Chapter XX.--The way of darkness.
But the way of darkness [1713] is crooked, and full of cursing; for it is the way of eternal [1714] 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, [1715] deceit, malice, self-sufficiency, poisoning, magic, avarice, [1716] want of the fear of God. [In this way, too,] are those who persecute the good, those who hate truth, those who love falsehood, those who know not the reward of righteousness, those who cleave not to that which is good, those who attend not with just judgment to the widow and orphan, those who watch not to the fear of God, [but incline] to wickedness, from whom meekness and patience are far off; persons who love vanity, follow after a reward, pity not the needy, labour not in aid of him who is overcome with toil; who are prone to evil-speaking, who know not Him that made them, who are murderers of children, destroyers of the workmanship of God; who turn away him that is in want, who oppress the afflicted, who are advocates of the rich, who are unjust judges of the poor, and who are in every respect transgressors.
[1713] Literally, "of the Black One."
[1714] Cod. Sin. joins "eternal" with way, instead of death.
[1715] Cod. Sin. reads "transgressions."
[1716] Cod. Sin. omits "magic, avarice."
Chapter XXI.--Conclusion.
It is well, therefore, [1717] that he who has learned the judgments of the Lord, as many as have been written, should walk in them. For he who keepeth these shall be glorified in the kingdom of God; but he who chooseth other things [1718] shall be destroyed with his works. On this account there will be a resurrection, [1719] on this account a retribution. I beseech you who are superiors, if you will receive any counsel of my good-will, have among yourselves those to whom you may show kindness: do not forsake them. For the day is at hand on which all things shall perish with the evil [one]. The Lord is near, and His reward. Again, and yet again, I beseech you: be good lawgivers [1720] to one another; continue faithful counsellors of one another; take away from among you all hypocrisy. And may God, who ruleth over all the world, give to you wisdom, intelligence, understanding, knowledge of His judgments, [1721] with patience. And be ye [1722] taught of God, inquiring diligently what the Lord asks from you; and do it that ye maybe safe in the day of judgment. [1723] And if you have any remembrance of what is good, be mindful of me, meditating on these things, in order that both my desire and watchfulness may result in some good. I beseech you, entreating this as a favour. While yet you are in this fair vessel, [1724] do not fail in any one of those things, [1725] but unceasingly seek after them, and fulfil every commandment; for these things are worthy. [1726] Wherefore I have been the more earnest to write to you, as my ability served, [1727] that I might cheer you. Farewell, ye children of love and peace. The Lord of glory and of all grace be with your spirit. Amen. [1728]
[1717] Cod. Sin. omits "therefore."
[1718] The things condemned in the previous chapter.
[1719] Cod. Sin. has "resurrections," but is corrected as above.
[1720] Cod. Sin. has, "lawgivers of good things."
[1721] Cod. Sin. omits the preposition.
[1722] Cod. Sin. omits this.
[1723] Cod. Sin. reads, "that ye may be found in the day of judgment," which Hilgenfeld adopts.
[1724] Literally, "While yet the good vessel is with you," i.e., as long as you are in the body.
[1725] Cod. Sin. reads, "fail not in any one of yourselves," which is adopted by Hilgenfeld.
[1726] Corrected in Cod. Sin. to, "it is worthy."
[1727] Cod. Sin. omits this clause, but it is inserted by the corrector.
[1728] Cod. Sin. omits "Amen," and adds at the close, "Epistle of Barnabas."
[1444] The Codex Sinaiticus has simply "Epistle of Barnabas" for title; Dressel gives, "Epistle of Barnabas the Apostle," from the Vatican ms. of the Latin text.
Papias
Introductory Note to the Fragments of Papias
[a.d. 70-155.] It seems unjust to the holy man of whose comparatively large contributions to early Christian literature such mere relics have been preserved, to set them forth in these versions, unaccompanied by the copious annotations of Dr. Routh. If even such crumbs from his table are not by any means without a practical value, with reference to the Canon and other matters, we may well credit the testimony (though disputed) of Eusebius, that he was a learned man, and well versed in the Holy Scripture. [1729] All who name poor Papias are sure to do so with the apologetic qualification of that historian, that he was of slender capacity. Nobody who attributes to him the millenarian fancies, of which he was but a narrator, as if these were the characteristics rather than the blemishes of his works, can fail to accept this estimate of our author. But more may be said when we come to the great name of Irenæus, who seems to make himself responsible for them. [1730]
Papias has the credit of association with Polycarp, in the friendship of St. John himself, and of "others who had seen the Lord." He is said to have been bishop of Hierapolis, in Phrygia, and to have died about the same time that Polycarp suffered; but even this is questioned. So little do we know of one whose lost books, could they be recovered, might reverse the received judgment, and establish his claim to the disputed tribute which makes him, like Apollos, "an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures."
The following is the original Introductory Notice:--
The principal information in regard to Papias is given in the extracts made among the fragments from the works of Irenæus and Eusebius. He was bishop of the Church in Hierapolis, a city of Phrygia, in the first half of the second century. Later writers affirm that he suffered martyrdom about a.d. 163; some saying that Rome, others that Pergamus, was the scene of his death. He was a hearer of the Apostle John, and was on terms of intimate intercourse with many who had known the Lord and His apostles. From these he gathered the floating traditions in regard to the sayings of our Lord, and wove them into a production divided into five books. This work does not seem to have been confined to an exposition of the sayings of Christ, but to have contained much historical information.
