there will be nothing to eat but live scorpions and live serpents, which give such torment that it would be better never to have been born than to eat such food. There are, in appearance, delicate meats offered to them, indeed by the demons; but for that, they have their hands and feet bound with fetters of fire, they cannot put out a hand on the occasion when the meat appears to them. But what is worse, those very scorpions which he eats that may devour his belly, not being able to come forth speedily, tear the secret parts of the glutton. And when they have come forth, foul and unclean, filthy as they are, they are eaten over again.
Gospel of Barnabas 135:8
The wrathful [one] goes down to the first centre, where he is insulted by all the devils and by as many of the damned who go down lower than him. They spurn him and strike him, making him lie down upon the road where they pass, planting their feet upon his throat. Yet he is not able to defend himself, for he has his hands and feet bound. And what is worse, he is not able to give vent to his wrath by insulting others, seeing that his tongue is fastened by a hook, like that which he uses who sells flesh. In this accursed place there will be a general punishment, common to all the centres, like the mixture of various grains [which] make a loaf. For fire, ice, thunderstorms, lightning, sulphur, heat, cold, wind, frenzy, terror, will all be united by the justice of God, and in such wise that the cold will not temper the heat, nor the fire the ice, but each will give torment to the wretched sinner.
Gospel of Barnabas 136:1
In this accursed spot, the disbelievers will abide forevermore, insomuch that if the world were filled with grains of millet, and a single bird once in a hundred years should take away a single grain to empty the world, if when it should be empty, the disbelievers were to go into Paradise, they would rest delighted. But there is not this hope, because their torment cannot have an end, seeing that they were not willing to put an end to their sin for the love of God. But the faithful will have comfort, because their torment will have an end." The disciples were affrighted, hearing this, and said, "So then the faithful must go into Hell?"
Gospel of Barnabas 136:2
Jesus answered, "Everyone, be he who he may, must go into Hell. It is true, however, that the holy ones and prophets of God will go there to behold, not suffering any punishment, and the righteous, only suffering fear. And what will I say? I tell you that [even] the messenger of God will come there to behold the justice of God. Thereupon Hell will tremble at his presence. And because he has human flesh, all those who have human flesh and will be under punishment, so long as the messenger of God will abide to behold Hell, so long will they abide without punishment. But he will abide there [only] so long as it takes to shut and open the eyes. And God will do this in order that every creature may know that he has received benefit from the messenger of God.
Gospel of Barnabas 136:3
When he will go there, all the devils will shriek, and seek to hide themselves beneath the burning embers, saying to one another, 'Fly, fly, for here comes our enemy Muhammad!' Hearing which, Satan will strike himself upon the face with both his hands, and screaming will say, 'You are more noble than I, in my despite, and this is unjustly done!' As for the faithful, who are in seventy two grades, those of the two last grades, who will have had the faith without good works, the one being sad at good works, and the other delighting in evil, they will abide in Hell seventy thousand years.
Gospel of Barnabas 136:4
After those years, the angel Gabriel will come into Hell, and will hear them say, 'O Muhammad, where are your promises made to us, saying that those who have your faith will not abide in Hell forevermore?' Then the angel of God will return to Paradise, and having approached with reverence, the messenger of God will narrate to him what he has heard. Then His messenger will speak to God and say, 'Lord, my God, remember the promise made to me, Your servant, concerning those who have received my faith, that they will not abide forevermore in Hell.' God will answer, 'Ask what you will, O My friend, for I will give you all that you ask.'
Gospel of Barnabas 137:1
Then the messenger of God will say, 'O Lord, there are [some] among the faithful who have been in Hell seventy thousand years. Where, O Lord, is Your mercy? I pray You, Lord, to free them from those bitter punishments.' Then God will command the four favorite angels of God; that they go to Hell and take out everyone who has the faith of His messenger, and lead him into Paradise. And they will do this. And such will be the advantage of the faith of God's messenger, that those who will have believed in him, even though they have not done any good works, seeing they died in this faith, will go into Paradise after the punishment of which I have spoken." !*2:80, !*3:24
Gospel of Barnabas 138:1
When early morning had come, all the men of the city, with the women and children, came to the house where Jesus was with his disciples, and sought him saying, "Sir, have mercy upon us, because this year the worms have eaten the corn, and we will not receive any bread this year in our land."
Gospel of Barnabas 138:2
Jesus answered, "O what fear is yours! Do you not know that Elijah, the servant of God, while the persecution of Ahab continued for three years, did not see bread, nourishing himself only with herbs and wild fruits? David our father, the prophet of God, ate wild fruits and herbs for two years, [while] being persecuted [by] Saul, [and] he only ate bread twice."
Gospel of Barnabas 138:3
The men answered, "Sir, they were prophets of God, nourished with spiritual delight, and therefore they endured well; but how will these little ones fare?" And they showed him the multitude of their children. Then Jesus had compassion on their misery and said, "How long is it until harvest?" They answered, "Twenty days."
Gospel of Barnabas 138:4
Then Jesus said, "See that for these twenty days we give ourselves to fasting and prayer; for God will have mercy upon you. Truly I say to you, God has caused this dearth because the madness of men and the sin of Israel began here when they said that I was God, or son of God." When they had fasted for nineteen days, on the morning of the twentieth day, they beheld the fields and hills covered with ripe corn. They ran to Jesus, and recounted everything to him. And when he had heard it, Jesus gave thanks to God and said, "Go, brethren, gather the bread which God has given." They gathered so much corn that they did not know where to store it; and this thing was a cause of plenty in Israel.
Gospel of Barnabas 138:5
The citizens took council to set up Jesus as their king; knowing which, he fled from them and the disciples strove fifteen days to find him.
Gospel of Barnabas 139:1
Jesus was found by him who writes, and by James with John. And weeping, they said, "O master, why did you flee from us? We have sought you mourning; yes, all the disciples seek you weeping." Jesus answered, "I fled because I knew that a host of devils is preparing [something] for me which you will see in a short time. For the chief priests with the elders of the people will rise against me and [they] will wrest authority to kill me from the Roman governor, because they will fear that I wish to usurp kingship over Israel. Moreover, I will be sold and betrayed by one of my disciples, as Joseph was sold into Egypt.
Gospel of Barnabas 139:2
But the just God will make him fall, as the prophet David says, 'He will make him fall into the pit who spreads a snare for his neighbor.' For God will save me from their hands, and will take me out of the world." The three disciples were afraid; but Jesus comforted them saying, "Do not be afraid, for none of you will betray me." [And the three disciples] received some consolation [from this].
Gospel of Barnabas 139:3
The day following, thirty six of Jesus' disciples came two by two; and he abode in Damascus awaiting the others. And they mourned, every one, for they knew that Jesus must depart from the world. Therefore he opened his mouth and said, "He who walks without knowing where he goes is surely unhappy; but more unhappy is he who is able and knows how to reach a good hostelry, yet desires and wills to abide on the miry road, in the rain, and in peril of robbers.
Gospel of Barnabas 139:4
Tell me, brethren, is this world our native country? Surely not, seeing that the first man was cast out into the world into exile and there he suffers the punishment of his error. [Is there] an exile who does not aspire to return to his own rich country when he finds himself in poverty? Assuredly reason denies it, but experience proves it, because the lovers of the world will not think upon death. No, when one speaks to them [of death] they will not [heed] his speech.
Gospel of Barnabas 140:1
Believe, O men, that I [have] come into the world with a privilege which no man has had, nor will even the messenger of God have it; seeing that our God did not create man to set him in the world, but rather to place him in Paradise. It is certain that he who has no hope of receiving anything from the Romans, because they are of a law that is foreign to him, is not willing to leave his own country with all that he has, never to return, and go to live in Rome. And much less would he do so when he found himself to have offended Caesar. Even so I tell you truly, and Solomon, God's prophet, cries with me, 'O death, how bitter is the remembrance of you to those who have rest in their riches!'
Gospel of Barnabas 140:2
I do not say this because I have to die now, for I am sure that I will live even near to the end of the world. But I will speak to you of this [matter] in order that you may learn to die. As God lives, everything that is done amiss, even once, shows that to work a thing well, it is necessary to exercise oneself in that [thing]. Have you seen the soldiers, how in time of peace they exercise themselves with one another as if they were at war? How will a man who has not learned to die well, die a good death?
Gospel of Barnabas 140:3
The death of the holy is precious in the sight of the Lord,' *Psalms 116:15 the prophet David said. Do you know why [such a death is precious]? I will tell you. It is because, even as all rare things are precious, so the death of those who die well, being rare, is precious in the sight of God our Creator. Whenever a man begins anything, not only is he [aiming] to finish [it], but he takes pains that his design may have a good conclusion.
Gospel of Barnabas 140:4
O miserable man who prizes his [clothes] more than himself; for when he cuts the cloth, he measures it carefully before he cuts it; and when it is cut, he sews it with care. But his life, which is born to die, since [only he] who is not born does not die, [why] will men not measure their life by death? Have you seen those who build [and] how they lay every stone with the foundation in view, measuring if it is straight [so] that the wall will not fall down? O wretched man! For the building of his life will fall with great ruin because he does not look to the foundation of death!
Gospel of Barnabas 141:1
Tell me, when a man is born, how is he born? Surely, he is born naked. And when he is laid dead beneath the ground, what advantage does he have? A mean linen cloth in which he is wound, and this is the reward which the world gives him. If the means in every work must be proportionate to the beginning and the end in order that the work is brought to a good end, what end will the man have who desires earthly riches? He will die, as David says, prophet of God, 'The sinner will die a most evil death.'
Gospel of Barnabas 141:2
If a man sewing cloth should thread beams instead of thread in the needle, how would the work attain [its end]? Surely he would work in vain, and be despised by his neighbors. Now man does not see that he is doing this continually when he gathered earthly goods. For death is the needle, wherein the beams of earthly goods cannot be threaded. Nevertheless in his madness, he strives continually to make the work succeed, but in vain.
Gospel of Barnabas 141:3
And whoever does not believe this at my word, let him gaze upon the tombs, for he will find the truth there. He who would fain become wise beyond all others in the fear of God, let him study the book of the tomb, for he will find the true doctrine for his salvation there. For he will know to beware of the world, the flesh, and the sense, when he sees that man's flesh is reserved to be food of worms.
Gospel of Barnabas 141:4
Tell me, if there were a road which was of such condition that walking in the midst thereof a man should go safely, but walking on the edges he would break his head; what would you say if you saw men opposing one another, and striving in emulation to get nearest to the edge and kill themselves? What amazement would you have! Assuredly you would say, 'They are mad and frenzied, and if they are not frenzied they are desperate.'" "Even so is it true," the disciples answered.
Gospel of Barnabas 141:5
Then Jesus wept and said, "Even so, truly, are the lovers of the world. For if they lived according to reason, which holds a middle place in man, they would follow the law of God, and would be saved from eternal death. But because they follow the flesh and the world, they are frenzied, and cruel enemies of their own selves, striving to live more arrogantly and more lasciviously than one another."
Gospel of Barnabas 142:1
Judas, the traitor, when he saw that Jesus had fled, lost the hope of becoming powerful in the world, for he carried Jesus' purse, wherein all was kept that was given to him for love of God. He hoped that Jesus would become king of Israel, and so he himself would be a powerful man. Therefore, having lost this hope, he said within himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know that I steal his money; and so he would lose patience and cast me out of his service, knowing that I do not believe him. And if he were a wise man, he would not flee from the honor that God wills to give him. Therefore it will be better that I make an arrangement with the chief priests and with the scribes and Pharisees, and see how to give him up into their hands, for I will so be able to obtain something good."
Gospel of Barnabas 142:2
Whereupon, having made his resolution, he gave notice to the scribes and Pharisees how the matter had passed in Nain. And they took counsel with the high priest, saying, "What will we do if this man becomes king? Surely we will fare badly; because he is fain to reform the worship of God after the ancient custom, for he cannot [do] away with our traditions. Now how will we fare under the sovereignty of such a man? Surely we will all perish with our children, for being cast out of our office, we will have to beg for our bread.
Gospel of Barnabas 142:3
We now, God is praised, have a king and a governor that are alien to our law, who do not care for our law, even as we do not care for theirs. And so we are able to do whatsoever we list; for, even though we sin, our God is so merciful that He is appeased with sacrifice and fasting. But if this man becomes king, he will not be appeased unless he will see the worship of God accordingly as Moses wrote; and what is worse, he says that the Messiah will not come from the seed of David (as one of his chief disciples has told us), but says that he will come from the seed of Ishmael, and that the promise was made in Ishmael and not in Isaac.
Gospel of Barnabas 142:4
What will the fruit then be if this man is allowed to live? Assuredly the Ishmaelites will come into repute with the Romans, and they will give them our country in possession; and so Israel will again be subjected to slavery as it was aforetime." Therefore, having heard the proposal, the high priest gave an answer that he must treat with Herod and with the governor, "Because the people are so inclined towards him that, without the soldiery, we will not be able to do anything; and may it please God that, with the soldiery, we may accomplish this business." Therefore, having taken counsel amongst themselves, they plotted to seize him by night, when the governor and Herod should agree thereto.
Gospel of Barnabas 143:1
Then all the disciples came to Damascus, by the will of God. And on that day, Judas the traitor, more than any other, made show of having suffered grief at Jesus' absence, at which Jesus said, "Let everyone beware of him who, without occasion, labors to give you tokens of love." And God took away our understanding, so that we might not know to what end he said this. After the coming of all the disciples, Jesus said, "Let us return into Galilee, for the angel of God has said to me that I must go there."
Gospel of Barnabas 143:2
So one sabbath morning, Jesus came to Nazareth. When the citizens recognized Jesus, everyone desired to see him. A publican named Zacchaeus, who was of small stature, not being able to see Jesus because of the great multitude, climbed to the top of a sycamore, and waited there for Jesus to pass that place when he went to the synagogue. Jesus then, having come to that place, lifted up his eyes and said, "Come down, Zacchaeus, for today I will abide in your house." *Luke 19:2 - 5 The man came down and received him with gladness, making a splendid feast.
Gospel of Barnabas 143:3
The Pharisees murmured, saying to Jesus' disciples, "Why [has] your master gone in to eat with publicans and sinners?" Jesus answered, "Why does the physician [enter] into a house? Tell me, and I will tell you why I have come in here." They answered, "To heal the sick." "You say the truth," Jesus said, "For [those who are] whole have no need of medicine, only the sick.
Gospel of Barnabas 144:1
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, God sends His prophets and servants into the world in order that sinners may repent; and He sends [them] not for the sake of the righteous, because they had no need of repentance, even as he who is clean has no need of the bath. But truly I say to you, if you were true Pharisees you would be glad that I should have gone in to sinners for their salvation. Tell me, do you know your origin and how the world began to receive Pharisees? I will tell you, seeing that you do not know it, so listen to my words.
Gospel of Barnabas 144:2
Enoch, a friend of God, who walked with God in truth, making no account of the world, was translated into Paradise; and he abides there until the Judgement, (for when the end of the world draws near, he will return to help the world with Elijah and one other). And so men, having knowledge of this, through desire of Paradise, began to seek God their Creator. For 'Pharisee' strictly means 'seeks God' in the language of Canaan, for this name began there [as a] way of deriding good men, since the Canaanites were given up to idolatry, which is the worship of human hands.
Gospel of Barnabas 144:3
Whereupon the Canaanites, beholding those of our people who were separated from the world to serve God, when they saw such a one, said in derision, 'Pharisee!' That is, 'He seeks God;' as much as to say, 'O madman, you have no statues of idols and adore the wind; look to your fate and come and serve our gods.' Truly I say to you," Jesus said, "All the saints and prophets of God have been Pharisees not in name, as you are, but in very deed. For they sought God their Creator in all their acts, and they forsook cities and their own goods for love of God, selling [their goods] and giving to the poor for love of God.
Gospel of Barnabas 145:1
As God lives, in the time of Elijah, friend and prophet of God, there were twelve mountains inhabited by seventeen thousand Pharisees; and so it was that [even] in so great a number, a single reprobate was not found, but all were elect of God. But now, when Israel has more than a hundred thousand Pharisees, may it please God that out of every thousand, there is one elect!"
Gospel of Barnabas 145:2
The Pharisees answered in indignation, "So then we are all reprobate, and you hold our religion in reprobation!" Jesus answered, "I do not hold the religion of the true Pharisees in reprobation, but in approbation, and I am ready to die for that. But come, let us see if you are [true] Pharisees. Elijah, the friend of God, at the prayer of his disciple Elisha, wrote a little Book in which he included all human wisdom with the law of God our Lord."
Gospel of Barnabas 145:3
The Pharisees were confounded when they heard the name of the Book of Elijah, because they knew that, through their traditions, no one observed such doctrine. They [claimed they had] to depart under pretext of business to be done. Then Jesus said, "If you were [true] Pharisees you would forsake all other business to attend to this; for the Pharisee seeks God alone." So they waited in confusion to listen to Jesus, who said again,
Gospel of Barnabas 145:4
"Elijah, servant of God (for so the little Book begins): To all those who desire to walk with God their Creator, writes this, 'Whoever desires to learn much, they fear God little, because he who fears God is content to know only that which God wills. Those who seek fair words do not seek God, who do nothing but reprove our sins. Those who desire to seek God, let them shut the doors and windows of their house fast, for the master does not allow himself to be found outside his house [in a place] where he is not loved. Therefore guard your senses and guard your heart, because God is not found outside of us, in this world in which He is hated.
Gospel of Barnabas 145:5
Those who wish to do good works, let them attend to their own selves, for [there is no profit] in gaining the whole world and losing one's own soul. Those who wish to teach others, let them live better than others, because nothing can be learned from him who knows less than ourselves. How will the sinner amend his life when he hears one worse than him, teaching him. Those who seek God, let him flee the conversation of men; because Moses, being alone upon Mount Sinai, found Him and spoke with God, as a friend does who speaks with a friend. Those who seek God will come forth [to where] there are men of the world only once in [every] thirty days in respect of the business of him who seeks God, works for two years [what] can be done in one day.
