IKTHYS
THE GOSPEL OF BARNABA
~ part 3 ~
Jesus went to
Jerusalem near unto the Senofegia ( =Tabernacles), a feast of our nation. The
scribes and Pharisees having perceived this, took counsel to catch him in his
talk.
Whereupon, there came to him a doctor! saying: 'Master what must I do to have
eternal life?' Jesus answered: 'How is it written in the law?"
The
temper answered, saying: 'Love the Lord thy God and thy neighbour. Thou shalt
love thy God above all things with all thy heart and thy mind, and thy neighbour
as thyself.' Jesus answered: 'Thou
hast answered well: therefore go and do thou so, I say, and thou shalt have
eternal life.' He said unto him: 'And who is my neighbour?'
Jesus answered, lifting up his eyes: 'A man was going down from Jerusalem
to go unto Jericho, a city rebuilt under a curse. This man on the road was
seized by robbers, wounded and stripped; hereupon they departed, leaving him
half dead. It chanced that a priest passed by that place, and he, seeing the
wounded man, passed on without greeting him. In like manner passed a
Levite, without saying a . It chanced that there passed [also] a Samaritan,
who, seeing the wounded man, was moved to compassion, and alighted from his
horse, and took the wounded man and washed his wounds with wine, and anointed
them with ointment, and binding up his wounds for him and comforting him, he set
him upon his own horse. Whereupon, having arrived in the evening at the inn, he
gave him into the charge of the host. And when he had risen on the morrow, he
said: "Take care of this man, and I will pay thee all." And having
presented four gold pieces to the sick man for the host. he said: "Be of
good cheer, for I will speedily return and conduct thee to my own home." '
'Tell me,' said Jesus, 'which of these was the neighbour?'
The doctor answered: 'He who showed mercy.'
Then said Jesus: 'Thou hast
answered rightly; therefore go and do thou likewise.' The doctor departed
in confusion.
Then
drew near unto Jesus the priests, and said: 'Master, is it lawful to give
tribute to Caesar?' Jesus turned round to Judas, and said: 'Hast thou any
money?' And taking a penny in his hand, Jesus turned himself to the priests, and
said to them: 'This penny bath an image: tell me, whose image is it? ' They
answered: 'Caesar's.' 'Give therefore,' said Jesus, 'that which is Caesar's to
Caesar, and that which is God's give it to God.'
Then they departed in confusion.
And behold there drew nigh a centurion, saying: "Lord, my son is sick; have
mercy on my old age!'
Jesus answered: 'The Lord God of Israel have mercy on thee!"
The man was departing; and Jesus said: 'Wait for me, for I will come to thine
house, to make prayer over thy son.'
The centurion answered: 'Lord, I am not worthy that thou, a prophet of
God, shouldest come unto my house, sufficient unto me is the that thou hast
spoken for the healing of my son; for thy God bath made thee lord over every
sickness, even as his angel said unto me in my sleep.'
Then Jesus marvelled greatly, and turning to the crowd, he said: 'Behold
this stranger, for he bath more faith than all that I have found in Israel'. And
turning to the centurion,he said: Go in peace. because God. for the great faith
that he hath given thee. hath granted health to thy son.'
The centurion went his way, and on the road he met his servants. who announced
to him how his son was healed.
The man answered: 'At what hour did the fever leave him '
They said: 'Yesterday, at the sixth hour, the heat departed from him.'
The man knew that when Jesus said: 'The Lord God of Israel have mercy on
thee,' his son received his health. Whereupon the man believed in our God, and
having entered into his house, he brake in pieces all his own gods, saying:
'There is only the God of Israel, the true and living God.' Therefore
said he: 'None shall eat of my bread that worshippeth not the God of Israel.'
One skilled in the law invited Jesus to supper, in order to tempt him.
