The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 164
The Pharisees’ False Doctrine of Predestination
'I will accordingly tell you now that little which God hath granted me to know concerning this same predestination. The Pharisees say that everything hath been so predestined that he who is elect cannot become reprobate, and he who is reprobate cannot by any means become elect; and that, even as God hath predestined well-doing as the road whereby the elect shall walk unto salvation, even so hath he predestined sin as the road by which the reprobate shall walk unto damnation. Cursed be the tongue that said this, with the hand that wrote it, for this is the faith of Satan.
'What can predestination mean but an absolute will to give an end to a thing whereof one hath the means in hand? For without the means one cannot destine an end. How, then, shall he destine the house who not only lacketh stone and money to spend, but hath not even so much land as to place one foot upon? Assuredly none could do so. No more, then, I tell you, is predestination, taking away the free will that God hath given to man of his pure bounty, the law of God. Of a surety it is not predestination but abomination we shall be establishing.
'That man is free the book of Moses showeth, where when our God gave the law upon Mount Sinai, he spake thus: "My commandment is not in the heaven that thou shouldest excuse thyself, saying: Now, who shall go to bring us the commandment of God? And who perchance shall give us strength to observe it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that in like manner thou shouldest excuse thyself. But my commandment is nigh unto thine heart, that when thou wilt thou mayest observe it."
'Tell me, if King Herod should command an old man to become young and a sick man that he should become whole, and when they did it not should cause them to be killed, would this be just?' The disciples answered: 'If Herod gave this command, he would be most unjust and impious.'
Then Jesus, sighing, said: 'These are the fruits of human traditions, O brethren; for in saying that God hath predestinated the reprobate in such wise that he cannot become elect they blaspheme God as impious and unjust. For he commandeth the sinner not to sin, and when he sinneth to repent; while such predestination taketh away from the sinner the power not to sin, and entirely depriveth him of repentance.'
'I will now tell you the little that God has granted me to know about this predestination. The Pharisees say that everything has been so predestined that the elect cannot become rejected, and the rejected cannot by any means become elect. They say that just as God has predestined good works as the road by which the elect will walk to salvation, so he has predestined sin as the road by which the rejected will walk to damnation. Cursed be the tongue that said this and the hand that wrote it, for this is the faith of Satan.'
'What can predestination mean except an absolute determination to bring something to its appointed end when one has the necessary means? Without the means, no one can determine an end. How, then, could anyone plan a house if he lacked not only stone and money to spend, but even enough ground on which to place one foot? Certainly no one could. So too, I tell you, if we take away the free will that God has given man out of his pure generosity, we are not establishing God's predestination but an abomination against his law.'
'The book of Moses shows that human beings are free. When our God gave the law on Mount Sinai, he said: "My commandment is not in heaven, so that you may excuse yourself by saying, 'Who will go and bring us God's commandment, and who perhaps will give us strength to obey it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you may excuse yourself in the same way. My commandment is near your heart, so that you may obey it when you act."'
'Tell me, if King Herod commanded an old man to become young and a sick man to become well, and then had them killed because they failed to do so, would that be just?' The disciples answered: 'If Herod gave such a command, he would be utterly unjust and impious.'
Then Jesus sighed and said: 'These are the fruits of human traditions, brothers. By saying that God has predestined the rejected person so that he cannot become elect, they blaspheme God by portraying him as impious and unjust. God commands the sinner not to sin and, when he does sin, to repent; but such predestination takes from the sinner the power not to sin and entirely deprives him of repentance.'
'I will accordingly tell you now that little which God hath granted me to know concerning this same predestination. The Pharisees say that everything hath been so predestined that he who is elect cannot become reprobate, and he who is reprobate cannot by any means become elect; and that, even as God hath predestined well-doing as the road whereby the elect shall walk unto salvation, even so hath he predestined sin as the road by which the reprobate shall walk unto damnation. Cursed be the tongue that said this, with the hand that wrote it, for this is the faith of Satan.
'What can predestination mean but an absolute will to give an end to a thing whereof one hath the means in hand? For without the means one cannot destine an end. How, then, shall he destine the house who not only lacketh stone and money to spend, but hath not even so much land as to place one foot upon? Assuredly none could do so. No more, then, I tell you, is predestination, taking away the free will that God hath given to man of his pure bounty, the law of God. Of a surety it is not predestination but abomination we shall be establishing.
'That man is free the book of Moses showeth, where when our God gave the law upon Mount Sinai, he spake thus: "My commandment is not in the heaven that thou shouldest excuse thyself, saying: Now, who shall go to bring us the commandment of God? And who perchance shall give us strength to observe it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that in like manner thou shouldest excuse thyself. But my commandment is nigh unto thine heart, that when thou wilt thou mayest observe it."
'Tell me, if King Herod should command an old man to become young and a sick man that he should become whole, and when they did it not should cause them to be killed, would this be just?' The disciples answered: 'If Herod gave this command, he would be most unjust and impious.'
Then Jesus, sighing, said: 'These are the fruits of human traditions, O brethren; for in saying that God hath predestinated the reprobate in such wise that he cannot become elect they blaspheme God as impious and unjust. For he commandeth the sinner not to sin, and when he sinneth to repent; while such predestination taketh away from the sinner the power not to sin, and entirely depriveth him of repentance.'