Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (60 page)

8
Again, why does Moses say to Jesus

would be attacked forever. And so Moses

the son of Nauel when he gave this name

stacked weapons one on the other in the

to him who was a prophet, that all the

midst of the battle and standing high

people should listen to him alone? Beabove all the people he began stretching cause the Father reveals everything about

out his hands; and so Israel again gained

his Son Jesus.

the victory. But then, when he lowered

9
And so, after Moses gave Jesus the

his hands, they began to be killed.67

son of Nauem this name, he sent him as

3
Why was that? So that they may

a reconnaissance scout over the land and

know that they cannot be saved unless

said, “Take a small book in your hands

they hope in him.

and record what the Lord says, that in the

4
And again in another prophet he

last days the Son of God will chop down

says, “All day long I have stretched out

the entire house of Amalek at its roots.”71

my hands to a disobedient people that

10
Again you see Jesus, not as son of

opposes my upright path.”68

man but as Son of God, manifest here in

5
Again Moses made a type of Jesus,

the flesh as a type. And so, since they are

showing that he had to suffer and that he

about to say that the Christ is the son of

will again make alive—this one whom

David, David himself speaks a prophecy

they will think they have destroyed. This

in reverential awe, understanding the ertype came in a sign given when Israel ror of the sinners, “The Lord said to my

was falling. For the Lord made every

Lord, ‘Sit at my right side until I make

serpent bite them and they were dying

your enemies a footstool for your

(since the act of transgression came by

feet.’ ”72

Eve through the serpent). This was to

11
And again Isaiah says the followconvince them that they will be handed ing: “The Lord said to Christ my Lord,

over to the affliction of death because of

‘I have grasped his right hand that the

thier transgression.

nations will obey him, and I will shatter

6
Moreover, even though Moses himthe power of kings’ ”73 See how David self issued this command—“You will

calls him Lord; he does not call him son.

have no molten or carved image as your

god”69—he himself made one, that he

might show forth a type of Jesus. And so

lOr:
Joshua
the
son
of
Nun;
Jesus
is
the
Greek
equivalent
of
the
Hebrew
name
Joshua
mOr:
Joshua
the
son
Moses made a bronze serpent and dis

of
Nun;
Jesus
is
the
Greek
equivalent
of
the
Hebrew
played it prominently, and he called the

name
Joshua

people through a proclamation.

67

7
And when they came together they

Cf. Exod 17: 8–13. 68Cf. Isa 65:2. 69Cf. Lev 26:1;

Deut 27:15. 70Cf. Num 21:4–8. 71Cf. Exod 17:14.

begged Moses to offer up a prayer on

72Ps 110:1. 73Cf. Isa 45:1.

THE LETTER OF BARNABAS

231

Now let us see whether it is this

13

eousness? “See, Abraham, I have made

people or the first one that reyou a father of the nations who believe ceives the inheritance, and whether the

in God while uncircumcised.”77

covenant is for us or them.

2
Hear what the Scripture says con

Yes indeed. But we should see

cerning the people, “Isaac prayed for Re14 if he has given the covenant that becca his wife, because she was infertile.

he swore to the fathers he would give the

And then she conceived.” Then, “Repeople. Let us pursue the question. He becca went to inquire of the Lord, and

has given it, but they were not worthy to

the Lord said to her, ‘There are two

receive it because of their sins.

nations in your womb and two peoples

2
For the prophet says, “Moses was

in your belly, and one people will domifasting on Mount Sinai For forty days nate the other and the greater will serve

and forty nights, that he might receive

the lesser.’ ”74

the covenant of the Lord for the people.

3
You ought to perceive who Isaac rep

And Moses received from the Lord the

resents and who Rebecca, and whom he

two tablets written with the finger of the

means when he shows that this people is

Lord’s hand in the Spirit.”78 When Moses

greater than that one.

received them he brought them down to

4
In another prophecy Jacob speaks

give to the people.

more plainly to Joseph his son, when he

3
And the Lord said to Moses, “Moses,

says, “See, the Lord has not kept me from

Moses, go down at once, because your

your presence. Bring your sons to me

people, whom you brought out of the

that I may bless them.”75

land of Egypt, has broken the Law.

5
He brought Ephraim and Manasseh,

Moses understood that they had again

wanting him to bless Manasseh since he

made molten images for themselves, and

was the elder. So Joseph brought him to

he hurled the tablets from his hands. And

the right hand of his father Jacob. But

the tablets of the Lord’s covenant were

Jacob saw in the Spirit a type of the

smashed.”79

people who was to come later. And what

4
So Moses received the covenant, but

does it say? “Jacob crossed his hands and

they were not worthy. Now learn how we

placed his right hand on the head of

have received it. Moses received it as a

Ephraim, the second and younger, and

servant, but the Lord himself gave it to

blessed him. And Joseph said to Jacob,

us, as a people of the inheritance, by

‘Switch your right hand onto Manasseh’s

enduring suffering for us.

head, because he is my firstborn son.’

