The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 195
Death, the Soul, and Life in This World
Jesus, sitting at a table with a great multitude that believed in him, spake, saying: 'Brethren, I have but little time to remain with you, for the time is at hand that I must depart from the world. Wherefore I bring to your mind the words of God spoken to Ezekiel the prophet, saying: "As I, your God, live eternally, the soul that sinneth, it shall die, but if the sinner shall repent he shall not die but live."
'Wherefore the present death is not death, but rather the end of a long death: even as the body when separated from the sense in a swoon, though it have the soul within it, hath no other advantage over the dead and buried save this, that the buried body awaiteth God to raise it again, but the unconscious waiteth for the sense to return.
'Behold, then, the present life that it is death, through having no perception of God.
'They that shall believe in me shall not die eternally, for through my word they shall perceive God within them, and therefore shall work out their salvation.
'What is death but an act which nature doth by commandment of God? As it would be if one held a bird tied, and held the cord in his hand; when the head willeth the bird to fly away, what doeth it? Assuredly it commandeth naturally the hand to open; and so straightway the bird flieth away. "Our soul," as saith the prophet David, "is as a sparrow freed from the snare of the fowler," when man abideth under the protection of God. And our life is like a cord whereby nature holdeth the soul bound to the body and the sense of man. When therefore God willeth, and commandeth nature to open, the life is broken and the soul escapeth in the hands of the angels whom God hath ordained to receive souls.
'Let not, then, friends weep when their friend is dead; for our God hath so willed. But let him weep without ceasing when he sinneth, for so the soul dieth, seeing it separateth itself from God, the true Life.
'If the body is horrible without its union with the soul, much more frightful is the soul without union with God, who with his grace and mercy beautifieth and quickeneth it.'
And having said this Jesus gave thanks to God; whereupon Lazarus said: 'Lord, this house belongeth to God my creator, with all that he hath given into my keeping, for the service of the poor. Wherefore, since thou art poor, and hast a great number of disciples, come thou to dwell here when thou pleasest, and as much as thou pleasest, for the servant of God will minister to thee as much as shall be needful, for love of God.'
While Jesus sat at a table with a great multitude who believed in him, he said: 'Brothers, I have only a little time left with you, for the hour is near when I must leave the world. Therefore I remind you of God's words to the prophet Ezekiel: "As I, your God, live eternally, the soul that sins will die; but if the sinner repents, he will not die but live."'
'Therefore physical death is not truly death, but rather the end of a long death. Consider a body in a faint: though the soul remains within it, the sense is absent, and it differs from a dead and buried body only in this—the buried body waits for God to raise it, while the unconscious body waits for the sense to return.'
'See, then, that this present life is a form of death when it lacks awareness of God.'
'Those who believe in me will not die eternally, for through my word they will perceive God within themselves and thus work out their salvation.'
'What is death except an act performed by nature at God's command? It is like someone holding a tethered bird while keeping the cord in his hand. When the mind wills the bird to fly away, what happens? It naturally commands the hand to open, and the bird immediately flies away. "Our soul," as the prophet David says, "is like a sparrow freed from the fowler's snare" when a person remains under God's protection. And our life is like a cord by which nature keeps the soul bound to the body and to human sense. When God wills it and commands nature to release, the cord breaks and the soul passes into the hands of the angels God has appointed to receive souls.'
'Friends, then, should not weep when a friend dies, for our God has willed it. But they should weep continually when they sin, for through sin the soul dies by separating itself from God, the true Life.'
'If a body is dreadful when separated from the soul, how much more dreadful is a soul separated from God, who through his grace and mercy gives it beauty and life.'
After saying this, Jesus thanked God. Lazarus then said: 'Lord, this house belongs to God my Creator, together with everything he has entrusted to me for the service of the poor. Therefore, since you are poor and have many disciples, come and stay here whenever and for as long as you please. God's servant will provide whatever you need out of love for God.'
Jesus, sitting at a table with a great multitude that believed in him, spake, saying: 'Brethren, I have but little time to remain with you, for the time is at hand that I must depart from the world. Wherefore I bring to your mind the words of God spoken to Ezekiel the prophet, saying: "As I, your God, live eternally, the soul that sinneth, it shall die, but if the sinner shall repent he shall not die but live."
'Wherefore the present death is not death, but rather the end of a long death: even as the body when separated from the sense in a swoon, though it have the soul within it, hath no other advantage over the dead and buried save this, that the buried body awaiteth God to raise it again, but the unconscious waiteth for the sense to return.
'Behold, then, the present life that it is death, through having no perception of God.
'They that shall believe in me shall not die eternally, for through my word they shall perceive God within them, and therefore shall work out their salvation.
'What is death but an act which nature doth by commandment of God? As it would be if one held a bird tied, and held the cord in his hand; when the head willeth the bird to fly away, what doeth it? Assuredly it commandeth naturally the hand to open; and so straightway the bird flieth away. "Our soul," as saith the prophet David, "is as a sparrow freed from the snare of the fowler," when man abideth under the protection of God. And our life is like a cord whereby nature holdeth the soul bound to the body and the sense of man. When therefore God willeth, and commandeth nature to open, the life is broken and the soul escapeth in the hands of the angels whom God hath ordained to receive souls.
'Let not, then, friends weep when their friend is dead; for our God hath so willed. But let him weep without ceasing when he sinneth, for so the soul dieth, seeing it separateth itself from God, the true Life.
'If the body is horrible without its union with the soul, much more frightful is the soul without union with God, who with his grace and mercy beautifieth and quickeneth it.'
And having said this Jesus gave thanks to God; whereupon Lazarus said: 'Lord, this house belongeth to God my creator, with all that he hath given into my keeping, for the service of the poor. Wherefore, since thou art poor, and hast a great number of disciples, come thou to dwell here when thou pleasest, and as much as thou pleasest, for the servant of God will minister to thee as much as shall be needful, for love of God.'