Eusebius [1731] speaks of Papias as a man most learned in all things, and well acquainted with the Scriptures. In another passage [1732] he describes him as of small capacity. The fragments of Papias are translated from the text given in Routh's Reliquiæ Sacræ, vol. i.
[1729] See Lardner, ii. p. 119.
[1730] Against Heresies, book v. chap. xxxiii. See the prudent note of Canon Robertson (History of the Christ. Church, vol. i. p. 116).
[1731] Hist. Eccl., iii. 39.
[1732] Ibid.
[1733] [Where the fragments with learned annotations and elucidations fill forty-four pages.]
Fragments of Papias
I. From the exposition of the oracles of the Lord. [1734]
[The writings of Papias in common circulation are five in number, and these are called an Exposition of the Oracles of the Lord. Irenæus makes mention of these as the only works written by him, in the following words: "Now testimony is borne to these things in writing by Papias, an ancient man, who was a hearer of John, and a friend of Polycarp, in the fourth of his books; for five books were composed by him." Thus wrote Irenæus. Moreover, Papias himself, in the introduction to his books, makes it manifest that he was not himself a hearer and eye-witness of the holy apostles; but he tells us that he received the truths of our religion [1735] from those who were acquainted with them [the apostles] in the following words:]
But I shall not be unwilling to put down, along with my interpretations, [1736] whatsoever instructions I received with care at any time from the elders, and stored up with care in my memory, assuring you at the same time of their truth. For I did not, like the multitude, take pleasure in those who spoke much, but in those who taught the truth; nor in those who related strange commandments, [1737] but in those who rehearsed the commandments given by the Lord to faith, [1738] and proceeding from truth itself. If, then, any one who had attended on the elders came, I asked minutely after their sayings,--what Andrew or Peter said, or what was said by Philip, or by Thomas, or by James, or by John, or by Matthew, or by any other of the Lord's disciples: which things [1739] Aristion and the presbyter John, the disciples of the Lord, say. For I imagined that what was to be got from books was not so profitable to me as what came from the living and abiding voice.
[1734] This fragment is found in Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. iii. 39.
[1735] Literally, "the things of faith."
[1736] Papias states that he will give an exact account of what the elders said; and that, in addition to this, he will accompany this account with an explanation of the meaning and import of the statements.
[1737] Literally, "commandments belonging to others," and therefore strange and novel to the followers of Christ.
[1738] Given to faith has been variously understood. Either not stated in direct language, but like parables given in figures, so that only the faithful could understand; or entrusted to faith, that is, to those who were possessed of faith, the faithful.
[1739] Which things: this is usually translated, "what Aristion and John say;" and the translation is admissible. But the words more naturally mean, that John and Aristion, even at the time of his writing, were telling him some of the sayings of the Lord.
II. [1740]
[The early Christians] called those who practised a godly guilelessness, [1741] children, [as is stated by Papias in the first book of the Lord's Expositions, and by Clemens Alexandrinus in his Pædagogue.]
[1740] This fragment is found in the Scholia of Maximus on the works of Dionysius the Areopagite.
[1741] Literally, "a guilelessness according to God."
III. [1742]
Judas walked about in this world a sad [1743] example of impiety; for his body having swollen to such an extent that he could not pass where a chariot could pass easily, he was crushed by the chariot, so that his bowels gushed out. [1744]
[1742] This fragment is found in OEcumenius.
[1743] Literally, "great."
[1744] Literally, "were emptied out." Theophylact, after quoting this passage, adds other particulars, as if they were derived from Papias. [But see Routh, i. pp. 26, 27.] He says that Judas's eyes were so swollen that they could not be seen, even by the optical instruments of physicians; and that the rest of his body was covered with runnings and worms. He further states, that he died in a solitary spot, which was left desolate until his time; and no one could pass the place without stopping up his nose with his hands.
IV. [1745]
As the elders who saw John the disciple of the Lord remembered that they had heard from him how the Lord taught in regard to those times, and said]: "The days will come in which vines shall grow, having each ten thousand branches, and in each branch ten thousand twigs, and in each true twig ten thousand shoots, and in every one of the shoots ten thousand clusters, and on every one of the clusters ten thousand grapes, and every grape when pressed will give five-and-twenty metretes of wine. And when any one of the saints shall lay hold of a cluster, another shall cry out, I am a better cluster, take me; bless the Lord through me.' In like manner, [He said] that a grain of wheat would produce ten thousand ears, and that every ear would have ten thousand grains, and every grain would yield ten pounds of clear, pure, fine flour; and that apples, and seeds, and grass would produce in similar proportions; and that all animals, feeding then only on the productions of the earth, would become peaceable and harmonious, and be in perfect subjection to man." [1746] [Testimony is borne to these things in writing by Papias, an ancient man, who was a hearer of John and a friend of Polycarp, in the fourth of his books; for five books were composed by him. And he added, saying, "Now these things are credible to believers. And Judas the traitor," says he, "not believing, and asking, How shall such growths be accomplished by the Lord?' the Lord said, They shall see who shall come to them.' These, then, are the times mentioned by the prophet Isaiah: And the wolf shall lie down with the lamb,' etc. (Isa. xi. 6 ff.)."]
[1745] From Irenæus, Hær., v. 32. [Hearsay at second-hand, and handed about among many, amounts to nothing as evidence. Note the reports of sermons, also, as they appear in our daily Journals. Whose reputation can survive if such be credited?]