Introduction

Dated late first, early second century. Many of the early fathers believed Barnabas from the book of Acts wrote this letter. In some cases we see early fathers treating this letter like canon, and in other cases not. Some of these works are like this.

Typology

The Epistle of Barnabas covers some usual topics that we see in other writers of the post-Apostolic era. One of those topics is the stiff push back against the unbelieving Jews and Jewish superstitions. Barnabas sets out to prove that the Old Testament is Christian. And he does by showing how the New Testament was concealed in it. He points to prefigurations in the Old Testament of Christ, His sufferings, Christian baptism, the gentile inclusion into the Church, and the Christian life.

I was once asked by a good friend if I was just making up the typology and symbolism in my sermons. I told him the church, going back to it’s very beginning, had always read the Scriptures with symbolism and typology in mind. That this is one sense of Scripture with the literal and historical as the foundation.

This epistle from Barnabas proves that, as one among many early fathers, reading the Scriptures in this manner.

Don’t Forsake the Assembly

Barnabas echoes Paul’s exhortation of not forsaking the assembly. Barnabas writes:

“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!” (Ch. VIII)

This is interesting as it would repudiate some of the eremitic practices we see later on. And it’s also a good word for Christians now, who find themselves in more and more isolation.

Do Not Boast Against the Branches

Barnabas echoes Paul’s warning to the Romans about boasting against the Jews. Barnabas directs his readers to notice the many miracles in Israel, and yet they still fell away. So, Christians ought to be on their guard. He then quotes Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew: “Many are called, but few are chosen.” (Ch. VIII) You will see some people relegate these statements of Christ to the Jews of the first century, but here we see Barnabas applying them to Christians. It’s not an either or. It’s a both and.

Sacrificial Typology

Barnabas gives us heavy typology from the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant. I believe he is speaking of the red heifer from Numbers 19, which he says anticipates Christ. “Now what do you suppose this to be a type of, that a command was given to Israel, that men of the greatest wickedness should offer a heifer, and slay and burn it, and, that then boys should take the ashes, and put these into vessels, and bind round a stick purple wool along with hyssop, and that thus the boys should sprinkle the people, one by one, in order that they might be purified from their sins? Consider how He speaks to you with simplicity.” (Ch. VIII)

“The calf is Jesus: the sinful men offering it are those who led Him to the slaughter. But now the men are no longer guilty, are no longer regarded as sinners. And the boys that sprinkle are those that have proclaimed to us the remission of sins and purification of heart. To these He gave authority to preach the Gospel, being twelve in number, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Ch. IX)

This is great because it suggests a substitutionary theory of atonement, which some Easternist Christians either deny or like to diminish.

He goes on to give us more wild speculation! (sarcasm)

“But why are there three boys that sprinkle? To correspond to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, because these were great with God. And why was the wool [placed] upon the wood? Because by wood Jesus holds His kingdom, so that [through the cross] those believing on Him shall live for ever. But why was hyssop joined with the wool? Because in His kingdom the days will be evil and polluted in which we shall be saved, [and] because he who suffers in body is cured through the cleansing efficacy of hyssop. And on this account the things which stand thus are clear to us, but obscure to them because they did not hear the voice of the Lord.” (Ch. IX)

So, here we have Barnabas seeing Christ, His Apostles, His Church, and the Christian life bursting out of the Old Testament, even in the specifics of the sacrificial system. I love this kind of thing. Do we make it dogma? No. But is it edifying? Yes.

Circumcision Symbolism

Barnabas goes on to tell us about multi-faceted spiritual meanings of circumcision. This being quite obvious because the prophets themselves tell Israel to circumcise their hearts, and not be stubborn anymore. The Scriptures themselves tell us that circumcision represents repentance in that sense. Barnabas says that Christians have circumcised ears, since they are able to hear the truth of the gospel. I can’t remember if Barnabas brings this up, but I would also add that circumcision occurs on the 8th day, which signifies the new week, or the new creation, which was inaugurated by the blood of Christ.

