The General Epistle of Barnabas: The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ

ALL happiness to you my sons and daughters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us, in peace. Having perceived abundance of knowledge of the great and excellent laws of God to be in you, I exceedingly rejoice in your blessed and admirable souls, because ye have so worthily received the grace which was grafted in you. For which cause I am full of joy, hoping the rather to be saved; inasmuch as I truly see a spirit infused into you, from the pure fountain of God: Having this persuasion, and being fully convinced thereof, because that since I have begun to speak unto you, I have had a more than ordinary good success in the way of the law of the Lord, which is in Christ, For which cause brethren, I also think verily that I love you above my own soul; because that therein dwelleth the greatness of faith and charity, as also the hope of that life which is to come. Wherefore considering this, that if I shall take care to communicate to you a part of what I have received, it shall turn to my reward, that I have served such good souls. I gave diligence to write in a few words unto you; that together with your faith, your knowledge also may be perfect. There are therefore three things ordained by the Lord; the hope of life, the beginning, and the completion of it. For the Lord hath both declared unto us, by the prophets, those things that are past; and opened to us the beginnings of those that are to come. Wherefore, it will behove us, as he has spoken, to come more holily, and nearer to his altar. I therefore, not as a teacher but as one of you, will endeavour to lay before you a few things by which you may, on many accounts, become the more joyful. CHAPTER I. Preface to the Epistle. CHAPTER II. That Clod has abolished the legal sacrifices, to introduce the spiritual righteousness of the Gospel. CHAPTER III. The prophecies of Daniel concerning the ten kings, and the coming of Christ. CHAPTER IV. That Christ was to suffer is proved from the prophecies concerning him. CHAPTER V. The subject continued. CHAPTER VI. The sacrifice of Jesus, and of a goat, an evident type of Christ crucified. CHAPTER VII. The red heifer, another type of Christ. CHAPTER VIII. Of the circumcision of the ears and how in the first institution of circumcision Abraham mystically foretold Christ by name. CHAPTER IX. That the commands of Moses concerning clean and unclean beasts, were all designed for a spiritual signification. CHAPTER X. Baptism and the cross of Christ foretold in figures under the law. CHAPTER XI. The subject continued. CHAPTER XII. The Promise of God not made to the Jews only, but to the Gentiles also, and fulfilled to us by Jesus Christ. CHAPTER XIII. That the sabbath of the Jews was but a figure of a more glorious sabbath to come, and their temple, of the spiritual temples of God. CHAPTER XIV. Of the way of light; being a summary of what a Christian is to do, that he maybe happy for ever. CHAPTER XV. Of the way of darkness; that is, what kind of persons shall be for ever cast out of the kingdom of God. REFERENCES TO THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF BARNABAS