Epistle of Barnabas 5

He Gave His Flesh Over to Destruction to Purify Us

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Why the Lord Endured Suffering

5:1For this purpose the Lord endured handing over His flesh to destruction: so that we might be purified through forgiveness of sins, which is in the blood of His sprinkling.

5:2For things are written concerning Him, some addressed to Israel and some to us. It says: “He was wounded because of our lawless deeds and has been afflicted because of our sins; by His bruise we were healed. Like a sheep He was led to slaughter, and like a lamb silent before the one who sheared it.”

5:3We therefore ought to give overflowing thanks to the Lord, because He made known to us the things past and made us wise in present things; nor are we without understanding about things to come.

5:4Scripture says: “Nets are not spread unjustly for winged creatures.” This means that a person who knows the way of righteousness, yet shuts himself away into a way of darkness, will perish justly.

5:5Consider this also, my brothers and sisters: if the Lord endured suffering for our soul, though He is Lord of the whole world, to whom God said at the foundation of the world, “Let Us make a human being according to Our image and likeness,” how then did He endure suffering at human hands?

The Prophets Foretold His Coming in Flesh

5:6Learn this. The prophets, receiving grace from Him, prophesied concerning Him. He endured because He had to appear in flesh, so that He might abolish death and demonstrate resurrection from the dead,

5:7so that He might fulfill the promise to the fathers and, preparing the new people for Himself while on earth, demonstrate that He Himself would accomplish the resurrection and judge.

5:8Indeed, while teaching Israel, He proclaimed His message and performed such great wonders and signs, and He loved Israel exceedingly.

5:9When He chose His own apostles, who were to proclaim His good news, they were lawless beyond every sin. He chose them to show that He had not come to call righteous people but sinners; then He revealed Himself to be the Son of God.

5:10For if He had not come in flesh, people could not possibly have survived seeing Him, when they cannot look directly into the rays of the sun—a work of His hands that will one day cease to exist.

The Son of God Came in the Flesh

5:11Therefore the Son of God came in flesh for this purpose: to bring the full measure of sins to a head for those who had persecuted His prophets to death.

5:12For this purpose He endured. God says that the blow against His flesh comes from them: “When they strike their own shepherd, then the sheep of the flock will perish.”

5:13He Himself wished to suffer in this way, for He had to suffer upon a tree. The one prophesying concerning Him says: “Spare My soul from the sword,” and: “Nail down My flesh, because gatherings of evildoers have risen against Me.”

5:14Again He says: “Look, I have given My back to scourges and My cheeks to blows; I have set My face like a solid rock.”

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.