The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 167
The Mystery of Divine Predestination
'Accordingly, if your mind will not rest content in this, and ye be fain to say again: "Why so?" I will disclose to you a "wherefore." It is this. Tell me, wherefore cannot a single stone rest on the top of the water, yet the whole earth resteth on the top of the water? Tell me, why is it that, while water extinguisheth fire, and earth fleeth from air, so that none can unite earth, air, water, and fire in harmony, nevertheless they are united in man and are preserved harmoniously?
'If, then, ye shall know not this—nay, all men, as men, cannot know it—how shall they understand that God created the universe out of nothing with a single word? How shall they understand the eternity of God? Assuredly they shall by no means be able to understand this, because, man being finite and composite with the body, which, as saith the prophet Solomon, being corruptible, presseth down the soul, and the works of God being proportionate to God, how shall they be able to comprehend them?
'Isaiah, prophet of God, seeing it to be thus, exclaimed, saying: "Verily thou art a hidden God." And of the messenger of God, how God hath created him, he saith: "His generation, who shall narrate?" And of the working of God he saith: "Who hath been his counsellor?" Wherefore God saith unto human nature: "Even as the heaven is exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts."
'Therefore I say unto you, the manner of predestination is not manifest to men, albeit the fact is true, as I have told you.
'Ought man then, because he cannot find out the mode, to deny the fact? Assuredly, I have never yet seen anyone refuse health, though the manner of it be not understood. For I know not even now how God by my touch healeth the sick.'
'Accordingly, if your mind is not satisfied with this and you still wish to ask, "Why is it so?" I will disclose the reason to you. Tell me, why can a single stone not rest on water, while the whole earth rests upon it? Tell me, why is it that water extinguishes fire and earth flees from air, so that no one can unite earth, air, water, and fire in harmony, yet they are united in the human body and remain there in harmony?'
'If people do not understand this—and indeed no human being can fully understand it—how can they understand that God created the universe from nothing with a single word? How can they understand God's eternity? They certainly cannot understand these things, because human beings are finite and joined to a body which, as the prophet Solomon says, is corruptible and weighs down the soul. Since God's works are proportionate to God, how could human beings comprehend them?'
'Seeing that this is so, Isaiah, the prophet of God, exclaimed: "Truly, you are a hidden God." Concerning the Messenger of God and the way God created him, he says: "Who will recount his generation?" And concerning God's work he says: "Who has been his counselor?" Therefore God says to human nature: "As the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts."'
'Therefore I tell you, the manner of predestination is not clear to human beings, although predestination itself is real, as I have told you.'
'Should a person deny the fact merely because he cannot discover how it works? Certainly not. I have never seen anyone refuse health because he did not understand how it came about. Even now I do not know how God heals the sick through my touch.'
'Accordingly, if your mind will not rest content in this, and ye be fain to say again: "Why so?" I will disclose to you a "wherefore." It is this. Tell me, wherefore cannot a single stone rest on the top of the water, yet the whole earth resteth on the top of the water? Tell me, why is it that, while water extinguisheth fire, and earth fleeth from air, so that none can unite earth, air, water, and fire in harmony, nevertheless they are united in man and are preserved harmoniously?
'If, then, ye shall know not this—nay, all men, as men, cannot know it—how shall they understand that God created the universe out of nothing with a single word? How shall they understand the eternity of God? Assuredly they shall by no means be able to understand this, because, man being finite and composite with the body, which, as saith the prophet Solomon, being corruptible, presseth down the soul, and the works of God being proportionate to God, how shall they be able to comprehend them?
'Isaiah, prophet of God, seeing it to be thus, exclaimed, saying: "Verily thou art a hidden God." And of the messenger of God, how God hath created him, he saith: "His generation, who shall narrate?" And of the working of God he saith: "Who hath been his counsellor?" Wherefore God saith unto human nature: "Even as the heaven is exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts."
'Therefore I say unto you, the manner of predestination is not manifest to men, albeit the fact is true, as I have told you.
'Ought man then, because he cannot find out the mode, to deny the fact? Assuredly, I have never yet seen anyone refuse health, though the manner of it be not understood. For I know not even now how God by my touch healeth the sick.'