The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 77
Knowledge Without Works Is Vain
'Verily I say unto you, that on the day of judgment many shall say to God: "Lord, we have preached and taught by thy law." Against them even the stones shall cry out, saying: "When ye preached to others, with your own tongue ye condemned yourselves, O workers of iniquity."'
'As God liveth,' said Jesus, 'he who knoweth the truth and worketh the contrary shall be punished with such grievous penalty that Satan shall almost have compassion on him. Tell me, now, hath our God given us the law for knowing or for working? Verily I say unto you, that all knowledge hath for end that wisdom which worketh all it knoweth.'
'Tell me, if one were sitting at table and with his eyes beheld delicate meats, but with his hands should choose unclean things and eat those, would not he be mad?'
'Yea, assuredly,' said the disciples.
Then said Jesus: 'O mad beyond all madmen art thou, O man, that with thine understanding knowest heaven, and with thine hands choosest earth; with thine understanding knowest God, and with thine affection desirest the world; with thine understanding knowest the delights of paradise, and with thy works choosest the miseries of hell. Brave soldier, that leaveth the sword and carrieth the scabbard to fight! Now, know ye not that he who walketh by night desireth light, not only to see the light, but rather to see the good road, in order that he may pass safely to the inn? O miserable world, to be a thousand times despised and abhorred! Since our God by his holy prophets hath ever willed to grant it to know the way to go to his country and his rest: but thou, wicked one, not only willest not to go, but, which is worse, hast despised the light! True is the proverb of the camel, that it liketh not clear water to drink, because it desireth not to see its own ugly face. So doth the ungodly who worketh ill; for he hateth the light lest his evil works should be known. But he who receiveth wisdom, and not only worketh not well, but, which is worse, employeth it for evil, is like to him who should use the gifts as instruments to slay the giver.'
'Truly, I tell you that on the day of judgment many will say to God: "Lord, we preached and taught according to your law." Even the stones will cry out against them: "When you preached to others, you condemned yourselves with your own tongues, O workers of iniquity."'
'As God lives,' said Jesus, 'whoever knows the truth but acts against it will receive so severe a punishment that Satan will almost have compassion on him. Tell me, did our God give us the law merely to know it or to put it into practice? Truly, I tell you that all knowledge has as its goal the wisdom that practices everything it knows.'
'Tell me, if someone sitting at a table saw delicate food with his eyes but chose unclean things with his hands and ate them, would he not be mad?'
'Yes, certainly,' said the disciples.
Jesus then said: 'O man, you are mad beyond all madmen! With your understanding you know heaven, but with your hands you choose earth. With your understanding you know God, but with your affections you desire the world. With your understanding you know the delights of paradise, but with your deeds you choose the miseries of hell. A brave soldier indeed, who leaves his sword behind and carries only the sheath into battle! Do you not know that a person walking at night desires light not merely to look at it, but to see the right road and reach the inn safely? O miserable world, worthy of being despised and abhorred a thousand times! Through his holy prophets our God has always willed to make known the road to his country and rest. But you, wicked one, not only refuse to travel it but, worse still, despise the light. The proverb about the camel is true: it does not like to drink clear water because it does not wish to see its own ugly face. So it is with the ungodly person who does evil: he hates the light lest his evil deeds be exposed. But the person who receives wisdom and not only fails to do good but, worse still, uses wisdom for evil is like someone who uses a gift as a weapon to kill the giver.'
'Verily I say unto you, that on the day of judgment many shall say to God: "Lord, we have preached and taught by thy law." Against them even the stones shall cry out, saying: "When ye preached to others, with your own tongue ye condemned yourselves, O workers of iniquity."'
'As God liveth,' said Jesus, 'he who knoweth the truth and worketh the contrary shall be punished with such grievous penalty that Satan shall almost have compassion on him. Tell me, now, hath our God given us the law for knowing or for working? Verily I say unto you, that all knowledge hath for end that wisdom which worketh all it knoweth.'
'Tell me, if one were sitting at table and with his eyes beheld delicate meats, but with his hands should choose unclean things and eat those, would not he be mad?'
'Yea, assuredly,' said the disciples.
Then said Jesus: 'O mad beyond all madmen art thou, O man, that with thine understanding knowest heaven, and with thine hands choosest earth; with thine understanding knowest God, and with thine affection desirest the world; with thine understanding knowest the delights of paradise, and with thy works choosest the miseries of hell. Brave soldier, that leaveth the sword and carrieth the scabbard to fight! Now, know ye not that he who walketh by night desireth light, not only to see the light, but rather to see the good road, in order that he may pass safely to the inn? O miserable world, to be a thousand times despised and abhorred! Since our God by his holy prophets hath ever willed to grant it to know the way to go to his country and his rest: but thou, wicked one, not only willest not to go, but, which is worse, hast despised the light! True is the proverb of the camel, that it liketh not clear water to drink, because it desireth not to see its own ugly face. So doth the ungodly who worketh ill; for he hateth the light lest his evil works should be known. But he who receiveth wisdom, and not only worketh not well, but, which is worse, employeth it for evil, is like to him who should use the gifts as instruments to slay the giver.'