The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Volume 7, Barnabas

BUT why did Moses say Ye shall not eat of the swine, neither the eagle nor the hawk; nor the crow; nor any fish that has not a scale upon him?—I answer that, in the spiritual sense, he comprehended three doctrines, that were to be gathered from thence.

2 Besides which he says to them in the book of Deuteronomy, And I will give my statutes unto this people. Wherefore it is not the command of God that they should not eat these things; but Moses in the spirit spake unto them.

3 Now the sow he forbad them to eat; meaning thus much: Thou shalt not join thyself to such persons as are like unto swine, who, whilst they live in pleasure, forget their God; but when any want pinches them, then they know the Lord: as the sow when she is full knows not her master, but when she is hungry she makes a noise; and being again fed, is silent.

4 Neither, says he, shalt thou eat the eagle, nor the hawk, nor the kite, nor the crow; that is, thou shalt not keep company with such kind of men as know not how by their labour and sweat to get themselves food; but injuriously ravish away the things of others, and watch how to lay snares for them; when at the same time they appear to live in perfect innocence.

5 So these birds alone (seek not food for themselves,) but sitting idle, seek how they may eat of the flesh others have provided being destructive through their wickedness.

6 Neither, says he, shalt thou eat the lamprey, nor the polypus, nor the cuttle-fish; that is thou shalt not be like such men, by seeking to converse with them who are altogether wicked and adjudged to death. For so those fishes are alone accursed, that wallow in the mire, nor swim as other fishes, but tumble in the dirt at the bottom of the deep.

7 But, he adds, neither shalt thou eat of the hare. To what end?—To signify this to us; Thou shalt not be an adulterer, nor liken thyself to such persons. For the hare every year multiplies the places of its conception; and as many years as it lives, so many it has.

8 Neither shalt thou eat of the hyena: that is, again, be not an adulterer, nor a corrupter of others; neither be like to such. And wherefore so?—Because that creature every year changes its kind, which is sometimes male and sometimes female.

9 For which cause also he justly hated the weazel; to the end that they should not be like such persons who with their mouths commit wickedness by reason of their uncleanness; nor join themselves with those impure women, who with their mouths commit wickedness. Because that animal conceives with its mouth.

10 Moses, therefore, speaking as concerning meats, delivered indeed three great precepts to them in the spiritual signification of those commands. But they according to the desires of the flesh, understood him as if he had only meant it of meats.

11 And therefore David took aright the knowledge of his three-fold command, saying in like manner:

12 Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly; as the fishes before mentioned in the bottom of the deep, in darkness.

13 Nor stood in the way of sinners, as they who seem to fear the Lord, but yet sin, as the sow.

14 And hath not sat in the seat of the scorners; as those birds who sit and watch that they may devour.

15 Here you have the law concerning meat perfectly set forth and according to the true knowledge of it.

16 But, says Moses, ye shall eat all that divideth the hoof, and cheweth the cud. Signifying thereby such an one as having taken his food, knows him that nourisheth him; and resting upon him, rejoiceth in him.

17 And in this he spake well, having respect to the commandment. What, therefore, is it that he says?—That we should hold fast to them that fear the Lord; with those who meditate on the command of the word which they have received, in their heart; with those that declare the righteous judgments of the Lord, and keep his commandments;

18 In short, with those who know that to meditate is a work of pleasure, and therefore exercise themselves in the word of the Lord.

19 But why might they eat those that clave the hoof? Because the righteous liveth in this present world; but his expectation is fixed upon the other. See, brethren, how admirably Moses commanded these things.

20 But how should we thus know all this, and understand it? We, therefore, understanding aright the commandments, speak as the Lord would have us. Wherefore he has circumcised our ears and our hearts, that we might know these things.

CHAPTER X

Baptism and the cross of Christ foretold in figures under the law.

LET us now inquire whether the Lord took care to manifest anything beforehand concerning water and the cross.

2 Now for the former of these, it is written to the people of Israel how they shall not receive that baptism which brings to forgiveness of sins; but shall institute another to themselves that cannot.

