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| The Acts of Barnabus.
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The Acts of
Barnabus.
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The Journeyings and Martyrdom of St.
Barnabas the Apostle.
Since from the descent of the
presence of our Saviour Jesus Christ, the unwearied and benevolent and
mighty Shepherd and Teacher and Physician, I beheld and saw the
ineffable and holy and unspotted mystery of the Christians, who hold
the hope in holiness, and who have been sealed; and since I have
zealously served Him, I have deemed it necessary to give account of the
mysteries which I have heard and seen.
I John, accompanying the holy apostles Barnabas
and Paul, being formerly a servant of Cyrillus the high priest of
Jupiter, but now having received the gift of the Holy Spirit through
Paul and Barnabas and Silas, who were worthy of the calling, and
who baptized me in Iconium. After I was baptized, then, I saw a
certain man standing clothed in white raiment; and he said to me:
Be of good courage, John, for assuredly thy name shall be changed to
Mark, and thy glory shall be proclaimed in all the world. And the
darkness in thee has passed away from thee, and there has been given to
thee understanding to know the mysteries of God.
And when I saw the vision, becoming greatly
terrified, I went to the feet of Barnabas, and related to him the
mysteries which I had seen and heard from that man. And the
Apostle Paul was not by when I disclosed the mysteries. And
Barnabas said to me: Tell no one the miracle which thou hast
seen. For by me also this night the Lord stood, saying, Be of
good courage: for as thou hast given thy life for my name to
death and banishment from thy nation, thus also shalt thou be made
perfect. Moreover, as for the servant who is with you, take him
also with thyself; for he has certain mysteries. Now then, my
child, keep to thyself the things which thou hast seen and heard; for a
time will come for thee to reveal them.2133
| 2133 Or, will come to
reveal thee. |
And I, having been instructed in these things by
him, remained in Iconium2134
| 2134 One
ms. has Jerusalem, and adds, and we
came to Antioch, which suits the geography better. | many days; for
there was there a holy man and a pious, who also entertained us, whose
house also Paul had sanctified. Thence, therefore, we came to
Seleucia, and after staying three days sailed away to Cyprus; and I was
ministering to them until we had gone round all Cyprus. And
setting sail from Cyprus, we landed in Perga of Pamphylia. And
there I then stayed about two months, wishing to sail to the regions of
the West; and the Holy Spirit did not allow me. Turning,
therefore, I again sought the apostles; and having learned that they
were in Antioch, I went to them.
And I found Paul in bed in Antioch from the toil of the
journey, who also seeing me, was exceedingly grieved on account of my
delaying in Pamphylia. And Barnabas coming, encouraged him, and
tasted bread, and he took a little of it. And they preached the
word of the Lord, and enlightened many of the Jews and Greeks.
And I only attended to them, and was afraid of Paul to come near him,
both because he held me as having spent much time in Pamphylia, and
because he was quite enraged against me. And I gave repentance on
my knees upon the earth to Paul, and he would not endure it. And
when I remained for three Sabbaths in entreaty and prayer on my knees,
I was unable to prevail upon him about myself; for his great grievance
against me was on account of my keeping several parchments in
Pamphylia.
And when it came to pass that they finished
teaching in Antioch, on the first of the week they took counsel
together to set out for the places of the East, and after that to go
into Cyprus, and oversee all the churches in which they had spoken the
word of God. And Barnabas entreated Paul to go first to Cyprus,
and oversee his own in his village; and Lucius2135
entreated him to take the oversight of his city Cyrene. And a
vision was seen by Paul in sleep, that he should hasten to Jerusalem,
because the brethren expected him there. But Barnabas urged that
they should go to Cyprus, and pass the winter, and then that they
should go to Jerusalem at the feast. Great contention, therefore,
arose between them.2136
And
Barnabas urged me also to accompany them, on account of my being their
servant from the beginning, and on account of my having served them in all Cyprus
until they came to Perga of Pamphylia; and I there had remained many
days. But Paul cried out against Barnabas, saying: It is
impossible for him to go with us. And those who were with us
there urged me also to accompany them, because there was a vow upon me
to follow them to the end. So that Paul said to Barnabas:
If thou wilt take John who also is surnamed Mark with thee, go another
road; for he shall not come with us. And Barnabas coming to
himself, said: The grace of God does not desert2137
him who has once served the Gospel and
journeyed with us. If, therefore, this be agreeable to thee,
Father Paul, I take him and go. And he said: Go thou in the
grace of Christ, and we in the power of the Spirit.
