The Gospel of Barnabas

124.

Jesus answered in parable: 'A man goeth to fish with a net, and therein he catcheth many fishes, but those that are bad he throweth away.

'A man went forth to sow, but only the grain that falleth on good ground beareth seed.

'Even so ought ye to do, listening to all and receiving only the truth, seeing that the truth alone beareth fruit unto eternal life.'

Then answered Andrew: 'Now how shall the truth be known?'

Jesus answered: 'Everything that conformeth to the book of Moses, that receive ye for true; seeing that God is one, the truth is one; whence it followeth that the doctrine is one and the meaning of the doctrine is one; and therefore the faith is one. Verily I say unto you that if the truth had not been erased from the book of Moses, God would not have given to David our father the second. And if the book of David had not been contaminated, God would not have committed the Gospel to me; seeing that the Lord our God is unchangeable, and hath spoken but one message to all men. Wherefore, when the messenger of God shall come, he shall come to cleanse away all wherewith the ungodly have contaminated my book.'

Then answered he who writeth: 'O Master, what shall a man do when the law shall be found contaminated and the false prophet shall speak?'

Jesus answered: 'Great is thy question, O Barnabas: wherefore I tell thee that in such a time few are saved, seeing that men do not consider their end, which is God. As God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, every doctrine that shall turn man aside from his end, which is God, is most evil doctrine. Wherefore there are three things that thou shalt consider in doctrine—namely, love towards God, pity towards one's neighbour, and hatred towards thyself, who hast offended God, and offendest him every day. Wherefore every doctrine that is contrary to these three heads do thou avoid, because it is most evil.