Epistle of Barnabas - c. 100 A.D.

The Epistle of Barnabas is a Greek epistle written between AD 70–132 (after the destruction of the Second Temple and before the Bar Kochba Revolt). The place of origin is generally taken to be Alexandria in Egypt. The Epistle was possibly written not by the same Barnabas of the New Testament. Although it is named for Barnabas, the letter itself does not mention its author.

However, some of the early church Fathers insisted on considering the epistle one of the “antilegomena” books and viewed it as sacred scripture. And they accredited it to the Barnabas, the associate of Paul who is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Of those are Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215) and Origen (c. 184 – c. 253). Clement quoted it with phrases such as “the Apostle Barnabas says.” And Origen spoke of it as the General Epistle of Barnabas.

The 4th Century Codex Sinaiticus contains a full transcript of the Epistle which is located immediately after the canonical New Testament and before the Shepherd of Hermas. It is mentioned in a perhaps third-century list in the sixth-century Codex Claromontanus and in the later Stichometry of Nicephorus appended to the ninth-century Chronography of Nikephoros I of Constantinople.

00:00:00 - Chapter 1
Greeting and introduction -- Three doctrines-- Prophecy

00:02:14 - Chapter 2
The need of virtue -- The abolition of Jewish sacrifices

00:04:35 - Chapter 3
Concerning fasting

00:06:30 - Chapter 4
Warning that the final trial is at hand -- The covenant. Christian or Jewish? -- Admonition to stedfastness

00:10:55 - Chapter 5
The reason for the Passion of Christ

00:14:20 - Chapter 6
Proofs from the Prophets

00:20:00 - Chapter 7
Fasting and the scapegoat

00:24:00 - Chapter 8
The sacrifice of a heifer

00:25:47 - Chapter 9
The circumcision

00:29:03 - Chapter 10
The Food-law of the Jews -- The explanation in the Psalter

00:33:43 - Chapter 11
Baptism -- The Cross

00:36:54 - Chapter 12
The Cross -- Joshua

00:41:00 - Chapter 13
Jews and Christians as heirs of the covenant

00:43:18 - Chapter 14
The fulfilment of the promise to the Jews

00:46:36 - Chapter 15
The Sabbath

00:49:27 - Chapter 16
The Temple

00:53:00 - Chapter 17
Summary

00:53:30 - Chapter 18
The two Ways

00:54:04 - Chapter 19
The Way of Light

00:58:30 - Chapter 20
The Way of Darkness

00:59:59 - Chapter 21
Final exhortation