Gospel of Barnabas 145:6
When he walks, let him not look except at his own feet. When he speaks, let him not speak except that which is necessary. When they eat, let them rise from the table still hungry; thinking every day not to attain to the next; spending their time as one draws his breath. Let one garment, of the skin of beasts, suffice. Let the lump of earth sleep on the naked earth [and] let two hours of sleep suffice for every night. Let him hate no one except himself; condemn no one except himself. In prayer, let them stand in such fear as if they were at the Judgement to come.
Gospel of Barnabas 145:7
Now do this in the service of God, with the law that God has given you through Moses, for in this way you will find God, [so] that in every time and place, you will feel that you are in God and God [is] in you.
Gospel of Barnabas 145:8
This is the little Book of Elijah, O Pharisees. Again I say to you that if you were [true] Pharisees you would have had joy that I [have] entered in here, because God has mercy upon sinners."
Gospel of Barnabas 146:1
Then Zacchaeus said, "Sir, behold I will give, for love of God, fourfold all that I have received by usury." Then Jesus said, "This day salvation has come to this house. Truly, truly, many publicans, harlots, and sinners will go into the kingdom of God, and those who account themselves righteous will go into eternal flames." Hearing this, the Pharisees departed in indignation.
Gospel of Barnabas 146:2
Then Jesus said to those who were converted to repentance, and to his disciples, "There was a father who had two sons, and the younger said, 'Father, give me my portion of goods;' *Luke 15:11 - 12 and his father gave it [to] him. And he, having received his portion, departed and went into a far country, where he wasted all his substance with harlots, living luxuriously. After this, a mighty famine arose in that country, such that the wretched man went to serve a citizen, who set him to feed swine in his property. And while feeding them, he assuaged his hunger in company with the swine, eating acorns.
Gospel of Barnabas 146:3
But when he came to himself, he said, 'Oh, how many in my father's house [are] feasting in abundance, and I perish here with hunger! I will arise therefore, and will go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned in heaven against you; do with me as you do to one of your servants.' The poor man went, and it came to pass that his father saw him coming from afar off, and was moved to compassion over him. So he went forth to meet him, and having come up to him, he embraced him and kissed him. *Luke 15:17 - 20
Gospel of Barnabas 146:4
The son bowed himself down, saying, 'Father, I have sinned in heaven against you, do to me as to one of your servants, for I am not worthy to be called your son.' The father answered, 'Son, do not say so, for you are my son, and I will not allow you to be in the condition of my slave.' And he called his servants and said, 'Bring new robes here and clothe my son, and give him new [garments]; give him the ring on his finger, and kill the fatted calf and we will be happy. For [this] son [of mine] was dead, but has now come to life again; he was lost and now is found.' *Luke 15:21 - 24
Gospel of Barnabas 147:1
While they were happy in the house, the elder son came home, and hearing that they were happy within, he marveled and called one of the servants, asking him why they were happy in this way. The servant answered him, 'Your brother [has] come [home] and your father has killed the fatted calf, *Luke 15:25 - 27 and they are feasting.' The elder son was greatly angered when he heard this, and would not go into the house. Therefore his father came out to him and said to him, 'Son, your brother [has] come. Come therefore and rejoice with him.'
Gospel of Barnabas 147:2
The [elder] son answered with indignation, 'I have always served you with good service, and you never gave me a lamb to eat with my friends. But as for this worthless fellow who departed from you, wasting all his portion with harlots, now that he has come, you have killed the fatted calf!' The father answered, 'Son, you are always with me and everything is yours; but this one was dead and is alive again, was lost and now is found; *Luke 15:29 - 32 [that is why] we must rejoice.' The elder son was more angry, and said, 'You can go and triumph, [but] I will not eat at the table of fornicators.' And he departed from his father without receiving even a piece of money. As God lives," Jesus said, "Even so there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Gospel of Barnabas 147:3
And when they had eaten, he departed, for he [was going] to Judea. The disciples said, "Master, do not go to Judea, for we know that the Pharisees have taken counsel with the high priest against you." Jesus answered, "I knew it before they did it, but I do not fear, for they cannot do anything contrary to the will of God. Let them do all that they desire, for I do not fear them but [rather] fear God.
Gospel of Barnabas 148:1
Tell me now, the Pharisees of today, are they [really] Pharisees? Are they servants of God? Surely not! Yes, and I say to you truly, that there is nothing worse here upon earth than [when] a man covers himself with [the] profession and garb of religion [in order] to cover his wickedness. I will tell you one single example of the Pharisees of old time, in order that you may know the present ones. After the departure of Elijah, because of the great persecution by idolaters, that holy congregation of Pharisees was dispersed. For in that same time of Elijah, more than ten thousand prophets who were true Pharisees were slain in one year.
Gospel of Barnabas 148:2
Two Pharisees went into the mountains to dwell there, and one [of them] abode fifteen years knowing nothing of his neighbor, although they were only one hour's journey apart. See then if they were inquisitive! It came to pass that a drought arose on those mountains, and so both set themselves to search for water, and so they found each other. The more aged [one] said - for it was their custom that the eldest should speak before every other, and they held it a great sin for a young man to speak before an old one - the elder therefore said, 'Where do you dwell, brother?' He answered, pointing out the dwelling with his finger, 'I dwell here' (for they were near the dwelling of the younger).
Gospel of Barnabas 148:3
The elder said, 'How long [have] you dwelt here, brother?' The younger answered, 'Fifteen years.' The elder said, 'Perhaps you came [here] when Ahab slew the servants of God?' 'Even so,' the younger replied. The elder said, 'O brother, do you know who is now king of Israel?' The younger answered, 'It is God that is King of Israel, for the idolaters are not kings but persecutors of Israel.' 'It is true,' the elder said, 'But I meant to say, who is it that now persecutes Israel?'
Gospel of Barnabas 148:4
The younger answered, 'The sins of Israel persecute Israel, because, if they had not sinned, [God] would not have raised the idolatrous princes up against Israel.' Then the elder said, 'Who is that disbelieving prince whom God has sent for the chastisement of Israel?' The younger answered, 'How should I know, seeing [that] I have not seen any man except you [for] these fifteen years, and I do not know how to read, so no letters are sent to me?' The elder said, '[But] how new are your sheepskins! Who has given them to you, if you have not seen any man?'
Gospel of Barnabas 149:1
The younger answered, 'He who kept the raiment of the people of Israel good for forty years in the wilderness has kept my skins even as you see [them].' Then the elder perceived that the younger was more perfect than he, for he had had dealings with men every year. So, in order that he might have [the benefit of] his conversation, he said, 'Brother, you do not know how to read, [but] I know how to read, and I have the Psalms of David in my house. Come then, so that I may give you a reading each day and make what David says plain to you.' The younger answered, 'Let us go now.'
Gospel of Barnabas 149:2
The elder said, 'O brother, it is now two days since I have drunk water; therefore let us seek a little water.' The younger replied, 'O brother, it is now two months since I have drunk water. Let us go, therefore, and see what God says by His prophet David, the Lord is able to give us water.' [And so] they returned to the dwellings of the elder, at the door of which, they found a spring of fresh water. The elder said, 'O brother, you are a holy one of God; God has given this spring for your sake.'
Gospel of Barnabas 149:3
The younger answered, 'O brother, you say this in humility; but it is certain that if God had done this for my sake, He would have made a spring close to my dwelling [so] that I should not [have to] depart [in search of it]. For I confess to you that I sinned against you. When you said that you did not drink for two days [and that] you sought water, and I had been without drinking for two months, I felt an exaltation within me, as though I were better than you.' Then the elder said, 'O brother, you said the truth, therefore you did not sin.'
Gospel of Barnabas 149:4
The younger said, 'O brother, you have forgotten what our father Elijah said, that he who seeks God should condemn himself alone. Surely he did not write it so that we might [only] know it, but rather so that we might observe it.' The more aged [of the two], perceiving the truth and righteousness of his companion, said, 'It is true; and our God has pardoned you.' And having said this, he took the Psalms, and read that which our father David says, 'I will set a watch over my mouth so that my tongue does not decline to words of iniquity, excusing my sin with an excuse.' And here the aged man made a discourse upon the tongue, and the younger departed. [After this,] there were fifteen more years before they found one another, because the younger changed his dwelling.
Gospel of Barnabas 149:5
Accordingly, when he had found him again, the elder [Pharisee] said, 'O brother, why have you not returned to any dwelling?' The younger answered, 'Because I have not yet learned well what you said to me.' Then the elder said, 'How can this be, seeing [that] fifteen years have past?' The younger replied, 'As for the words, I learned them in a single hour and have never forgotten them; but I have not yet observed them. To what purpose is it then, to learn too much, and not to observe it? Our God does not seek that our intellect should be good, but rather our heart. So, on the Day of Judgement, He will not ask us what we have learned, but what we have done.'
Gospel of Barnabas 150:1
The elder answered, 'O brother, do not say so, for you despise knowledge, which our God wills to be prized.' The younger replied, 'Now, how will I speak now so as not to fall into sin, for your word is true, and mine also. I say then, that those who know the commandments of God written in the law should observe those [first] if they would afterwards learn more. And all that a man learns, let him observe it, and not [merely] know it.' The elder said, 'O brother, tell me, with whom have you spoken, that you know you have not learned all that I said?'
Gospel of Barnabas 150:2
The younger answered, 'O brother, I speak with myself. Every day I place myself before the judgement of God, to give account of myself. And I forever feel one within myself who excuses my faults.' The elder said, 'O brother, what faults do you have, who are perfect?' The younger answered, 'O brother, do not say so, for I stand between two great faults, the one is that I do not know myself to be the greatest of sinners, the other that I do not desire to do penance for it more than other men.'
Gospel of Barnabas 150:3
The elder answered, 'Now, how should you know yourself to be the greatest of sinners, if you are the most perfect [of men]?' The younger replied, 'The first word that my master said to me when I took the habit of a Pharisee was this, that I should consider the goodness of others and my own iniquity, for if I should do so, I should perceive myself to be the greatest of sinners.' The elder said, 'O brother, whose goodness or whose faults do you consider on these mountains, seeing there are no men here?'
Gospel of Barnabas 150:4
The younger answered, 'I should consider the obedience of the sun and the planets, for they serve their Creator better than I. But I condemn them, either because they do not give light as I desire, or because their heat is too great, or there is too much or too little rain upon the ground.' Whereupon hearing this, the elder said, 'Brother, where have you learned this doctrine, for I am now ninety years old, for seventy five years whereof I have been a Pharisee?' The younger answered, 'O brother, you say this in humility, for you are a holy one of God. Yet I answer you that God our Creator does not look at time, but looks at the heart; therefore David, being fifteen years old, younger than six of his other brethren, was chosen king of Israel, and became a prophet of God our Lord.'
Gospel of Barnabas 151:1
This man was a true Pharisee," Jesus said to his disciples; "And may it please God that we are able, on the Day of Judgement, to have him for our friend."
Gospel of Barnabas 151:2
Jesus then embarked on a ship, and the disciples were sorry that they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus rebuked them, saying, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees of our day, *Mark 8:14 - 15, *Matthew 16:5 - 6 for a little leaven mars a mass of meal." Then the disciples said to one another, "Now what leaven do we have, if we do not even have any bread?"
Gospel of Barnabas 151:3
Then Jesus said, "O men of little faith, have you then forgotten what God did in Nain, where there was no sign of corn? And how many ate and were satisfied with five loaves and two fish? The leaven of the Pharisee is want of faith in God, and thought of self, which has corrupted not only the Pharisees of this day, but has corrupted Israel. For the simple folk, not knowing how to read, do that which they see the Pharisees do, because they hold them for holy ones.
Gospel of Barnabas 151:4
Do you know what is the true Pharisee? He is the oil of human nature. For even as oil rests at the top of every liquor, so the goodness of the true Pharisee rests at the top of all human goodness. He is a living book, which God gives to the world; for everything that he says and does is according to the law of God. Therefore, whoever does as he does, observes the law of God. The true Pharisee is salt that does not allow human flesh to be putrefied by sin; for everyone who sees him is brought to repentance. He is a light that lightens the pilgrims' way, for everyone who considers his poverty with his penitence perceives that we should not shut up our heart in this world. But he who makes the oil rancid, corrupts the Book, putrefies the salt, extinguishes the light - this man is a false Pharisee. If, therefore, you would not perish, beware that you do not do as the Pharisee does today."
Gospel of Barnabas 152:1
Jesus, having come to Jerusalem, and having entered one sabbath day into the temple, the soldiers drew near to tempt him and take him, and they said, "Master, is it lawful to wage war?" Jesus answered, "Our faith tells us that our life is a continual warfare upon the earth."
Gospel of Barnabas 152:2
The soldiers said, "So would you convert us to your faith, and wish that we should forsake the multitude of gods (for Rome alone has twenty eight thousand gods that are seen) and should follow your God who is only one, and that He cannot be seen, it is not known where He is, and perhaps He is only vanity." Jesus answered, "If I had created you, as our God has created you, I would seek to convert you."
Gospel of Barnabas 152:3
They answered, "Now how has your God created us, seeing it is not known where He is? Show us your God, and we will become Jews." Then Jesus said, "If you had eyes to see Him I would show Him to you, but since you are blind, I cannot show you Him." The soldiers answered, "Surely, the honor which this people pays you must have taken away your understanding. For every one of us has two eyes in his head, and you say we are blind."
Gospel of Barnabas 152:4
Jesus answered, "The carnal eyes can only see things gross and external; you therefore will only be able to see your gods of wood and silver and gold that cannot do anything. But we of Judah have spiritual eyesight which are the fear and the faith of our God, therefore we can see our God in every place." The soldiers answered, "Beware how you speak, for if you pour contempt on our gods, we will give you into the hand of Herod, who will take vengeance for our gods, who are omnipotent."
Gospel of Barnabas 152:5
Jesus answered, "If they are omnipotent as you say, pardon me, for I will worship them." The soldiers rejoiced at hearing this, and began to extol their idols. Then Jesus said, "[In this matter,] we do not need words but deeds; therefore cause your gods to create one fly, and I will worship them." The soldiers were dismayed at hearing this, and did not know what to say, therefore Jesus said, "Assuredly, seeing they do not make a single fly afresh, *22:73 I will not forsake God, who has created everything with a single word, for them; whose name alone affrights armies."
Gospel of Barnabas 152:6
The soldiers answered, "Now let us see this; for we are fain to take you," and they were fain to stretch forth their hands against Jesus. Then Jesus said, "Adonai Sabaoth!" Whereupon the soldiers were straightway rolled out of the temple as one rolls casks of wood when they are washed to refill them with wine; insomuch that now their head and their feet struck the ground, and that without any one touching them. And they were so affrighted and fled in such wise that they were no longer seen in Judea.
Gospel of Barnabas 153:1
The priests and Pharisees murmured amongst themselves and said, "He has the wisdom of Baal and Ashtaroth, and so he has done this in the power of Satan." Jesus opened his mouth and said, "Our God commanded that we should not steal our neighbor's goods. But this single precept has been so violated and abused that it has filled the world with sin, and such [sin] as will never be remitted as other sins are remitted, seeing that for every other sin, if a man bewails it and commits it no more, and fast with prayer and almsgiving, our God, Almighty and Merciful, forgives. But this sin is of such a kind that it will never be remitted, except that which is wrongly taken be restored."
Gospel of Barnabas 153:2
Then a scribe said, "O master, how has robbery filled all the world with sin? Assuredly now, by the grace of God, there are only a few robbers, and they cannot show themselves but they are immediately hanged by the soldiery." Jesus answered, "Whosoever does not know the goods, they cannot know the robbers. No, I say to you truly that many rob who do not know what they do, and therefore their sin is greater than that of the others, for the disease that is not known is not healed."
Gospel of Barnabas 153:3
Then the Pharisees drew near to Jesus and said, "O master, since you alone in Israel know the truth, teach us." Jesus answered, "I do not say that I alone in Israel know the truth, for this word 'alone' appertains to God alone and not to others. For He is the Truth, who alone knows the truth. Therefore, should I say so, I should be a greater robber, for I should be stealing the honor of God. And in saying that I alone knew God, I should be falling into greater ignorance than all. You, therefore, committed a grievous sin in saying that I alone know the truth. And I tell you that, if you said this to tempt me, your sin is greater still."
Gospel of Barnabas 153:4
Then Jesus, seeing that all held their peace, said again, "Though I am not alone in Israel knowing the truth, I alone will speak; therefore listen to me, since you have asked me. All created things belong to the Creator, in such wise that nothing can lay claim to anything. Thus soul, sense, flesh, time, goods, and honor, all are God's possessions, so that if a man does not receive them as God wills, he becomes a robber. And in like manner, if he spends them contrary to that which God wills, he is likewise a robber. I therefore say to you that, as God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, when you take time, saying, 'I will do thus tomorrow, I will say such a thing, I will go to such a place,' and not saying, 'If God wills,' you are robbers. And you are greater robbers when you spend the better part of your time in pleasing yourselves and not in pleasing God, and spend the worse part in God's service: then you are robbers indeed. Whosoever commits sin, be he of what fashion he will, is a robber; for he steals time and the soul and his own life, which should serve God, and gives it to Satan, the enemy of God.
Gospel of Barnabas 154:1
The man, therefore, who has honor, and life, and goods - when his possessions are stolen, the robber will be hanged; when his life is taken, the murderer will be beheaded. And this is just, for God has so commanded. But when a neighbor's honor is taken away, why is the robber not crucified? Are goods indeed better than honor? Has God, perhaps, commanded that he who takes goods will be punished, and he who takes life with goods will be punished, but he who takes away honor will go free? Surely not; for by reason of their murmuring, our fathers did not enter into the land of promise, but only their children. And for this sin, the serpents slew about seventy thousand of our people.
