Regarding the Epistle of Barnabas in the News

A recent news article making the rounds claims that the recent discovery of an ancient manuscript: "The Epistle of Barnabas" will bring Christianity "crashing down".

The manuscript claims that the author, Paul's companion Barnabas, foresaw Islam as God's final revelation, that Jesus was never crucified, and that instead the Islamic "messiah", the Mahdi, is the true anointed one of God.

I don't really know of anyone for whom this discovery would be a problem, but just in case and in fulfilling my role as a preacher I offer the following.

1. There is a 'real' Epistle of Barnabas from the first century, probably from before the year 100.  It's early existence is a fact.  How early is a little bit vague but a date prior to AD 100 is most likely true.  It is also a fact that is was known to the early church.  Some (a clear minority) saw it as Scripture.  But overall in the history of the early church the vast majority did not, although they did esteem it highly.
2. The bona fide Epistle of Barnabas was known to such early church fathers as Clement of Alexandria (wrote around the end of the 2nd century) and Origen (wrote around the early and mid 3rd century), among others.
3. That this ancient writing held nothing of the sort as the news article suggests is clear from the writings of the early church fathers who quoted it.  Given their beliefs about Jesus being God, His real death through crucifixion to provide salvation for those who put saving faith in Him, His real bodily resurrection, His glorified body,  and ascension back to the Father... they would have called out the Epistle of Barnabas as a fraud had it contained the things mentioned in the article.  They most certainly wouldn't have quoted it as Clement and Origen did.
4. It is a well known fact that the heretics of all times, including the first few centuries of the church, would adopt the names of known writings for their own works while drastically changing the content so that it would say what they wanted it to say.  Sometimes they would add to known writings, sometimes they would take away.
5. The "Epistle of Barnabas" that has been 'found' is not the same epistle (letter) that was known to the early church. 

Christians of today, like the Christians of yesterday, understand what God has spoken to us through Christ as well as who Christ really is:

Consider this from the letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament.  It was written to Jewish Christians who were being tempted to leave their Christian faith and return back to Judaism under the goading of false teachers.  The writer is making the case that Jesus is God's full and final revelation of Himself and His plan of salvation, and that in fact Jesus is God.  In His person He is God the Son.  In His essence, His very makeup, He is God.  He is not a created being like an angel, in fact He made everything that exists:

Hebrews 1:1-8 (NIV)

1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
          “You are my Son;
                    today I have become your Father” ?
          Or again,
          “I will be his Father,
                    and he will be my Son” ?
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
          “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7 In speaking of the angels he says,
          “He makes his angels winds,
                    his servants flames of fire.”
8 But about the Son he says,
          “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
                    and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.

Interesting that God is quoted as calling the Son "God".  It's because He is.


So many other parts of the New Testament could be quoted to drive this point home, but I'll close with some words of the Apostles John and Paul, both speaking out against the idea that Jesus wasn't God:


John 1:1-5 (NIV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.  3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Colossians 1:15-23 (NIV)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation  (firstborn is not a time reference in the Greek.  It is an authority reference). 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

There is none greater than Jesus because He is God.  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the A and the Z, the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:4-8).  He reigns from eternity past to eternity future and there is no room for another to supplant Him.  God's fullest and final revelation of Himself is given in Jesus Christ, therefore there is nothing to be 'added' by anyone else.  It is of the utmost importance that we listen to what God is saying through Christ and His Apostles.

As the writer to the Hebrews explains at the close of his letter:


Hebrews 12:25 (NIV)

 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth (Moses), how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? (Jesus)

And from the very lips of Christ Himself:

John 14:6 (NIV)

 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.