About the Epistle of Barnabas

[angels4u]

Thank you for the conversation we had in chat yesterday:)

 

I did read in the book of Barnabas and thought it was very interesting  !

 

Indeed it was very interesting to read that he believes too that the eight day will be for rejoicing!  Barnabas 15:9

 

Also I didn't know that the word abortion was already known at those days (Barnabas 19:5

 

What do you think he meant  by talking about the goat and the wool...I couldn't grasp that I know it points to Jesus who will take away sin but how was he trying to explain it?

[missmuffet]

Question: "What is the gospel of Barnabas?"

Answer:It’s important that we not confuse thegospel of Barnabas(ca. A.D. 1500) with theEpistle of Barnabas(ca. A.D. 70–90). The Epistle of Barnabas was written in the late 1st century, but probably not by the Barnabas named in the New Testament. While more of a pseudo-Gospel with some historical value, the Epistle of Barnabas was never considered canonical by the early church or any church council.

The gospel of Barnabas, however, has absolutely no apostolic support and was written 1400 years after the time of Barnabas. This is evidenced by the fact that it was never quoted by any church father or church historian before the 16th century!

By contrast, the books of the New Testament were all written early (before A.D. 100) and by eyewitnesses, or by those who interviewed the eyewitnesses of the Lord Jesus (1 John 1:1-5;Luke 1:1-4). The four Gospels found in the New Testament were never questioned as to their authenticity.

Even had the gospel of Barnabas been written during the time of the Apostles, it still would have never attained canonical status due to the historical and doctrinal errors it contains. For example, the gospel of Barnabas purports that Jesus did not claim to be the Messiah (seeMatthew 26:63-64). The gospel of Barnabas also says that Jesus was born when Pilate was governor (but history records Pilate becoming governor in A.D. 26 or 27).

Furthermore, the gospel of Barnabas keeps some strange company, for it’s a favorite among Muslims as it teaches a Jesus consistent with the Koran. The gospel of Barnabas claims that Jesus did not die on the cross, as does the Koran in Sura 4:157. Historians are unanimous that the gospel of Barnabas was written in the 15th-16th century A.D., most likely by Muslims seeking to discredit the Biblical message regarding Jesus.

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/gospel-of-Barnabas.html#ixzz3g4skmjM3

[George]

Which passage were you referring to specifically Angels?  I honestly haven't read the Epistle but 2 times and it's been a while since the last time I read it.

[angels4u]

Well George,

 

I took the time to read the whole book online but was referring to where you were talking about the eight day Barnabus 15:9

 

He talked already in those days about the 8 th day ..

 

 

[George]

I was referring to the goat and the wool passage.  Which chapter can I read this?

[missmuffet]

I was referring to the goat and the wool passage.  Which chapter can I read this?

Are you talking about the Parable of the Goat and Sheep George?

[angels4u]

I was referring to the goat and the wool passage.  Which chapter can I read this?

Chapter 7 starting in vs 4 ,I do understand that he points to Jesus..

[George]

After doing some research -- this is what I found on Christian-History.

 

What, then, does God say in the prophet? "And let them eat of the goat which is offered, with fasting, for all their sins."
 [note: This quote and what follows are not from Scripture; Pseudo-Barnabas, Justin, and Tertullian all use ideas like this, which apparently Christians of the 2nd century considered to be accurate tradition, but is nowhere written down today.]

 

This is what the Church Father -- Justin Martyr and Irenaeus stated.

 

 

 

Understand, then, ye children of gladness, that the good Lord has foreshown all things to us, that we might know to whom we ought for everything to render thanksgiving and praise. If therefore the Son of God, who is Lord [of all things], and who will judge the living and the dead, suffered, that His stroke might give us life, let us believe that the Son of God could not have suffered except for our sakes. Moreover, when fixed to the cross, He had given Him to drink vinegar and gall. Hearken how the priests of the people¹⁵²⁷ gave previous indications of this. His commandment having been written, the Lord enjoined, that whosoever did not keep the fast should be put to death, because He also Himself was to offer in sacrifice for our sins the vessel of the Spirit, in order that the type established in Isaac when he was offered upon the altar might be fully accomplished. What, then, says He in the prophet? “And let them eat of the goat which is offered, with fasting, for all their sins.”¹⁵²⁸ Attend carefully: “And let all the priests alone eat the inwards, unwashed with vinegar.” Wherefore? Because to me, who am to offer my flesh for the sins of my new people, ye are to give gall with vinegar to drink: eat ye alone, while the people fast and mourn in sackcloth and ashes. [These things were done] that He might show that it was necessary for Him to suffer for them.¹⁵²⁹ How,¹⁵³⁰ then, ran the commandment? Give your attention. Take two goats of goodly aspect, and similar to each other, and offer them. And let the priest take one as a burnt-offering for sins.¹⁵³¹ And what should they do with the other? “Accursed,” says He, “is the one.” Mark how the type of Jesus¹⁵³² now comes out. “And all of you spit upon it, and pierce it, and encircle its head with scarlet wool, and thus let it be driven into the wilderness.” And when all this has been done, he who bears the goat brings it into the desert, and takes the wool off from it, and places that upon a shrub which is called Rachia,¹⁵³³ of which also we are accustomed to eat the fruits¹⁵³⁴ when we find them in the field. Of this¹⁵³⁵ kind of shrub alone the fruits are sweet. Why then, again, is this? Give good heed. [You see] “one upon the altar, and the other accursed;” and why [do you behold] the one that is accursed crowned? Because they shall see Him then in that day having a scarlet robe about his body down to his feet; and they shall say, Is not this He whom we once despised, and pierced, and mocked, and crucified? Truly this is¹⁵³⁶ He who then declared Himself to be the Son of God. For how like is He to Him!¹⁵³⁷ With a view to this, [He required] the goats to be of goodly aspect, and similar, that, when they see Him then coming, they may be amazed by the likeness of the goat. Behold, then,¹⁵³⁸ the type of Jesus who was to suffer. But why is it that they 142 place the wool in the midst of thorns? It is a type of Jesus set before the view of the Church. [They¹⁵³⁹ place the wool among thorns], that any one who wishes to bear it away may find it necessary to suffer much, because the thorn is formidable, and thus obtain it only as the result of suffering. Thus also, says He, “Those who wish to behold Me, and lay hold of My kingdom, must through tribulation and suffering obtain Me.”^{1540   --- Source}