Gospel of Barnabas 154:2
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, he who steals honor is worthy of greater punishment than he who robs a man of goods and of life. And he who listens to the murmurer is likewise guilty, for the one receives Satan on his tongue and the other in his ears." The Pharisees were consumed [with rage] at hearing this, because they were not able to condemn his speech. Then a doctor drew near to Jesus there, and he said to him, "Good master, tell me, why did God not grant corn and fruit to our fathers? Knowing that they must fall, surely He should have allowed them corn, or not have allowed men to see it."
Gospel of Barnabas 154:3
Jesus answered, "Man, you call me good, but you err, for God alone is good. And much more do you err in asking why God has not done according to your brain. Yet I will answer you all. I tell you then, that God our Creator, in His working, does not conform Himself to us, therefore it is not lawful for the creature to seek his own way and convenience, but rather the honor of God his Creator, in order that the creature may depend on the Creator and not the Creator on the creature. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, if God had granted everything to man, man would not have known himself to be God's servant; and so he would have accounted himself lord of Paradise. Therefore the Creator, who is blessed forevermore, forbade him the food, in order that man might remain subject to Him.
Gospel of Barnabas 154:4
And truly I say to you, that whoever has the light of his eyes clear, sees everything clear, and draws light even out of darkness itself; but the blind do not do so. Therefore I say that, if man had not sinned, neither I nor you would have known the mercy of God and His righteousness. And if God had made man incapable of sin, he would have been equal to God in that matter; therefore the blessed God created man good and righteous, but free to do that which he pleases in regard to his own life and salvation or damnation." The doctor was astounded when he heard this, and departed in confusion.
Gospel of Barnabas 155:1
Then the high priest called two old priests secretly and sent them to Jesus, who had gone out of the temple, and was sitting in Solomon's porch, waiting to pray the midday prayer. *30:18 And near him, he had his disciples with a great multitude of people.
Gospel of Barnabas 155:2
The priests drew near to Jesus and said, "Master, why did man eat corn and fruit? Did God will that he should eat it, or not?" And they said this tempting him; for if he said, "God willed it," they would answer, "Why did He forbid it?" And if he said, "God did not will it," they would say, "Then man has more power than God, since he works contrary to the will of God." Jesus answered, "Your question is like a road over a mountain, which has a precipice on the right hand and on the left, but I will walk in the middle."
Gospel of Barnabas 155:3
When they heard this, the priests were confounded, perceiving that he knew their heart. Then Jesus said, "Every man, for he has need, works everything for his own use. But God, who has no need of anything, did according to His good pleasure. Therefore in creating man, He created him free in order that he might know that God had no need of him; Verbi gratia, as does a king, who to display his riches, and in order that his slaves may love him more, gives freedom to his slaves.
Gospel of Barnabas 155:4
God, then, created man free in order that he might love his Creator much more and might know His bounty. For although God is omnipotent, not having need of man, having created him by His omnipotence, He left him free by His bounty, in such wise that he could resist evil and do good. For although God had power to hinder sin, He would not contradict His own bounty, (for God has no contradiction), in order that His omnipotence and bounty having done in man, He should not contradict sin in man. I say, in order that the mercy of God and His righteousness might work in man. And in token, that I speak the truth, I tell you that the high priest has sent you to tempt me, and this is the fruit of his priesthood."
Gospel of Barnabas 155:5
The old men departed and recounted all to the high priest, who said, "This fellow has the devil at his back, who recounts everything to him; for he aspires to the kingship over Israel; but God will see to that."
Gospel of Barnabas 156:1
When he had made the midday prayer, *30:18 Jesus, as he went out of the temple, found one blind from his mother's womb. His disciples asked him saying, "Master, who sinned in this man, his father or his mother, that he was born blind?" *John 9:1 - 2
Gospel of Barnabas 156:2
Jesus answered, "Neither his father nor his mother sinned in him, but God created him so, for a testimony of the Gospel." And having called the blind man up to him, he spat on the ground and made clay and placed it upon the eyes of the blind man and said to him, "Go to the pool of Siloam and wash!"
Gospel of Barnabas 156:3
The blind man went, and having washed, he received light; whereupon, as he returned home, many who met him said, "If this man were blind, I should say for certain that it was he who was accustomed to sit at the beautiful gate of the temple." Others said, "It is him, but how has he received light?" And they accosted him saying, "Are you the blind man who was accustomed to sit at the beautiful gate of the temple?"
Gospel of Barnabas 156:4
He answered, "I am he and why?" They said, "Now how did you receive your sight?" He answered, "A man made clay, spitting on the ground, and he placed this clay upon my eyes and said to me, 'Go and wash in the pool of Siloam.' I went and washed, and now I see; blessed is the God of Israel!" When the man born blind had come again to the beautiful gate of the temple, all Jerusalem was filled with the matter. Therefore he was brought to the chief of the priests, who was conferring with the priests and the Pharisees against Jesus.
Gospel of Barnabas 156:5
The high priest asked him, saying, "Man, were you born blind?" "Yes," he replied. "Now give glory to God," the high priest said, "And tell us what prophet has appeared to you in a dream and given you light. Was it our father Abraham, or Moses the servant of God, or some other prophet? For others could not do such a thing."
Gospel of Barnabas 156:6
The man born blind replied, "Neither Abraham nor Moses, nor have I seen any prophet in a dream and been healed by him, but as I sat at the gate of the temple, a man made me come near to him and, having made clay of earth with his spittle, put some of that clay upon my eyes and sent me to the pool of Siloam to wash; whereupon I went and washed, and returned with the light of my eyes."
Gospel of Barnabas 156:7
The high priest asked him the name of that man. The man born blind answered, "He did not tell me his name, but a man who saw him called me and said, 'Go and wash as that man has said, for he is Jesus the Nazarene, a prophet and a holy one of the God of Israel.'" Then the high priest said, "Did he heal you perhaps today, that is, the sabbath?" The blind man answered, "He healed me today." The high priest said, "Behold now, how this fellow is a sinner, seeing he does not keep the sabbath!"
Gospel of Barnabas 157:1
The blind man answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner; but I know this, that whereas I was blind, he has enlightened me." The Pharisees did not believe this; so they said to the high priest, "Send for his father and mother, for they will tell us the truth." They sent, therefore, for the father and mother of the blind man, and when they had come, the high priest questioned them saying, "Is this man your son?"
Gospel of Barnabas 157:2
They answered, "He is truly our son." Then the high priest said, "He says that he was born blind, and now he sees; how has this thing befallen?" The father and mother of the man born blind replied, "Truly he was born blind, but how he may have received the light, we do not know; he is of age, ask him and he will tell you the truth." Thereupon they were dismissed, and the high priest said again to the man born blind, "Give glory to God, and speak the truth."
Gospel of Barnabas 157:3
(Now the father and mother of the blind man were afraid to speak, because a decree had gone forth from the Roman senate that no man might contend for Jesus, the prophet of the Jews, under pain of death; the governor had obtained this decree, therefore they said, "He is of age, ask him.")
Gospel of Barnabas 157:4
The high priest then said to the man born blind, "Give glory to God and speak the truth, for we know this man, whom you say to have healed you, that he is a sinner." The man born blind answered, "Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; but I know this, that I did not see and he has enlightened me. Surely, from the beginning of the world to this hour, there has never yet been one enlightened who was born blind; and God would not listen to sinners." The Pharisees said, "Now what did he do when he enlightened you?"
Gospel of Barnabas 157:5
Then the man born blind marveled at their disbelief and said, "I have told you, and why do you ask me again? Would you also become his disciples?" *John 9:27 The high priest then reviled him saying, "You were altogether born in sin, and would you teach us? Be gone, and become a disciple of such a man! For we are disciples of Moses, and we know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know from where he is." And they cast him out of the synagogue and temple, forbidding him to make prayer with the clean among Israel.
Gospel of Barnabas 158:1
The man born blind went to find Jesus, who comforted him saying, "At no time have you been so blessed as you are now, for you are blessed by our God who spoke through David, our father and His prophet, against the friends of the world, saying, 'They curse and I bless;' and He said by Micah the prophet, 'I curse your blessing.' For earth is not so contrary to air, water to fire, light to darkness, cold to heat, or love to hate, as the will that God has is contrary to the will of the world."
Gospel of Barnabas 158:2
The disciples accordingly asked him, saying, 'Lord, your words are great; therefore tell us the meaning, for we do not understand as of yet." Jesus answered, "When you will know the world, you will see that I have spoken the truth, and so you will know the truth in every prophet. Do you know, then, that there are three kinds of worlds comprehended in a single name; the one stands for the heavens and the earth, with water, air and fire, and all the things that are inferior to man. Now this world follows the will of God in all things, for, as David says, prophet of God, 'God has given them a precept which they do not transgress.'
Gospel of Barnabas 158:3
The second stands for all men, even as the 'house of such a one' does not stand for the walls, but for the family. Now this world, again, loves God; because they long after God by nature, forasmuch as according to nature, everyone longs after God, even though they err in seeking God. And do you know why all long after God? Because they long after an infinite good without any evil, and this is God alone. Therefore the merciful God has sent His prophets to this world for its salvation.
Gospel of Barnabas 158:4
The third world is men's fallen condition of sinning, which has transformed itself into a law contrary to God, the Creator of the world. This makes man become like the demons, God's enemies. And this world, our God hates so sore, that if the prophets had loved this world, what do you think? Assuredly God would have taken their prophecy from them. And what will I say, as God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, when the messenger of God will come to the world, if he should conceive love towards this evil world, assuredly God would take all away from him that He gave him when He created him, and would make him reprobate; God is so greatly contrary to this world."
Gospel of Barnabas 159:1
The disciples answered, "O master, your words are exceedingly great, therefore have mercy upon us, for we do not understand them." Jesus said, "Do you perhaps think that God has created His messenger to be a rival, who should be fain to make himself equal with God? Assuredly not, but rather as His good slave, who should not will that which his Lord does not will. You are not able to understand this because you do not know what a thing sin is. Therefore listen to my words.
Gospel of Barnabas 159:2
Truly, truly, I say to you, sin cannot arise in man except as a contradiction of God, seeing that sin is only [that] which God does not will, insomuch that all that God wills is most alien from sin. Accordingly, if our high priests and priests, with the Pharisees, persecuted me because the people of Israel have called me God, they would be doing a thing pleasing to God, and God would reward them; but because they persecute me for a contrary reason, since they will not have me say the truth, how they have contaminated the Book of Moses; and that of David, prophets and friends of God, by their traditions, and therefore hate me and desire my death, therefore God has them in abomination.
Gospel of Barnabas 159:3
Tell me, Moses slew men and Ahab slew men, is this murder in each case? Assuredly not; for Moses slew the men to destroy idolatry and to preserve the worship of the true God, but Ahab slew the men to destroy the worship of the true God and to preserve idolatry. Therefore to Moses, the slaying of men was converted into sacrifice, while it was converted into sacrilege to Ahab, insomuch that one and the same work produced these two contrary effects.
Gospel of Barnabas 159:4
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, if Satan had spoken to the angels in order to see how they loved God, he would not have been rejected by God, but because he sought to turn them away from God, therefore he is reprobate."
Gospel of Barnabas 159:5
Then he who writes answered, "How then, is that which was said in Micaiah the prophet to be understood, concerning the lie which God ordained to be spoken by the mouth of false prophets, as is written in the Book of the Kings of Israel?" Jesus answered, "O Barnabas, briefly recite all that befell, so that we may see the truth clearly."
Gospel of Barnabas 160:1
Then he who writes said, "Daniel the prophet, describing the history of the kings of Israel and their tyrants, writes thus, 'The king of Israel joined himself with the king of Judah to fight against the sons of Belial (that is, reprobates) who were the Ammonites. Now Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and Ahab, king of Israel, being seated both on a throne in Samaria, four hundred false prophets stood there before them, who said to the king of Israel, 'Go up against the Ammonites, for God will give them into your hands, and you will scatter Ammon.'
Gospel of Barnabas 160:2
Then Jehoshaphat said, 'Is there any prophet of the God of our fathers here?' Ahab answered, 'There is only one, and he is evil, for he always predicts evil concerning me; *2 Chronicles 18:6 - 7 and I hold him in prison.' And he said this to wit, 'There is only one,' because as many who were found, had been slain by decree of Ahab, so that the prophets, even as you have said, O master, had fled to the mountain tops where men do not dwell.
Gospel of Barnabas 160:3
Then Jehoshaphat said, 'Send for him here, and let us see what he says.' Ahab therefore commanded that Micaiah be sent here, who came with fetters on his feet, and his face bewildered like a man who lives between life and death. Ahab asked him, saying, 'Speak, Micaiah, in the name of God. Should we go up against the Ammonites? Will God give their cities into our hands?' Micaiah answered, 'Go up, go up, for you will go up prosperously, and come down still more prosperously!'
Gospel of Barnabas 160:4
Then the false prophets praised Micaiah as a true prophet of God, and broke off the fetters from his feet. Jehoshaphat, who feared our God, and had never bowed his knees before the idols, asked Micaiah, saying, 'For the love of the God of our fathers, speak the truth, as you have seen the issue of this war.' Micaiah answered, 'O Jehoshaphat, I fear your face, therefore I tell you that I have seen the people of Israel as sheep without a shepherd.' Then Ahab, smiling, said to Jehoshaphat, 'I told you that this fellow predicts only evil, but you did not believe it. Then they both said, 'Now how do you know this, O Micaiah?'
Gospel of Barnabas 160:5
Micaiah answered, '[I saw] a council of the angels assembled there in the presence of God, and I heard God say thus, 'Who will deceive Ahab so that he may go up against Ammon and be slain?' Whereupon one said one thing and another said another. Then an angel came and said, 'Lord, I will fight against Ahab, and will go to his false prophets and will put the lie into their mouth, and so he will go up and be slain.' And hearing this, God said, 'Now go and do so, for you will prevail.' *2 Chronicles 18:18 - 21
Gospel of Barnabas 160:6
Then were the false prophets enraged, and their chief struck Micaiah's cheek, saying, 'O reprobate of God, when did the angel of truth depart from us and come to you? *2 Chronicles 18:23 Tell us, when the angel came to us that brought the lie?' Micaiah answered, 'You will know when you will flee from house to house for fear of being slain, having deceived your king.'
Gospel of Barnabas 160:7
Then Ahab was wroth, and said, 'Seize Micaiah, and the fetters which he had upon his feet, place on his neck, and keep him on barley bread and water until my return, *2 Chronicles 18:26 for now I do not know what death I would inflict on him.' They went up then, and according to the word of Micaiah, the matter befell. For the king of the Ammonites said to his servants, 'See that you do not fight against the king of Judah, nor against the princes of Israel, but slay the king of Israel, Ahab, my enemy.'" Then Jesus said, "Stop there, Barnabas; for it is enough for our purpose.
Gospel of Barnabas 161:1
Have you heard all?" Jesus said. The disciples answered, "Yes, Lord." Whereupon Jesus said, "Lying is indeed a sin, but murder is a greater, because the lie is a sin that appertains to him who speaks, but the murder, while it appertains to him who commits it, is such that it destroys also the dearest thing that God has here upon earth, that is, man. And lying can be remedied by saying the contrary of that which has been said; whereas murder has no remedy, seeing it is not possible to give life again to the dead. Tell me then, did Moses the servant of God sin in slaying all whom he slew?"
Gospel of Barnabas 161:2
The disciples answered, "God forbid; God forbid that Moses should have sinned in obeying God who commanded him!" Then Jesus said, "And I say, God forbid that that angel should have sinned who deceived Ahab's false prophets with the lie; for even as God receives the slaughter of men as sacrifice, so he received the lie for praise. Truly, truly, I say to you, that even as the child errs who causes his shoes to be made by the measure of a giant, even so he errs who would subject God to the law, as he himself as a man is subject to the law. When, therefore, you will believe that which God does not will only to be sin, you will find the truth, even as I have told you. Therefore, because God is not composite, nor changeable, so is He also unable to will and not will a single thing; for so He would have contradiction in Himself, and consequently pain, and would not be infinitely blessed."
Gospel of Barnabas 161:3
Philip answered, "But how is that saying of the prophet Amos to be understood, that 'There is no evil in the city that God has not done?'" *Amos 3:6 Jesus answered, "Now see here, Philip, how great is the danger of resting in the letter, as the Pharisees do, who have invented the 'predestination of God in the elect' for themselves, in such wise that they come to say that God is in fact unrighteous, a deceiver and a liar and a hater of judgement (which will fall upon them).
Gospel of Barnabas 161:4
Therefore I say that here, Amos the prophet of God speaks of the evil which the world calls evil, for if he had used the language of the righteous, he would not have been understood by the world. For all tribulations are good, either for that they purge the evil that we have done, or are good because they restrain us from doing evil, or are good because they make man to know the condition of this life, in order that we may love and long for eternal life.
Gospel of Barnabas 161:5
Accordingly, had the prophet Amos said, 'There is no good in the city but what God has done,' he had given occasion for despair to the afflicted, as they beheld themselves in tribulation and sinners living in prosperity. And, what is worse, many, believing Satan to have such sovereignty over man, would have feared Satan and done him service, so as to not suffer tribulation. Amos therefore did as the Roman interpreter does, who does not consider his words [as one] speaking in the presence of the high priest, but considers the will and the business of the Jew who does not know to speak the Hebrew tongue.
Gospel of Barnabas 162:1
If Amos had said, 'There is no good in the city but what God has done,' *!Amos 3:6 as God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, he would have made a grievous error, for the world does not hold anything for good except the iniquities and sins that are done in the way of vanity. Whereupon men would have done much more iniquitously, believing that there is no sin or wickedness which God has not done, at hearing whereof, the earth trembles."
Gospel of Barnabas 162:2
And when Jesus had said this, a great earthquake straightway arose there, in so much that everyone fell as dead. Jesus raised them up, saying, "Now see if I have told you the truth. Let this, then, suffice you, that Amos, when he said that 'God has done evil in the city,' talking with the world, spoke of tribulations, which sinners alone call evil. Let us come now to predestination, of which you desire to know, and whereof I will speak to you near Jordan on the other side, tomorrow, if God wills."
