Love of Neighbor and Enemy

Barnabas, Epistle of Barnabas 19

Barnabas · fl. c. 100 AD

This is the way of light: if anyone wants to travel the road to the appointed destination, let them hurry on with their deeds. The knowledge given to us so we may walk in it is as follows. You shall love the One who made you; you shall fear the One who formed you; you shall glorify the One who redeemed you from death. Be single-hearted and rich in spirit. Do not join yourself to those who walk on the path of death. Hate everything that is not pleasing to God; hate all hypocrisy. Do not abandon the Lord's commands. Do not exalt yourself; instead, be humble in every respect and do not seek glory for yourself. Do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not give your soul over to arrogance. Do not commit sexual immorality, do not commit adultery, do not corrupt children. Do not let the word of God leave your lips in any impurity. Do not show partiality when correcting someone for a transgression. Be gentle, be peaceful, and tremble at the words you have heard. Do not hold a grudge against your brother. Do not be double-minded, wondering whether a thing will happen or not. Do not take the Lord's name in vain. Love your neighbor more than your own life (Matthew 22:37-40). Do not kill a child by abortion, nor kill a newborn infant. Do not withhold your hand from your son or daughter; rather, teach them the fear of God from their youth. Do not covet your neighbor's possessions, and do not be greedy. Do not associate with the arrogant, but keep company with the humble and the righteous. Accept whatever happens to you as good, knowing that nothing occurs without God. Do not be double-tongued or double-minded. Submit to your masters as to God's representatives, with reverence and fear (1 Peter 2:17). Do not command your slave or servant harshly, for they hope in the same God, lest they cease to fear the God who is over both of you; for He did not come to call people according to outward appearance, but those whom the Spirit has prepared. Share everything with your neighbor and do not claim anything as your own; for if you share in the imperishable, how much more should you share in the perishable? Do not be a gossip, for the mouth is a snare of death. As far as you are able, keep yourself pure for the sake of your soul. Do not stretch out your hands to receive only to clench them when it is time to give. Love everyone who speaks the word of the Lord to you as the apple of your eye. Remember the day of judgment night and day, and seek out the saints daily—either by laboring in word and going to encourage them, or by meditating on the word to save a soul, or by working with your hands to make amends for your sins. Do not hesitate to give, and do not grumble when you give; you will know who is the generous Rewarder. Guard what you have received, neither adding to it nor taking away. Hate evil to the end. Judge justly. Do not create division, but reconcile those who fight by bringing them together. Confess your sins. Do not approach prayer with a guilty conscience. This is the way of light.