Therefore, bending their knees, they prayed to
God. And Paul, groaning aloud, wept, and in like manner also
Barnabas, saying to one another: It would have been good for us,
as at first, so also at last, to work in common among men; but since it
has thus seemed good to thee, Father Paul, pray for me that my labour
may be made perfect to commendation: for thou knowest how I have
served thee also to the grace of Christ that has been given to
thee. For I go to Cyprus, and hasten to be made perfect;2138
| 2138 i.e., to finish
my course. | for I know that I shall no more see
thy face, O Father Paul. And falling on the ground at his feet,
he wept long. And Paul said to him: The Lord stood by me
also this night, saying, Do not force Barnabas not to go to Cyprus, for
there it has been prepared for him to enlighten many; and do thou also,
in the grace that has been given to thee, go to Jerusalem to worship in
the holy place, and there it shall be shown thee where thy martyrdom
has been prepared. And we saluted one another, and Barnabas took
me to himself.
And having come down to Laodiceia,2139
| 2139 This is the Syrian
Laodiceia, opposite Cyprus. | we sought to cross to Cyprus; and having
found a ship going to Cyprus, we embarked. And when we had set
sail, the wind was found to be contrary. And we came to
Corasium;2140
and having gone
down to the shore where there was a fountain, we rested there, showing
ourselves to no one, that no one might know that Barnabas had separated
from Paul. And having set sail from Corasium, we came to the
regions of Isauria, and thence came to a certain island called
Pityusa;2141
| 2141 Or, Pityussa, close
to the Zephyrian promontory. | and a storm
having come on, we remained there three days; and a certain pious man
entertained us, by name Euphemus, whom also Barnabas instructed in many
things in the faith, with all his house.
And thence we sailed past the
Aconesiæ,2142
| 2142 Perhaps
Aphrodisias. | and came to the
city of Anemurium; and having gone into it, we found two Greeks.
And coming to us, they asked whence and who we were. And Barnabas
said to them: If you wish to know whence and who we are, throw
away the clothing which you have, and I shall put on you clothing which
never becomes soiled; for neither is there in it anything filthy, but
it is altogether splendid. And being astonished at the saying,
they asked us: What is that garment which you are going to give
us? And Barnabas said to them: If you shall confess your
sins, and submit yourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ, you shall receive
that garment which is incorruptible for ever. And being pricked
at heart by the Holy Spirit, they fell at his feet, entreating and
saying: We beseech thee, father, give us that garment; for we
believe in the living and true God whom thou proclaimest. And
leading them down to2143
the fountain,
he baptized them into the name of Father, and Son, and Holy
Ghost. And they knew that they were clothed with power, and a
holy robe. And having taken from me one robe, he put it on the
one; and his own robe he put on the other. And they brought money
to him, and straightway Barnabas distributed it to the poor. And
from them also the sailors were able to gain many things.2144
And they having come down to the shore, he spoke
to them the word of God; and he having blessed them, we saluted them,
and went on board the ship. And the one of them who was named
Stephanus wished to accompany us, and Barnabas did not permit
him. And we, having gone across, sailed down to Cyprus by night;
and having come to the place called Crommyacita,2145
we found Timon and Ariston the temple
servants, at whose house also we were entertained.
And Timon was afflicted by much fever. And
having laid our hands upon him, we straightway removed his fever,
having called upon the name of the Lord Jesus. And Barnabas had
received documents from Matthew, a book of the word2146
of God, and a narrative of miracles and
doctrines. This Barnabas laid upon the sick in each place that we
came to, and it immediately made a cure of their sufferings.
And when we had come to Lapithus,2147
and an idol festival2148
| 2148 Lit., an
idol-frenzy,—a term often applied to the worship of Bacchus. | being celebrated in the theatre, they
did not allow us to go into the city, but we rested a little at the
gate. And Timon, after he rose up from his disease, came with
us. And having gone forth from Lapithus, we travelled
through the mountains, and
came to the city of Lampadistus, of which also Timon was a native; in
addition to whom, having found also that Heracleius was there, we were
entertained by him. He was of the city of Tamasus,2149
and had come to visit his relations; and
Barnabas, looking stedfastly at him, recognised him, having met with
him formerly at Citium with Paul; to whom also the Holy Spirit was
given at baptism, and he changed his name to Heracleides. And
having ordained him bishop over Cyprus, and having confirmed the church
in Tamasus, we left him in the house of his brethren that dwelt
there.
