Epistle of Barnabas
CHAP. IV.
That Christ was to suffer: proved from the prophecies concerning him.
FOR this cause did our Lord vouchsafe to give up his body to destruction, that through the forgiveness of out sins we might be sanctified; that is, by the sprinkling of his blood.
2 Now for what concerns the things that are written about him some belong to the people of the Jews, and some to us.
3 For thus saith the scriptures: 9 He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and by his blood we are healed. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. 9 Isa. liii. 5-7.
Isa. 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa. 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa. 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
4 Wherefore we ought the more give thanks to unto God, for he hath both declared unto us what is passed, 1 and not suffered us to be without understanding of those things that are to come. 1 Vid Ed. Ox., p. 21.
5 But to them he saith; 2 The nests are not unjustly spread for the birds. 2 Prov. i. 17.
Prov. 1:17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
6 This he spake, because a man will justly perish, if having the knowledge of the way of truth, he shall nevertheless not refrain himself from the way of darkness.
7 And for this cause the Lord was content to suffer for our souls, although he be the Lord of the whole earth; to whom God said before the beginning of the world, 3 Let us make man after our own image and likeness. 3 Gen. i. 26.
Gen. 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
8 Now how he suffered for us, seeing it was by men that he underwent it, 4I will shew you. 4 Learn
9 The prophets having received from him the gift of prophecy, spake before concerning him:
10 But he, that he might abolish death, and make known the resurrection from the dead, was content, as it was necessary, to appear in the flesh, that he might make good the promise before given to our fathers, and preparing himself a new people, might demonstrate to them whilst he was upon earth, that after the resurrection he would judge the world.
11 And finally teaching the people of Israel, and doing many signs among them, he preached to them, and shewed the exceeding great love which he bare towards them.
12 And when he chose his apostles, which were afterwards to publish his Gospel, he took men who had been very great sinners; that thereby he might plainly shew, 5 That he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. 5 Matt. ix. 13.
Matt. 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. [Hos. 6:6]
Hos. 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
13 Then he clearly manifested himself to be the Son of God. For had he not come in the flesh, † how should men have been able to look upon him, that they might be saved? † Enoch 9:5.
Note:
In the Third Book of Enoch 9:5 God blesses and adorns Enoch with heavenly/angelic attributes. All heavenly inhabitants are too brilliant to look upon with the human eye. From YHWH down to the angels.
3 Enoch 9:5 And he left no kind of splendor, brilliance, radiance, beauty of all the lights of the universe that he did not affix to me.
14 Seeing if they beheld only the sun, which was the work of his hands, and shall hereafter cease to be, they are not able to endure steadfastly to look against the rays of it.
15 Wherefore the Son of God came in the flesh for this cause, that he might fill up the measure of their iniquity, who have persecuted his prophets unto death. And for the same reason also he suffered.
16 For God hath said of the 6 stripes of his flesh, that they were from them. And, 7 I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 6 Namely from the Jews. 7 Zach. xiii. 6, 7
Zech. 13:6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Zech. 13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
17 Thus he would suffer, because it behooved him to suffer upon the cross.
18 For thus one saith, prophesying concerning him; 8 Spare my soul from the sword. And again, Pierce my flesh from thy fear. 8 According to the LXX. Psalms xxii. 20. Psalms cxix. 120. Psalms xxii. 16, 17.
LXX Ps. xxii:20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my only-begotten one from the power of the dog.
LXX Ps. cxix:120 Penetrate my flesh with thy fear; for I am afraid of thy judgements.
LXX Ps. xxii:16 For many dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked doers has beset me around: they pierce my hands and my feet.
LXX Ps. xxii:17 They counted all my bones; and they observed and looked upon me.
19 And again the congregation of the wicked doers rose up against me, 9 They have pierce my hands and my feet). 9 These words were doubtless cited by Barnabas, because that without them, those foregoing do not prove the Crucifixion of Christ. But through the repetition of the same preposition, this latter part was so early omitted, that it was not in the Latin interpreter’s copy.
20 And again he saith, I gave my back to the smiters, 1 and my face I set as hard rock. 1 LXX Isaiah l. 6.
LXX Isa. l.6 I gave my back to scourges, and my cheeks to blows; and I turned not away my face from the shame of spitting: 7. But the Lord God became my helper; therefore I was not ashamed, but I set my face as a rock; and I know that I shall never be ashamed.
Isa. 50: 6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
Isa. 50:7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
May this bring wisdom and knowledge to you all, fragments of the Book of Enoch were found amongst the holy scripture in the cave of Qumron, but ignored for no complete book was found. Later all three books of Enoch were found in ancient libraries of the world. Translated by scholars, the three books are Hebrew Book of Enoch, Slovic Book of Enoch and the Ethiopian Book of Enoch, some still used for study in Christian Churches over seas for study of history. All three can be found on Amazon, I found mine an enlightened look into history.
Rev. Joseph Esquivel
God's Faith in Man Church ULC