Gospel of Barnabas 163:1
Jesus went into the wilderness beyond Jordan with his disciples, and when the midday prayer *30:18 was done, he sat down near a palm tree, and his disciples sat down under the shadow of the palm tree.
Gospel of Barnabas 163:2
Then Jesus said, "Predestination is so secret, O brethren, that I say to you, truly, it will only be clearly known to one man. It is he whom the nations look for, to whom the secrets of God are so clear that, when he comes into the world, those who will listen to his words will be blessed, because God will overshadow them with His mercy even as this palm tree overshadows us. Yes, even as this tree protects us from the burning heat of the sun, even so will the mercy of God protect those from Satan who believe in that man."
Gospel of Barnabas 163:3
The disciples answered, "O master, who will that man be of whom you speak, who will come into the world?" Jesus answered with joy of heart, "He is Muhammad, messenger of God, *61:6 and when he comes into the world, even as the rain makes the earth to bear fruit when a long time it had not rained, even so will he be occasion of good works among men, through the abundant mercy which he will bring. For he is a white cloud full of the mercy of God, which mercy God will sprinkle upon the faithful like rain.
Gospel of Barnabas 164:1
I will accordingly tell you now [what] little God has granted me to know concerning this same predestination. The Pharisees say that everything has been so predestined that he who is elect cannot become reprobate, and he who is reprobate cannot by any means become elect; and that, even as God has predestined well doing as the road by which the elect will walk to salvation, even so has He predestined sin as the road by which the reprobate will walk into damnation. Cursed is the tongue that said this, with the hand that wrote it, for this is the faith of Satan. Therefore one may know of what manner the Pharisees of the present day are, for they are faithful servants of Satan.
Gospel of Barnabas 164:2
What can predestination mean but an absolute will to give an end to a thing [of which] one has the means in hand? For without the means, one cannot destine an end. How then will he who not only lacks stone and money to spend, but does not even have so much land as to place one foot upon, destine to build a house? Surely, none [could do so]. No more, then, I tell you, is predestination, taking away the free will that God has given to man of His pure bounty, the law of God. Surely it is not predestination but abomination [that] we will be establishing.
Gospel of Barnabas 164:3
That man is free, the Book of Moses shows, where, when our God gave the law upon Mount Sinai, He spoke thus, 'My commandment is not in the heaven that you should excuse yourself, saying, 'Now, who will go to bring us the commandment of God? And who perhaps will give us strength to observe it?' Neither is it beyond the sea, that in like manner you should excuse yourself. But My commandment is near to your heart, so that when you will, you may observe it.' *Deuteronomy 30:11 - 14
Gospel of Barnabas 164:4
Tell me, if king Herod should command an old man to become young and a sick man that he should become whole, and when they did not [do] it, should cause them to be killed, would this be just?" The disciples answered, "If Herod gave this command, he would be most unjust and impious."
Gospel of Barnabas 164:5
Then Jesus, sighing, said, "These are the fruits of human traditions, O brethren; for in saying that God has predestinated the reprobate such that he cannot become elect, they blaspheme God as impious and unjust. For He commands the sinner not to sin, and when he sins to repent; while such predestination takes away the power from the sinner to not sin, and entirely deprives him of repentance.
Gospel of Barnabas 165:1
But hear what God says by Joel the prophet, 'As I live, your God [says], I do not will the death of a sinner, but I seek that he should be converted to penitence.' Will God then predestine that which He [does] not will? Consider that which God says, and that which the Pharisees of this present time say.
Gospel of Barnabas 165:2
Further, God says by the prophet Isaiah, 'I have called, and you would not listen to Me.' And how much God has called, hear how He says by the same prophet, 'I have spread out My hands all the day to a people who do not believe Me, but contradict Me.' And our Pharisees, when they say that the reprobate cannot become elect, what [do] they say then, but that God mocks men even as he would mock a blind man who should show him something white, and as he would mock a deaf man who should speak into his ears?
Gospel of Barnabas 165:3
And that the elect can be reprobated, consider what our God says by Ezekiel the prophet, 'As I live, says God, if the righteous will forsake his righteousness and will do abominations, he will perish, and I will not remember any of his righteousness anymore; for trusting therein, it will forsake him before Me and it will not save him.'
Gospel of Barnabas 165:4
And of the calling of the reprobate, what does God say by the prophet Hosea but this, 'I will call a people not elect, I will call them elect.' God is true, and cannot tell a lie, for God, being truth, speaks truth. But the Pharisees of this present time contradict God altogether with their doctrine."
Gospel of Barnabas 166:1
Andrew replied, "But how is that to be understood which God said to Moses, that He will have mercy on whom He wills to have mercy and will harden whom He wills to harden." Jesus answered, "God says this in order that man may not believe that he is saved by his own virtue, but may perceive that life and the mercy of God have been granted to him by God of His bounty. And He says it in order that men may shun the opinion that there are other gods than Him.
Gospel of Barnabas 166:2
If, therefore, He hardened Pharaoh, He did it because he had afflicted our people and essayed to bring it to nothing by destroying all the male children in Israel, whereby Moses was near to losing his life. Accordingly, I say to you truly, that predestination has for its foundation, the law of God and human free will. Yes, and even if God could save the whole world so that none should perish, He would not will to do so unless He should thus deprive man of freedom, which He preserves to him in order to do spite to Satan, in order that this [lump of] clay, scorned by the spirit, even though it will sin as the spirit did, may have power to repent and go to dwell in that place from where the spirit was cast out.
Gospel of Barnabas 166:3
Our God wills, I say, to pursue man's free will with His mercy, and does not will to forsake the creature with His omnipotence. And so on the Day of Judgement, none will be able to make any excuse for their sins, seeing that it will then be manifest to them how much God has done for their conversion, and how often He has called them to repentance.
Gospel of Barnabas 167:1
Accordingly, if your mind will not rest content in this, and you are fain to say again, 'Why so?' I will disclose to you a why. It is this. Tell me, why can a [single] stone not rest on the top of the water, yet the whole earth rests on the top of the water? Tell me, why is it that, while water extinguishes fire, and earth flees from air, so that none can unite earth, air, water, and fire in harmony, nevertheless they are united in man and are preserved harmoniously?
Gospel of Barnabas 167:2
If then, you do not know this, no, all men, as men, cannot know it, how will they understand that God created the universe out of nothing with a single word? How will they understand the eternity of God? Assuredly they will by no means be able to understand this, because, man being finite and composite with the body, which, as the prophet Solomon says, 'Being corruptible, presses down the soul, and the works of God being proportionate to God,' how will they be able to comprehend them?
Gospel of Barnabas 167:3
Isaiah, prophet of God, seeing [it to be] thus, exclaimed, saying, 'Truly you are a hidden God!' And of the messenger of God, how God has created him, he says, 'His generation, who will narrate?' And of the working of God he says, 'Who has been His counsellor?' Therefore God says to human nature, 'Even as the heaven is exalted above the earth, so are My ways exalted above your ways, and My thoughts above your thoughts.' *Isaiah 55:9 Therefore I say to you, the manner of predestination is not manifest to men, albeit the fact is true, as I have told you. Should man then, because he cannot find out the mode, deny the fact? Assuredly, I have never yet seen anyone refuse health, though the manner of it is not understood. For I do not even know now how God, by my touch, heals the sick."
Gospel of Barnabas 168:1
Then the disciples said, "Truly God speaks in you, for never has a man spoken as you speak." Jesus answered, "Believe me when God chose me to send me to the house of Israel, He gave me a Book like a clear mirror; which came down into my heart in such wise that all that I speak comes forth from that Book. And when that Book will have finished coming forth from my mouth, I will be taken up from the world."
Gospel of Barnabas 168:2
Peter answered, "O master, is that which you now speak written in that Book?" Jesus replied, "All that I say for the knowledge of God and the service of God, for the knowledge of man and for the salvation of mankind, all this comes forth from that Book, which is my Gospel." Peter said, "Is the glory of Paradise written therein?"
Gospel of Barnabas 169:1
Jesus answered, "Listen, and I will tell you of what manner Paradise is, and how the holy and the faithful will abide there without end, for this is one of the greatest blessings of Paradise, seeing that everything, however great, if it has an end, becomes small, yes nothing. Paradise is the home where God stores His delights, which are so great that the ground which is trodden by the feet of the holy and blessed ones is so precious, that one drachma of it is more precious than a thousand worlds.
Gospel of Barnabas 169:2
These delights were seen by our father David, prophet of God, for God showed them to him, seeing He caused him to behold the glories of Paradise, whereupon, when he returned to himself, he closed his eyes with both his hands, and weeping said, 'Do not look anymore upon this world, O my eyes, for all is vain, and there is no good!'
Gospel of Barnabas 169:3
Of these delights, Isaiah the prophet said, 'The eyes of man have not seen, his ears have not heard, nor has the human heart conceived, that which God has prepared for those who love Him.' *Isaiah 64:4, *1 Corinthians 2:9, *32:17 Do you know why they have not seen, heard, conceived such delights? It is because while they live here below, they are not worthy to behold such things. Therefore, albeit our father David truly saw them, I tell you that he did not see them with human eyes, for God took his soul to Himself, and thus, united with God, he saw them with divine light. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, seeing that the delights of Paradise are infinite and man is finite, man cannot contain them; even as a little earthen jar cannot contain the sea.
Gospel of Barnabas 169:4
Behold then, how beautiful the world is in summer time, when all things bear fruit! The very peasant, intoxicated with gladness by reason of the harvest that has come, makes the valleys and mountains resound with his singing, for he supremely loves his labors. Now so lift up even your heart to Paradise, where all things are fruitful, with fruits proportionate to him who has cultivated it.
Gospel of Barnabas 169:5
As God lives, this is sufficient for the knowledge of Paradise, forasmuch as God has created Paradise for the home of His own delights. Now do you think that immeasurable goodness would not have immeasurably good things? Or that immeasurable beauty would not have immeasurably beautiful things? Beware, for you greatly err if you think He does not have them.
Gospel of Barnabas 170:1
God says thus to the man who will faithfully serve Him, 'I know your works, that you work for Me. As I live eternally, your love will not exceed My bounty. Because you serve Me as God your Creator, knowing yourself to be My work, and ask nothing of Me except grace and mercy to serve Me faithfully; because you set no end to My service, seeing you desire to serve Me eternally; even so will I do, for I will reward you as if you were God, My equal. For not only will I place the abundance of Paradise in your hands, but I will give you Myself as a gift, so that, even as you are fain to be My servant forever, even so will I make your wages forever.'
Gospel of Barnabas 171:1
What do you think," Jesus said to his disciples, "Of Paradise? Is there a mind that could comprehend such riches and delights? Man must have a knowledge as great as God's if he would know what God wills to give to His servants. Have you seen, when Herod makes a present to one of his favorite barons, in what sort he presents it?"
Gospel of Barnabas 171:2
John answered, "I have seen it twice; and assuredly the tenth part of that which he gives would be sufficient for a poor man." Jesus said, "But if a poor man will be presented to Herod, what will he give to him?" John answered, "One or two mites."
Gospel of Barnabas 171:3
"Now let this be your Book wherein to study the knowledge of Paradise," Jesus said], "Because all that God has given to man in this present world for his body is as though Herod should give a mite to a poor man; but what God will give to the body and soul in Paradise is as though Herod should give all that he has, yes and his own life, to one of his servants.
Gospel of Barnabas 172:1
God thus says to him who loves Him, and serves Him faithfully, 'Go and consider the sands of the sea, O My servant, how many they are. Therefore, if the sea should give you one single grain of sand, would it appear small to you? Assuredly, yes. As I live, your Creator, all that I have given in this world to all the princes and kings of the earth is less than a grain of sand that the sea would give you, in comparison of that which I will give you in My Paradise.'
Gospel of Barnabas 173:1
Consider, then," Jesus said, "The abundance of Paradise. For if God has given an ounce of welling to man in this world, He will give him ten hundred thousand loads in Paradise. Consider the quantity of fruits that are in this world, the quantity of food, the quantity of flowers, and the quantity of things that minister to man. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, as the sea still has sand over and above when one receives a grain thereof, even so will the quality and quantity of figs [in Paradise] excel the sort of figs we eat here. And in like manner, every other thing in Paradise.
Gospel of Barnabas 173:2
But furthermore, I say to you that truly, as a mountain of gold and pearls is more precious than the shadow of an ant, even so are the delights of Paradise more precious than all the delights of the princes of the world which they have had and will have, even to the Judgement of God when the world will have an end."
Gospel of Barnabas 173:3
Peter answered, "Should, then, our body which we now have, go into Paradise?" Jesus answered, "Beware, Peter, unless you should become a Sadducee, for the Sadducees say that the flesh will not rise again, and that there are no angels. Therefore their body and soul are deprived of entrance into Paradise, and they are deprived of all ministry of angels in this world. Have you perhaps forgotten Job, prophet and friend of God, how he says, 'I know that my God lives; and in the Last Day I will rise again in my flesh, and I will see God my Savior with my eyes'? *Job 19:25 - 26 But believe me, this flesh of ours will be so purified that it will not possess a single property of those which it now has; seeing that it will be purged of every evil desire, and God will reduce it to such a condition as was Adam's before he sinned.
Gospel of Barnabas 173:4
Two men serve one master in one and the same work. The one alone sees the work, and gives orders to the second, and the second performs all that the first commands. It seems just to you, I say, that the master should reward only him who sees and commands, and should cast him out of his house who wearied himself in the work? Surely not. How then will the justice of God bear this? The soul and the body with sense of man serve God; the soul only sees and commands the service, because the soul, eating no bread, does not fast, [the soul] does not walk, does not feel cold and heat, does not fall sick, and is not slain, because the soul is immortal; it does not suffer any of those corporal pains which the body suffers at the instance of the elements. Is it then just, I say, that the soul alone should go into Paradise, and not the body, which has wearied itself so much in serving God?"
Gospel of Barnabas 173:5
Peter answered, "O master, the body, having caused the soul to sin, should not be placed in Paradise." Jesus answered, "Now how will the body sin without the soul? Assuredly it is impossible. Therefore, in taking away God's mercy from the body, you condemn the soul to Hell.
Gospel of Barnabas 174:1
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, our God promises His mercy to the sinner, saying, 'In that hour that the sinner will lament his sin, by Myself, I will not remember his iniquities forever.' Now what should eat the meats of Paradise, if the body does not go there? The soul? Surely not, seeing it is spirit."
Gospel of Barnabas 174:2
Peter answered, "So then, the blessed will eat in Paradise; but how will the meat be voided without uncleanness?" Jesus answered, "Now what blessedness will the body have if it does not eat or drink? Assuredly it is fitting to give glory in proportion to the thing glorified. But you err, Peter, in thinking that such meat should be voided in uncleanness, because this body at the present time eats corruptible meats, and thus it is that putrefaction comes forth; but in Paradise, the body will be incorruptible, impassible, and immoral, and free from every misery; and the meats, which are without any defect, will not generate any putrefaction.
Gospel of Barnabas 175:1
God says this in Isaiah the prophet, pouring contempt on the reprobate, 'My servants will sit at My table in My House and will feast joyfully, with gladness and with the sound of harps and organs, and I will not allow them to have need of anything. But you who are My enemies will be cast away from Me, where you will die in misery, while every servant of Mine despises you.'
Gospel of Barnabas 176:1
To what does it serve to say, 'They will feast'?" Jesus said to his disciples. "Surely God speaks plain. But to what purpose are the four rivers of precious liquor in Paradise, with so many fruits? Assuredly, God does not eat, the angels do not eat, the soul does not eat, the sense does not eat, but rather the flesh, which is our body. Therefore the glory of Paradise is for the body - the meats; and for the soul and the sense - God and the conversation of angels and blessed spirits. That glory will be better revealed by the messenger of God, who (seeing God has created all things for love of him) knows all things better than any other creature."
Gospel of Barnabas 176:2
Bartholomew said, "O master, will the glory of Paradise be equal for every man? If it is equal, it will not be just, and if it is not equal, the lesser will envy the greater." Jesus answered, "It will not be equal, for God is just; and everyone will be content, because there is no envy there. Tell me, Bartholomew, there is a master who has many servants, and he clothes all of his servants in the same cloth. Do the boys then, who are clothed in the garments of boys, mourn because they do not have the apparel of grown men? Surely, on the contrary, if the elders desired to put their larger garments on them, they would be angry, because the garments, not being of their size, they would think themselves [to be] mocked. Now, Bartholomew, lift your heart to God in Paradise, and you will see that all one glory, although it will be more to one and less to another, will not produce anything of envy."
Gospel of Barnabas 177:1
Then he who writes said, "O master, does Paradise have light from the sun as this world has?" Jesus answered, "Thus God has said to me, O Barnabas, 'The world wherein you men that are sinners dwell has the sun and the moon and the stars that adorn it, for your benefit and your gladness; for I have created this.
Gospel of Barnabas 177:2
Do you think then, that the house where My faithful dwell will not be better? Assuredly, you err, so thinking, for I, your God, am the sun of Paradise, and My messenger is the moon who receives all from Me; and the stars are My prophets who have preached My will to you. Therefore My faithful, even as they received My word from My prophets [here], will in like manner obtain delight and gladness through them in the Paradise of My delights.'
Gospel of Barnabas 178:1
And let this suffice you," Jesus said, "For the knowledge of Paradise." Whereupon Bartholomew said again, "O master, have patience with me if I ask you one word." Jesus answered, "Say that which you desire." Bartholomew said, "Paradise is surely great, for seeing such great goods are in it, it must be great." Jesus answered, "Paradise is so great that no man can measure it. Truly I say to you that the heavens are nine, !*71:15 among which the planets are set, that are distant, five hundred years' journey for a man, one from another, and the earth in like manner is distant from the first heaven five hundred years' journey.
Gospel of Barnabas 178:2
But stop at the measuring of the first heaven, which is by so much greater than the whole earth as the whole earth is greater than a grain of sand. So also the second heaven is greater than the first, and the third than the second, and so on, up to the last heaven, each one is likewise greater than the next. And truly I say to you that Paradise is greater than all the earth and all the heavens [together], !*57:21 even as all the earth is greater than a grain of sand." Then Peter said, "O master, Paradise must be greater than God, because God is seen within it." Jesus answered, "Hold your peace, Peter, for you unwittingly blaspheme."
