Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter 6
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)
1οτε ουν εποιηϲεν την ετολην τι λεγει · τιϲ ο κρινομενοϲ μοι αντιϲτητω μοι η τιϲ ο δικαιουμενοϲ μοι ενγιϲατω τω παιδι κυ · 2ουαι υμιν οτι υμιϲ παντεϲ ωϲ ιματιον παλαιωθηϲεϲθαι και ϲηϲ καταφαγεται ϋμαϲ και παλιν λεγει ο προφητηϲ επι ωϲ λιθοϲ ϊϲχυροϲ ετεθη ειϲ ϲυντριβην ϊδου εμβαλω ειϲ τα θεμελια ϲιων λιθον πολυτελην εκλεκτον ακρογωνιεον εντιμον 3ειτα τι λεγει και ο πιϲτευων ειϲ αυτον ˙ ζηϲεται ειϲ τον . αιωνα επι λιθον ουν ημων η ελπιϲ μη γενοιτο αλλα ειπεν εν ϊϲχυϊ τεθεικεν τη ϲαρκαν αυτου κϲ · λεγει γαρ και εθηκεν με ωϲ ϲτερεα πετραν 4λεγει δε παλιν ο προφητηϲ λιθον ον απεδοκιμαϲαν οι οικοδομουντεϲ ουτοϲ εγενηθη ειϲ κεφαλην γωνιαϲ και παλιν λεγει αυτη εϲτιν η ημερα η μεγαλη και θαυμαϲτη ην εποιηϲεν ο κϲ 5απλουϲτερον ϋμιν γραφω ϊνα ϲυνιετε εγω περιψημα τηϲ αγαπηϲ υμων
1When then He gave the commandment, what saith He? Who is he that disputeth with Me? Let him oppose Me. Or who is he that goeth to law with Me? Let him draw nigh unto the servant of the Lord, 2Woe unto you, for ye all shall wax old as a garment, and the moth shall consume you. And again the prophet saith, seeing that as a hard stone He was ordained for crushing; Behold I will put into the fountains of Zion a stone very precious, elect, a chief corner-stone, honorable. 3Then again what saith He; And whosoever shall set his hope on Him, shall live forever. Is our hope then set upon a stone? Far be it. But it is because the Lord hath set His flesh in strength. For He saith; And He set Me as a hard rock. 4And the prophet saith again; The stone which the builders rejected, this became the head and the corner. And again He saith; This is the great and wonderful day, which the Lord made. 5I write to you the more simply, that ye may understand, I who am the offscouring of your love.
6τι ουν λεγει παλιν ο προφητηϲ περιεϲχε με ϲυναγωγη πονηρευομενων εκυκλωϲαν με ωϲι μελιϲϲαι κηριον και επι τον ϊματιϲμον μου εβαλον κληρον 7εν ϲαρκι ουν αυτου μελλοντοϲ φανερουϲθαι και παϲχειν προεφανερωθη το παθοϲ λεγει γαρ ο προφητηϲ επι τον ιϲλ ουαι τη ψυχη αυτων οτι βεβουλευνται βουλην πονηραν καθ εαυτων ειποντεϲ δηϲωμεν τον δικαιον οτι δυϲχρηϲτοϲ ημιν εϲτι 8τι λεγει ο αλλοϲ προφητηϲ μωϲηϲ αυτοϲ ϊδου ταδε λεγει κϲ ο θϲ ειϲελθαται ειϲ την γη την αγαθην ην ωμοϲεν κϲ τω αβρααμʼ και ϊϲακ και ϊακωβʼ · και κατακληρονομηϲατω την γην ρεουϲαν γαλα και μελι 9τι δε λεγει η γνωϲιϲ μαθετε . ελπι ϲαται επι τον εν ϲαρκι μελλοντα φανερουϲθαι ϋμιν ιν ανοϲ γαρ γη εϲτιν παϲχουϲα απο προϲωπου γαρ τηϲ γηϲ η πλαϲιϲ του αδαμ εγενετο 10τι ουν λεγει ειϲ την γην την αγαθην γη ρεουϲα γαλα και μελι · ευλογητοϲ ο κϲ ημω αδελφοι ο ϲοφια και νουν θεμενοϲ εν ημιν τω κρυφιων αυτου · λεγει γαρ ο προφητηϲ παραβολην κυ τιϲ νοηϲει ει μη ϲοφοϲ και επιϲτημων και αγαπων τον κν αυτου
6What then saith the prophet again? The assembly of evildoers gathered around Me, they surrounded Me as bees surround a comb ; and; For My garment they cast a lot. 7Forasmuch then as He was about to be manifested in the flesh and to suffer, His suffering was manifested beforehand. For the prophet saith concerning Israel; Woe unto their soul, for they have counseled evil counsel against themselves saying, Let us bind the righteous one, for he is unprofitable for us. 8What sayeth the other prophet Moses unto them? Behold, these things saith the Lord God; enter into the good land which the Lord swear unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and inherit it, a land flowing with milk and honey. 9But what saith knowledge? Understand ye. Set your hope on Him who is about to be manifested to you in the flesh, even Jesus. For man is earth suffering; for from the face of the earth came the creation of Adam. 10What then saith He? Into the good land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Blessed is our Lord, brethren, who established among us wisdom and understanding of His secret things. For the prophet speaketh a parable concerning the Lord. Who shall comprehend, save he that is wise and prudent and that loveth his Lord?
