Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter 15
Introduction
This entry meets the strict three-criteria standard of the Theosis Library:
- Manuscript scan: The actual folio(s) of Codex Sinaiticus containing this chapter, from the Codex Sinaiticus Project (codexsinaiticus.org). Each section links to the specific folio holding its verses.
- Original text: The Codex Sinaiticus Project's verbatim transcription of the folio shown (uncial letters, lunate sigma, nomina sacra preserved).
- English translation: J. B. Lightfoot, The Apostolic Fathers (1891), public domain, retrieved verbatim from Lightfoot 1891 via earlychristianwritings.com transcription.
Why this is here: Codex Sinaiticus binds this text after Revelation, alongside the canonical books. Reading it on the same parchment as the Gospels is primary evidence for how a 4th-century Christian community treated it.
How was this verified? (Provenance)
1οτι ουν και περι του ϲαββατου γεγραπται εν τοιϲ δεκα λογοιϲ εν οιϲ ελαληϲεν εν τω ορι ϲινα προϲ μωϲην κατα προϲωπον και αγιαϲαται το ϲαββατον κυ χερϲιν καθαραιϲ και καρδια καθαρα 2και εν εταιρω λεγει εαν φυλαξωϲιν οι ϋϊοι μου το ϲαββατον τοτε επιθηϲω το ελεοϲ μου επ αυτουϲ 3το ϲαββατο λεγει εν αρχη τηϲ κτιϲεωϲ · και εποιηϲεν ο θϲ εν εξ ημεραιϲ τα εργα των χιρων αυτου κ(αι) ϲυνετελεϲεν τη ημερα τη εβδομη και κατεπαυϲεν αυτη και ηγιαϲεν αυτην 4προϲεχετε τεκνα τι λεγει το ϲυνετελεϲεν εν εξ ημεραιϲ τουτο λεγει οτι εν εξακιϲχιλιοιϲ ετεϲιν ϲυντελεϲι κϲ τα ϲυνπαντα η γαρ ημερα παρ αυτω ϲημαινι χιλια ετη αυτοϲ δε μοι μαρτυρι λεγων ϊδου ημερα κυ εϲται ωϲ χιλια ετη ουκουν τεκνα εν εξ ημεραιϲ εν τοιϲ εξακιϲχιλιοιϲ ετεϲιν · ϲυντελεϲθηϲεται τα ϲυνπαντα 5και κατεπαυϲεν τη ημερα τη ε ζ τουτο λεγει οταν ελθω ο υϲ αυτου καταργηϲει τον καιρο και κρινι τουϲ αϲεβειϲ · και αλλαξει τον ηλιον και τουϲ αϲτεραϲ και την ϲεληνην τοτε καλωϲ καταπαυϲεται τη ημερα τη εβδομη ·
1Moreover concerning the Sabbath likewise it is written in the Ten Words, in which He spake to Moses face to face on Mount Sinai; And ye shall hallow the Sabbath of the Lord with pure hands and with a pure heart. 2And in another place He saith; If my sons observe the Sabbath then I will bestow My mercy upon them. 3Of the Sabbath He speaketh in the beginning of the creation; And God made the works of His hands in six days, and He ended on the seventh day, and rested on it, and He hallowed it. 4Give heed, children, what this meaneth; He ended in six days. He meaneth this, that in six thousand years the Lord shall bring all things to an end; for the day with Him signifyeth a thousand years; and this He himself beareth me witness, saying; Behold, the day of the Lord shall be as a thousand years. Therefore, children, in six days, that is in six thousand years, everything shall come to an end. 5And He rested on the seventh day. this He meaneth; when His Son shall come, and shall abolish the time of the Lawless One, and shall judge the ungodly, and shall change the sun and the moon and the stars, then shall he truly rest on the seventh day.
6περαϲ γε τοι λεγει αγιαϲειϲ αυτην χερϲιν καθαραιϲ και καρδια καθαρα ει ουν ην ο θϲ ημεραν ηγιαϲεν νυν τιϲ δυναται αγιαϲαι καθαροϲ ων τη καρδια εν παλιν πεπλανημεθα 7ει δε ου αρα τοτε καλωϲ καταπαυομενοι αγιαϲομεν αυτην οτε δυνηϲομεθα αυτοι δικαιωθεντεϲ και απολαβοντεϲ την επαγγελιαν μηκετι ουϲηϲ τηϲ ανομιαϲ καινω δε γεγονοτων παντων ϋπο του κυ ου δυνηϲομεθα αυτην αγιαϲε αυτοι γαρ αγιαϲθεντεϲ πρωτο : 8περαϲ γε τοι λεγει αυτοιϲ ταϲ νεομηνιαϲ υμω και τα ϲαββατα υκ ανεχομαι οραται πωϲ λεγει ου τα νυν ϲαββατα δεκτα αλλα ο πεποιηκα εν ω καταπαυϲαϲ τα παντα αρχην ημεραϲ ογδοηϲ ποιηϲω ο εϲτιν αλλου κοϲμου αρχην 9διο και αγομεν την ημεραν την ογδοην ειϲ ευφροϲυνην εν η και ο ιϲ ανεϲτη εκ νεκρων και φανερωθειϲ ανεβη ειϲ ουνουϲ
6Yea and furthermore He saith; Thou shalt hallow it with pure hands and with a pure heart. If therefore a man is able now to hallow the day which God hallowed, though he be pure in heart, we have gone utterly astray. 7But if after all then and not till then shall we truly rest and hallow it, when we shall ourselves be able to do so after being justified and receiving the promise, when iniquity is no more and all things have been made new by the Lord, we shall be able to hallow it then, because we ourselves shall have been hallowed first. 8Finally He saith to them; Your new moons and your Sabbaths I cannot away with. Ye see what is His meaning ; it is not your present Sabbaths that are acceptable [unto Me], but the Sabbath which I have made, in the which, when I have set all things at rest, I will make the beginning of the eighth day which is the beginning of another world. 9Wherefore also we keep the eighth day for rejoicing, in the which also Jesus rose from the dead, and having been manifested ascended into the heavens.
Cite
Source & Cross-References
- Source text: Codex Sinaiticus folio + transcription (codexsinaiticus.org) + J. B. Lightfoot, The Apostolic Fathers (1891) — view original
- Critical edition: Tischendorf 8th edition (1869) / Codex Sinaiticus transcription
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