Gospel of Barnabas 179:1
Then the angel Gabriel came to Jesus and showed him a mirror shining like the sun, in which he beheld these words written, "As I live eternally, even as Paradise is greater than all the heavens and the earth, !*57:21 and as the whole earth is greater than a grain of sand, even so am I greater than Paradise; and as many times more as the sea has grains of sand, as there are drops of water upon the sea, as there are [blades of] grass upon the ground, as there are leaves upon the trees, as there are skins upon the beasts; and as many times more as the grains of sand that would go to fill the heavens and Paradise and more."
Gospel of Barnabas 179:2
Then Jesus said, "Let us do reverence to our God, who is blessed forevermore." They bowed their heads a hundred times and prostrated themselves to earth upon their face in prayer. When the prayer was done, Jesus called Peter and told him and all the disciples what he had seen. And he said to Peter, "Your soul, which is greater than all the earth, sees through one eye, the sun which is a thousand times greater than all the earth." "It is true," Peter said. Then Jesus said, "Even so, through [the eye of] Paradise, will you see God our Creator." And having said this, Jesus gave thanks to God our Lord, praying for the house of Israel and for the holy city. And everyone answered, "So be it, Lord."
Gospel of Barnabas 180:1
One day, Jesus being in Solomon's porch, a scribe, one of those who made discourse to the people, drew near to him and said to him, "O master, I have made discourse many times to this people; in my mind there is a passage of Scripture which I am not able to understand." Jesus answered, "And what is it?" The scribe said, "That which God said to Abraham your father, 'I will be your great reward.' *Genesis 15:1 Now how could man merit [such reward]?"
Gospel of Barnabas 180:2
Then Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, "Assuredly you are not far from the kingdom of God! Listen to me, for I will tell you the meaning of such teaching. God being infinite, and man finite, man cannot merit God and is this [the reason for] your doubt, brother?" The scribe answered, weeping, "Lord, you know my heart. Speak, therefore, for my soul desires to hear your voice." Then Jesus said, "As God lives, man cannot merit [even] a little breath which he receives every moment."
Gospel of Barnabas 180:3
The scribe was beside himself hearing this, and the disciples marveled as well, because they remembered that which Jesus said, that whatever they gave for love of God, they should receive a hundredfold [in return]. Then he said, "If someone should lend you a hundred pieces of gold, and you should spend those pieces, could you say to that man, 'I give you a decayed vine leaf; therefore give me your house, for I merit it'?" The scribe answered, "No, lord, for he should first pay that which he owed, and then, if he wished for anything, he should give him good things, but what good is a corrupted leaf?"
Gospel of Barnabas 181:1
Jesus answered, "You have spoken well, O brother; so tell me, who created man out of nothing? Surely it was God, who also gave [man] the whole world for his benefit. But man, by sinning, has spent it all, for because of sin, the world is turned against man, and man in his misery has nothing to give to God but works corrupted by sin. For, sinning every day, he makes his own work corrupt, as Isaiah the prophet says, 'Our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth.'
Gospel of Barnabas 181:2
How then, will man have merit, seeing he is unable to give satisfaction? Is it, perhaps, that man does not sin? It is certain that our God says by His prophet David, 'The righteous falls seven times a day.' How then does the unrighteous fall? And if our righteousnesses are corrupt, how abominable are our unrighteousnesses!
Gospel of Barnabas 181:3
As God lives, there is nothing that a man should shun more than this saying, 'I merit.' Brother, let a man know the works of his hands, and he will straightway see his merit. Every good thing that comes out of a man, truly, man does not do it, but God works it in him; for his being is of God who created him. That which man does is to contradict God his Creator and to commit sin, [and so] he merits no reward, but torment.
Gospel of Barnabas 182:1
Not only has God created man, as I say, but He created him perfect. He has given him the whole world; after the departure from Paradise, He has given him two angels to guard him, He has sent him the prophets, He has granted him the law, He has granted him the faith, He delivers him from Satan every moment, He is fain to give him Paradise; no more, God wills to give Himself to man.
Gospel of Barnabas 182:2
Consider then, the debt, if it is great! [A debt] to cancel which you would need to have created man of yourselves out of nothing, to have created as many prophets as God has sent, with a world and a Paradise, no, more, with a God great and good as our God is, and to give it all to God. So the debt would be cancelled and only the obligation to give thanks to God would remain to you. But since you are not able to create a single fly, and seeing there is only one God who is Lord of all things, how will you be able to cancel your debt? Assuredly, if a man should lend you a hundred pieces of gold, you would be obliged to restore a hundred pieces of gold.
Gospel of Barnabas 182:3
Accordingly, the sense of this, O brother, is that God, being Lord of Paradise and everything, can say that which pleases Him, and give whatsoever pleases Him. Therefore, when He said to Abraham, 'I will be your great reward,' *Genesis 15:1 Abraham could not say, 'God is my reward,' but 'God is my gift and my debt.' So when you discourse to the people, O brother, you should thus explain this passage, that God will give to man such and such things if man works well.
Gospel of Barnabas 182:4
When God will speak to you, O man, and will say, 'O My servant, you have done well for love of Me; what reward do you seek from Me, your God?' You answer, 'Lord, seeing I am the work of Your hands, it is not fitting that there should be sin in me, which Satan loves. Therefore, Lord, for Your own glory, have mercy upon the works of Your hands.' And if God says, 'I have pardoned you, and now I would fain reward you;' you answer, 'Lord, I merit punishment for what I have done, and for what You have done, You merit to be glorified. Punish, Lord, in me what I have done, and save that which You have done.'
Gospel of Barnabas 182:5
And if God says, 'What punishment seems fitting to you for your sin?' You answer, 'As much, O Lord, as all the reprobate will suffer.' And if God says, 'Why do you seek to punish men so great, O My faithful servant?' You answer, 'Because every one of them, if they had received as much as I have received from You, would have served You more faithfully than I [have done].' And if God says, 'When will you receive this punishment, and for how long a time?' You answer, 'Now, and without end.' As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, such a man would be more pleasing to God than all His holy angels. For God loves true humility, and hates pride."
Gospel of Barnabas 182:6
Then the scribe gave thanks to Jesus, and said to him, "Lord, let us go to the house of your servant, for your servant will give meat to you and to your disciples." Jesus answered, "I will come there when you will promise to call me 'Brother' and not 'Lord,' and will say you are my brother, and not my servant." The man promised, and Jesus went to his house.
Gospel of Barnabas 183:1
While they sat at meat, the scribe said, "O master, you said that God loves true humility. Tell us therefore what humility is, and how it can be true and false." [Jesus replied,] "Truly I say to you that he who does not become as a little child will not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Every one was amazed at hearing this, and they said to one another, "Now how will he become a little child who is thirty or forty years old? Surely, this is a hard saying."
Gospel of Barnabas 183:2
Jesus answered, "As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, my words are true. I said to you that [a man] has need to become as a little child, for this is true humility. For if you ask a little child, 'Who has made your garments?' He will answer, 'My father.' If you ask him whose is the house where he lives, he will say, 'My father's.' If you will say, 'Who gives you [food] to eat?' He will reply, 'My father.' If you will say, 'Who has taught you to walk and to speak?' He will answer; 'My father.' But if you will say, 'Who has broken your forehead, for that you have your forehead so bound up?' He will answer, 'I fell down, and so I broke my head.' If you will say, 'Now why did you fall down?' He will answer, 'Do you not see that I am little, so that I do not have the strength to walk and run like a grown man? So my father must take me by the hand if I would walk firmly. But in order that I might learn to walk well, my father left me for a little space, and I, wishing to run, fell down.' If you will say, 'And what did your father say?' He will answer, 'Now why did you not walk quite slowly? See that in the future, you do not leave my side.'
Gospel of Barnabas 184:1
Tell me, is this true?" Jesus said. The disciples and the scribe answered, "It is most true." Then Jesus said, "He who in truth of heart recognizes God as the author of all good, and himself as the author of sin, *4:79 will be truly humble. But whoever will speak with the tongue as the child speaks, and will contradict [the same] in act, assuredly he has false humility and true pride. For pride is then at its height when it makes use of humble things, that it is not reprehended and spurned by men.
Gospel of Barnabas 184:2
True humility is a lowliness of the soul whereby man knows himself in truth; but false humility is a mist from Hell which so darkens the understanding of the soul that what a man should ascribe to himself, he ascribes to God, and what he should ascribe to God, he ascribes to himself. Thus, the man of false humility will say that he is a grievous sinner, but when one tells him that he is a sinner, he will speak angrily against him, and will persecute him. The man of false humility will say that God has given him all that he has, but that he has not slumbered on his part, but done good works. And these Pharisees of this present time, brethren, tell me how they walk."
Gospel of Barnabas 184:3
The scribe answered, weeping, "O master, the Pharisees of the present time have the garments and the name of Pharisees, but in their heart and their works, they are Canaanites. And would to God they did not usurp such a name, for then they would not deceive the simple! O ancient time, how cruelly have you dealt with us, who have taken away the true Pharisees from us and left us the false!"
Gospel of Barnabas 185:1
Jesus answered, "Brother, it is not time that has done this, but rather the wicked world. For in every time it is possible to serve God in truth, but by companying with the world, that is with the evil manners in each time, men become bad. Now do you not know that Gehazi, servant of Elisha the prophet, lying, and shaming his master, took the money and the raiment of Naaman the Syrian? And yet Elisha had a great number of Pharisees to whom God made him to prophesy.
Gospel of Barnabas 185:2
Truly I say to you that men are so inclined to evil working, and the world excites them so much thereto, and Satan entices them to evil work, so that the Pharisees of the present day avoid every good work and every holy example; and the example of Gehazi is sufficient for them to be reprobated by God." The scribe answered, "It is most true;" whereupon Jesus said, "I will that you would narrate to me the example of Haggai and Hosea, both prophets of God, in order that we may behold the true Pharisee." The scribe answered, "O master, what will I say? Surely many do not believe it, although it is written by Daniel the prophet; but in obedience to you, I will narrate the truth.
Gospel of Barnabas 185:3
Haggai was fifteen years old when, having sold his patrimony and given it to the poor, he went forth from Anathoth to serve Obadiah the prophet. Now the aged Obadiah, who knew the humility of Haggai, used him as a book wherewith to teach his disciples. Therefore he oftentimes presented him raiment and delicate food, but Haggai always sent back the messenger, saying, 'Go, return to the house, for you have made a mistake. Should Obadiah send me such things? Surely not, for he knows that I am good for nothing, and only commit sins.'
Gospel of Barnabas 185:4
And Obadiah, when he had anything bad, used to give it to the one next to Haggai, in order that he might see it. Thereupon Haggai, when he saw it, would say to himself, 'Now, behold, Obadiah has certainly forgotten you, for this thing is suited to me alone, because I am worse than all. And there is nothing so vile but that, receiving it from Obadiah, by whose hands God grants it to me, it were a treasure.'
Gospel of Barnabas 186:1
When Obadiah desired to teach anyone how to pray, he would call Haggai and say, 'Recite your prayer here so that everyone may hear your words.' Then Haggai would say, 'Lord God of Israel, look upon Your servant with mercy, who calls upon You, for You have created him. Righteous Lord God, remember Your righteousness and punish the sins of Your servant, in order that I may not pollute Your work. Lord my God, I cannot ask You for the delights that You grant to Your faithful servants, because I do nothing but sins. Therefore, Lord, when You would give an infirmity to one of Your servants, remember me, Your servant, for Your own glory.'
Gospel of Barnabas 186:2
And when Haggai did so," the scribe said, "God so loved him that to everyone in his time who stood by him, God gave [the gift of] prophecy. And Haggai did not ask anything in prayer that God withheld."
Gospel of Barnabas 187:1
The good scribe wept as he said this, as the sailor weeps when he sees his ship broken up. And he said, "Hosea, when he went to serve God, was prince over the tribe of Naphtali, and aged fourteen years. And so, having sold his patrimony and given it to the poor, he went to be a disciple of Haggai. Hosea was so inflamed with charity, that concerning all that was asked of him, he would say, 'God has given me this for you, O brother; accept it, therefore!' For which cause he was soon left with two garments only, namely, a tunic of sackcloth and a mantle of skins. He sold, I say, his patrimony and gave it to the poor, because otherwise no one would be allowed to be called a Pharisee.
Gospel of Barnabas 187:2
Hosea had the Book of Moses, which he read with greatest earnestness. Now one day, Haggai said to him, 'Hosea, who has taken all that you had away from you?' He answered, 'The Book of Moses.' It happened that a disciple of a neighboring prophet wanted to go to Jerusalem, but did not have a mantle. Therefore, having heard of the charity of Hosea, he went to find him, and said to him, 'Brother, I would want to go to Jerusalem to perform a sacrifice to our God, but I have no mantle, therefore I do not know what to do.'
Gospel of Barnabas 187:3
When he heard this, Hosea said, 'Pardon me, brother, for I have committed a great sin against you, because God has given me a mantle in order that I might give it to you, and I had forgotten. Now therefore accept it, and pray to God for me.' The man, believing this, accepted Hosea's mantle and departed. And when Hosea went to the house of Haggai, Haggai said, 'Who has taken away your mantle?' Hosea replied, 'The Book of Moses.' Haggai was much pleased at hearing this, because he perceived the goodness of Hosea.
Gospel of Barnabas 187:4
It happened that a poor man was stripped by robbers and left naked. Whereupon Hosea, seeing him, stripped off his own tunic and gave it to him who was naked; himself being left with a little piece of goat skin over the privy parts. Therefore, as he did not come to see Haggai, the good Haggai thought that Hosea was sick. So he went with two disciples to find him, and they found him wrapped in palm leaves. Then Haggai said, 'Tell me now, why have you not been to visit me?' Hosea answered, 'The Book of Moses has taken away my tunic, and I feared to come there without a tunic.' Whereupon Haggai gave him another tunic.
Gospel of Barnabas 187:5
It happened that a young man, seeing Hosea read the Book of Moses, wept and said, 'I also would learn to read if I had a Book.' Hearing which, Hosea gave him the Book, saying, 'Brother, this Book is yours; for God gave it to me in order that I should give it to one who, weeping, should desire a Book.' The man believed him, and accepted the Book.
Gospel of Barnabas 188:1
There was a disciple of Haggai near to Hosea; and he, wishing to see if his own book was well written, went to visit Hosea, and said to him, 'Brother, take your Book and let us see if it is even as mine.' Hosea answered, 'It has been taken away from me.' 'Who has taken it from you?' The disciple said.
Gospel of Barnabas 188:2
Hosea answered, 'The Book of Moses,' Hearing which, the other went to Haggai and said to him, 'Hosea has gone mad, for he says that the Book of Moses has taken the Book of Moses away from him.' Haggai answered, 'Would to God, O brother, that I were mad in like manner, and that all mad folk were like Hosea!'
Gospel of Barnabas 188:3
Now the Syrian robbers, having raided the land of Judea, seized the son of a poor widow, who dwelt hard by Mount Carmel, where the prophets and Pharisees abode. It chanced, accordingly, that Hosea, having gone to cut wood, met the woman, who was weeping. Thereupon he straightway began to weep; for whenever he saw anyone laugh, he laughed, and whenever he saw anyone weep, he wept. Hosea then asked the woman touching the reason of her weeping, and she told him all. Then Hosea said, 'Come, sister, for God wills to give you your son.'
Gospel of Barnabas 188:4
And they went, both of them to Hebron, where Hosea sold himself [as a slave], and gave the money to the widow, who, not knowing how he had gotten that money, accepted it, and redeemed her son. He who had bought Hosea, took him to Jerusalem, where he had an abode, not knowing Hosea. Haggai, seeing that Hosea was not to be found, remained afflicted thereat. Whereupon the angel of God told him how he had been taken as a slave to Jerusalem.
Gospel of Barnabas 188:5
The good Haggai, when he heard this, wept for the absence of Hosea as a mother weeps for the absence of her son. And having called two disciples, he went to Jerusalem. And by the will of God, in the entrance of the city, he met Hosea, who was laden with bread to carry it to the laborers in his master's vineyard. Having recognized him, Haggai said, 'Son, how is it that you have forsaken your old father, who seeks you mourning?'
Gospel of Barnabas 188:6
Hosea answered, 'Father, I have been sold.' Then Haggai said in wrath, 'Who is that bad fellow who has sold you?' Hosea answered, 'God forgive you, O my father; for he who has sold me is so good that if he were not in the world, no one would become holy.' Who, then, is he?' Haggai said. Hosea answered, 'O my father, it was the Book of Moses.' Then the good Haggai remained as it were, beside himself, and said, 'Would to God, my son, that the Book of Moses would sell me also with all my children, even as it has sold you!'
Gospel of Barnabas 188:7
And Haggai went with Hosea to the house of his master, who, when he saw Haggai, said, 'Our God is blessed, who has sent His prophet to my house;' and he ran to kiss his hand. Then Haggai said, 'Brother, kiss the hand of your slave whom you have bought, for he is better than I.' And he narrated all to him that had passed; whereupon the master gave Hosea his freedom. And that is all that you desired, O master," [the scribe said].
Gospel of Barnabas 189:1
Then Jesus said, "This is true, because I am assured of it by God. Therefore, so that everyone may know that this is the truth, in the name of God, let the sun stand still, and not move for twelve hours!" And so it came to pass, to the great terror of all Jerusalem and Judea.
Gospel of Barnabas 189:2
And Jesus said to the scribe, "O brother, what do you seek to learn from me, seeing you have such knowledge? As God lives, this is sufficient for man's salvation, inasmuch as the humility of Haggai, with the charity of Hosea, fulfills all the law and all the prophets. Tell me brother, when you came to question me in the temple, did you think, perhaps that God had sent me to destroy the law and the prophets? It is certain that God will not do this, seeing He is unchangeable, and therefore that which God ordained as man's way of salvation, He has caused all the prophets to say this.
