Jesus, Prophet of Islam - The Islamic Bulletin

Barnabas and the Early Christians 61

Then the priests of Jupiter ... brought oxen and garlands

unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the

people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul,

heard of, they rent their clothes and ran in among the

people crying out. And saying: 'Sirs, why do ye these

things? We also are men of like passions with you, and

preach unto you the living God, which made heaven

and earth and the sea and all things that are thereon.'

(Acts 14: 11-15).

If this reaction by the inhabitants of Greece was typical, it is an
indication of sorne of the practical difficulties which must have
faced Barnabas and Paul. A true Jew would have immediately rec­
ognised the teaching of Jesus as a reaffirmation of what Moses had
taught. But to many a pagan, it must have seemed new and strange
and perhaps a little complicated.
Most of the pagans in Europe still believed in a multitude of
gods who, it was thought, mixed freely with human beings, mated
with them. and took part in every sphere of human life. To the
common people of Greece, any description of Jesus must have
seemed like a description of one of their gods, and they were prob­
ably quite ready to accept Jesus in this capacity. There was always
room for one more god. However, the actual teaching of Jesus ne­
gated all their gods, since it affirmed the Divine Unity. This could
not have been received with favour by many of these idol wor­
shippers.
Furthermore, the code of behaviour which was an integral part
of [esus's guidance, would have necessitated an immediate and
far-reaching change in the way of life of anyone who decided to
follow it unless, of course, that person was already a practising
Jew, which thèse pagans were clearly not. The Jews, who were re­
garded as a nation of money-lenders, were not at all liked by those
who were not Iews. Toland, in his book The Nazarenes, says that:

... amongst the Gentiles, so inveterate was the hatred of

the [ews that their observing of anything, however rea­

sonable or necessary, was sufficient motive for a Gen­

tile convert to reject it. 6

To anyone not as sincere and steadfast as Barnabas, the task of es­
tablishing [esus's way of lue in Greece without making any com­