The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 173
The Abundance of Paradise and the World’s Poverty
'Consider, then,' said Jesus, 'the abundance of paradise. For if God hath given to man in this world an ounce of well-being, in paradise he will give him ten hundred thousand loads. Consider the quantity of fruits that are in this world, the quantity of food, the quantity of flowers, and the quantity of things that minister to man. As God liveth, in whose presence my soul standeth, as the sea hath still sand over and above when one receiveth a grain thereof, even so will the quality and quantity of figs in paradise excel the sort of figs we eat here. And in like manner every other thing in paradise.
But furthermore, I say unto you that verily, as a mountain of gold and pearls is more precious than the shadow of an ant, even so are the delights of paradise more precious than all the delights of the princes of the world which they have had and shall have even unto the judgment of God when the world shall have an end.'
Peter answered: 'Shall, then, our body which we now have go into paradise?'
Jesus answered: 'Beware, Peter, lest thou become a Sadducee; for the Sadducees say that the flesh shall not rise again, and that there be no angels. Wherefore their body and soul are deprived of entrance into paradise, and they are deprived of all ministry of angels in this world. But thou hast forgotten Job, prophet and friend of God, how he saith: "I know that my God liveth; and in the last day I shall rise again in my flesh, and with mine eyes I shall see God my Saviour."
'But believe me, this flesh of ours shall be so purified that it shall not possess a single property of those which now it hath; seeing that it shall be purged of every evil desire, and God shall reduce it to such a condition as was Adam's before he sinned.'
'Consider, then,' Jesus said, 'the abundance of paradise. If God has given a person one ounce of well-being in this world, in paradise he will give ten hundred thousand loads. Consider the quantity of fruit in this world, the quantity of food and flowers, and the number of things that serve man. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, just as the sea still retains its sand when one grain is taken from it, so the figs of paradise will surpass in quality and quantity the figs we eat here. The same is true of everything else in paradise.'
'Furthermore, I tell you truly that just as a mountain of gold and pearls is more precious than the shadow of an ant, so the delights of paradise are more precious than all the delights enjoyed by the princes of the world, past and future, until the judgment of God when the world comes to an end.'
Peter answered: 'Will the body we now have, then, enter paradise?'
Jesus answered: 'Take care, Peter, that you do not become a Sadducee, for the Sadducees say that the flesh will not rise again and that there are no angels. Therefore their bodies and souls are deprived of entrance into paradise, and they are deprived of every ministry of angels in this world. Have you forgotten what Job, the prophet and friend of God, says? "I know that my God lives, and on the last day I will rise again in my flesh, and with my own eyes I will see God my Savior."'
'But believe me, this flesh of ours will be so purified that it will retain none of the qualities it now possesses. It will be cleansed of every evil desire, and God will restore it to the condition Adam possessed before he sinned.'
'Consider, then,' said Jesus, 'the abundance of paradise. For if God hath given to man in this world an ounce of well-being, in paradise he will give him ten hundred thousand loads. Consider the quantity of fruits that are in this world, the quantity of food, the quantity of flowers, and the quantity of things that minister to man. As God liveth, in whose presence my soul standeth, as the sea hath still sand over and above when one receiveth a grain thereof, even so will the quality and quantity of figs in paradise excel the sort of figs we eat here. And in like manner every other thing in paradise.
But furthermore, I say unto you that verily, as a mountain of gold and pearls is more precious than the shadow of an ant, even so are the delights of paradise more precious than all the delights of the princes of the world which they have had and shall have even unto the judgment of God when the world shall have an end.'
Peter answered: 'Shall, then, our body which we now have go into paradise?'
Jesus answered: 'Beware, Peter, lest thou become a Sadducee; for the Sadducees say that the flesh shall not rise again, and that there be no angels. Wherefore their body and soul are deprived of entrance into paradise, and they are deprived of all ministry of angels in this world. But thou hast forgotten Job, prophet and friend of God, how he saith: "I know that my God liveth; and in the last day I shall rise again in my flesh, and with mine eyes I shall see God my Saviour."
'But believe me, this flesh of ours shall be so purified that it shall not possess a single property of those which now it hath; seeing that it shall be purged of every evil desire, and God shall reduce it to such a condition as was Adam's before he sinned.'