The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 165
God Calls Sinners to Repentance
'But hear what saith God by Joel the prophet: "As I live, your God, I will not the death of a sinner, but I seek that he should be converted to penitence." Will God then predestinate that which he willeth not? Consider ye that which God saith, and that which the Pharisees of this present time say.
'Further, God saith by the prophet Isaiah: "I have called, and ye would not hearken unto me."
And how much God hath called, hear how he saith by the same prophet: "All the day have I spread out my hands to a people that believe me not, but contradict me." And our Pharisees, when they say that the reprobate cannot become elect, what say they, then, but that God mocketh men even as he would mock a blind man who should show him something white, and as he would mock a deaf man who should speak into his ears?
And that the elect can be reprobated, consider what our God saith by Ezekiel the prophet: "As I live, saith God, if the righteous shall forsake his righteousness and shall do abominations, he shall perish, and I will not remember any more any of his righteousness; for trusting therein it shall forsake him before me and it shall not save him."
'And of the calling of the reprobate, what saith God by the prophet Hosea but this: "I will call a people not elect, I will call them elect." God is true, and cannot tell a lie: for God being truth speaketh truth. But the Pharisees of this present time with their doctrine contradict God altogether.'
'But hear what God says through the prophet Joel: "As I live, your God, I do not desire the death of a sinner, but that he should repent." Would God, then, predestine what he does not will? Consider what God says and what the Pharisees of the present time say.'
'Further, God says through the prophet Isaiah: "I called, and you would not listen to me."'
'And hear from the same prophet how persistently God called: "All day long I have stretched out my hands to a people who do not believe me but contradict me." When our Pharisees say that the rejected cannot become elect, what are they saying except that God mocks people, as one might mock a blind man by showing him something white or mock a deaf man by speaking into his ears?'
'And to see that the elect can become rejected, consider what our God says through the prophet Ezekiel: "As I live, says God, if the righteous person forsakes his righteousness and commits abominations, he will perish, and I will no longer remember any of his righteousness. For if he trusts in it, it will abandon him before me and will not save him."'
'And concerning the calling of the rejected, what does God say through the prophet Hosea except this: "I will call a people who were not elect; I will call them elect." God is true and cannot lie, for, being truth, God speaks truth. But the Pharisees of the present time contradict God completely with their doctrine.'
'But hear what saith God by Joel the prophet: "As I live, your God, I will not the death of a sinner, but I seek that he should be converted to penitence." Will God then predestinate that which he willeth not? Consider ye that which God saith, and that which the Pharisees of this present time say.
'Further, God saith by the prophet Isaiah: "I have called, and ye would not hearken unto me."
And how much God hath called, hear how he saith by the same prophet: "All the day have I spread out my hands to a people that believe me not, but contradict me." And our Pharisees, when they say that the reprobate cannot become elect, what say they, then, but that God mocketh men even as he would mock a blind man who should show him something white, and as he would mock a deaf man who should speak into his ears?
And that the elect can be reprobated, consider what our God saith by Ezekiel the prophet: "As I live, saith God, if the righteous shall forsake his righteousness and shall do abominations, he shall perish, and I will not remember any more any of his righteousness; for trusting therein it shall forsake him before me and it shall not save him."
'And of the calling of the reprobate, what saith God by the prophet Hosea but this: "I will call a people not elect, I will call them elect." God is true, and cannot tell a lie: for God being truth speaketh truth. But the Pharisees of this present time with their doctrine contradict God altogether.'