Gospel of Barnabas 189:3
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, if the Book of Moses with the Book of our father David had not been corrupted by the human traditions of false Pharisees and doctors, God would not have given His word to me. And why do I speak of the Book of Moses and the Book of David? They have corrupted every prophecy, insomuch that today a thing is not sought because God has commanded it, but men look whether the doctors say it, and the Pharisees observe it, as though God were in error, and men could not err.
Gospel of Barnabas 189:4
Woe, therefore, to this faithless generation, for the blood of every prophet and righteous man will come upon them, with the blood of Zechariah, son of Berachiah, whom they slew between the temple and the altar! *Matthew 23:35, *Luke 11:50 - 51 What prophet have they not persecuted? What righteous man have they allowed to die a natural death? Scarcely one! And now they seek to slay me. They boast themselves to be children of Abraham, and to possess the beautiful temple. As God lives, they are children of Satan, and therefore they do his will; therefore the temple, with the holy city, will go to ruin, in so much that one stone of the temple will not remain upon another.'
Gospel of Barnabas 190:1
Tell me, brother, you who are a doctor learned in the law, in whom was the promise of the Messiah made to our father Abraham? In Isaac or in Ishmael." The scribe answered, "O master, I fear to tell you this, because of the penalty of death." Then Jesus said, 'Brother, I am grieved that I came to eat bread in your house, since you love this present life more than God your Creator; and for this cause you fear to lose your life, but do not fear to lose the faith and the eternal life, which is lost when the tongue speaks contrary to that which the heart knows of the law of God."
Gospel of Barnabas 190:2
Then the good scribe wept and said, "O master, if I had known how to bear fruit, I should have preached many things which I have left unsaid, unless sedition should be roused amongst the people." Jesus answered, "You should respect neither the people, nor all the world, nor all the holy ones, nor all the angels, when it should cause offence to God. Therefore let the whole [world] perish rather than offend God your Creator, and do not preserve it with sin. For sin destroys and does not preserve, and God is mighty to create as many worlds as there are sands in the sea, and more."
Gospel of Barnabas 191:1
The scribe then said, "Pardon me, O master, for I have sinned." Jesus said, "[May] God pardon you for you have sinned against Him."
Gospel of Barnabas 191:2
Whereupon the scribe said, "I have seen an old Book; written by the hand of Moses and Joshua (he who made the sun stand still; as you have done), servants and prophets of God, which Book is the true Book of Moses. Therein it is written that Ishmael is the father of [the] Messiah, and Isaac [is] the father of the messenger of the Messiah. And thus the Book says that Moses said, 'Lord God of Israel, Almighty and Merciful, manifest the splendor of Your glory to Your servant.' Whereupon God showed him His messenger in the arms of Ishmael, and Ishmael in the arms of Abraham. Isaac stood near to Ishmael, in whose arms was a child, who, with his finger, pointed to the messenger of God, saying, 'This is he for whom God has created all things.' Whereupon Moses cried out with joy, 'O Ishmael, you have all the world in your arms, and Paradise! Be mindful of me, God's servant, so that I may find grace in God's sight by means of your son, for whom God has made all.'
Gospel of Barnabas 192:1
In that Book, it is not found that God eats the flesh of cattle or sheep; in that Book, it is not found that God has locked up His mercy in Israel alone, but rather that God has mercy on every man who seeks God his Creator in truth. I was not able to read all of this Book, because the high priest, in whose library I was, forbade me, saying that an Ishmaelite had written it." Then Jesus said, "See that you never again keep the truth back, because in the faith of the Messiah, God will give salvation to men, and without it, none will be saved." And Jesus ended his discourse there.
Gospel of Barnabas 192:2
Whereupon, as they sat at meat, look, Mary, who wept at the feet of Jesus, entered into the house of Nicodemus, (for that was the name of the scribe), and weeping, she placed herself at the feet of Jesus, saying, "Lord, your servant, who has found mercy with God through you, has a sister, and a brother who now lies sick in peril of death."
Gospel of Barnabas 192:3
Jesus answered, "Where is your house? Tell me, for I will come to pray God for his health." Mary answered, "Bethany is [the home] of my brother and my sister, for my own house is Magdala; my brother, therefore, is in Bethany." Jesus said to the woman, "Go straightway to your brother's house, and await for me there, for I will come to heal him. And do not fear, for he will not die." The woman departed, and having gone to Bethany, she found that her brother had died that day, therefore they laid him in the sepulchre of their fathers.
Gospel of Barnabas 193:1
Jesus abode two days in the house of Nicodemus, and he departed the third day for Bethany; and when he was near the town, he sent two of his disciples before him, to announce his coming to Mary. She ran out of the town, and when she had found Jesus, she said, weeping, 'Lord, you said that my brother would not die; and now he has been buried four days. Would to God you had come before I called you, for then he would not have died!"
Gospel of Barnabas 193:2
Jesus answered, "Your brother is not dead, but sleeps, therefore I come to awake him." Mary answered, weeping, "Lord, he will be awakened from such a sleep on the Day of Judgement by the angel of God sounding his Trumpet." Jesus answered, "Mary, believe me that he will rise before [that Day], because God has given me power over his sleep; and truly I say to you, he is not dead, for he alone is dead who dies without finding mercy with God." Mary returned quickly to announce the coming of Jesus to her sister Martha.
Gospel of Barnabas 193:3
Now a great number of Jews from Jerusalem were assembled at the death of Lazarus there, and many scribes and Pharisees. Martha, having heard of the coming of Jesus from her sister Mary, arose in haste and ran outside, whereupon the multitude of Jews, scribes, and Pharisees followed her to comfort her, because they supposed she was going to the sepulchre to weep over her brother. When she therefore arrived at the place where Jesus had spoken to Mary, Martha said weeping, "Lord, would to God you had been here, for then my brother would not have died!"
Gospel of Barnabas 193:4
Mary then came up weeping; whereupon Jesus shed tears, and sighing said, "Where have you laid him?" They answered, "Come and see." The Pharisees said amongst themselves, "Now this man, who raised the son of the widow at Nain, why did he allow this man to die, having said that he should not die?"
Gospel of Barnabas 193:5
Jesus, having come to the sepulchre where everyone was weeping, said, "Do not weep, for Lazarus sleeps, and I have come to awaken him." The Pharisees said amongst themselves, "Would to God that you did so sleep!" Then Jesus said, "My hour has not yet come; but when it will come, I will sleep in like manner, and will be speedily awakened." Then Jesus said again, "Take away the stone from the sepulchre."
Gospel of Barnabas 193:6
Martha said, "Lord, he stinks, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said, "Why then have I come here, Martha? Do you not believe me that I will awaken him?" Martha answered, "I know that you are the holy one of God, who has sent you into this world." Then Jesus lifted up his hands to heaven and said, "God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Ishmael and Lord of Isaac, have mercy upon the affliction of these women, and give glory to Your holy name." And when everyone had answered, "Amen," Jesus said with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"
Gospel of Barnabas 193:7
Whereupon he who was dead arose; and Jesus said to his disciples, "Loose him." For he was bound in the grave clothes with the napkin over his face, *John 11:44 even as our fathers were accustomed to bury [their dead].
Gospel of Barnabas 193:8
A great multitude of the Jews and some of the Pharisees believed in Jesus, because the miracle was great. Those who remained in their unbelief departed and went to Jerusalem and announced to the chief of the priests, the resurrection of Lazarus, and how many had become Nazarenes; for so they called those who were brought to penitence through the word of God which Jesus preached.
Gospel of Barnabas 194:1
The scribes and Pharisees took counsel with the high priest to slay Lazarus; for many renounced their traditions and believed in the word of Jesus, because the miracle of Lazarus was a great one, seeing that Lazarus had conversation with men, and ate and drank. But because he was powerful, having a following in Jerusalem, and possessing Magdala and Bethany with his sister, they did not know what to do.
Gospel of Barnabas 194:2
Jesus entered into Bethany, into the house of Lazarus, and Martha ministered to him with Mary. Mary, sitting one day at the feet of Jesus, was listening to his words, whereupon Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, do you not see that my sister takes no care for you, and does not provide that which you must eat, and your disciples?" Jesus answered, "Martha, Martha, do you take thought for that which you should do? For Mary has chosen a part which will not be taken away from her forever."
Gospel of Barnabas 194:3
Jesus, sitting at the table with a great multitude who believed in him, spoke, saying, "Brethren, I have only a little time to remain with you, for the time is at hand that I must depart from the world. Therefore I bring the words of God to your mind, spoken to Ezekiel the prophet, saying, 'As I, your God, live eternally, the soul that sins, it will die, but if the sinner will repent, he will not die but live.'
Gospel of Barnabas 194:4
Therefore the present death is not death, but rather the end of a long death, even as the body, when separated from the sense, [is] in a swoon, though it has the soul within it, has no other advantage over the dead and buried except this, that the buried [body] awaits God to raise it again, but the unconscious waits for the sense to return. Behold then, the present life that it is death, through having no perception of God.
Gospel of Barnabas 195:1
Those who will believe in me will not die eternally, for through my word, they will perceive God within them, and therefore will work out their salvation. What is death but an act which nature does by commandment of God? As it would be if one held a bird tied, and held the cord in his hand; when the head wills the bird to fly away, what does it do? Assuredly it naturally commands the hand to open; and so the bird straightway flies away. 'Our soul,' as the prophet David says, 'Is as a sparrow freed from the snare of the fowler,' *Psalms 124:7 when man abides under the protection of God. And our life is like a cord whereby nature holds the soul bound to the body and the sense of man. When God therefore wills, and commands nature to open, the life is broken and the soul escapes in the hands of the angels whom God has ordained to receive souls.
Gospel of Barnabas 195:2
Then do not let friends weep when their friend is dead; for our God has so willed. But let him weep without ceasing when he sins, for [so] the soul dies, seeing it separates itself from God, the true life. If the body is horrible without its union with the soul, the soul is much more frightful without union with God, who beautifies and quickens it with His grace and mercy."
Gospel of Barnabas 195:3
And having said this, Jesus gave thanks to God; whereupon Lazarus said, "Lord, this house belongs to God my Creator, with all that He has given into my keeping, for the service of the poor. Therefore, since you are poor, and have a great number of disciples, come to dwell here when you please, and as much as you please, for the servant of God will minister to you as much as will be needed, for love of God."
Gospel of Barnabas 196:1
Jesus rejoiced when he heard this, and said, "See now how good a thing it is to die! Lazarus has died only once, and has learned such doctrine as is not known to the wise men in the world who have grown old among books! Would to God that every man might die only once and return to the world, like Lazarus, in order that men might learn to live."
Gospel of Barnabas 196:2
John answered, "O master, is it permitted to me to speak a word?" "Speak a thousand," Jesus answered, "For just as a man is bound to dispense his goods in the service of God, so also is he bound to dispense doctrine; and so much more is he bound [to do so] inasmuch as the world has power to raise up a soul to penitence, whereas goods cannot bring life back to the dead. Therefore he is a murderer who has power to help a poor man, and when he does not help him, the poor man dies of hunger; but a more grievous murderer is he who could, by the word of God, convert the sinner to penitence, and does not convert him, but stands, as God says, 'Like a dumb dog.' God says against such, 'The soul of the sinner that will perish because you have hidden My word, I will require it at your hands, O unfaithful servant.' In what condition, then, are the scribes and Pharisees who now have the key and will not enter, no [rather,] hinder those who would fain enter, into eternal life?
Gospel of Barnabas 196:3
You ask me, O John, permission to speak one word, having listened to a hundred thousand words of mine. Truly I say to you, I am bound to listen to you ten times for every one that you have listened to me. And he who will not listen to another, every time that he will speak, he will sin; seeing that we should do to others that which we desire for ourselves, and not do to others that which we do not desire to receive." Then John said, 'O master, why has God not granted this to men, that they should die once and return as Lazarus has done, in order that they might learn to know themselves and their Creator?"
Gospel of Barnabas 197:1
Jesus answered, "Tell me, John; there was a householder who gave a perfect axe to one of his servants in order that he might cut down the wood which obstructed the view of his house. But the laborer forgot the axe, and said, 'If the master would give me an old axe I should easily cut down the wood.' Tell me, John, what did the master say? Assuredly he was angry, and took the old axe and struck him on the head, saying, 'Dishonest fool! I gave you an axe wherewith you might cut down the wood without toil, and you seek this axe, wherewith one must work with great toil, and all that is cut is wasted and good for nothing? I desire you to cut down the wood in such wise that your work will be good.' Is this true?"
Gospel of Barnabas 197:2
John answered, "It is most true." [Then Jesus said,] "'As I live eternally,' God said, 'I have given a good axe to every man, which is the sight of the burial of one dead. Whosoever wields this axe well, removes the wood of sin from their heart without pain; therefore they receive My grace and mercy; giving them merit of eternal life for their good works. But he who forgets that he is mortal, though time after time he sees others die, and says, 'If I should see the other life, I would do good works,' My fury will be upon him, and I will so strike him with death that he will no longer receive any good.' O John," Jesus said, "How great is the advantage of him who, from the fall of others, learns to stand on his feet!"
Gospel of Barnabas 198:1
Then Lazarus said, "Master, truly I say to you, I cannot conceive the penalty of which he is worthy, who, time after time, sees the dead borne to the tomb and does not fear God our Creator. Such a one for the things of this world, which he should entirely forsake, offends his Creator who has given him all."
Gospel of Barnabas 198:2
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "You call me master, and you do well, seeing that God teaches you by my mouth. But how will you call Lazarus? Truly he is master of all the masters here who teach doctrine in this world. I indeed have taught you how you should live well, but Lazarus will teach you how to die well. As God lives, he has received the gift of prophecy; listen therefore to his words, which are truth. And you should so much more to listen to him, as good living is vain if one dies badly."
Gospel of Barnabas 198:3
Lazarus said, "O master, I thank you that you make the truth to be prized; therefore God will give the great merit." Then he who writes this said, "O master, how Lazarus speaks the truth in saying to you, 'You will have merit,' whereas you said to Nicodemus that man merits nothing but punishment? Should you accordingly be punished by God?"
Gospel of Barnabas 198:4
Jesus answered, "May it please God that I receive punishment by God in this world, because I have not served Him so faithfully as I was bound to do. But God has so loved me, by His mercy, that every punishment is withdrawn from me, insomuch that I will only be tormented in another person. For punishment was fitting for me, for men have called me God; but since I have confessed, not only that I am not God, as is the truth, but have also confessed that I am not the Messiah, !*3:45 therefore God has taken the punishment away from me, and will cause a wicked one to suffer it in my name, so that the shame will be mine alone.
Gospel of Barnabas 198:5
Therefore I say to you, my Barnabas, that when a man speaks of what God will give to his neighbor, let him say that his neighbor merits it; but let him look to it that, when he speaks of what God will give to himself, he say, 'God will give me.' And let him look to it that he does not say, 'I have merit,' because God is pleased to grant His mercy to His servants when they confess that they merit Hell for their sins.
Gospel of Barnabas 199:1
God is so rich in mercy that the water of a thousand seas, if so many were to be found, could not quench a spark of the flames of Hell, yet a single tear of one who mourns at having offended God quenches the whole of Hell, by the great mercy wherewith God succours him. God therefore, to confound Satan and to display His own bounty, wills to call merit, every good work of His faithful servant, in the presence of His mercy, and wills him to so speak of his neighbor. But of himself, a man must beware of saying, 'I have merit;' for he would be condemned."
Gospel of Barnabas 200:1
Jesus then turned to Lazarus and said, "Brother, I must abide for a short time in the world, therefore, when I will be near your house, I will never go elsewhere, because you will minister to me, not for love of me, but for love of God."
Gospel of Barnabas 200:2
It was near to the Passover of the Jews, [so] Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go to Jerusalem to eat the paschal lamb." And he sent Peter and John to the city, saying, "You will find a donkey near the gate of the city with a colt, loose her and bring her here; for I must ride [on her] into Jerusalem. And if anyone asks you, saying, 'Why [do] you loose her?' Say to them, 'The master has need [of it],' and they will permit you to bring her."
Gospel of Barnabas 200:3
The disciples went, and found all that Jesus had told them, and accordingly, they brought the donkey and the colt. *Mark 11:4 The disciples [then] placed their mantles upon the colt, and Jesus rode [on it]. *Luke 19:35 And it came to pass that, when the men of Jerusalem heard that Jesus of Nazareth was coming, the men went forth with their children eager to see Jesus, bearing branches of palm and olive in their hands, singing, "Blessed is he who comes to us in the name of God; Hosanna son of David!" *Matthew 21:6 - 9
Gospel of Barnabas 200:4
Jesus, having come into the city, the men spread out their garments under the feet of the donkey, singing, "Blessed is he who comes to us in the name of the Lord God; Hosanna, son of David!" The Pharisees rebuked Jesus, saying, "Do you not see what these say? Cause them to hold their peace!"
Gospel of Barnabas 200:5
Then Jesus said, "As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, if men should hold their peace, the stones would cry out *Luke 19:40 against the disbelief of malignant sinners." And when Jesus had said this, all the stones of Jerusalem cried out with a great noise, "Blessed is he who comes to us in the name of the Lord God!" Nevertheless, the Pharisees remained still in their disbelief, and having assembled themselves together, they took counsel to catch him in his talk.
Gospel of Barnabas 201:1
Jesus, having entered into the temple, the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to him taken in adultery. *John 8:2 - 3 They said amongst themselves, "If he saves her, it is contrary to the law of Moses, and so we have him as guilty, and if he condemns her, it is contrary to his own doctrine, for he preaches mercy." Therefore they came to Jesus and said, "Master, we have found this woman in adultery. Moses commanded that [such] should be stoned, what then do you say?"
Gospel of Barnabas 201:2
Thereupon Jesus stooped down and with his finger, made a mirror on the ground wherein everyone saw his own iniquities. They still pressed for the answer, Jesus lifted himself up, and pointing to the mirror with his finger, said, "He who is without sin among you, let him be first to stone her." And again he stooped down, shaping the mirror.
