My LORD’s BibleEpistle of Barnabas 16
1Moreover, I will also tell you concerning the temple, how the wretched [Jews], wandering in error, trusted not in God Himself, but in the temple, as being the house of God. For almost after the manner of the Gentiles they worshipped Him in the temple. But learn how the Lord speaks, when abolishing it: “Who hath meted out heaven with a span, and the earth with his palm? Have not I?” “Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool: what kind of house will ye build to me, or what is the place of my rest?” Ye perceive that their hope is vain. Moreover, He again says, “Behold, they who have cast down this temple, even they shall build it up again.” It has so happened. For through their going to war, it was destroyed by their enemies; and now they, as the servants of their enemies, shall rebuild it. Again, it was revealed that the city and the temple and the people of Israel were to be given up. For the Scripture saith, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the Lord will deliver up the sheep of His pasture, and their sheep-fold and tower, to destruction.” And it so happened as the Lord had spoken. Let us inquire, then, if there still is a temple of God. There is—where He himself declared He would make and finish it. For it is written, “And it shall come to pass, when the week is completed, the temple of God shall be built in glory in the name of the Lord.” I find, therefore, that a temple does exist. Learn, then, how it shall be built in the name of the Lord. Before we believed in God, the habitation of our heart was corrupt and weak, as being indeed like a temple made with hands. For it was full of idolatry, and was a habitation of demons, through our doing such things as were opposed to [the will of] God. But it shall be built, observe ye, in the name of the Lord, in order that the temple of the Lord may be built in glory. How? Learn [as follows]. Having received the forgiveness of sins, and placed our trust in the name of the Lord, we have become new creatures, formed again from the beginning. Wherefore in our habitation God truly dwells in us. How? His word of faith; His calling of promise; the wisdom of the statutes; the commands of the doctrine; He himself prophesying in us; He himself dwelling in us; opening to us who were enslaved by death the doors of the temple, that is, the mouth; and by giving us repentance introduced us into the incorruptible temple. He then, who wishes to be saved, looks not to man, but to Him who dwelleth in him, and speaketh in him, amazed at never having either heard him utter such words with his mouth, nor himself having ever desired to hear them. This is the spiritual temple built for the Lord.
“Ere δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ ἐρῶ ὑμῖν, πῶς πλανώ- μενοι οἱ ταλαίπωροι εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν ἤλπισαν, καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτούς, ὡς ὄντα οἶκον Θεοῦ. σχεδὸν γὰρ ὡς τὰ ἔθνη ἀφιέρωσαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ναῷ. ἀλλὰ πῶς λέγει Κύριος καταργῶν αὐτόν; μάθετε: Τίς ἐμέ- TPHCEN τὸν οὐρὰνὸν Ἴπιθδμή, H THN PHN Apaki; οὐκ ἐγώ ; λέγει Is. Ixvi. Κύριος Ὃ oypandc moi θρόνος, H Ad γῇ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν ΜΟΥ ποῖον οἶκον οἰκολομήςετέ μοι; H τίς τόπος THC KaTa- Taycewc ΜΟΥ; ἐγνώκατε ὅτι ματαία ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν. πέρας γέ Tos πάλεν λόγει" “lacy οἱ KABEAUNTEC τὸν νδὸν τοῦτον, δὐτοὶ ayTON οἰκοδομηήςογοιν. γένεται. διὰ γὰρ τὸ πολεμεῖν αὐτοὺς καθῃρέθη ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν. νῦν καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑπηρέται ἀνοικοδομήσουσιν αὐτόν. πάλεν ὡς ἔμελλεν ἡ πόλις καὶ ὁ ναὸς καὶ ὁ λαὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ παραδίδοσθαι, ἐφανε- ρώθη. λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή" Καὶ éctai ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν, Enoch kai πάράδώςει Κύριος τὰ mpdBata τῆς νομῆς Kal τὴν μάνδραν ao “is Kal TON πύργον AYT@N εἰς KATapOopan. καὶ ἐγένετο καθ᾽ ἃ ἐλάλησεν Κύριος. ζητήσωμεν δὲ εἰ ἔστιν ναὸς Θεοῦ. ἔστιν, ὅπου αὐτὸς λέγει ποιεῖν καὶ καταρτίζειν. γέγραπται yap: Kal ἔετοι τῆς ἑβδομάδος ογντελογμένης, οἰκοδομηθήζετδι νδὸς Θεοῦ ἐνδόξως ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Kypioy. εὑρίσκω οὖν ὅτι ἐστὶν ναός. πῶς οὖν οἰκοδομηθήσεται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι 262 THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS. [χνι Κυρίου; μάθετε. πρὸ τοῦ ἡμᾶς πιστεῦσαι τῷ Θεῷ ἦν ἡμῶν τὸ κατοικητήριον τῆς καρδίας φθαρτὸν καὶ ἀσθενές, ὡς ἀληθῶς οἰκοδομητὸς ναὸς διὰ χειρός. ὅτι ἦν πλήρης μὲν εἰδωλολατρείας καὶ ἦν οἶκος δαιμονίων, διὰ τὸ ποιεῖν ὅσα ἦν ἐναντία τῷ Θεῷ. οἰκοδομηθήςετει λὲ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Κγρίογ. προσέχετε δέ, ἵνα ὁ ναὸς τοῦ Κυρίου ἐνδόξως οἰκοδομηθῇ. πῶς; μάθετε. λαβόντες τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ ἐλπίέ- σαντες ἐπὶ τὸ ὄνομα ἐγενόμεθα καινοί, πάλιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς κτιζό- μενοι διὸ ἐν τῷ κατοικητηρίῳ ἡμῶν ἀληθῶς ὁ Θεὸς κατοικεῖ ἐν ἡμῖν. πῶς; ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ τῆς πίστεως, ἡ κλῆσις αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἡ σοφία τῶν δικαιωμάτων, αἱ ἐντολαὶ τῆς διδαχῆς, αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν προφητεύων, αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν κατοικῶν, τοῖς τῷ θανάτῳ δεδουλωμένοις ἀνούγων ἡμῖν τὴν θύραν τοῦ ναοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν στόμα, μετάνοιαν διδοὺς ἡμῖν εἰσάγει εἰς τὸν ἄφθαρτον ναόν. ὁ γὰρ ποθῶν σωθῆναι βλέπει οὐκ εἰς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικοῦντα καὶ λαλοῦντα, ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ ἐκπλησσόμενος ἐπὶ τῷ μηδέποτε μήτε τοῦ λέγοντος τὰ ῥήματα ἀκηκοέναε ἐκ τοῦ στόματος μήτε αὐτός ποτε ἐπι- τεθυμηκέναι ἀκούειν. τοῦτό ἐστιν πνευματικὸς ναὸς οἰκοδο- μούμενος τῷ Κυρίφ.