Greek

Ἡ οὖν ὁδὸς τοῦ φωτός ἐστιν αὕτη: ἐάν τις θέλων ὁδὸν ὁδεύειν ἐπὶ τὸν ὡρισμένον τόπον, σπεύσῃ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ. ἔστιν οὖν ἡ δοθεῖσα ἡμῖν γνῶσις τοῦ περιπατεῖν ἐν αὐτῇ τοιαύτη. ἀγαπήσεις τὸν ποιήσαντά σε, φοβηθήσῃ τόν σε πλάσαντα, δοξάσεις τόν σε λυτρωσάμενον ἐκ θανάτου: ἔσῃ ἁπλοῦς τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ πλούσιος τῷ πνεύματι: οὐ κολληθήσῃ μετὰ τῶν πορευομένων ἐν ὁδῷ θανάτου, μισήσεις πᾶν, ὃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀρεστὸν τῷ θεῷ, μισήσεις πᾶσαν ὑπόκρισιν: οὐ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς ἐντολὰς κυρίου. οὐχ ὑψώσεις σεαυτόν, ἔσῃ δὲ ταπεινόφρων κατὰ πάντα: οὐκ ἀρεῖς ἐπὶ σεαυτὸν δόξαν. οὐ λήμψῃ βουλὴν πονηρὰν κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον σου, οὐ δώσεις τῇ ψυχῇ σου θράσος. οὐ πορνεύσεις, οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ παιδοφθορήσεις. οὐ μή σου ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξέλθῃ ἐν ἀκαθαρσίᾳ τινῶν. οὐ λήμψῃ πρόσωπον ἐλέγξαι τινὰ ἐπὶ παραπτώματι. ἔσῃ πραΰς, ἔσῃ ἡσύχιος, ἔσῃ τρέμων τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἤκουσας. οὐ μνησικακήσεις τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου. οὐ μὴ διψυχήσῃς, πότερον ἔσται ἢ οὔ. οὐ μὴ λάβῃς ἐπὶ ματαίῳ τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου. ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὑπὲρ τὴν ψυχήν σου. οὐ φονεύσεις τέκνον ἐν φθορᾷ, οὐδὲ πάλιν γεννηθὲν ἀποκτενεῖς. οὐ μὴ ἄρῃς τὴν χεῖρά σου ἀπὸ τοῦ υἱοῦ σου ἡ ἀπὸ τῆς θυγατρός σου, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ νεότητος διδάξεις φόβου θεοῦ. οὐ μὴ γένῃ ἐπιθυμῶν τὰ τοῦ πλησίον σου, οὐ μὴ γένῃ πλεονέκτης. οὐδὲ κολληθήσῃ ἐκ ψυχῆς σου μετὰ ὑψηλῶν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ταπεινῶν καὶ δικαίων ἀναστραφήσῃ. τὰ συμβαίνοντά σοι ἐνεργήματα ὡς ἀγαθὰ προσδέξῃ, εἰδώς, ὅτι ἄνευ θεοῦ οὐδὲν γίνεται. οὐκ ἔσῃ διγνώμων οὐδὲ γλωσσώδης, ὑποταγήσῃ κυρίοις ὡς τύπῳ θεοῦ ἐν αἰσχύνῃ καὶ φόβῳ: οὐ μὴ ἐπιτάξῃς δούλῳ σου ἡ παιδίσκῃ ἐν πικρίᾳ, τοῖς ἐπὶ τὸν αὐτὸν θεὸν ἐλπίζουσιν, μή ποτε οὐ μὴ φοβηθήσονται τὸν ἐπ’ ἀμφοτέροις θεόν: ὅτι οὐκ ἦλθεν κατὰ πρόσωπον καλέσαι, ἀλλ’ ἐφ̓ οὓς τὸ πνεῦμα ἡτοίμασεν. κοινωνήσεις ἐν πᾶσιν τῷ πλησίον σου καὶ οὐκ ἐρεῖς ἴδια εἶναι: εἰ γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ κοινωνοί ἐστε, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς φθαρτοῖς; οὐκ ἔσῃ πρόγλωσσος: παγὶς γὰρ τὸ στόμα θανάτου. ὅσον δύνασαι, ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς σου ἁγνεύσεις. μὴ γίνου πρὸς μὲν τὸ λαβεῖν ἐκτείνων τὰς χεῖρας, πρὸς δὲ τὸ δοῦναι συσπῶν. ἀγαπήσεις ὡς κόρην τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ σου πάντα τὸν λαλοῦντά σοι τὸν λόγον κυρίου. μνησθήσῃ ἡμέραν κρίσεως νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, καὶ ἐκζητήσεις καθ̓ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τὰ πρόσωπα τῶν ἁγίων, ἢ διὰ λόγου κοπιῶν καὶ πορευόμενος εἰς τὸ παρακαλέσαι καὶ μελετῶν εἰς τὸ σῶσαι ψυχὴν τῷ λόγῳ, ἢ διὰ τῶν χειρῶν σου ἐργάσῃ εἰς λύτρωσιν ἁμαρτιῶν σου. οὐ διστάσεις δοῦναι οὐδὲ διδοὺς γογγύσεις: γνώσῃ δέ, τίς ὁ τοῦ μισθοῦ καλὸς ἀνταποδότης. φυλάξεις ἃ παρέλαβες, μήτε προστιθεὶς μήτε ἀφαιρῶν. εἰς τέλος μισήσεις τὸ πονηρόν. κρινεῖς δικαίως. οὐ ποιήσεις σχίσμα, εἰρηνεύσεις δὲ μαχομένους συναγαγών. ἐξομολογήσῃ ἐπὶ ἁμαρτίαις σου. οὐ προσήξεις ἐπὶ προσευχὴν ἐν συνειδήσει πονηρᾷ. αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς, τοῦ φωτός.

Report a mistake in this passage