Jesus came thither with his disciples, and many scribes, to tempt him, waited
for him in the house. Whereupon, the disciples sat down to table without washing
their hands. The scribes called Jesus, saying: 'Wherefore do not thy disciples
observe the traditions of our elders, in not washing their hands before they eat
bread?' Jesus answered: 'And I ask you, for what cause have ye annulled the
precept of God to observe your traditions? Ye say to the sons of poor fathers:
"Offer and make vows unto the temple." And they make vows of that
little wherewith they ought to support their fathers. And when their fathers
wish to take money, the sons cry out: "This money is consecrated to
God"; whereby the fathers suffer. O false scribes hypocrites, cloth God use
this money? Assuredly not, for God eateth not, as he saith by his servant David
the prophet: ``Shall I then eat the flesh of
bulls and drink the blood of sheep? Render unto me the sacrifice of praise, and
offer unto me thy vows: for if I should be hungry I will not ask aught of thee.
seeing that all things are in my hands, and the abundance of paradise is with
me." Hypocrites' ye do this to fill your purse, and therefore ye tithe rue
and mint. Oh miserable ones! for unto others ye show the most clear way, by
which ye will not go.
'Ye scribes and doctors lay upon
the shoulders of others weights of unbearable weight, but ye yourselves the
while are not willing to move them with one of your fingers.
'Verily I say unto you, that every evil hath entered into the world under
the pretext of the elders. Tell me, who made idolatry to enter into the world,
if not the usage of the elders? For there was a king who exceedingly loved his
father, whose name was Baal. Whereupon, when the father was dead, his son for
his own consolation, caused to be made an image like unto his father. and set it
up in the market-place of the city. And he made a decree that every one who
approached that statue within a space of fifteen cubits should be safe, and no
one any account should do him hurt. Hence the malefactors, by reason of the
benefit they received therefrom, began to offer to the statue roses and flowers,
and in a short time the offerings were changed into money and food, insomuch
that they called it god, to honour it. Which thing from custom was transformed
into a law, insomuch that the idol of Baal spread through all the world; and how
much doth God lament this by the prophet Isaiah, saying "Truly this people
worshippeth me in vain, for they have annulled my law given to them by my
servant Moses, and follow the traditions of their elders." 'Verily I say
unto you, that to eat bread with unclean hands defileth not a man, because that
which entereth into the man defileth not the man, but that which cometh out of
the man defileth the man.'
Thereupon. said one of the scribes: If I shall eat pork, or other unclean meats,
will they not defile my consciences?'
Jesus answered: Disobedience will
not enter into the man but will come out of the man, from his heart; and
therefore will he be defiled when he shall eat forbidden food.'
Then said one of the doctors: 'Master, thou hast spoken much against
idolatry as though the people of Israel had idols and so thou hast done us
wrong.'
Jesus answered: 'I know well that in Israel today there are not statues of wood;
but there are statues of flesh.'
Then answered all the scribes in wrath: 'And so we idolaters?'
Jesus answered: 'Verily I say unto
you, the precept saith not 'Thou shalt worship," but "Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and with all thy heart, and with all
thy mind." Is this true?' said Jesus.
'It is true' answered every one.
Then
said Jesus: 'Verily all that which a man loveth, which he leaveth everything
else but that, is his god. And so the fornicator hath for his image the harlot,
the glutton; drunkard hath for image his own flesh, and the covetous hath
for his image silver and gold, and so likewise every other sinner.'Then
said he who had invited him: 'Master, which is the greatest sin?' Jesus
answered: 'Which is the greatest ruin of a house?'
All stood
amazed at the speaking of Jesus, for they perceived that it could not in any
wise be assailed.
Then Jesus
continued: 'Remember that which God spake and which Moses and Joshua wrote in
the law, and ye shall see how grave is this sin. Said God, speaking to
Israel: "Thou shalt not make to thyself any image of those things which are
in heaven nor of those things which are under the heaven, nor shalt
thou make it of those things which are above the earth, or of those which are
under the earth; nor of those which are above the water, nor of those which are
under the water. For I am thy God, strong and jealous, who will take vengeance
for this sin upon the fathers and upon their children even unto the fourth
generation." Remember how, when our people had made the calf, and when they
had worshipped it, by commandant of God Joshua and the tribe of Levi took the
sword and slew of them one hundred and twenty thousand of those that did
not crave mercy of God. Oh, terrible judgment of God upon the idolaters!'
Then with
fear of God they began to eat. And having eaten somewhat, Jesus said
again: 'Verily I say unto you, that it were better to burn a city than to
leave there an evil custom. For on account of such is God wroth with the
princes and kings of the earth, to whom God hath given the sword to destroy
iniquities.'
