What does the Epistle of Barnabas say about Final Judgment?
The Epistle of Barnabas is probably the most controversial of all of the Apostolic Fathers. We haven’t really taken the time yet to look into it, aside from briefly looking at some of it’s anti-Jewish content. Once we finish this current series on hell and final judgment in the Apostolic Fathers, we’ll do a proper introduction to this epistle. For now, let’s take a look at what Barnabas has to say about final judgment. As we’ll see in a moment, there’s a lot to find in this writing.
All will face God’s judgment
Barnabas 4.12-13: The Lord will judge the world without respect of persons. Each will receive as he has done: if he is righteous, his righteousness will precede him; if he is wicked, the reward of wickedness is before him. Take heed, lest resting at our ease, as those who are the called, we should fall asleep in our sins, and the wicked prince (Satan), acquiring power over us, should thrust us away from the kingdom of the Lord.
Barnabas 7.2: If therefore the Son of God, who is Lord, and who will judge the living and dead, suffered, that His stroke might give us life, let us believe that the Son of God could not have suffered except for our sakes.
Satan and the wicked will face punishment
In Barnabas 10.5, “Barnabas” gives an allegorical explanation of the dietary laws in Torah, believing the “true” meaning of the commandment is to not partake in the company of sinners:
“And you shall not eat,’ he says, ‘the lamprey, or the polypus, or the cuttlefish.’ He means, you shall not join yourself or be like to such men as are ungodly to the end, and are condemned to death. In like manner as those fishes, above accursed, float in the deep, not swimming like the rest, but make their abode in the mud which lies at the bottom.”
Barnabas 15.5;7: “And He rested on the seventh day.” This means: when His Son, coming [again], shall destroy the time of the wicked man, and judge the ungodly, and change the sun, and the moon, and the stars, then shall He truly rest on the seventh day…when we ourselves, having received the promise, wickedness no longer existing, and all things having been made new by the Lord, shall be able to work righteousness. Then we shall be able to sanctify it, having been first sanctified ourselves.
Barnabas 21.3: For the day is at hand on which all things shall perish with the evil [one]. The Lord is near, and His reward.
Barnabas 20.1: But the way of darkness is crooked and full of cursing; for it is the way of eternal death with punishment, in which way are the things that destroy the soul, viz., idolatry, over-confidence, the arrogance of power, hypocrisy, double-heartedness, adultery, murder, rapine, haughtiness, transgression, deceit, malice, self-sufficiency, poisoning, magic, avarice, want (or missing) of the fear of God.
This last quote deserves special attention since it describes the punishment of the wicked having eternal consequences. Holmes translates it as, “eternal death and punishment” (Holmes, 2006, Pg. 197), and Brannan translates it similarly to Schaff’s (quoted above) as, “eternal death with punishment” (Brannan, 2017, Pg. 166).
This passage in its full context resembles the Two Ways theology. As previously discussed, it is my opinion the Two Ways tradition favors Conditional Immortality more than Eternal Conscious Torment. However, being fair, I would be careful to assume “Barnabas” necessarily follows this tradition, as he tends to be quite unique in his interpretations on several other Jewish traditions. Therefore, the eternal death being placed in the Two Ways passage does not necessarily lead to the “punishment” not being eternal as well.
With that said, if Brannan and Schaff’s translation of “eternal death with punishment” is accurate, this could lead to a view of Conditional Immortality. The death that is faced is eternal with no chance of resurrection, but there is also punishment faced.
A new life is coming for those saved by Christ
Barnabas 4.1b: Let us then utterly flee from all the works of iniquity, lest these should take hold of us; and let us hate the error of the present time, that we may set our love on the world to come…
Barnabas 5.6b-7: And He (since it behooved Him to appear in flesh), that He might abolish death, and reveal the resurrection from the dead, endured, in order that He might fulfill the promise made unto the fathers, and by preparing a new people for Himself, might show, while He dwelt on earth, that He, when He has raised mankind, will also judge them.
Barnabas 6.16b-17: We, then, are they whom He has led into the good land. What, then, mean milk and honey? This, that as the infant is kept alive first by honey, and then by milk, so also we, being quickened and kept alive by the faith of the promise and by the word, shall live ruling over the earth.
In chapter 11, “Barnabas” discusses the significance of baptism:
“This means, that we indeed descend into the water full of sins and defilement, but come up, bearing fruit in our heart, having the fear and trust in Jesus in our spirit. ‘And whosoever shall eat of these shall live forever,’ This means: Whosoever, He declares, shall hear you speaking, and believe, shall live forever.”
Conclusion
The Epistle of Barnabas is a flawed writing, and most Christians (including myself) would not agree with every conclusion the author makes, especially in interpreting Torah. However, Barnabas does include some basic orthodox doctrine of the Gospel. In the case of final judgment and hell, the author emphasizes death coming to those who reject Christ, Christ abolishing death through His sacrifice on the cross, and a new life coming to those saved by Him. Those who continue to walk the way of sin are leading themselves into eternal death and punishment.
In my opinion, both Conditional Immortality and Eternal Conscious Torment can fit into this writing, but the multiple references to death and life is noteworthy for the Conditionalist.
Bibliography
Schaff, P. (2016). The Complete Ante-Nicene, Nicene and Post-Nicene Collection of Early Church Fathers. Toronto, Canada.
Holmes, M. (2006). The Apostolic Fathers in English (3rd Ed.). Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Academic.
Brannan, R. (2017). The Apostolic Fathers: A New Translation. Bellingham, WA. Lexham Press.