History of the Christian Church, Volume I: Apostolic Christianity. A.D. 1-100.

(Darren Dugan) #1
[(5) "The Son of God says,(?) ’Let us resist all iniquity, and hold it in abhorrence.’ " From
the Epistle of Barnabas, c. 4. This Epistle, though incorporated in the Codex Sinaiticus, is probably
not a work of the apostolic Barnabas. Westcott and Plumptre quote the passage from the Latin
version, which introduces the sentence with the words: sicut dicit Filius Dei. But this seems to be
a mistake for sicut decet filios Dei, "as becometh the sons of God." This is evident from the Greek
original (brought to light by the discovery of the Codex Sinaiticus), which reads, ὡς πρέπει υἱοῖς
θεου̑ and connects the words with the preceding sentence. See the edition of Barnabae Epistula by
Gebhardt and Harnack in Patr. Apost. Op. I. 14. For the sense comp. 2 Tim. 2:19: ἀποστάτω ἀπὸ
ἀδικίαςJames 4:7: ἀνίστητε τῷ διαβόλῳ,Ps. 119:163: ἀδικίαν ἐμίσησα.]
(6) "They who wish to see me, and to lay hold on my kingdom, must receive me with
affliction and suffering." From the Epistle of Barnabas, c. 7, where the words are introduced by
"Thus he [Jesus] saith," φησίν. But it is doubtful whether they are meant as a quotation or rather
as a conclusion of the former remarks and a general reminiscence of several passages. Comp. Matt.
16:24; 20:3; Acts 14:22: "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."
(7) "He that wonders [ὁ θαυμάσαςwith the wonder of reverential faith] shall reign, and he
that reigns shall be made to rest." From the "Gospel of the Hebrews," quoted by Clement of
Alexandria (Strom. II. 9, § 45). The Alexandrian divine quotes this and the following sentence to
show, as Plumptre finely says, "that in the teaching of Christ, as in that of Plato, wonder is at once
the beginning and the end of knowledge."
(8) "Look with wonder at the things that are before thee (θαύμασον τα πάροντα)." From
Clement of Alexandria (Strom. II. 9, § 45.).
(9) "I came to abolish sacrifices, and unless ye cease from sacrificing, the wrath [of God]
will not cease from you." From the Gospel of the Ebionites (or rather Essaean Judaizers), quoted
by Epiphanius (Haer. xxx. 16). Comp. Matt. 9:13, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice."
(10) "Ask great things, and the small shall be added to you: ask heavenly and there shall be
added unto you earthly things." Quoted by Clement of Alexandria (Strom. I. 24, § 154; comp. IV.
6, § 34) and Origen (de Oratione, c. 2), with slight differences. Comp. Matt. 6:33, of which it is
probably a free quotation from memory. Ambrose also quotes the sentence (Ep. xxxvi. 3): "Denique
scriptum est: ’Petite magna, et parva adjicientur vobis. Petite coelestia, et terrena adjicientur.’"
(11) "In the things wherein I find you, in them will I judge you." Quoted by Justin Martyr
(Dial. c. Tryph. c. 47), and Clement of Alexandria (Quis dives, § 40). Somewhat different Nilus:
"Such as I find thee, I will judge thee, saith the Lord." The parallel passages in Ezekiel 7:3, 8;
18:30; 24:14; 33:20 are not sufficient to account for this sentence. It is probably taken from an
apocryphal Gospel. See Hofmann, p. 323.
(12) "He who is nigh unto me is nigh unto the fire: he who is far from me is far from the
kingdom. From Origen (Comm. in Jer. III. p. 778), and Didymus of Alexandria (in Ps. 88:8). Comp,
Luke 12:49. Ignatius (Ad Smyrn. c. 4) has a similar saying, but not as a quotation, "To be near the
sword is to be near God" (ἐγγύς μαχαίρας ἐγγύς θεοῦ).
(13) "If ye kept not that which is little, who will give you that which is great? For I say unto
you, he that is faithful in the least is faithful also in much." From the homily of Pseudo-Clement
of Rome (ch. 8). Comp. Luke 16:10–12 and Matt. 25:21, 23. Irenaeus (II. 34, 3) quotes similarly,
probably from memory: "Si in modico fideles non fuistis, quod magnum est quis dabit nobis?"

A.D. 1-100.

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