Afterwards said
Jesus: 'When thou are invited, remember not to set thyself in the highest place,
in order that if a greater friend of the host come the host say not unto thee:
"Arise and sit lower down!" which were a shame to thee. But go and sit
in the meanest place, in order that he who invited thee may come and say:
"Arise, friend, and come and sit here, above'! For then shalt thou have
great honour: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.
'Verily I say unto you,
that Satan became not reprobate lo other sin than for his pride. Even as saith
the prophet Isaiah, reproaching him with these words: "How art thou fallen
from heaven, O Lucifer, that wert the beauty of the angels, and did shine like
the dawn: truly to earth is fallen thy pride!" 'Verily I say unto you, that if
a man knew his miseries, he would always weep here on earth and account himself
most mean, beyond every other thing. For no other cause did the first man
with his wife weep for a hundred years without ceasing, craving mercy of God.
For they knew truly whither they had fallen through their pride.'
And having said this,
Jesus gave thanks; and that day was published through Jerusalem how great things
Jesus had said, with the miracle he had wrought, insomuch that the people gave
thanks to God blessing his holy name.But the scribes and
priests, having understood that he spake against the traditions of the elders,
were kindled with greater hatred. And like Pharaoh they hardened their heart:
wherefore they sought occasion to slay him, but found it not. [19]
Jesus
departed from Jerusalem, and went to the desert beyond Jordan: and his disciples
that were seated round him said to Jesus: 'O master, tell us how Satan fell
through pride, for we have understood that he fell through disobedience, and
because he always tempteth man to do evil.'esus answered: 'God having created a mass of earth, and having left it for twenty-five thousand
years without doing aught else; Satan, who was as it were priest and head of the
angels, by the great understanding that he possessed, knew that God of that mass
of earth was to take one hundred and forty and four thousand signed with the
mark of prophecy, and the messenger of God, the soul of which messenger he had
created sixty thousand years before aught else. Therefore, being indignant, he
instigated the angels, saying: "Look ye, one day God shall will that this
earth be revered by us. Wherefore consider that we are spirit, and therefore it
is not fitting so to do."
'Many therefore forsook God.
Whereupon said God, one day when all the angels were assembled: "Let each
one that holds me for his lord straightway do reverence to this earth."
'They that loved God
bowed themselves, but Satan, with them that were of his mind, said: "O
Lord, we are spirit, and therefore it is not just that we should do reverence to
this clay." Having said this, Satan became horrid and of fearsome
look, and his followers became hideous; because for their rebellion God took
away from them the beauty wherewith he had endued them in creating them. Whereat
the holy angels, when, lifting their heads, they saw how terrible a monster
Satan had become, and his followers cast down their face to earth in fear.
'Then said Satan:
"O Lord, thou hast unjustly made me hideous but I am content thereat.
because I desire to annul all that thou shalt do. And the other devils said:
"Call him not Lord, O Lucifer, for thou art Lord."
Then said God to
the followers of Satan: "Repent ye and recognize me as God, your
creator."
'They answered:
"We repent of having done thee any reverence, for that thou art not just;
but Satan is just and innocent, and he is our Lord."
'Then said God:
"Depart from me, O ye cursed, for I have no mercy on you."
'And in his departing
Satan spat upon that mass of earth, and that spittle the angel Gabriel lifted up
with some earth, so that therefore now man has the navel in his belly.'
The
disciples stood in great amazement at the rebellion of the angels.
Then
said Jesus: 'Verily I say unto you, that he who maketh not prayer is more wicked
than Satan, and shall suffer greater torments. Because Satan had, before his
fall, no example of fearing, nor did God so much as send him any prophet to
invite him to repentance: but man-now that all the prophets are come except the
messenger of God who shall come after me, because so God willeth, and that I may
prepare his way-and man, I say, albeit he have infinite examples of the justice
of God, liveth carelessly without any fear, as though there were no God. Even as
of such spake the prophet David: "The fool hath said in his heart,
there is no God. Therefore are they corrupt and become abominable, without one
of them doing good."
