The Epistle of Barnabas

There is no doubt that Barnabas was a very early Christian writing and was held in high esteem from the earliest days of the church.  It is found in the Codex Sinaiticus, one of our 3 oldest manuscripts of the Bible, that dates from around AD 350.  Barnabas is quoted as authoritative by several of the early Christians including Aristides (AD 125), Clement of Alexander (AD 195), and Origen (AD 225).  Modern scholarship that has relinquished Christianity’s central claims of Christ to be risen from the dead and the church to be His unique creation also rejects the universal voice of antiquity regarding Barnabas.  The introduction to the Roberts-Donaldson translation of Barnabas admits this.  Roberts-Donaldson states, “Other statements have been quoted from the fathers, to show that they held this to be an authentic production of the apostolic Barnabas; and certainly no other name is ever hinted at in Christian antiquity as that of the writer.  But notwithstanding this, the internal evidence is now generally regarded as conclusive against this opinion.”  Modern scholarship doesn’t like what Barnabas says, so therefore modern scholarship in effect says, “You bumpkins that knew Barnabas or knew people that knew him don’t know what you are talking about.”

About James Johnson

Bible student for 60 years. Preacher of the gospel for over 40 years. Author of commentary on Revelation, All Power to the Lamb. Married with children. Worked in aerospace and computer engineering for over 40 years.
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