The Epistle of Barnabas

Since then he made us new by the remission of sins he made us another type, that we should have the soul of children, as though he were creating us afresh.

For it is concerning us that the scripture says that he says to the Son, Let us make man after our image and likeness, and let them rule the beasts of the earth, and the birds of heaven, and the fishes of the sea. And the Lord said, when he saw our fair creation, Increase and multiply and fill the earth; these things were spoken to the Son.

Again I will show you how he speaks to us. In the last

See then, we have been created afresh, as he says again in another Prophet, See, saith the Lord, I will take out from them (that is those whom the Spirit of the Lord foresaw) the hearts of stone and I will put in hearts of flesh. Because he himself was going to be manifest in the. flesh and to dwell among us.

For, my brethren, the habitation of our hearts is a shrine holy to the Lord.

For the Lord says again, And wherewith shall I appear before the Lord my God and be glorified? He says, I will confess to thee in the assembly of my brethren, and will sing to thee in the midst of the assembly of saints. We then are they whom he brought into the good land.

What then is the milk and the honey? Because a child is first nourished with honey, and afterwards with milk. Thus therefore we also, being nourished on the faith of the promise and by the word, shall live and possess the earth.

And we have said above, And let them increase and multiply and rule over the fishes. Who then is it who is now able to rule over beasts or fishes or the birds of heaven? For we ought to understand that to rule implies authority, so that one may give commandments and have domination.

If then this does not happen at present he has told us the time when it will;—when we ourselves also have been made perfect as heirs of the covenant of the Lord.

Understand therefore, children of gladness, that[*](Fasting and the scapegoat) the good Lord made all things plain beforehand to us, that we should know him to whom we ought to give thanks and praise for everything.

If then the Son of God, though he was the Lord and was destined to judge the living and the dead suffered in order that his wounding might make us alive, let us believe tliat the Son of God could not suffer except for our sakes.

But moreover when he was crucified he was given to drink vinegar and gall. Listen how the priests of the Temple foretold this. The commandment was written, Whosoever does not keep the fast shall die the death, and the Lord commanded this because he himself was going to offer the vessel of the spirit as a sacrifice for our sins, in order that the type established in Isaac, who was offered upon the altar, might be fulfilled.