And having crossed the mountain called
Chionodes,2150
| 2150 i.e., snowy, an
epithet of Olympus, the mountain they crossed. | we came to Old
Paphos, and there found Rhodon, a temple servant, who also, having
himself believed, accompanied us. And we met a certain Jew, by
name Barjesus, coming from Paphos, who also recognised Barnabas, as
having been formerly with Paul. He did not wish us to go into
Paphos; but having turned away, we came to Curium.2151
| 2151 Perhaps Curtium,
which was nearer Palæo Paphos than Curias Pr. was. |
And we found that a certain abominable race was
being performed2152
in the road near
the city, where a multitude of women and men naked were performing the
race. And there was great deception and error in that place.
And Barnabas turning, rebuked it; and the western part fell, so
that many were wounded, and many of them also died and the rest fled to
the temple of Apollo, which was close at hand in the city, which
was called sacred.2153
| 2153 Another
reading is: In the city called Curium. | And when
we came near the temple, a great multitude of Jews who were there,
having been put up to it by Barjesus, stood outside of the city, and
did not allow us to go into the city; but we spent the evening under a
tree near the city, and rested there.
And on the following day, we came to a certain village
where Aristoclianus dwelt. He being a leper, had been cleansed in
Antioch, whom also Paul and Barnabas sealed to be a bishop, and sent to
his village in Cyprus, because there were many Greeks there. And
we were entertained in the cave by him in the mountain, and there we
remained one day. And thence we came to Amathus and there was a
great multitude of Greeks in the temple in the mountain, low women and
men pouring libations. There also Barjesus, getting the start of
us, gained over the nation of the Jews, and did not allow us to enter
into the city; but a certain widow woman, eighty years old, being
outside of the city, and she also not worshipping the idols, coming
forward to us, took us into her house one hour. And when we came
out we shook the dust off our feet over against that temple where the
libation of the abominable took place.
And having gone out thence, we came through desert
places, and Timon also accompanied us. And having come to Citium,
and there being a great uproar there also in their hippodrome, having
learned this, we came forth out of the city, having all shaken the dust
off our feet; for no one received us, except that we rested one hour in
the gate near the aqueduct.
And having set sail in a ship from Citium, we came
to Salamis, and landed in the so-called islands, where there was a
place full of idols; and there there took place high festivals2154
and libations. And having found
Heracleides there again, we instructed him to proclaim the Gospel of
God, and to set up churches, and ministers in them. And having
gone into Salamis, we came to the synagogue near the place called
Biblia; and when we had gone into it, Barnabas, having unrolled the
Gospel which he had received from Matthew his fellow-labourer, began to
teach the Jews.
And Barjesus, having arrived after two days, after
not a few Jews had been instructed, was enraged, and brought together
all the multitude of the Jews; and they having laid hold of Barnabas,
wished to hand him over to Hypatius, the governor of Salamis. And
having bound him to take him away to the governor, and a pious
Jebusite,2155
| 2155 Another reading
is: Eusebius the Jebusite. There is a legend that
the Jebusites colonized Cyprus after they were driven out of Palestine
by King David. | a kinsman of Nero,
having come to Cyprus, the Jews, learning this, took Barnabas by night,
and bound him with a rope by the neck; and having dragged him to the
hippodrome from the synagogue, and having gone out of the city,
standing round him, they burned him with fire, so that even his bones
became dust. And straightway that night, having taken his dust,
they cast it into a cloth; and having secured it with lead, they
intended to throw it into the sea. But I, finding an opportunity
in the night, and being able along with Timon and Rhodon to carry it.
we came to a certain place, and having found a cave, put it down there,
where the nation of the Jebusites formerly dwelt. And having
found a secret place in it, we put it away, with the documents which he
had received from Matthew. And it was the fourth hour of the
night of the second of the week.2156
| 2156 The
Vaticanms. adds: on the 17th of the month
Paün according to the Egyptians, and according to the Romans the
11th of the month of June. |
And when we were hid in the place, the Jews made no
little search after us; and having almost found us, they pursued us as
far as the village of the
Ledrians; and we, having found there also a cave near the village, took
refuge in it, and thus escaped them. And we were hid in the cave
three days; and the Jews having gone away, we came forth and left the
place by night. And taking with us Ariston and Rhodon, we came to
the village of Limnes.2157
| 2157 This place does not
appear on the ancient maps, but there is a modern C. Limniti. |
And having come to the shore, we found an Egyptian ship;
and having embarked in it, we landed at Alexandria. And there I
remained, teaching the brethren that came the word of the Lord,
enlightening them, and preaching what I had been taught by the apostles
of Christ, who also baptized me into the name of Father, and Son, and
Holy Ghost; who also changed my name to Mark in the water of baptism,
by which also I hope to bring many to the glory of God through His
grace; because to Him is due honour and everlasting glory.
Amen.
The journeyings and martyrdom of the holy apostle
Barnabas have been fulfilled through God.
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