5
He was made manifest so that those

Jacob said to Joseph, ‘I know, my child,

people might be completely filled with

I know. But the greater will serve the

sins, and that we might receive the covlesser, and it is this one who will be enant through the Lord Jesus, who inherblessed.’ ”76

ited it. He was prepared for this end, that

6
You see about whom he has decreed,

when he became manifest he might make

that this people will be first, and the heir

a covenant with us by his word, after

of the covenant.

redeeming our hearts from darkness,

7
And if this is also brought to mind

through Abraham, we maintain that our

knowledge is now perfect. What then

74

does he say to Abraham, when he alone

Cf. Gen 25:21–23. 75Gen 48:11, 9. 76Cf. Gen 48:

14, 19. 77Cf. Gen 15:6; 17:4. 78Cf. Exod. 24:18; 31:

believed and was appointed for right18. 79Cf. Exod 32:7–19.

232

NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS

hearts that were already paid out to death

4
Pay attention, children, to what it

and given over to the lawlessness of

means that “he finished in six days.” This

deceit.

means that in six thousand years the Lord

6
For it is written how the Father comwill complete all things. For with him a manded him to prepare for himself a holy

day represents a thousand years. He himpeople after he redeemed us from self testifies that I am right, when he says,

darkness.

“See, a day of the Lord will be like a

7
And so the prophet says, “I the Lord

thousand years.”86 And so, children, all

your God called you in righteousness;

things will be completed in six days—

and I will grasp your hand and strengthen

that is to say, in six thousand years.

you. I have given you as a covenant of

5
“And he rested on the seventh day.”

the people, as a light to the nations, to

This means that when his Son comes he

open the eyes of the blind, to bring out

will put an end to the age of the lawless

of their bondage those in shackles and

one, judge the impious, and alter the sun,

out of prison those who sit in darkness.”80

moon, and stars; then he will indeed rest

And so we know the place from which

on the seventh day.

we have been redeemed.

6
Moreover, it says, “Make it holy with

8
Again the prophet says, “See, I have

pure hands and a pure heart.” We are very

set you as a light to the nations, that you

much mistaken if we think that at the

may bring salvation to the end of the

present time anyone, by having a pure

earth; so says the Lord God who redeems

heart, can make holy the day that the

you.”81

Lord has made holy.

9
Again the prophet says, “The Spirit

7
And so you see that at that time,

of the Lord is upon me, because he

when we are given a good rest, we will

anointed me to preach the good news of

make it holy—being able to do so begrace to the humble; he sent me to heal cause we ourselves have been made upthose whose hearts are crushed, to proright and have received the promise, claim a release to the captives and rewhen lawlessness is no more and all newed sight to the blind, to call out the

things have been made new by the Lord.

acceptable year of the Lord and the day

Then we will be able to make the day

of recompense, to comfort all those who

holy, after we ourselves have been made

mourn.”82

holy.

8
Moreover he says to them, “I cannot

15 Something is also written about stand your new moons and Sabbaths.”87

the Sabbath in the ten com

You see what he means: It is not the

mandments, which God spoke to Moses

Sabbaths of the present time that are acface to face on Mount Sinai: “Make the ceptable to me, but the one I have made,

Sabbath of the Lord holy, with pure

in which I will give rest to all things and

hands and a pure heart.”83

make a beginning of an eighth day, which

2
In another place it says, “If my chilis the beginning of another world.

dren keep the Sabbath, I will bestow my

9
Therefore also we celebrate the

mercy on them.”84

eighth day with gladness, for on it Jesus

3
This refers to the Sabbath at the beginning of creation: “God made the works of his hands in six days, and he

80

finished on the seventh day; and he rested

Isa 42:6–7. 81Cf. Isa 49:6–7. 82Isa 61:1–2. 83Cf.

Exod 20:8; Deut 5:12. 84Cf. Jer 17:24–25. 85Gen 2:

on it and made it holy.”85

2–3. 86Cf. Ps 90:4; 2 Pet 3:8. 87Isa 1:13.

THE LETTER OF BARNABAS

233

arose from the dead, and appeared, and

temple built by hand; for it was full of

ascended into heaven.

idolatry and was a house of demons, because we did everything that was op16 I will also speak to you about posed to God.

the

temple,

since

those

8
“But it will be built in the name of

wretches were misguided in hoping in

the Lord.” Now pay attention, so that

the building rather than in their God who

the temple of the Lord may be glorimade them, as if the temple were actually ously built. And learn how: we have bethe house of God.

come new, created again from the be

2
For they consecrated him in the temginning, because we have received the ple almost like the Gentiles do. But conforgiveness of sins and have hoped in sider what the Lord says in order to inthe name. Therefore God truly resides validate it: “Who has measured the sky

within our place of dwelling—within

with the span of his hand or the earth

us.

with his outstretched fingers? Is it not I,

9
How so? His word of faith, his call

says the Lord? The sky is my throne and

to us through his promise, the wisdom of

the earth is the footstool for my feet.

his upright demands, the commandments

What sort of house will you build me, or

of the teaching, he himself prophesying