The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 119 “If man could change dung into gold and clay into sugar.” The sugar objection, examined:
Prayer as the Advocate of the Soul
'For verily every time that a man beholdeth a thing and forgetteth God who hath made it for man, he hath sinned. For if a friend of thine should give thee somewhat to keep in memory of him, and thou shouldest sell it and forget thy friend, thou hast offended against thy friend. Even so doth man; for when he beholdeth the creature and hath not in memory the creator, who for love of man hath created it, he sinneth against God his creator by ingratitude.'
'He therefore who shall behold women and shall forget God who for the good of man created woman, he will love her and desire her. And to such degree will this lust of his break forth, that he will love everything like unto the thing loved: so that hence cometh that sin of which it is a shame to have memory. If, then, man shall put a bridle upon his eyes, he shall be lord of the sense, which cannot desire that which is not presented to it. For so shall the flesh be subject to the spirit. Because as the ship cannot move without wind, so the flesh without the sense cannot sin.'
'That thereafter it would be necessary for the penitent to turn story-telling into prayer, reason itself showeth, even if it were not also a precept of God. For in every idle word man sinneth, and our God blotteth out sin by reason of prayer. For that prayer is the advocate of the soul; prayer is the medicine of the soul; prayer is the defense of the heart; prayer is the weapon of faith, prayer is the bridle of sense; prayer is the salt of the flesh that suffereth it not to be corrupted by sin. I tell you that prayer is the hands of our life, whereby the man that prayeth shall defend himself in the day of judgement: for he shall keep his soul from sin here on earth, and shall preserve his heart that it be not touched by evil desires; offending Satan because he shall keep his sense within the law of God, and his flesh shall walk in righteousness, receiving from God all that he shall ask.'
'As God liveth in whose presence we are, a man without prayer can no more be a man of good works than a dumb man can plead his cause to a blind one; than fistula can be healed without unguent; a man defend himself without movement; or attack another without weapons, sail without rudder, or preserve dead flesh without salt. For verily he who hath no hand cannot receive. If man could change dung into gold and clay into sugar, what would he do?'
Then Jesus being silent, the disciples answered: 'No one would exercise himself in any way other than in making gold and sugar.' Then said Jesus: 'Now why doth not man change foolish storytelling into prayer? Is time, perchance, given him by God that he may offend God? For what prince would give a city to his subject in order that the latter might make war upon him? As God liveth, if man knew after what manner the soul is transformed by vain talking he would sooner bite off his tongue with his teeth than talk. O wretched world! for to-day men do not assemble together for prayer, but in the porches of the temple and in the very temple itself Satan hath there the sacrifice of vain talk, and that which is worse—of things which I cannot talk of without shame.'
'Truly, whenever a person looks at something and forgets God, who made it for man, he sins. If a friend of yours gave you something by which to remember him, and you sold it and forgot your friend, you would offend your friend. A person acts in the same way when he looks at a creature but does not keep in mind the Creator who made it out of love for man; through ingratitude, he sins against God his Creator.'
'Anyone who looks at women and forgets God, who created woman for the good of man, will love and desire her. This lust may grow until he loves everything associated with what he desires, and from this comes the sin that it is shameful even to remember. If a man puts a bridle upon his eyes, he will master the sense, which cannot desire what is not presented to it. In this way the flesh will be subject to the spirit. Just as a ship cannot move without wind, the flesh cannot sin without the sense.'
'Reason itself shows that the penitent must next turn idle talk into prayer, even if this were not also a commandment of God. A person sins with every idle word, and our God blots out sin through prayer. Prayer is the advocate of the soul; prayer is the medicine of the soul; prayer is the defense of the heart; prayer is the weapon of faith; prayer is the bridle of the senses; prayer is the salt of the flesh, keeping it from being corrupted by sin. I tell you that prayer is the hands by which our life defends itself; through prayer, a person will defend himself on the day of judgment. He will keep his soul from sin here on earth and preserve his heart from evil desires. He will offend Satan by keeping his senses within the law of God, and his flesh will walk in righteousness, receiving from God all that he asks.'
'As God lives, in whose presence we stand, a person without prayer can no more be a person of good works than a mute man can plead his case to a blind man. Nor can a fistula be healed without ointment, a person defend himself without moving or attack another without weapons, a ship sail without a rudder, or dead flesh be preserved without salt. Truly, one who has no hands cannot receive. If a person could turn dung into gold and clay into sugar, what would he do?'
Jesus was silent, and the disciples answered: 'No one would occupy himself with anything except making gold and sugar.' Then Jesus said: 'Why, then, does a person not turn foolish talk into prayer? Has God perhaps given him time so that he may offend God? What prince would give a city to his subject so that the subject could wage war against him? As God lives, if a person knew how vain talk transforms the soul, he would sooner bite off his tongue than speak. O wretched world! Today people do not gather together for prayer; instead, in the temple porches and even within the temple itself, Satan receives the sacrifice of vain talk—and, what is worse, of things I cannot mention without shame.'
'For verily every time that a man beholdeth a thing and forgetteth God who hath made it for man, he hath sinned. For if a friend of thine should give thee somewhat to keep in memory of him, and thou shouldest sell it and forget thy friend, thou hast offended against thy friend. Even so doth man; for when he beholdeth the creature and hath not in memory the creator, who for love of man hath created it, he sinneth against God his creator by ingratitude.'
'He therefore who shall behold women and shall forget God who for the good of man created woman, he will love her and desire her. And to such degree will this lust of his break forth, that he will love everything like unto the thing loved: so that hence cometh that sin of which it is a shame to have memory. If, then, man shall put a bridle upon his eyes, he shall be lord of the sense, which cannot desire that which is not presented to it. For so shall the flesh be subject to the spirit. Because as the ship cannot move without wind, so the flesh without the sense cannot sin.'
'That thereafter it would be necessary for the penitent to turn story-telling into prayer, reason itself showeth, even if it were not also a precept of God. For in every idle word man sinneth, and our God blotteth out sin by reason of prayer. For that prayer is the advocate of the soul; prayer is the medicine of the soul; prayer is the defense of the heart; prayer is the weapon of faith, prayer is the bridle of sense; prayer is the salt of the flesh that suffereth it not to be corrupted by sin. I tell you that prayer is the hands of our life, whereby the man that prayeth shall defend himself in the day of judgement: for he shall keep his soul from sin here on earth, and shall preserve his heart that it be not touched by evil desires; offending Satan because he shall keep his sense within the law of God, and his flesh shall walk in righteousness, receiving from God all that he shall ask.'
'As God liveth in whose presence we are, a man without prayer can no more be a man of good works than a dumb man can plead his cause to a blind one; than fistula can be healed without unguent; a man defend himself without movement; or attack another without weapons, sail without rudder, or preserve dead flesh without salt. For verily he who hath no hand cannot receive. If man could change dung into gold and clay into sugar, what would he do?'
Then Jesus being silent, the disciples answered: 'No one would exercise himself in any way other than in making gold and sugar.' Then said Jesus: 'Now why doth not man change foolish storytelling into prayer? Is time, perchance, given him by God that he may offend God? For what prince would give a city to his subject in order that the latter might make war upon him? As God liveth, if man knew after what manner the soul is transformed by vain talking he would sooner bite off his tongue with his teeth than talk. O wretched world! for to-day men do not assemble together for prayer, but in the porches of the temple and in the very temple itself Satan hath there the sacrifice of vain talk, and that which is worse—of things which I cannot talk of without shame.'