Gospel of Barnabas 201:3
The men, seeing this, went out one by one, beginning from the eldest, for they were ashamed to see their abominations. Jesus, having lifted himself up, and seeing no one but the woman, said, "Woman, where are those who condemned you?" The woman answered, weeping, "Lord, they have departed; and if you will pardon me as God lives, I will sin no more."
Gospel of Barnabas 201:4
Then Jesus said, "God is blessed! Go your way in peace and sin no more, for God has not sent me to condemn you." Then the scribes and Pharisees, being assembled, Jesus said to them, "Tell me, if one of you had a hundred sheep, and should lose one of them, would you not go to seek it, leaving the ninety nine? And when you found it, would you not lay it upon your shoulders, and having called your neighbors together, say to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the sheep which I had lost'? Assuredly you would do so. Now tell me, will our God love man less, for whom He has made the world? As God lives, even so there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents; because sinners make God's mercy known.
Gospel of Barnabas 202:1
Tell me, by whom is the physician more loved, by those who have never had any sickness, or by those whom the physician has healed from a grievous sickness?" The Pharisees said to him, "And how will he who is whole love the physician? Assuredly he will love him only since he is not sick; and not having knowledge of sickness, he will love the physician only a little."
Gospel of Barnabas 202:2
Then with vehemence of spirit, Jesus spoke, saying, "As God lives, your own tongues condemns your pride, inasmuch as our God is loved more by the sinner who repents, knowing the great mercy of God upon him, than by the righteous. For the righteous do not have knowledge of the mercy of God. Therefore there is more rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents, than over ninety nine righteous persons. Where are the righteous in our time? As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, the number of the righteous unrighteous is great; their condition being like that of Satan."
Gospel of Barnabas 202:3
The scribes and Pharisees answered, "We are sinners, therefore God will have mercy on us." And they said this tempting him; for the scribes and Pharisees count it the greatest insult to be called sinners. Then Jesus said, "I fear that you are righteous unrighteous. For if you have sinned and deny your sin, calling yourselves righteous, you are unrighteous; and if you hold yourselves righteous in your heart, and you say that you are sinners with your tongue, then you are doubly righteous unrighteous."
Gospel of Barnabas 202:4
Accordingly, the scribes and Pharisees, hearing this, were confounded and departed, leaving Jesus with his disciples in peace, and they went into the house of Simon the leper, whose leprosy he [had] cleansed. The citizens had gathered the sick together to the house of Simon and prayed Jesus for the healing of the sick. Then Jesus, knowing that his hour was near, said, "Call the sick, as many as there are, because God is Almighty and Merciful to heal them." They answered, "We do not know that there are any other sick folk here in Jerusalem."
Gospel of Barnabas 202:5
Jesus answered, weeping, "O Jerusalem, O Israel, I weep over you, for you do not know your visitation; because I would fain have gathered you to the love of God your Creator, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, *2 Ezra 1:30 and you would not! Therefore God thus says to you,
Gospel of Barnabas 203:1
'O city, hard hearted and perverse of mind, I have sent My servant to you, to the end that he may convert you to your heart and you may repent; but you, O city of confusion, have forgotten all that I did upon Egypt and upon Pharaoh for love of you, O Israel. You weep many times so that My servant may heal your body of sickness; and you seek to slay My servant because he seeks to heal your soul of sin.
Gospel of Barnabas 203:2
Should you alone then, remain unpunished by Me? Should you then, live eternally? And will your pride deliver you from My hands? Assuredly not. For I will bring princes with which they will surround you with might, an army against you, and in such wise will I give you over into their hands so that your pride will fall down into Hell.
Gospel of Barnabas 203:3
I will not pardon the old men or the widows, I will not pardon the children, but I will give you all to famine, the sword, and derision, and the temple, whereon I have looked with mercy, I will make the city desolate, insomuch that you will be for a fable, a derision, and a proverb among the nations. So My wrath is abiding upon you, and My indignation does not sleep.'"
Gospel of Barnabas 204:1
Having said this, Jesus said again, "Do you know not that there are other sick folk? As God lives, they are fewer in Jerusalem who have their soul sound than those who are sick in body. And in order that you may know the truth, I say to you, O sick folk, in the name of God, let your sickness depart from you!" And when he had said this, immediately they were healed.
Gospel of Barnabas 204:2
The men wept when they heard of the wrath of God upon Jerusalem, and prayed for mercy; when Jesus said, "'If Jerusalem will weep for her sins and do penance, walking in My ways,' God said, 'I will not remember her iniquities anymore, and I will not do any of the evil to her which I have said. But Jerusalem weeps for her ruin and not for her dishonoring of Me, wherewith she has blasphemed My name among the nations. Therefore My is fury kindled much more. As I live eternally, if Job, Abraham, Samuel, David, and Daniel My servants, with Moses, should pray for this people, My wrath upon Jerusalem will not be appeased.'" And having said this, Jesus retired into the house, while everyone remained in fear.
Gospel of Barnabas 205:1
While Jesus was supping with his disciples in the house of Simon the leper, behold, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, entered into the house, and having broken a vessel, poured ointment over the head and garment of Jesus. *Mark 14:3, *Matthew 26:6 - 7 Seeing this, Judas the traitor was fain to hinder Mary from doing such a work, saying, "Go and sell the ointment and bring the money, so that I may give it to the poor."
Gospel of Barnabas 205:2
Jesus said, "Why do you hinder her? Let her be, for you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me." *Mark 14:6 - 7, *Matthew 26:10 - 11, *John 12:8 Judas answered, "O master, this ointment might be sold for three hundred pieces of money; now see how many poor folk would be helped." Jesus answered, "O Judas, I know your heart, have patience therefore, and I will give you all."
Gospel of Barnabas 205:3
Everyone ate with fear, and the disciples were sorrowful, because they knew that Jesus must soon depart from them. But Judas was indignant, because he knew that he was losing thirty pieces of money for the ointment not sold, seeing he stole the tenth part of all that was given to Jesus. He went to find the high priest, who assembled in a council of priests, scribes, and Pharisees; to whom Judas spoke, saying, "What will you give me, and I will betray Jesus into your hands, who would fain make himself king of Israel?"
Gospel of Barnabas 205:4
They answered, "Now how will you give him into our hand?" Judas said, "When I will know that he goes outside the city to pray, I will tell you, and will conduct you to the place where he will be found; for to seize him in the city will be impossible without a sedition." The high priest answered, "If you will give him into our hand, we will give the thirty pieces of gold and you will see how well I will treat you."
Gospel of Barnabas 206:1
When day had come, Jesus went up to the temple with a great multitude of people. Whereupon the high priest drew near, saying, "Tell me, O Jesus, have you forgotten all that you confessed, that you are not God, nor son of God, nor even the Messiah?"
Gospel of Barnabas 206:2
Jesus answered, "No, surely, I have not forgotten; for this is my confession which I will bear before the Judgement seat of God on the Day of Judgement. For all that is written in the Book of Moses is most true, inasmuch as God our Creator is [God] alone, and I am God's servant and desire to serve God's messenger whom you call Messiah." The high priest said, "Then what boots it to come to the temple with so great a multitude of people? Do you seek perhaps, to make yourself king of Israel? Beware unless some should danger befall you!"
Gospel of Barnabas 206:3
Jesus answered, "If I sought my own glory and desired my portion in this world, I would not have fled when the people of Nain would fain have made me king. Believe me, truly, that I do not seek anything in this world." Then the high priest said, "We want to know a thing concerning the Messiah." And then the priests, scribes, and Pharisees made a circle round about Jesus.
Gospel of Barnabas 206:4
Jesus answered, "What is that thing which you seek to know about the Messiah? Perhaps it is the lie? Assuredly, I will not tell you the lie. For if I had said the lie, I [would] have been adored by you, and by the scribes [and] Pharisees with all Israel; but because I tell you the truth, you hate me and seek to kill me." The high priest said, "Now we know that you have the devil at your back; for you are a Samaritan, and have no respect to the priest of God."
Gospel of Barnabas 207:1
Jesus answered, "As God lives, I do not have the devil at my back, but I seek to cast out the devil. Therefore, for this cause, the devil stirs up the world against me, because I am not of this world, but I seek that God may be glorified, who has sent me into the world. Listen therefore to me, and I will tell you who has the devil at his back. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, he who works after the will of the devil, he has the devil at his back, who has put the bridle of his will on him and rules him at his pleasure, making him to run into every iniquity.
Gospel of Barnabas 207:2
Even as a garment changes its name when it changes its owner, although it is all the same cloth, so also men, albeit they are all of one material, are different by reason of the works of him who works in the man. If I, (as I know,) have sinned, why do you not rebuke me as a brother, instead of hating me as an enemy? Truly the members of a body succour one another when they are united with the head, and those who are cut off from the head give it no succour. For the hands of one body do not feel the pain of another body's feet, but that of the body in which they are united.
Gospel of Barnabas 207:3
As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, he who fears and loves God his Creator has the feeling of mercy over them [over] whom God his head has mercy; and seeing that God does not will the death of the sinner, but waits for each one to repent, if you were of that body wherein I am incorporate, as God lives, you would help me to work according to my head.
Gospel of Barnabas 208:1
If I work iniquity, reprove me, and God will love you, because you will be doing His will, but if none can reprove me of sin, it is a sign that you are not sons of Abraham as you call yourselves, nor are you incorporate with that head wherein Abraham was incorporate. As God lives, Abraham so greatly loved God, that he not only broke the false idols in pieces and forsook his father and mother, but was willing to slay his own son in obedience to God." The high priest answered, "I ask this of you, and I do not seek to slay you, therefore tell us, who was this son of Abraham?"
Gospel of Barnabas 208:2
Jesus answered, "The zeal of Your honor, O God, inflames me, and I cannot hold my peace. Truly I say, the son of Abraham was Ishmael, whom the Messiah must be descended from, promised to Abraham, that all the tribes of the earth should be blessed in him." Then the high priest was angry hearing this, and cried out, "Let us stone this impious fellow, for he is an Ishmaelite, and has spoken blasphemy against Moses and against the law of God."
Gospel of Barnabas 208:3
Whereupon every scribe and Pharisee, with the elders of the people, took up stones to stone Jesus, who vanished from their eyes and went out of the temple. And then, through the great desire that they had to slay Jesus, blinded with fury and hatred, they struck one another in such wise that a thousand men died there; and they polluted the holy temple. The disciples and believers, who saw Jesus go out of the temple (for he was not hidden from them), followed him to the house of Simon.
Gospel of Barnabas 208:4
Thereupon, Nicodemus came there and counselled Jesus to go out of Jerusalem beyond the brook Cedron, saying, "Lord, I have a garden with a house beyond the brook Cedron, I pray you, therefore, go there with some of your disciples, to wait there until this hatred of our priests has past; for I will minister to you what is necessary. And the multitude of disciples will leave you here in the house of Simon and in my house, for God will provide for all." And Jesus did this, desiring only to have the twelve first called apostles with him.
Gospel of Barnabas 209:1
At this time, while the virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, was standing in prayer, the angel Gabriel visited her and narrated the persecution of her son to her, saying, "Do not fear, Mary, for God will protect him from the world." Mary, weeping, departed from Nazareth, and came to Jerusalem to the house of Mary Salome, her sister, seeking her son.
Gospel of Barnabas 209:2
But since he had secretly retired beyond the brook Cedron, she was not able to see him anymore in this world; except after the deed of shame, for [then] the angel Gabriel, with the angels Michael, Rafael, and Uriel, by [the] command of God, brought him to her.
Gospel of Barnabas 210:1
When the confusion in the temple ceased by the departure of Jesus, the high priest ascended on high, and having beckoned for silence with his hands, he said, "Brethren, what do we do? Do you not see that he has deceived the whole world with his diabolical art? Now, how did he vanish, if he is not a magician? Assuredly, if he were a holy one and a prophet, he would not blaspheme against God and against Moses [His] servant, and against the Messiah, who is the hope of Israel. And what will I say? He has blasphemed all our priesthood, therefore, truly I say to you, if he is not removed from the world, Israel will be polluted, and our God will give us to the nations. Behold now, how by reason of him, this holy temple has been polluted."
Gospel of Barnabas 210:2
And the high priest spoke in such wise, [and] many forsook Jesus, therefore the secret persecution was converted into an open one, insomuch that the high priest went to Herod in person, and to the Roman governor, accusing Jesus that he desired to make himself king of Israel, and they had false witnesses of this.
Gospel of Barnabas 210:3
Thereupon, a general council was held against Jesus, forasmuch as the decree of the Romans made them afraid. For so it was, that the Roman senate had sent a decree twice concerning Jesus: in one decree it was forbidden, on pain of death, that anyone should call Jesus of Nazareth, the prophet of the Jews, either God or son of God; in the other it forbade, under capital sentence, that anyone should contend concerning Jesus of Nazareth, prophet of the Jews. Therefore, for this cause, there was a great division amongst them. Some desired that they should write again to Rome against Jesus; others said that they should leave Jesus alone, regardless of what he said, as of a fool; others adduced the great miracles that he did.
Gospel of Barnabas 210:4
The high priest therefore spoke that, under pain of anathema, none should speak a word in defence of Jesus; and he spoke to Herod, and to the governor, saying, "In any case, we have an ill venture in our hands, for if we slay this sinner, we have acted contrary to the decree of Caesar, and if we allow him to live and he makes himself king, how will the matter go?" Then Herod arose and threatened the governor, saying, "Beware, unless this country is rebellious through your favoring of that man, for I will accuse you before Caesar as a rebel."
Gospel of Barnabas 210:5
Then the governor feared the senate and made friends with Herod, (for they had hated one another to death before this), and they joined together for the death of Jesus, and said to the high priest, "Whenever you will know where the malefactor is, send [him] to us, for we will give you soldiers." This was done to fulfill the prophecy of David, who had foretold of Jesus, prophet of Israel, saying, "The princes and kings of the earth are united against the holy one of Israel, because he announces the salvation of the world." Thereupon, on that day, there was a general search for Jesus throughout Jerusalem.
Gospel of Barnabas 211:1
Jesus, being in the house of Nicodemus, beyond the brook Cedron, comforted his disciples, saying, "The hour is near that I must depart from the world; console yourselves and do not be sad, seeing that where I go, I will not feel any tribulation. Now, will you be my friends if you are sad at my welfare? No, assuredly, but rather enemies. When the world will rejoice, be sad, because the rejoicing of the world is turned into weeping; but your sadness will be turned into joy, and no one will take your joy from you, for the rejoicing that the heart feels in God its Creator, the whole world can not take away. See that you do not forget the words which God has spoken to you by my mouth. Be my witnesses against everyone who will corrupt the witness that I have witnessed with my Gospel; against the world, and against the lovers of the world."
Gospel of Barnabas 212:1
Then lifting up his hands to the Lord, he prayed, saying, "Lord our God, God of Abraham, God of Ishmael and Isaac, God of our fathers, have mercy upon those whom You have given me, and save them from the world. I do not say, take them from the world, because it is necessary that they will bear witness against those who will corrupt my Gospel. But I pray You to keep them from evil, so that on the Day of Your Judgement, they may come with me to bear witness against the world and against the house of Israel *4:41, *16:84, *16:89 that has corrupted Your testament.
Gospel of Barnabas 212:2
Lord God, Almighty and Jealous, who takes vengeance upon idolatry against the sons of idolatrous fathers even to the fourth generation; eternally curse everyone who will corrupt my Gospel that You gave me, when they write that I am Your son. For I, clay and dust, am servant of Your servants, and I have never thought myself to be Your good servant; for I cannot give You anything in return for that which You have given me, for all things are Yours.
Gospel of Barnabas 212:3
Lord God, the Merciful, who shows mercy to a thousand generations upon those who fear You, have mercy upon those who believe my words that You have given me. For even as You God are true, so is Your word true which I have spoken; for it is Yours, seeing I have always spoken as one who reads, who cannot read except that which is written in the book that he reads; even so have I spoken that which You have given me.
Gospel of Barnabas 212:4
Lord God the Savior, save those whom You have given to me, in order that Satan may not be able to do anything against them, and do not only save them, but everyone who will believe in them.
Gospel of Barnabas 212:5
Lord, bountiful and rich in mercy, grant Your servant to be in the congregation of Your messenger on the Day of Judgement, and not me only, but everyone whom You have given to me, with all those who will believe in me through their preaching. And do this, Lord, for Your own sake, so that Satan does not boast himself against You, Lord.
Gospel of Barnabas 212:6
Lord God, who, by Your providence, provides all things necessary for Your people Israel, be mindful of all the tribes of the earth, which You have promised to bless by Your messenger, for whom You created the world. Have mercy on the world and speedily send Your messenger, so that Your enemy Satan may lose his empire." And having said this, Jesus said three times, "So be it, Lord, Great and Merciful!" And they answered, weeping, "So be it," all except Judas, for he believed nothing.
Gospel of Barnabas 213:1
The day having come for eating the lamb, Nicodemus sent the lamb secretly to the garden for Jesus and his disciples, announcing all that had been decreed by Herod with the governor and the high priest. Whereupon Jesus rejoiced in spirit, saying, "Your holy name is blessed, O Lord, because You have not separated me from the number of Your servants who have been persecuted by the world and slain. I thank You, my God, because I have fulfilled Your work." And turning to Judas, he said to him, "Friend, why do you wait? My time is near, therefore go and do that which you must do."
Gospel of Barnabas 213:2
The disciples thought that Jesus was sending Judas to buy something for the day of the Passover, but Jesus knew that Judas was betraying him, therefore, desiring to depart from the world, he spoke so. Judas answered, "Lord, allow me to eat, and I will go." "Let us eat," Jesus said, "For I have greatly desired to eat this lamb before I have parted from you."
