My LORD’s BibleEpistle of Barnabas 4
1It therefore behoves us, who inquire much concerning events at hand, to search diligently into those things which are able to save us. Let us then utterly flee from all the works of iniquity, lest these should take hold of us; and let us hate the error of the present time, that we may set our love on the world to come: let us not give loose reins to our soul, that it should have power to run with sinners and the wicked, lest we become like them. The final stumbling-block (or source of danger) approaches, concerning which it is written, as Enoch says, “For for this end the Lord has cut short the times and the days, that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the inheritance.” And the prophet also speaks thus: “Ten kingdoms shall reign upon the earth, and a little king shall rise up after them, who shall subdue under one three of the kings.” In like manner Daniel says concerning the same, “And I beheld the fourth beast, wicked and powerful, and more savage than all the beasts of the earth, and how from it sprang up ten horns, and out of them a little budding horn, and how it subdued under one three of the great horns.” Ye ought therefore to understand. And this also I further beg of you, as being one of you, and loving you both individually and collectively more than my own soul, to take heed now to yourselves, and not to be like some, adding largely to your sins, and saying, “The covenant is both theirs and ours.” But they thus finally lost it, after Moses had already received it. For the Scripture saith, “And Moses was fasting in the mount forty days and forty nights, and received the covenant from the Lord, tables of stone written with the finger of the hand of the Lord;” but turning away to idols, they lost it. For the Lord speaks thus to Moses: “Moses, go down quickly; for the people whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt have transgressed.” And Moses understood [the meaning of God], and cast the two tables out of his hands; and their covenant was broken, in order that the covenant of the beloved Jesus might be sealed upon our heart, in the hope which flows from believing in Him. Now, being desirous to write many things to you, not as your teacher, but as becometh one who loves you, I have taken care not to fail to write to you from what I myself possess, with a view to your purification. We take earnest heed in these last days; for the whole [past] time of your faith will profit you nothing, unless now in this wicked time we also withstand coming sources of danger, as becometh the sons of God. That the Black One may find no means of entrance, let us flee from every vanity, let us utterly hate the works of the way of wickedness. Do not, by retiring apart, live a solitary life, as if you were already [fully] justified; but coming together in one place, make common inquiry concerning what tends to your general welfare. For the Scripture saith, “Woe to them who are wise to themselves, and prudent in their own sight!” Let us be spiritually-minded: let us be a perfect temple to God. As much as in us lies, let us meditate upon the fear of God, and let us keep His commandments, that we may rejoice in His ordinances. The Lord will judge the world without respect of persons. Each will receive as he has done: if he is righteous, his righteousness will precede him; if he is wicked, the reward of wickedness is before him. Take heed, lest resting at our ease, as those who are the called [of God], we should fall asleep in our sins, and the wicked prince, acquiring power over us, should thrust us away from the kingdom of the Lord. And all the more attend to this, my brethren, when ye reflect and behold, that after so great signs and wonders were wrought in Israel, they were thus [at length] abandoned. Let us beware lest we be found [fulfilling that saying], as it is written, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