3 For thus saith the prophet: Be astonished, O Heaven! and let the earth tremble at it, because this people have done two great and wicked things: they have left me, the fountain of living water, and have digged for themselves broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

4 Is my holy mountain of Zion, a desolate wilderness? For ye shall be as a young bird when its nest is taken away.

5 And again the prophet saith, I will go before thee, and will make plain the mountains, and will break the gates of brass, and will snap in sunder the bars of iron; and will give thee dark, and hidden, and invisible treasures, that they may know that I am the Lord God.

6 And again: he shall dwell in the high den of the strong rock. And then, what follows in the same prophet? His water is faithful; ye shall see the king with glory, and your soul shall learn the fear of the Lord.

7 And again he saith in another prophet: He that does these things; I shall be like a tree planted by the currents of water, which shall give its fruit in its season. Its leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doth it shall prosper.

8 As for the wicked it is not so with them; but they are as the dust which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth.

9 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, neither the sinners in the council of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly shall perish.

10 Consider how he has joined both the cross and the water together.

11 For this he saith: Blessed are they who put their trust in the cross, and descend into the water; for they shall have their reward in due time: then, saith he, will I give it them.

12 But as concerning the present time, he saith, their leaves shall not fall: meaning thereby, that every word that shall go out of your mouth, shall through faith and charity be to the conversion and hope of many.

13 In like manner doth another prophet speak. And the land of Jacob was the praise of all the earth; magnifying thereby the vessel of his spirit.

14 And what follows?—And there was a river running on the right hand, and beautiful trees grew up by it; and he that shall eat of them shall live for ever. The signification of which is this that we go down into the water full of sins and pollutions, but come up again, bringing forth fruit; having in our hearts the fear and hope which is in Jesus, by the spirit. And whosoever shall eat of them shall live for ever.

15 That is, whosoever shall hearken to those who call them, and shall believe, shall live for ever.

CHAPTER XI

The subject continued.

IN like manner he determines concerning the cross in another prophet, saying: And when shall these things be fulfilled?

2 The Lord answers: When the tree that is fallen shall rise, and when blood shall drop down from the tree. Here you have again mention made, both of the cross, and of him that was to be crucified upon it.

3 And yet farther he saith by Moses; (when Israel was fighting with, and beaten by, a strange people; to the end that God might put them in mind how that for their sins they were delivered unto death) yea, the holy spirit put it into the heart of Moses, to represent both the sign of the cross, and of him that was to suffer: that so they might know that if they did not believe in him, they should be overcome for ever.

4 Moses therefore I piled up armour upon armour in the middle of a rising ground, and standing up high above all of them, stretched forth his arms, and so Israel again conquered.

5 But no sooner did he let down his hands, but they were again slain. And why so?—To the end they might know, that except they trust in him they cannot be saved.

6 And in another prophet, he saith, I have stretched out my hands all the day long to a people disobedient, and speaking against my righteous way.

7 And again Moses makes a type of Jesus, to show that he was to die, and then that he, whom they thought to be dead, was to give life to others; in the type of those that fell in Israel.

8 For God caused all sorts of serpents to bite them, and they died: forasmuch as by a serpent transgression began in Eve; that so he might convince them that for their transgressions they shall be delivered into the pain of death.

9 Moses then himself, who had commanded them, saying, Ye shall not make to yourselves any graven or molten image, to be your God yet now did so himself, that he might represent to them the figure of the Lord Jesus.

10 For he made a brazen serpent, and set it up on high, and called the people together by a proclamation: where being come, they entreated Moses that he would make an atonement for them, and pray that they might be healed.

11 Then Moses spake unto them, saying: when any one among you shall be bitten, let him come unto the serpent that is set upon the pole; and let him assuredly trust in him, that though he be dead, yet he is able to give life, and presently he shall be saved; and so they did. See therefore how here also you have in this the glory of Jesus; and that in him and to him are all things.