FERGUSON Christian and Jewish Baptism 211
(16.7) I find then that there is a temple. Therefore, learn how it will be
built in the name of the Lord. Before we believed in God, the
dwelling place of our heart was corrupt and weak, like a temple
truly built by hand, because it was full of idolatry and was a
house of demons by reason of doing whatever was contrary to
God.
(8) 'It will be built in the name of the Lord' [Dan. 9.24-27]. Give
attention, so that the temple of the Lord may be built gloriously.
How? Learn. When we received forgiveness of sins and placed
our hope in his name, we became new and were created again
from the beginning. Wherefore God truly dwells in us, in our
dwelling place.
(9) How? His word of faith, his calling of promise, the wisdom of his
ordinances, the commandments of his teaching, himself prophe-
sying in us, himself dwelling in us, opening for us the door of the
temple (which is the mouth) and giving us repentance, he leads
those who were slaves to death into the incorruptible temple.
(10) ... This is the spiritual temple being built to the Lord.'To give a revelation in advance' was important to Barnabas (cf. 3.6).
The heading for chs. 11-12 says, 'Concerning the water and the cross',
subdivided into 'concerning the water' in 11. lb and 'concerning the cross'
in 12.1. The subject of the cross is taken up mainly in ch. 12, but it is
included in the quotation in 11.6-8. The water and the cross are taken up
as part of the sequence of proofs that Christians understand Scripture and
as another example of Jewish misunderstanding and rejection of God's
intentions. The rejection of Christian baptism by the Jews was already
revealed in Scripture.^13 Barnabas previously has taken Jewish rites as the
point of departure (and he does so again in ch. 15), but here he puts the
Christian rite at the center of the discussion.^14
The association of water and the cross is made because both are related
to the forgiveness of sins. Barnabas links the forgiveness of sins with the
sprinkling of the Lord's (Christ's) blood in 5.1. This follows an extended
passage on the rejection of Israel's sacrifices in ch. 2 and fasting (probably
- Wengst, Tradition und Theologie, p. 102. In this chapter, w. 2 and 7 are words
of judgment against Israel. On the pattern of quoting Scripture with the interpretation
'this is' (= 'this means'—11.8a and c; 11.9b; 11.11a and c), see Prostmeier, Der
Barnabasbrief, p. 413. - Hvalvik, Struggle, pp. 189-91.