[angels4u]

 

After doing some research -- this is what I found on Christian-History.

 

What, then, does God say in the prophet? "And let them eat of the goat which is offered, with fasting, for all their sins."

 [note: This quote and what follows are not from Scripture; Pseudo-Barnabas, Justin, and Tertullian all use ideas like this, which apparently Christians of the 2nd century considered to be accurate tradition, but is nowhere written down today.]

 

This is what the Church Father -- Justin Martyr and Irenaeus stated.

 

 

 

Understand, then, ye children of gladness, that the good Lord has foreshown all things to us, that we might know to whom we ought for everything to render thanksgiving and praise. If therefore the Son of God, who is Lord [of all things], and who will judge the living and the dead, suffered, that His stroke might give us life, let us believe that the Son of God could not have suffered except for our sakes. Moreover, when fixed to the cross, He had given Him to drink vinegar and gall. Hearken how the priests of the people¹⁵²⁷ gave previous indications of this. His commandment having been written, the Lord enjoined, that whosoever did not keep the fast should be put to death, because He also Himself was to offer in sacrifice for our sins the vessel of the Spirit, in order that the type established in Isaac when he was offered upon the altar might be fully accomplished. What, then, says He in the prophet? “And let them eat of the goat which is offered, with fasting, for all their sins.”¹⁵²⁸ Attend carefully: “And let all the priests alone eat the inwards, unwashed with vinegar.” Wherefore? Because to me, who am to offer my flesh for the sins of my new people, ye are to give gall with vinegar to drink: eat ye alone, while the people fast and mourn in sackcloth and ashes. [These things were done] that He might show that it was necessary for Him to suffer for them.¹⁵²⁹ How,¹⁵³⁰ then, ran the commandment? Give your attention. Take two goats of goodly aspect, and similar to each other, and offer them. And let the priest take one as a burnt-offering for sins.¹⁵³¹ And what should they do with the other? “Accursed,” says He, “is the one.” Mark how the type of Jesus¹⁵³² now comes out. “And all of you spit upon it, and pierce it, and encircle its head with scarlet wool, and thus let it be driven into the wilderness.” And when all this has been done, he who bears the goat brings it into the desert, and takes the wool off from it, and places that upon a shrub which is called Rachia,¹⁵³³ of which also we are accustomed to eat the fruits¹⁵³⁴ when we find them in the field. Of this¹⁵³⁵ kind of shrub alone the fruits are sweet. Why then, again, is this? Give good heed. [You see] “one upon the altar, and the other accursed;” and why [do you behold] the one that is accursed crowned? Because they shall see Him then in that day having a scarlet robe about his body down to his feet; and they shall say, Is not this He whom we once despised, and pierced, and mocked, and crucified? Truly this is¹⁵³⁶ He who then declared Himself to be the Son of God. For how like is He to Him!¹⁵³⁷ With a view to this, [He required] the goats to be of goodly aspect, and similar, that, when they see Him then coming, they may be amazed by the likeness of the goat. Behold, then,¹⁵³⁸ the type of Jesus who was to suffer. But why is it that they 142 place the wool in the midst of thorns? It is a type of Jesus set before the view of the Church. [They¹⁵³⁹ place the wool among thorns], that any one who wishes to bear it away may find it necessary to suffer much, because the thorn is formidable, and thus obtain it only as the result of suffering. Thus also, says He, “Those who wish to behold Me, and lay hold of My kingdom, must through tribulation and suffering obtain Me.”^{1540   --- Source}

 

 

Thanks for your reply

 

I do understand this  is not in the Bible and that this is written by church fathers.

 

I never read any of those Epistles  before until you mentioned Barnabas in chat,I have to say that it is very interesting to read how he wrote that on paper,the Bible refers to Jesus as a Sheep why do you think he referred  to a goat?

I thought the devil is often pictured as a goat?

 

Also you wrote:

And let all the priests alone eat the inwards, unwashed with vinegar

 

 

Did the priest ate the inwards unwashed?

 

This passage  he wrote is very complicated but interesting....

 

Are there any more Epistles from those days ?

 

Thank you very much for taking the time to look for this information

[George]

 

I thought the devil is often pictured as a goat?

They are referring to the scapegoats sacrificed on Yom Kippur. While one is offered on the Mercy Seat, while the other is sent out to be killed.

 

There's a book -- called Ante-Nicene Fathers -- it's several volumes that is a collection of Church Father writings.

 

Another book is the history of the early church by Eusibus.

 

There's very interesting insights in those books, while they are not canonical, they offer some different thoughts of the age they were living in.

 

God bless,

 

George