Typology and Dietary Laws

“Take a full and firm grasp of this spiritual knowledge. But Moses says still further, “Ye shall eat every animal that is cloven-footed and ruminant.” What does he mean? [The ruminant animal denotes him] who, on receiving food, recognizes Him that nourishes him, and being satisfied by Him, is visibly made glad. Well spake [Moses], having respect to the commandment. What, then, does he mean? That we ought to join ourselves to those that fear the Lord, those who meditate in their heart on the commandment which they have received, those who both utter the judgments of the Lord and observe them, those who know that meditation is a work of gladness, and who ruminate upon the word of the Lord. But what means the cloven-footed? That the righteous man also walks in this world, yet looks forward to the holy state [to come]. Behold how well Moses legislated. But how was it possible for them to understand or comprehend these things? We then, rightly understanding his commandments, explain them as the Lord intended. For this purpose He circumcised our ears and our hearts, that we might understand these things.” (Ch. X)

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul takes a simple command from Deuteronomy, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out grain” and says this was written for our sake. That it means that ministers of the gospel should get paid for their work. Paul sets a precedent for reading the Old Testament in the way that Barnabas is doing here. There are higher, spiritual, new covenant meanings intended for our sake. And for Barnabas, eating the cloven-footed animal points to fellowshipping with godly Christians, and to walking in the world, but not being of the world.

Christians and Not Jews Inheritors of the Covenant

This is a chapter title. In this chapter, Barnabas points to the examples of the two nations in Rebekah’s womb, Jacob and Esau. He says the Christians are Jacob, and the Jews are Esau. Same with Ephraim and Manasseh. The blessing goes to Jacob, the younger brother. The blessing goes to Ephraim, the younger brother. I’ve been preaching through Genesis and this is exactly right. The Younger Brother motif of Genesis is directly anticipating the Christian Church, the True Israel, the Son of Promise, Jesus Christ and His Body which is the Church. Paul makes this same point in Galatians with the typological difference between Hagar and Sarah.

Mistaken Eschatology

When talking of the Sabbath, he reads the six days of creation as reference to six thousand years of church rule, and then Christ will return in the seventh thousand year. He then references the Olivet Discourse. So, there are some mistakes in eschatology here. But this is only mistaken if the six thousand years of church rule began at creation. It’s possible, and perhaps likely that he thought that Church rule began 2,000 years ago. In which case we still have 4,000 years to go before Christ returns on Barnabas’ understanding. I wouldn’t discount this as a possibility. But I wouldn’t hold to it dogmatically. (Ch. XV)

The Third Temple is the Church

He mentions the building of the temple prophesied by the prophets as being the Church. He says that the Spirit of God is in Christians, and that He prophesies through Christians. This is completely accurate.

The Second Part

Then after all these things we enter into the second part of the letter.

The second part is quite short. It describes two ways of life. The way of light and the way of darkness.

Here is a sampling of his exhortations to the way of light:

“Thou shalt be simple in heart, and rich in spirit. Thou shalt not join thyself to those who walk in the way of death. Thou shalt hate doing what is unpleasing to God: thou shalt hate all hypocrisy. Thou shalt not forsake the commandments of the Lord. Thou shalt not exalt thyself, but shalt be of a lowly mind. Thou shalt not take glory to thyself. Thou shalt not take evil counsel against thy neighbor.” (Ch. XIX)

And then we have an explicit denunciation of abortion.

“Thou shalt not slay the child by procuring abortion; nor, again, shalt thou destroy it after it is born.” (Ch. XIX)

Then we have this exhortation, again, to meet together with other Christians.

“Thou shalt seek out every day the faces of the saints, either by word examining them, and going to exhort them, and meditating how to save a soul by the word, or by thy hands thou shalt labour for the redemption of thy sins.” (Ch. XIX)

If you are content to live apart from the saints, there’s something wrong with you. You can’t have God as your Father without having the Church as your Mother.

Good letter here from Barnabas.