The Epistle of Barnabas: Exhortation to follow the Way of the Light
The focus in this article is on the "world of the text". By means of the rhetorical framework of the Two Ways, Barnabas 2 reminds and warns his readers about the Way of Darkness. That Way of Darkness is promoted by a group referred to in the third person plural, "they", "the...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Neotestamentica
Year: 2025, Volume: 59, Issue: 3, Pages: 479-499 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The focus in this article is on the "world of the text". By means of the rhetorical framework of the Two Ways, Barnabas 2 reminds and warns his readers about the Way of Darkness. That Way of Darkness is promoted by a group referred to in the third person plural, "they", "their", and "them". Barnabas uses them, by contrast, to promote his own perspective, the Way of Light, and to warn his community against "them" by recalling their history of failure which now has born its disastrous fruit in the destruction of Jerusalem. The core of the argument is about the articulation of his Christian understanding of the Scriptures, a confessional interpretation rooted in the conviction that Jesus is the true heir of the promises made to Abraham (e.g., Gal 3:16) and the one who delivers from sin (e.g., Rom 3:21-23). The aim of this short writing is "that you may have perfect γνῶσις to accompany your faith" (1:5). This γνῶσις is a gift from God, a participation in the divine life and knowledge, while those who follow the Way of Darkness are led astray by Satan. While the faithful are being taught by God, they also need to develop their ability to "listen", and they should "inquire fervently … and fulfil every commandment" (21:8). In order to stimulate that receptivity and protect themselves against the Satanic deceptions, Barnabas reminds them of various practices, which were part of the "spiritual exercises" in the contemporary philosophical tradition. The perfection of γνῶσις and the ultimate challenge is to grow as free children of Abraham (13:7) and not as misguided slaves, like "them", under the yoke of necessity (2:6). |
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| ISSN: | 2518-4628 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Neotestamentica
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/neo.2025.a978166 |