'Make prayer unceasingly,
O my disciples, in order that ye may receive. For he who seeketh findeth, and he
who knocketh to him it is opened, and he who asketh receiveth. And in your
prayer do not look to much speaking, for God looketh on the heart; as he said
through Solomon: "O my servant, give me thine heart. ' Verily I say unto
you, as God liveth, the hypocrites make much prayer in every part of the city in
order to be seen and held for saints by the multitude: but their heart is full
of wickedness, and therefore they do not mean that which they ask. It is needful
that thou mean thy prayer if thou wilt that God receive it. Now tell me:
who would go to speak to the Roman governor or to Herod, except he first have
made up his mind to whom he is going, and what he is going to do? Assuredly
none. And if man doeth so in order to speak with man, what ought man to do in
order to speak with God, and ask of him mercy for his sins, while thanking
him for all that he hath given him? 'Verily I say unto you, that very few make true
prayer, and therefore Satan hath power over them,
because God willeth not those who honour him with their lips: who in the temple
ask [with] their lips for mercy, and their heart crieth out for justice. Even as
he saith to Isaiah the prophet, saying: "Take away this people that is
irksome to me, because with their lips they honour me, but their heart is far
from me." Verily I say unto you, that he that goeth to make prayer without
consideration mocketh God.
'Now who would go to
speak to Herod with his back towards him, and before him speak well of Pilate
the governor, whom he hateth to the death? Assuredly none. Yet no less doth the
man who goeth to make prayer and prepareth not himself. He turneth his back to
God and his face to Satan, and speaketh well of him. For in his heart is the
love of iniquity, whereof he huetpeiath not repented. If one having injured thee,
should with his lips say to thee, Forgive me and with his hands should strike
thee a blow how wouldest thou forgive him? Even so shall God have mercy on those
who with their lips say: "Lord, have mercy on us, and with their heart love
iniquity and think on fresh sins.'
Jesus
answered: "Consider what ye would do if the Roman governor seized you to
put you to death, and that same do ye when ye go to make prayer. And let your
words be these: " O Lord our God, hallowed be thy holy name, thy kingdom
come in us, thy will be done always, and as it is done in heaven so be it done
in earth; give us the bread for every day, and forgive us our sins, as we
forgive them that sin against us, and suffer us not to fall into temptations,
but deliver us from evil, for thou art alone our God, to whom pertaineth glory
and honour for ever.'
Jesus
said: 'Think yea that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets? Verily I
say unto you, as God liveth, I am not come to destroy it, but rather to observe
it. For every prophet hath observed the law of God and all that God by the other
prophets hath spoken. As God liveth, in whose presence my soul standeth, no one
that breaketh one least precept can be pleasing to God, but shall be least in
the kingdom of God, for he shall have no part there. Moreover I say unto you,
the one syllable of the law of God cannot be broken without the gravest sin. But
I do you to wit that it is necessary to observe that which God saith by Isaiah
the prophet, with these words "Wash you and be clean, take away your
thoughts from mine eyes."
'Verily I say unto you, that all the water of the sea will not wash him who with
his heart loveth iniquities. And furthermore I say unto you, that no one will
make prayer pleasing to God if he be not washed, but will burden his soul
with sin like to idolatry.
'Believe me, in sooth, that if man should make prayer to God as is fitting, he
would obtain all that he should ask. Remember Moses the servant of God, 'who
with his prayer scourged Egypt, opened the Red Sea, and there drowned Pharaoh
and his host.
Remember Joshua, who made the sun stand still, Samuel, who smote with fear the
innumerable host of the Philistines, Elijah, who made the fire to rain from
heaven, Elisha raised a dead man, and so many other holy prophets, who by prayer
obtained all that they asked. But those men truly did not seek their own in
their matters, but sought only God and his honour.'
Then
said John: 'Well hast thou spoken, O master, but we lack to know how man sinned
through pride.'
Jesus answered: 'When God has expelled Satan, and the angel Gabriel had
purified that mass of earth whereon Satan spat, God created everything that
liveth, both of the animals that fly and of them that walk and swim, and he
adorned the world with all that it hath. One day Satan approached unto the gates
of paradise, and, seeing the horses eating grass, he announced to them that if
that mass of earth should receive a soul there would be for them grievous
labour; and that therefore it would be to their advantage to trample that piece
of earth in such wise that it should be no more good for anything. The horses
aroused themselves and impetuously set themselves to run over that piece of
earth which lay among lilies and roses.