11επι ουν εκαινιϲεν ημαϲ εν τη αφεϲει των αμαρτιων . εποιηϲεν ημαϲ αλλον τυπον ωϲ παιδιων εχειν τη ψυχην ωϲ αν δη αναπλαϲϲοντοϲ αυτου ημαϲ · 12λεγει γαρ η γραφη περι ημων ωϲ λεγει τω ϋϊω ποιηϲωμεν καθ εικονα και καθ ομοιωϲι ημων τον ανον και αρχετωϲαν των θηριων τηϲ γηϲ και των πετεινων του ουνου και των ϊχθυων τηϲ θαλαϲϲηϲ και ειπεν κϲ ιδω το καλον πλαϲμα ημων · αυξανεϲθε και πληθυνεϲθε και πληρωϲαται την γην ταυτα προϲ τον υιον 13παλιν ϲοι επιδειξω πωϲ προϲ ημαϲ λεγει κϲ δευτεραν πλαϲιν επ εϲχατων εποιηϲε λεγει δε κϲ ϊδου ποιω τα εϲχατα ωϲ τα πρωτα ειϲ τουτο ουν εκηρυξεν ο προφητηϲ ειϲελθαται ειϲ γην ρεουϲαν γαλα και μελι και κατακυριευϲατε αυτηϲ 14ϊδε ουν ημιϲ αναπεπλαϲμεθα καθωϲ παλιν εν ετερω προφητη λεγει ϊδου λεγει κϲ εξελω τουτων τουτεϲτιν ων προεβλεπεν το πνα κυ ταϲ λιθιναϲ καρδιαϲ και εμβαλω ϲαρκιναϲ οτι αυτοϲ εν ϲαρκι εμελλεν φανερουϲθαι και εν ημιν κατοικειν 15ναοϲ γαρ αγιοϲ αδελφοι μου τω κω το κατοικητηριον ημων τηϲ καρδιαϲ
11Forasmuch then as He renewed us in the remission of sins, He made us to be a new type, so that we should have the soul of children, as if He were recreating us. 12For the scripture saith concerning us, how He saith to the Son; Let us make man after our image and after our likeness, and let them rule over the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the heaven and the fishes of the sea. And the Lord said when He saw the fair creation of us men; Increase and multiply and fill the earth. These words refer to the Son. 13Again I will shew thee how the Lord speaketh concerning us. He made a second creation at the last; and the Lord saith; Behold I make the last things as the first. In reference to this then the prophet preached; Enter into a land flowing with milk and honey, and be lords over it. 14Behold then we have been created anew, as He saith again in another prophet; Behold, saith the Lord, I will take out from these , that is to say, from those whom the Spirit of the Lord foresaw, their stony hearts, and will put into them hearts of flesh; for He Himself was to be manifested in the flesh and to dwell in us. 15For a holy temple unto the Lord, my brethren, is the abode of our heart.
16λεγει γαρ κϲ παλιν και εν τινι οφθηϲομε τω κω τω θω μου και δοξαϲθηϲομαι εξομολογηϲομαι ϲοι εν εκκληϲια αδελφων μου και ψαλω ϲοι αναμεϲον εκκληϲιαϲ αγιων ουκουν ημειϲ εϲμεν ουϲ ειϲηγαγεν ειϲ την γην την αγαθην 17τι ουν το γαλα και το μελι οτι πρωτον το πεδιον μελιτι ειτα γαλακτι ε ζωοποιειται ουτωϲ ουν κ(αι) ημιϲ τη πιϲτι τηϲ επαγγελιαϲ και τω λογω ζωοποιουμενοι ζηϲομε κατακυριευοντεϲ τηϲ γηϲ 18προειρηκαμεν δε επανω και αυξανεϲθωϲαν και πληθυνεϲθωϲαν και αρχετωϲαν τω ϊχθυων τιϲ ουν ο δυναμενοϲ αρχι θηριων η ϊχθυω η πετινων του ουρανου αιϲθανεϲθαι γαρ οφιλομε οτι το αρχειν εξουϲιαϲ εϲτιν ϊνα τιϲ επιταξαϲ κυριευϲει 19ει ουν ου γεινεται τουτο νυν αρα ημιν ειρηκεν ποτε οταν και αυτοι τελιωθωμεν κληρονομοι τηϲ διαθηκηϲ κυ γενεϲθαι
16For the Lord saith again; For wherein shall I appear unto the Lord my God and be glorified? I will make confession unto Thee in the assembly of my brethren, and I will sing unto Thee in the midst of the assembly of the saints. We therefore are they whom He brought into the good land. 17What then is the milk and the honey Because the child is first kept alive by honey, and then by milk. So in like manner we also, being kept alive by our faith in the promise and by the word, shall live and be lords of the earth. 18Now we have already said above; And let them increase and multiply and rule over the fishes. But who is he that is able [now] to rule over beasts and fishes and fowls of the heaven; for we ought to perceive that to rule implieth power, so that one should give orders and have dominion. 19If then this cometh not to pass now, assuredly He spake to us for the hereafter, when we ourselves shall be made perfect so that we may become heirs of the covenant of the Lord.
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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