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ΒΑΡΝΑΒΑ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ.

ΧΑΙΡΕΤΕ υιοι και θυγατέρες εν ονοματι Κυρίου του αγαπησαντος ἡμας εν ειρηνη.

Μεγαλων μεν οντων και πλουσιων των του Θεου δικαιωματων εις ύμας, ὑπερ τι και καθ' ὑπερβολην ὑπερευφραινομαι επι τοις μακαριοις και ενδοξοις ύμων πνευμασιν, οὗ το εμφυτον της δωρεας πνευματικης χαριν ειληφατε. Διο και μαλλον συνχαιρω εμαυτῳ, ελπίζων σωθηναι, ότι αληθως βλεπω εν ύμιν εκκεχυμενον απο του πλουσιου της αγαπης Κυριου πνευμα εφ' ὑμας· οὕτω με εξεπληξεν επι ύμων ἡ επιποθητη οψις ύμων. Πεπεισμενος ουν τουτο, και συνειδως εμαυτῳ ότι εν ύμιν λαλήσας πολλα επισταμαι ότι εμοι συνωδευσεν εν όδῳ δικαιοσυνης Κυριος, και παντως αναγκαζομαι κάγω εις τουτο αγαπαν ὑμας ὑπερ την ψυχην μου, ότι μεγαλη πιστις και αγαπη εγκατοικει εν ὑμιν ελπιδι ζωης αυτου.

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Λογισάμενος ουν τουτο ότι εαν μελησῃ μοι περι ύμων του μερος τι μεταδούναι αφ' οὗ ελαβον, ότι εσται μοι τοιούτοις πνευμασιν υπηρετησαντι εις μισθον, εσπούδασα κατα μικρον ὑμῖν πεμπειν, ἵνα μετα της πίστεως ύμων τελειαν εχητε την γνωσιν.

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There are therefore three things taught by the Lord, Life [hereafter], Faith, Hope; they are our beginning and end. And also Righteousness of judging is the beginning; and the end is Love, Cheerfulness, and the witness of Joyfulness of works done in righteousness. For the Almighty made known to us through the prophets the things which are past, and those which are beginning; and of those which are to come he has given to us the first fruits of the taste, of which things we, looking at them one by one as they are effected, ought, as he said, to press forward more richly and more loftily unto the fear of him. And I, not as a teacher, but as one of yourselves, will set forth a few things by which in the present state of affairs ye may be gladdened.

ii.] Therefore, since the days are evil, and he that worketh has got the power, we ought to give heed to ourselves, and to seek for the acts of justification by the Lord. The helps therefore of our faith are Fear, Patience, and moreover Long-suffering and Self-restraint, which fight for us. While these things remain, those things which are pure in relation to the Lord, and rejoice together with them, are Wisdom, Understanding, Science, Knowledge.

For He has made manifest to us through all the prophets that He has no need of sacrifices or burnt offerings or oblations, saying at one time indeed, "What is the multitude of your sacrifices to me? saith the Lord; I am full of burnt offerings; and I do not wish for the fat of rams, and the blood of bullocks and goats, not even when ye come to appear before me; for who hath required these of your hands? Nor shall ye continue to walk my court, not even if ye should bring a vain offering of fine flour. Incense is an abomination to me; your new-moon days and sabbaths I cannot bear."

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Τρια ουν δογματα εστιν Κυριου, Ζωη, Πιστις, Ελπις, αρχη και τελος ἡμων. Και Δικαιοσυνη κρισεως αρχη και τελος, Αγαπη, Ευφροσυνη, και Αγαλλιάσεως εργων εν δικαιοσύναις μαρτυρία. Εγνωρισεν γαρ ἡμιν ὁ Δεσποτης δια των προφητων τα παρεληλυθοτα και τα ενεστωτα, και των μελλοντων δους απαρχας ἡμιν γευσεως, ὧν τα καθ' έκαστα βλεποντες ενεργουμενα, καθώς ελαλησεν, οφειλομεν 2 πλουσιωτερον και ὑψηλοτερον προσαγειν τῷ φόβῳ αυτου. Εγω δε ουκ ὡς διδασκαλος, αλλ' ὡς εἰς εξ ύμων ὑποδειξω ολιγα δι' ὧν εν τοις παρουσιν ευφρανθησεσθε.

ii.] Ημερων ουν ουσων πονηρών, και αυτου του ενεργουντος έχοντος την εξουσίαν, οφειλομεν ἑαυτοις προσεχειν και εκζητειν τα δικαιωματα Κυριου. Της ουν πιστεως ἡμων εισιν βοηθοι, Φοβος, Ὑπομονη, ταδε συνμαχουντα ἡμιν Μακροθυμία και Εγκρατειας. Τούτων μενόντων, τα προς Κυριον άγνως συνευφραινονται αυτοις Σοφια, Συνεσις, Επιστημη, Γνωσις.