Δεῖ οὖν ἡμᾶς περὶ τῶν ἐνεστώτων ἐπιπολὺ ἐραυ- νῶντας ἐκζητεῖν τὰ δυνάμενα ἡμᾶς σώξειν. φύγωμεν οὖν τελείως ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων τῆς ἀνομίας, μήποτε κατα- λάβῃ ἡμᾶς τὰ ἔργα τῆς ἀνομίας" καὶ μισήσωμεν τὴν πλάνην τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ, ἵνα εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα ἀγαπηθῶμεν. μὴ δῶμεν τῇ ἑαυτῶν ψυχῇ ἄνεσιν, ὥστε ἔχειν αὐτὴν ἐξουσίαν μετὰ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ πονηρῶν συντρέχειν, μήποτε ὁμοιω- θώμεν αὐτοῖς. τὸ τέλειον σκάνδαλον ἤγγικεν, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται, ὡς ᾿Ενὼχ λέγει. εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ δεσπότης συντέτμηκεν τοὺς καιροὺς καὶ τὰς ἡμέρας, ἵνα ταχύνῃ ὁ ᾿γαπημένος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν ἥξῃ. λέγει δὲ οὕτως καὶ ὁ προφήτης" Βδειλεῖδι deka ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς BactAey- COYCIN, καὶ ἐξανδοτήςετδι ὄπιεοθεν δύτῶν μικρὸς BaciAeyc, ὃς τἀπεινώςει τρεῖς ὑφ᾽ EN τῶν βδοιλέων. ὁμοίως περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λέγει Δανιήλ" Kai εἶδον τὸ TéTAPTON θηρίον πονηρὸν Kal icyypoN Kai χαλεπώτερον πάρὰ TIANTA τὰ θηρίδ τῆς γῆς, Kal ὡς ἐξ ayTof ἀνέτειλεν δέκα KépaTa, Kal ἐξ AYT@N μικρὸν κέρας Tlapadydalon, Kal ὡς ἐταπείνωςεν ὑφ᾽ ἕν τρίὰ τῶν μεγά- λῶν κεράτων. συνιέναι οὖν ὀφείλετε. “Ere δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἐρωτῶ ὑμᾶς ὡς εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν ὧν, ἰδίως δὲ καὶ πάντας ἀγαπῶν ὑπὲρ τὴν ψυχήν μου, προσέχειν νῦν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ μὴ ὁμοιοῦσθαξ τισιν, ἐπισωρεύοντας ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν, λέγοντας ὅτι ἡ δεα- θήκη ἡμῶν μένει ἐκείνοις" ἡμῶν μέν ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνοι οὕτως εἰς τέλος ἀπώλεσαν αὐτήν, λαβόντος ἤδη τοῦ Μωύσέως. λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή" Kai tin ΛΛωγοῆς ἐν τῷ ὄρει νηςτεύων ἡμέρδο τεο- ” CEpAKONTA Kal NYKTAC TECCEPAKONTA, Kal EAABEN THN διδθήκην ἀπὸ τοῦ Kypioy, πλάκδς λιθίνας FerpammeéNac τῷ AaKTYA@ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ Κγρίογ. ἀλλὰ ἐπιστραφέντες ἐπὶ τὰ εἴδωλα ἀπώλεσαν τὸ τάχος, ὅτι ἠνόμηςεν ὁ λδός coy, οἵς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. καὶ συνῆκεν Μωῦσῆς καὶ ἔριψεν τὰς δύο πλάκας ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ: καὶ συνετρίβη αὐτῶν ἡ διαθήκη, ἵνα ἡ τοῦ ἠγαπημένου Ἰησοῦ ἐνκατασφραγισθῇ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν ἐν ἐλπίδι τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ. ο. Πολλὰ δὲ θέλων γράφειν, οὐχ ὡς διδάσκαλος, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς πρέπει ἀγαπώντι ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἔχομεν μὴ ἐλλείπειν, γράφειν ἐσπούδασα, περίψημα ὑμῶν. διὸ προσέχωμεν ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις. οὐδὲν γὰρ ὠφελήσει ἡμᾶς ὁ πᾶς χρόνος τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν, ἐὰν μὴ νῦν ἐν τῷ ἀνόμῳ καιρῷ καὶ τοῖς μέλλουσιν σκανδάλοις, ὡς πρέπει υἱοῖς Θεοῦ, ἀντιστῶμεν, ἵνα μὴ σχῇ παρείσδυσιν ὁ μέλας. φύγωμεν ἀπὸ πάσης ματαιότητος, μισήσωμεν τελείως τὰ ἔργα τῆς πονηρᾶς ὁδοῦ. Μὴ καθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς ἐνδύνοντες μονά- ζετε ὡς ἤδη δεδικαιωμένοι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συνερχόμενοι συνζητεῖτε περὶ τοῦ κοινῇ συμφέροντος. λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή: Oval οἱ εγνετοὶ EayToic Kai ἐνώπιον ἑδγτῶν ἐπιοτήμονες. γενώμεθα πνευματικοί, γενώμεθα ναὸς τέλειος τῷ Θεῷ. ἐφ᾽ ὅσον ἐστὶν ἐν ἡμῖν, μελετῶμεν τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ [καὶ] φυλάσσειν ἀγωνιζώμεθα τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, iva ἐν τοῖς δικαιώασιν αὐτοῦ εὐφρανθῶμεν. ὁ Κύριος ἀπροσω- τολήμπτως κρινεῖ τὸν κόσμον. ἕκαστος καθὼς ἐποίησεν κομιεῖται. ἐὰν 4 ἀγαθός, ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ προηγήσεται αὐτοῦ ἐὰν 3 πονηρός, ὁ μισθὸς τῆς πονηρίας ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ" ἵνα μήπητε ἐπαναπανυόμενοι ὡς κλητοὶ ἐπικαθυ- πνώσωμεν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν, καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς ἄρχων λαβὼν τὴν καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ἐξουσίαν ἀπώσηται ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Κυρίου. “Ere δὲ κἀκεῖνο, ἀδελφοί μου, νοεῖτε: ὅταν βλέπετε μετὰ τηλικαῦτα σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα γεγονότα ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ οὕτως ἐνκαταλελεῖφθαε αὐτούς προσέχωμεν μήποτε, ὡς γέγραπται, πολλοὶ κλητοί, ὀλίγοι Aé ἐκλεκτοὶ Matt. εὑρεθῶμεν. xxii. 14.