Whereupon God gave spirit to that
unclean portion of earth upon which lay the spittle of Satan, which Gabriel had
taken up from the mass; and raised up the dog, who' barking filled the horses
with fear, and they fled. Then God gave his soul to man, while all the holy
angels sang: 'Blessed be thy holy name, O God our Lord.'
'Adam, having sprung up upon his
feet, saw in the air a writing that shone like the sun, which said: "There
is only one God, and Mohammed is the messenger of God." Whereupon Adam
opened his mouth and said: "I thank thee, O Lord my God, that thou hast
deigned to create me; but tell me. I pray thee, what meaneth the message of
these words: "Mohammed is messenger of God. Have there been other men
before me?"
'Then said God: "Be thou
welcome, O my servant Adam. I tell thee that thou art the first man whom I have
created And he whom thou hast seen [mentioned] is thy son, who shall come
into the world many years hence, and shall be my messenger, for whom I have
created all things; who shall give light to the world when he shall come;
whose soul was set in a celestial splendour sixty thousand years before I made
anything."
'Adam besought God, saying:
"Lord, grant me this writing upon the nails of the fingers of my
hands." Then God gave to the first man upon his thumbs that writing; upon
the thumb-nail of the right hand it said: "There is only one God," and
upon the thumb-nail of the left it said: "Mohammed is messenger of
God." Then with fatherly affection the first man kissed those words, and
rubbed his eyes, and said: "Blessed be that day when thou shalt come to the
world."
'Seeing the man alone, God said: "It is not well that he should
remain alone." Wherefore he made him to sleep, and took a rib from near his
heart, filling the place with flesh. Of that rib made he Eve, and gave her
to Adam for his wife. He set the twain of them as lords of Paradise, to whom he
said: "Behold I give unto you every fruit to eat, except the apples and the
corn" whereof he said: "Beware that in no wise ye eat of these
fruits, for ye shall become unclean, insomuch that I shall not suffer you to
remain here, but shall drive you forth, and ye shall suffer great
miseries."
'When Satan had knowledge of this he became mad with indignation. And so he
drew near to the gate of paradise, whereat stood on guard a horrid serpent,
which had legs like a camel, and the nails of his feet cut like a razor on every
side. To him said the enemy: "Suffer me to enter into paradise."
'The serpent answered: "And
how shall I suffer thee to enter, God having commanded me to drive thee
out?"
'Satan answered: "Thou
seest how much God loveth thee, since he bath set thee outside of paradise to
keep guard over a lump of clay, which is man. Wherefore, if thou bring me into
paradise I will make thee so terrible that every one shall flee thee, and so at
thy pleasure thou shalt go and stay."
'Then said the serpent: "And
how shall I set thee within?"
'Said Satan. "Thou art
great: therefore open thy mouth, and I will enter into thy belly, and so thou
entering into paradise shalt place me near to those two lumps of clay that are
newly walking upon the earth."
'Then the serpent did so, and
placed Satan near to Eve, for Adam, her husband, was sleeping. Satan presented
himself before the woman like a beauteous angel, and said to her: Wherefore eat
ye not of those apples and of corn?"
'Eve answered: "Our God hath
said to us that eating thereof we shall be unclean and therefore he will drive
us from paradise.
Satan answered: He saith not the
truth. Thou must know that God is wicked and envious, and therefore he brooketh
no equals, but keepeth every one for a slave. And so he hath thus spoken unto
you, in order that ye may not become equal to him. But if thou and thy companion
do according to my counsel, ye shall eat of those fruits even as of the
others, and ye shall not remain subject to others, but like God ye shall know
good and evil, and ye shall do that which ye please because ye shall be equal to
God."
'Then Eve took and ate of those
[fruits], and when her husband awoke she told all that Satan had said; and he
took of them, his wife offering them, and did eat. Whereupon, as the food was
going down, he remembered the words of God; wherefore, wishing to stop the food,
he put his hand into his throat, where every man has the mark.
IKTHYS