Πεφανερωκεν γαρ ἡμιν δια παντων των προφητῶν ὅτι ουτε θυσιων, ουτε ὁλοκαυτωματων, ουτε προσφορών χρηζει, λέγων ότε μεν, Τι μοι πληθος των θυσιών ύμων ; λεγει Κύριος. Πληρις ειμι ὁλοκαυτώματων, και στεαρ αρνων και αἷμα ταυρων και τραγων ου βουλομαι". Ουδ' αν ερχησθε οφθηναι μοι, τις γαρ εξεζητησεν ταυτα εκ των χειρων ὑμων; Πατειν° μου την αυλην ου προσθήσεσθε, ουδε εαν φέρητε σεμίδαλιν ματαιον. Θυμίαμα βδελυγμα μοι εστιν, τας νεομηνιας ύμων και τα σαββατα ουκ ανεχομαι.

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These things, therefore, has He abolished, so that the new law of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is without the yoke of necessity, should have the oblation which is not made by man.

And He again says to them, "Did I at all command your fathers when they came out of the land of Egypt to bring to me burnt offerings and sacrifices? But rather this I commanded them, Let no one of you bear evil malice in his heart against his neighbour, and do not love a false oath."

Then, since we are not without understanding, we ought to perceive the design of our Father's kindness. For he speaks to us, wishing that we, not wandering astray like them [the Jews of old], should seek how we may draw near unto him. To us [Christians] therefore he thus says, 'The sacrifice unto God should be a contrite heart, an odour of sweet smell to the Lord a heart that glorifieth Him that formed it."

Therefore we ought, brethren, to make diligent inquiry about our salvation, so that the Evil one should not by making among us a side entrance of going astray sling us away from our [future] life.

iii.] Therefore He again says to them [the Jews] about these things, "To what end do ye fast unto me as today, saith the Lord, that your voice may be heard by shouting? I chose not such a fast, saith the Lord; not a man afflicting his soul, nor that ye should bow down your neck as a bullrush, and spread sackcloth and ashes; not thus shall ye call it an acceptable fast."

He says to us, "Behold this is the fast which I have chosen, saith the Lord, not a man afflicting his soul; but loosen thou every bond of injustice, untie the fastenings of

Ταυτα ουν κατηργησεν, ἵνα ὁ καινος νομος του Κυριου ἡμων Ιησου Χριητου, ανευ ζυγου αναγκης ων, μη ανθρωποιητον εχῃ την προσφοραν.

Λέγει δε παλιν προς αυτους, Μη εγω ενετειλάμην τους πατρασιν ὑμων εκπορευομενοις εκ γης Αιγυπτου προσενεγκαι μοι ὁλοκαυτωματα και θυσιας; αλλ' η τουτο ενετειλάμην αυτοις, Εκαστος ὑμων κατα του πλησιον εν τη καρδια ἑαυτου κακιαν μη μνησικακείτω, και όρκον ψευδή μη αγαπατε.

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Αισθανεσθαι ουν οφειλομεν, μη οντες ασυνετοί, την γνωμην της αγαθωσύνης του Πατρός ἡμων. Ότι ἡμιν λεγει θελων ἡμας μη ὁμοιως πλανωμενους εκείνοις ζητειν πως προσαγωμεν αυτῷ. Ημιν ουν οὕτως λεγει, Θυσια τῷ Θεῷ καρδια συντετριμμένη, οσμη ευωδίας τῷ Κυρίῳ καρδια δοξάζουσα τον πεπλακοτα αυτην.

Ακριβευεσθαι ουν οφειλομεν, αδελφοι, περι της σωτηριας ἡμων, ἵνα μη ὁ πονηρος παρεισδυσιν πλανης ποιησας εν ἡμιν εκσφενδονησῃ ήμας απο της ζωης ἡμων.

iii.] Λεγει ουν παλιν περι τουτων προς αυτους, Ίνα τι μοι νηστευετε, λέγει Κύριος, ὡς σημερον ακουσθηναι κραυγη την φωνην ὑμων. Ου ταυτην την νηστιαν εγω εξελεξάμην, λέγει Κύριος, ουκ ανθρωπον ταπεινουντα την ψυχην αύτου, ουδ' αν καμψητε ο ὡς κρικον τον τραχηλον ὑμων, και σακκον και σποδον ὑποστρωσητε", ουδ' ούτως καλεσετε 2 νηστιαν δεκτην.

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Προς ήμας δε λεγει, Ιδου, αυτη νηστια ἣν εγω εξελε ξαμην, λέγει Κύριος, ουκ ανθρωπον ταπεινουντα 18 την ψυχην αύτου, αλλα λυε παν συνδεσμον αδικιας, διαλυε

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