The Epistle of Barnabas
Barnabae epistula
Barnabas. The Apostolic Fathers with an English Translation In Two Volumes. Vol. I. Lake, Kirsopp, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd. 1912.
And again another Prophet says, And the land of Jacob was praised
above every land. He means to say that he is glorifying the vessel of his Spirit.What does he say next? And there was a river flowing on the right hand, and beautiful trees grew out of it, and whosoever shall eat of them shall live for ever.
He means to say that we go down into the water full of sins and foulness, and we come up bearing the fruit of fear in our hearts, and having hope on Jesus in the Spirit. And whosoever shall eat of them shall live for ever. He means that whosoever hears and believes these things spoken shall live for ever.
Similarly, again, he describes the cross in[*](The Cross) another Prophet, who says, And when shall all these things be accomplished? saith the Lord. When the tree shall fall and rise, and when blood shall flow from the tree. Here again you have a reference to the cross, and to him who should be crucified.
And he says again to Moses, when Israel was Avarred upon by strangers, and in order to remind those who were w arred upon that they wrere delivered unto death by reason of their sins—the Spirit speaks to the heart of Moses to make a representation of the cross, and of him who should suffer, because, he says, unless they put their trust in him, they shall suffer wTar for ever. Moses therefore placed one shield upon another in the midst of the fight, and standing there raised above them all kept stretching
out his hands, and so Israel again began to be victorious: then, whenever he let them drop they began to perish.Why? That they may know that they cannot be saved if they do not hope on him.
And again he says in another Prophet, I stretched out my hands the whole day to a disobedient people and one that refuses my righteous way.