The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 198 “I have confessed that I am not God… and that I am not the Messiah; God will cause a wicked one to suffer it in my name.” The Messiah answer, and the substitution at the cross:
Lazarus Speaks on the Fear of God
Then said Lazarus: 'Master, verily I say unto thee, I cannot conceive the penalty of which he is worthy who time after time seeth the dead borne to the tomb and feareth not God our creator. Such an one for the things of this world, which he ought entirely to forsake, offendeth his creator who hath given him all.'
Then said Jesus to his disciples: 'Ye call me Master, and ye do well, seeing that God teacheth you by my mouth. But how will ye call Lazarus? Verily he is here master of all the masters that teach doctrine in this world. I indeed have taught you how ye ought to live well, but Lazarus will teach you how to die well. As God liveth, he hath received the gift of prophecy; listen therefore to his words, which are truth. And so much the more ought ye to listen to him, as good living is vain if one die badly.'
Said Lazarus: 'O master, I thank thee that thou makest the truth to be prized; therefore will God give thee great merit.'
Then said he who writeth this: 'O master, how speaketh Lazarus the truth in saying to thee "Thou shalt have merit," whereas thou saidst to Nicodemus that man meriteth nought but punishment? Shalt thou accordingly be punished of God?'
Jesus answered: 'May it please God that I receive punishment of God in this world, because I have not served him so faithfully as I was bound to do.'
'But God hath so loved me, by his mercy, that every punishment is withdrawn from me, insomuch that I shall only be tormented in another person. For punishment was fitting for me, for that men have called me God; but since I have confessed, not only that I am not God, as is the truth, but have confessed also that I am not the Messiah, therefore God hath taken away the punishment from me, and will cause a wicked one to suffer it in my name, so that the shame alone shall be mine. Wherefore I say to thee, my Barnabas, that when a man speaketh of what God shall give to his neighbour let him say that his neighbour meriteth it: but let him look to it that, when he speaketh of what God shall give to himself, he say: "God will give me." And let him look to it that he say not, "I have merit," because God is pleased to grant his mercy to his servants when they confess that they merit hell for their sins.'
Then Lazarus said: 'Master, truly, I tell you, I cannot imagine the punishment deserved by someone who repeatedly sees the dead carried to the tomb yet does not fear God our Creator. Such a person offends the Creator who has given him everything for the sake of worldly things that he ought entirely to forsake.'
Then Jesus said to his disciples: 'You call me Master, and rightly so, because God teaches you through my mouth. But what, then, will you call Lazarus? Truly, he is master here over all the masters who teach doctrine in this world. I have taught you how to live well, but Lazarus will teach you how to die well. As God lives, he has received the gift of prophecy. Listen, therefore, to his words, for they are true. You should listen to him all the more because living well is useless if a person dies badly.'
Lazarus said: 'O Master, I thank you for honoring the truth; therefore God will grant you great merit.'
Then the writer said: 'O Master, how can Lazarus speak truthfully when he says to you, "You will have merit," although you told Nicodemus that a human being merits nothing but punishment? Will God, then, punish you?'
Jesus answered: 'May God permit me to receive his punishment in this world, for I have not served him as faithfully as I was bound to do.'
'But through his mercy God has loved me so greatly that every punishment has been withdrawn from me, and I will be tormented only in the person of another. Punishment was fitting for me because people called me God; but since I have confessed not only that I am not God—which is the truth—but also that I am not the Messiah, God has taken the punishment from me and will cause a wicked man to suffer it in my name, so that only the shame will be mine. Therefore I tell you, my Barnabas, when a person speaks of what God will give his neighbor, let him say that his neighbor merits it. But when speaking of what God will give him personally, let him say, "God will give me," and take care not to say, "I have merit." God is pleased to grant mercy to his servants when they confess that because of their sins they merit hell.'
Then said Lazarus: 'Master, verily I say unto thee, I cannot conceive the penalty of which he is worthy who time after time seeth the dead borne to the tomb and feareth not God our creator. Such an one for the things of this world, which he ought entirely to forsake, offendeth his creator who hath given him all.'
Then said Jesus to his disciples: 'Ye call me Master, and ye do well, seeing that God teacheth you by my mouth. But how will ye call Lazarus? Verily he is here master of all the masters that teach doctrine in this world. I indeed have taught you how ye ought to live well, but Lazarus will teach you how to die well. As God liveth, he hath received the gift of prophecy; listen therefore to his words, which are truth. And so much the more ought ye to listen to him, as good living is vain if one die badly.'
Said Lazarus: 'O master, I thank thee that thou makest the truth to be prized; therefore will God give thee great merit.'
Then said he who writeth this: 'O master, how speaketh Lazarus the truth in saying to thee "Thou shalt have merit," whereas thou saidst to Nicodemus that man meriteth nought but punishment? Shalt thou accordingly be punished of God?'
Jesus answered: 'May it please God that I receive punishment of God in this world, because I have not served him so faithfully as I was bound to do.'
'But God hath so loved me, by his mercy, that every punishment is withdrawn from me, insomuch that I shall only be tormented in another person. For punishment was fitting for me, for that men have called me God; but since I have confessed, not only that I am not God, as is the truth, but have confessed also that I am not the Messiah, therefore God hath taken away the punishment from me, and will cause a wicked one to suffer it in my name, so that the shame alone shall be mine. Wherefore I say to thee, my Barnabas, that when a man speaketh of what God shall give to his neighbour let him say that his neighbour meriteth it: but let him look to it that, when he speaketh of what God shall give to himself, he say: "God will give me." And let him look to it that he say not, "I have merit," because God is pleased to grant his mercy to his servants when they confess that they merit hell for their sins.'