Gospel of Barnabas 213:3
And having arisen, he took a towel and girded his loins, and having put water in a basin, he set himself to wash his disciples' feet. Beginning from Judas, Jesus came to Peter. Peter said, "Lord, would you wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "That which I do, you do not know now, but you will know hereafter." Peter answered, "You will never wash my feet." *John 13:4 - 8 Then Jesus rose up, and said, "Neither will you come in my company on the Day of Judgement."
Gospel of Barnabas 213:4
Peter answered, "Do not wash only my feet, Lord, but my hands and my head." *John 13:9 When the disciples were washed and seated at table to eat, Jesus said, "I have washed you, yet you are not all clean, for as much as all the water of the sea will not wash him who does not believe me." Jesus said this, because he knew who was betraying him. The disciples were sad at these words, when Jesus said again, "Truly I say to you, that one of you will betray me, insomuch that I will be sold like a sheep; but woe to him, for he will fulfill all that our father David said of such a one, that 'He will fall into the pit which he had prepared for others.'"
Gospel of Barnabas 213:5
Whereupon the disciples looked one upon another, saying with sorrow, "Who will be the traitor?" Judas then said, "Will it be me, O master?" Jesus answered, "You have told me who it will be who will betray me." And the eleven apostles did not hear it. When the lamb had been eaten, the devil came upon the back of Judas, and he went forth from the house, Jesus saying to him again, "Do quickly that which you must do."
Gospel of Barnabas 214:1
Having gone forth from the house, Jesus retired into the garden to pray, accordingly as his custom was to pray, bowing his knees a hundred times and prostrating himself upon his face. Judas, accordingly, knowing the place where Jesus was with his disciples, went to the high priest and said, "If you will give me what was promised, I will give Jesus into your hand this night, whom you seek; for he is alone with eleven companions."
Gospel of Barnabas 214:2
The high priest answered, "How much do you seek?" Judas said, "Thirty pieces of gold." Then the high priest straightway counted the money to him, and sent a Pharisee to the governor to fetch soldiers, and to Herod, and they gave a legion of them, because they feared the people; therefore they took their arms, and with torches and lanterns upon staves, went out of Jerusalem.
Gospel of Barnabas 215:1
When the soldiers drew near with Judas to the place where Jesus was, Jesus heard the approach of many people, therefore he withdrew into the house in fear. And the eleven were sleeping. Then God, seeing the danger of His servant, commanded Gabriel, Michael, Rafael, and Uriel, His ministers, to take Jesus out of the world.
Gospel of Barnabas 215:2
The holy angels came and took Jesus out by the window that looks toward the south. They bore him and placed him in the third heaven ~*2 Corinthians 12:2 in the company of angels blessing God forevermore.
Gospel of Barnabas 216:1
Judas entered impetuously before all into the chamber from where Jesus had been taken up. And the disciples were sleeping. Whereupon the wonderful God acted wonderfully, insomuch that Judas was so changed in speech and in face to be like Jesus, that we believed him to be Jesus. And he, having awakened us, was seeking where the master was. Whereupon we marveled and answered, "You, lord, are our master; have you now forgotten us?" And he, smiling, said, "Now are you foolish, who do not know me to be Judas Iscariot!"
Gospel of Barnabas 216:2
And as he was saying this, the soldiery entered, and laid their hands upon Judas, because he was in every way like Jesus. We, having heard Judas' saying, and seeing the multitude of soldiers, fled as beside ourselves. And John, who was wrapped in a linen cloth, awoke and fled, and when a soldier seized him by the linen cloth he left the linen cloth and fled naked. For God heard the prayer of Jesus, and saved the eleven from evil.
Gospel of Barnabas 217:1
The soldiers took Judas and bound him, not without derision. For he truthfully denied that he was Jesus; and the soldiers, mocking him, said, "Sir, do not fear, for we have come to make you king of Israel, and we have bound you because we know that you refuse the kingdom." Judas answered, "Now you have lost your senses! You have come to take Jesus of Nazareth, with arms and lanterns as [against] a robber; and you have bound me, who have guided you, to make me king!"
Gospel of Barnabas 217:2
Then the soldiers lost their patience, and they began to flout Judas with blows and kicks, and they led him with fury into Jerusalem. John and Peter followed the soldiers afar off; and they affirmed to him who writes, that they saw all the examination that was made of Judas by the high priest, and by the council of the Pharisees, who were assembled to put Jesus to death. Whereupon Judas spoke many words of madness, insomuch that everyone was filled with laughter, believing that he was really Jesus, and that he was feigning madness for fear of death. Whereupon the scribes bound his eyes with a bandage, and mocking him said, "Jesus, prophet of the Nazarenes (for they so called those who believed in Jesus), "Tell us, who was it that struck you?" And they buffeted him and spat in his face.
Gospel of Barnabas 217:3
When it was morning, the great council of scribes and elders of the people assembled there; and the high priest sought false witness against Judas with the Pharisees, believing him to be Jesus, and they did not find that which they sought. And why do I say that the chief priests believed Judas to be Jesus? No, all the disciples, with him who writes, believed it; and more, the poor virgin mother of Jesus, with his kinsfolk and friends, believed it, insomuch that the sorrow of everyone was incredible.
Gospel of Barnabas 217:4
As God lives, he who writes forgot all that Jesus had said, how he should be taken up from the world, and that he should suffer in a third person, and that he should not die until near the end of the world. Therefore, he went with the mother of Jesus and with John to the cross. The high priest caused Judas to be brought bound before him, and asked him of his disciples and his doctrine. Whereupon Judas, as though beside himself, answered nothing to the point. The high priest then adjured him by the living God of Israel that he would tell him the truth.
Gospel of Barnabas 217:5
Judas answered, "I have told you that I am Judas Iscariot, who promised to give Jesus the Nazarene into your hands; and you, by what, I do not know, are beside yourselves, for you will have it by every means that I am Jesus." The high priest answered, "O perverse seducer, you have deceived all Israel, beginning from Galilee even to Jerusalem here, with your doctrine and false miracles, and now you think to flee the merited punishment that befits you by feigning to be mad?
Gospel of Barnabas 217:6
As God lives, you will not escape it!" And having said this, he commanded his servants to strike him with buffetings and kicks, so that his understanding might come back into his head. The derision which he then suffered at the hands of the high priest's servants is past belief. For they zealously devised new inventions to give pleasure to the council. So they attired him as a juggler, and so treated him with hands and feet, so that it would have moved the very Canaanites to compassion if they had beheld that sight. But the chief priests and Pharisees and elders of the people had their hearts so exasperated against Jesus that, believing Judas to really be Jesus, they took delight in seeing him treated so.
Gospel of Barnabas 217:7
Afterward, they led him bound to the governor, who secretly loved Jesus. Whereupon he, thinking that Judas was Jesus, made him enter into his chamber, and spoke to him, asking him for what cause the chief priests and the people had given him into his hands. Judas answered, "If I tell you the truth, you will not believe me; for perhaps you are deceived as the (chief) priests and the Pharisees are deceived."
Gospel of Barnabas 217:8
The governor answered, (thinking that he wished to speak concerning the law), "Now do you not know that I am not a Jew? But the (chief) priests and the elders of your people have given you into my hand; therefore tell us the truth, whereby I may do what is just. For I have power to set you free and to put you to death." Judas answered, "Sir, believe me, if you put me to death, you will do a great wrong, for you will slay an innocent person; seeing that I am Judas Iscariot, and not Jesus, who is a magician, and by his art magic, has so transformed me."
Gospel of Barnabas 217:9
When he heard this, the governor marveled greatly, so that he sought to set him at liberty. The governor therefore went out, and smiling said, "In the one case, at least, this man is not worthy of death, but rather of compassion. This man says," the governor said, "That he is not Jesus, but a certain Judas who guided the soldiery to take Jesus, and he says that Jesus the Galilean has, by his art magic, so transformed him. Therefore, if this is true, it would be a great wrong to kill him, seeing that he would be innocent. But if he is Jesus and denies that he is, assuredly he has lost his understanding, and it would be impious to slay a madman."
Gospel of Barnabas 217:10
Then the chief priests and elders of the people, with the scribes and Pharisees, cried out with shouts, saying, "He is Jesus of Nazareth, for we know him; for if he were not the malefactor, we would not have given him into your hands. Nor is he mad; but rather malignant, for with this device, he seeks to escape from our hands, and the sedition that he would stir up, if he should escape, would be worse than the former." Pilate, (of such was the governor's name), in order to rid himself of such a case, said, "He is a Galilean, and Herod is king of Galilee: therefore it does not pertain to me to judge such a case, so take him to Herod."
Gospel of Barnabas 217:11
Accordingly, they led Judas to Herod, who, of a long time, had desired that Jesus should go to his house. But Jesus had never been willing to go to his house, because Herod was a Gentile, and adored the false and lying gods, living after the manner of the unclean Gentiles. Now when Judas had been led there, Herod asked him of many things, to which Judas gave no answers to the purpose, denying that he was Jesus. Then Herod mocked him, with all his court, and caused him to be clad in white as the fools are clad, and sent him back to Pilate, saying to him, "Do not fail in justice to the people of Israel!" And Herod wrote this, because the chief priests and scribes and the Pharisees had given him a good quantity of money. The governor, having heard that this was so from a servant of Herod, in order that he also might gain some money, feigned that he desired to set Judas at liberty.
Gospel of Barnabas 217:12
Whereupon he caused him to be scourged by his slaves, who were paid by the scribes to slay him under the scourges. But God, who had decreed the issue, reserved Judas for the cross, in order that he might suffer that horrible death to which he had sold another. He did not allow Judas to die under the scourges, notwithstanding, so that the soldiers scourged him so grievously that his body rained blood. Thereupon, in mockery, they clad him in an old purple garment, saying, "It is fitting to our new king to clothe and crown him;" so they gathered thorns and made a crown, like those of gold and precious stones which kings wear on their heads. And they placed this crown of thorns upon Judas' head, putting a reed in his hand for a sceptre, and they made him sit in a high place.
Gospel of Barnabas 217:13
And the soldiers came before him, bowing down in mockery, saluting him as King of the Jews. And they held out their hands to receive gifts, such as new kings are accustomed to give; and receiving nothing, they struck Judas, saying, "Now, how are you crowned, foolish king, if you will not pay your soldiers and servants?" The chief priests with the scribes and Pharisees, seeing that Judas did not die by the scourges, and fearing unless Pilate should set him at liberty, made a gift of money to the governor, who, having received it, gave Judas to the scribes and Pharisees as guilty to death. Whereupon they condemned two robbers with him to the death of the cross.
Gospel of Barnabas 217:14
So they led him to Mount Calvary, where they used to hang malefactors, and they crucified him there naked, for the greater ignominy. Judas truly did nothing else but cry out, "God, why have you forsaken me, seeing the malefactor has escaped and I die unjustly?" Truly I say that the voice, the face, and the person of Judas were so like Jesus, that his disciples and believers entirely believed that he was Jesus; therefore some departed from the doctrine of Jesus, believing that Jesus had been a false prophet, and that he had done the miracles which he did by art magic; for Jesus had said that he should not die till near the end of the world; for at that time, he should be taken away from the world.
Gospel of Barnabas 217:15
But those who stood firm in the doctrine of Jesus were so encompassed with sorrow, seeing him die, who was entirely like Jesus, that they did not remember what Jesus had said. And so in company with the mother of Jesus, they went to Mount Calvary, and were not only present at the death of Judas, weeping continually, but by means of Nicodemus and Joseph of Abarimathia; they obtained the body of Judas from the governor to bury it. Whereupon, they took him down from the cross with such weeping as assuredly no one would believe, and buried him in the new sepulchre of Joseph; having wrapped him up in a hundred pounds of precious ointments.
Gospel of Barnabas 218:1
Then each man returned to his house. He who writes, with John and James his brother, went with the mother of Jesus; to Nazareth. Those disciples who did not fear God, went by night [and] stole the body of Judas and hid it, spreading a report that Jesus had risen again; from which great confusion arose. The high priest then commanded, under pain of anathema, that no one should talk of Jesus of Nazareth. And so a great persecution arose there, and many were stoned and many beaten, and many banished from the land, because they could not hold their peace on such a matter.
Gospel of Barnabas 218:2
The news reached Nazareth how Jesus, their fellow citizen, having died on the cross, had risen again. Whereupon, he who writes; prayed the mother of Jesus; that she would be pleased to leave off weeping, because her son had risen again. Hearing this, the virgin Mary, weeping, said, "Let us go to Jerusalem to find my son. I will die content when I have seen him."
Gospel of Barnabas 219:1
The virgin returned to Jerusalem with him who writes, and James and John, on that day on which the decree of the high priest went forth. Whereupon, the virgin, who feared God, albeit she knew the decree of the high priest to be unjust, commanded those who dwelt with her to forget her son. Then how each one was affected! God who discerns the heart of men knows that between grief at the death of Judas, whom we believed to be Jesus our master, and the desire to see him risen again, we were consumed with the mother of Jesus.
Gospel of Barnabas 219:2
So the angels, who were guardians of Mary, ascended to the third heaven, where Jesus was in the company of angels, ~*2 Corinthians 12:2 and recounted all to him. Therefore Jesus prayed God that He would give him power to see his mother and his disciples. Then [by] the Merciful God, Michael commanded His four favorite angels, who are Gabriel, Rafael, and Uriel, to bear Jesus into his mother's house, and keep watch over him there for three days continually, allowing him only to be seen by those who believed in his doctrine.
Gospel of Barnabas 219:3
Jesus came, surrounded with splendor, to the room where Mary the virgin abode with her two sisters, and Martha and Mary Magdalen, and Lazarus, and him who writes, and John and James and Peter. Whereupon, they fell as dead through fear. And Jesus lifted up his mother and the others from the ground, saying, "Do not fear, for I am Jesus; and do not weep, for I am alive and not dead." They remained, every one, for a long time beside himself at the presence of Jesus, for they altogether believed that Jesus was dead. Then the virgin, weeping, said, "Tell me, my son, why God, having given you power to raise the dead, allowed you to die, to the shame of your kinsfolk and friends, and to the shame of your doctrine? For everyone who loves you has been as dead."
Gospel of Barnabas 220:1
Jesus replied, embracing his mother, "Believe me, mother, for truly I say to you that I have not been dead at all; for God has reserved me till near the end of the world." And having said this, he prayed the four angels that they would manifest themselves, and give testimony how the matter had passed.
Gospel of Barnabas 220:2
Thereupon the angels manifested themselves like four shining suns, insomuch that everyone again fell down as dead through fear. Then Jesus gave four linen cloths to the angels so that they might cover themselves, in order that they might be seen and heard to speak by his mother and her companions. And having lifted each one up, he comforted them, saying, "These are the ministers of God: Gabriel, who announces God's secrets; Michael, who fights against God's enemies; Rafael, who receives the souls of those who die; and Uriel, who will call everyone to the Judgement of God at the Last Day. Then the four angels narrated to the virgin how God had sent for Jesus, and had transformed Judas, so that he might suffer the punishment to which he had sold another.
Gospel of Barnabas 220:3
Then he who writes said, "O master, is it lawful for me to question you now, as it was lawful for me when you dwelt with us?" Jesus answered, "Ask what you please, Barnabas, and I will answer you." Then he who writes said, "O master, seeing that God is Merciful, why has He so tormented us, making us to believe that you were dead? And your mother has so wept for you that she has been near to death; and you, who are a holy one of God, God has allowed the calumny to fall on you that you were slain amongst robbers on the Mount Calvary?"
Gospel of Barnabas 220:4
Jesus answered, "Believe me, Barnabas, that every sin, however small it is, God punishes with great punishment, seeing that God is offended at sin. Therefore, since my mother and my faithful disciples who were with me loved me a little with earthly love, the righteous God has willed to punish this love with the present grief, in order that it may not be punished in the flames of Hell. And though I have been innocent in the world, since men have called me 'God,' and 'Son of God,' God, in order that I not be mocked by the demons on the Day of Judgement, has willed that I be mocked by men in this world by the death of Judas, making all men to believe that I died upon the cross. And this mocking will continue until the advent of Muhammad, the messenger of God, who, when he will come, will reveal this deception to those who believe in God's law." Having thus spoken, Jesus said, "You are just, O Lord our God, because honor and glory belong to You only without end."
Gospel of Barnabas 221:1
Jesus turned himself to him who writes and said, "Barnabas, see that by all means you write my Gospel concerning all that has happened through my dwelling in the world. And write in a similar manner that which has befallen Judas, in order that the faithful may be undeceived, and everyone may believe the truth." Then he who writes answered, "I will do so, if God wills, O master; but I do not know what happened to Judas, for I did not see it."
Gospel of Barnabas 221:2
Jesus answered, "Here are John and Peter who saw everything, and they will tell you all that has passed." And then Jesus commanded us to call his faithful disciples [so] that they might see him. So James and John called the seven disciples together with Nicodemus and Joseph, and many others of the seventy two, and they ate with Jesus.
Gospel of Barnabas 221:3
The third day, Jesus said, "Go to the Mount of Olives with my mother, for I will ascend there again to heaven, and you will see who will bear me up." So they all went there except twenty five of the seventy two disciples, who had fled to Damascus for fear. And as they all stood in prayer at midday, Jesus came with a great multitude of angels who were praising God, and the splendor of his face made them greatly afraid and they fell with their faces to the ground. But Jesus lifted them up, comforting them, and saying, "Do not be afraid, I am your master."
Gospel of Barnabas 221:4
And he reproved many who believed that he had died and risen again, saying, "Do you hold me and God for liars? I said to you that God has granted me to live almost to the end of the world. Truly I say to you, I did not die; it was Judas the traitor. Beware, for Satan will make every effort to deceive you. Be my witnesses in Israel, and throughout the world, of all things that you have heard and seen."
Gospel of Barnabas 221:5
And having said this, he prayed to God for the salvation of the faithful, and the conversion of sinners and [then] his prayer ended; he embraced his mother, saying, "Peace be to you, my mother. Rest in God who created you and me." And having said this, he turned to his disciples, saying, "May God's grace and mercy be with you." Then before their eyes, the four angels carried him up into heaven.