The Epistle of Barnabas

Today’s episode presents the Epistle of Barnabas. While some traditions have placed the author of this letter as the companion of Paul, it is more likely that it was penned by a layman, possibly an Alexandrian Jew. Given the way the letter treats the destruction of the temple it is likely that it was written between the two revolts in Jerusalem of AD 72 and AD 132. Regardless of who wrote it, it has been referenced in the writings of other early church fathers.

This epistle is closer in style to the book of Hebrews in the Bible than the letters of Peter or Paul. It is written broadly, not to a specific Church, and addresses how Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism. Thus we see that, as of the time of its writing, the early church still struggled with reconciling the rites and rituals of the Hebrew scriptures with the doctrines taught by Christ and the Apostles.

The letter is also noteworthy in that the author’s hermeneutic is largely driven by symbolism. Using numbers, objects, and other details he explains how the otherwise obscure and particular details in the Torah, psalms, and prophetic writings reference Christ. While I am not personally convinced that all the examples given were intended to symbolize Jesus, it does reveal that this was one of the modes by which the Early Church approached the scriptures. We similarly see Paul in Galatians 4 interpret the historical narrative of Hagar and Sarah in Galatians 4 through a symbolic, spiritual lens. In the next episode we will also find that other early believers, namely Justin Martyr, relied heavily on symbols to prove that the old testament indeed foretold Christ.

If you would like to read more of the writings of the Early Christian Fathers, please visit ccel.org to view the full collection.