The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 184
Wherein True Humility Consisteth
'Tell me, is this true?' said Jesus.
The disciples and the scribe answered: 'It is most true.'
Then said Jesus: 'He who in truth of heart recognizeth God as the author of all good, and himself as the author of sin, shall be truly humble. But whoso shall speak with the tongue as the child speaketh, and shall contradict the same in act, assuredly he hath false humility and true pride.
'For pride is then at its height when it maketh use of humble things, that it be not reprehended and spurned of men.
'True humility is a lowliness of the soul whereby man knoweth himself in truth; but false humility is a mist from hell which so darkeneth the understanding of the soul that what a man ought to ascribe to himself, he ascribeth to God, and what he ought to ascribe to God, he ascribeth to himself. Thus, the man of false humility will say that he is a grievous sinner, but when one telleth him that he is a sinner he will wax wroth against him, and will persecute him.
'The man of false humility will say that God hath given him all that he hath, but that he on his part hath not slumbered, but done good works.
'And these Pharisees of this present time, brethren—tell me how they walk.'
The scribe answered, weeping: 'O master, the Pharisees of the present time have the garments and the name of Pharisees, but in their heart and their works they are Canaanites. And would to God they usurped not such a name, for then would they not deceive the simple! O ancient time, how cruelly hast thou dealt with us, that hast taken away from us the true Pharisees and left us the false!'
'Tell me, is this true?' said Jesus.
The disciples and the scribe answered: 'It is most true.'
Then Jesus said: 'The person who truly recognizes in his heart that God is the author of every good thing and that he himself is the author of sin is truly humble. But whoever speaks like the child with his tongue while contradicting those words by his actions has false humility and true pride.'
'Pride reaches its height when it makes use of humble appearances so that it will not be rebuked and rejected by others.'
'True humility is a lowliness of soul through which a person knows himself truthfully. False humility is a mist from hell that so darkens the soul's understanding that a person attributes to God what he should attribute to himself, and attributes to himself what he should attribute to God. So the man of false humility will call himself a grievous sinner — but when someone else calls him a sinner, he flares up against him and persecutes him.'
'The man of false humility will say that God has given him everything he has — but that he, for his part, has not been idle either, but has done good works.'
'And these Pharisees of our own day, brothers — tell me how they walk.'
The scribe answered in tears: 'Master, the Pharisees of today have the clothes and the name of Pharisees, but in their hearts and their deeds they are Canaanites. Would to God they had never usurped that name — then they could not deceive the simple. O ancient times, how cruelly you have dealt with us, taking from us the true Pharisees and leaving us the false!'
'Tell me, is this true?' said Jesus.
The disciples and the scribe answered: 'It is most true.'
Then said Jesus: 'He who in truth of heart recognizeth God as the author of all good, and himself as the author of sin, shall be truly humble. But whoso shall speak with the tongue as the child speaketh, and shall contradict the same in act, assuredly he hath false humility and true pride.
'For pride is then at its height when it maketh use of humble things, that it be not reprehended and spurned of men.
'True humility is a lowliness of the soul whereby man knoweth himself in truth; but false humility is a mist from hell which so darkeneth the understanding of the soul that what a man ought to ascribe to himself, he ascribeth to God, and what he ought to ascribe to God, he ascribeth to himself. Thus, the man of false humility will say that he is a grievous sinner, but when one telleth him that he is a sinner he will wax wroth against him, and will persecute him.
'The man of false humility will say that God hath given him all that he hath, but that he on his part hath not slumbered, but done good works.
'And these Pharisees of this present time, brethren—tell me how they walk.'
The scribe answered, weeping: 'O master, the Pharisees of the present time have the garments and the name of Pharisees, but in their heart and their works they are Canaanites. And would to God they usurped not such a name, for then would they not deceive the simple! O ancient time, how cruelly hast thou dealt with us, that hast taken away from us the true Pharisees and left us the false!'