So let me welcome you once again to Islam and focus. Today’s program inshallah will be our 18th in our series, Mohammed grace, messenger of Allah May peace be upon him and our 12th on the coming of Muhammad, as foretold by Jesus peace be upon him.
We will continue to live with the discussion of the Gospel of Barnabas. I’m your host in Shawnee Mission here once again from St. Mary’s University, is Dr. Joe beda. Pastor when I come back to Germany, for the benefit of our viewers, could we have a compact summary of last week’s program very compact, we continued the discussion of the critique of the Gospel of Barnabas. And its authorship, especially discussion of those who claim that it was a forgery written by a renegade from Christianity. And we give more than one reason why this could not be a correct and justifiable criticism. One, that there have been many Muslim writers over the centuries wrote about Muslim
Christian dialogues and issues of difference of understanding. But none of them refer to the Gospel of Barnabas, which would have provided the greatest and the most documented response.
Secondly, that historically, we know that there have been many books that were
prohibited by the church. And the name of the Gospel According to Barnabas, of the Gospel of Barnabas appears on those lists and some of those lists grow as much as maybe 17 170 years before even the birth of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.
And then we discussed also a little bit, we began actually to discuss some of the information derived from a study by usif, on the Dead Sea Scrolls, that might shed some light on the Gospel of Barnabas. And we indicated that he says, that there are lots of scenic terminology in the Gospel of Barnabas,
which shows that the writer was perhaps of that time, the time of Jesus peace be upon him. And it was It is impossible actually, for anyone to force that gospel. And sure, that great deal of familiarity with a cynic terminology knowing that the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, or were discovered in the 20th century 1947 and translated even at the research time, so to say that the writer or author could have been a Muslim or congressman seem to be very, very, very weak down to criticize. Now, the author give specific examples of such ischaemic terminology. Yes, he does. In fact,
he went into some detail, studying the Dead Sea Scrolls and comparing some of those comments in the knology. For example, He says that in the scenes manual of discipline, chapter eight verses one through 19, he says that those group the this Jewish sect, call themselves actually the elect of God. And it says that is used in Barnabas, especially in chapter 52. In the same manual of discipline, it indicates also that anyone who blatantly deviates from their teaching should not be allowed to come into contact with the purity enjoyed by the holy men. This again, are a source of a cynic terminology that appears very similar in Barnabas, the holy ones,
in their writings also on their hands. They speak repeatedly about God eliminating the face of his servant, or shining his light in their hearts. And he said that this kind of terminology,
bear striking resemblance to the gospel of Barnett, especially chapters 78 in chapter one or nine. In addition to this, he says that,
by comparison, if you examine the canonized gospels, whose language he says is more hellenized not cynic terminology, more hellenized we find that the Gospel of Barnabas uses scenic terminology, much more extensively than the canonized Gospels. He gives specific examples of this. He says, for example, that the scenic terminology or term Holy One of God notices Holy One of God, that appeared 36 times in the Gospel of Barnabas, and appear only twice in all the Greek Gospels.
That’s really me
commended ensures richness and familiarity with their seek to knowledge, that acidic term term elect of God, which we mentioned before, he says it appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls 23 times 30, which appears also in the Dead Sea Scrolls, appears 23 times in the Gospel of Barnabas, but appears only seven times in all three synoptic gospels.
Now, that seems to indicate the relationship that some scholars believe between Prophet Jesus peace be upon him and the disciples with their sins, which is a much more viable assumption than assuming their relationship to Hellenism. And the most important part, of course, is that this in itself, this information seems to give what you might call close to a conclusive, if not a conclusive evidence that the gospel was not a product of the 14th century, but goes back to the very first century Christianity
for the benefit of our viewers who are not familiar with the machines, who are they, and maybe you can also comment on their relationship to Jesus and peace be upon him,
I would have to differ in this to that very interesting study by yourself, the Dead Sea Scrolls Gospel of Barnabas and the New Testament in which you provide a good summary of that, and I think that would meet our needs. First of all, he indicates that the enemies of the Jews tried to humanize them, beginning with Alexander the Great in the fourth century, before Jesus peace be upon him.
And he said that in spite of the initial resistance to this hellenization, the Jews were divided, some of them sort of accepted hellenization others refuse that rejected it. And they always thought of themselves to be more faithful to the religion of Abraham.
In the year 168, before the Christian era, there was a Jewish revolt against this imposed. Hellenism. And that’s mentioned, by the way documented in the first maccabean in the Bible, and they had victory over their adversaries but after a great deal of sacrifice in Jerusalem,
but a number of Jews, however, preferred prior to that revolution are revoked. 168,
they prefer to leave what they perceive as corrupted conditions in Jerusalem. And they prefer to leave ascetic life in the desert, preventing it to die in the desert than to remain in this atmosphere. And these people were known as the machines.
Some of those machines lived in the northern part of Palestine, and established some settlements there. And there they encountered other groups also who had or carried similar kinds of beliefs, if not, even though it’s not really identical. And these people were living according to the old, ascetic, nurturing way of life.
In spite of this, we find that some of those scenes went to the area of the Qumran which is near the Dead Sea, in what is now Jordan. And they have beliefs, which are very similar to what was discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Some of the scholars believed that Jesus peace be upon him, was identified with those scenes. And in fact, the way he lived also seem to resemble the ascetic way of life that they chose for themselves. And that might possibly explain the abundance of acidic terminology and Barnabas and the Gospel of Barnabas, and again gives an additional evidence that that gospel could have not possibly been a product of the Middle Ages, where the Dead Sea Scrolls
were not known at all was not discovered yet.
But perhaps could really go back to the roots of Christianity to Jesus peace be upon himself and his follower. Barnabas what is even more important is that the Dead Sea Scrolls which were discovered, as indicated in 1947, it seems to indicate and that’s a very surprising thing that I found out that they were expecting to Messiah not one, this has been all employee discussed in the volume it refers to and we find evidence directly even in the Gospel of Barnabas. Do you have any Do you have any specific citations? From the desk? He scrolls? Yes. As an example, to show the expectation of the Messiah. Okay, again in the volume by usage, he
indicates
that in the Dead Sea Scrolls
The volume or the document node has manual manual of discipline chapters nine, verses eight through 11. It says that we can find or three is a confusing reference to the coming of two messiahs.
For example, in that document we read until the coming of the Prophet and both the priestly and named messiahs. These men are not to depart from the tree, clear intent of the law.
So the the this is the manual of distance. In other words they talk about to Messiah is coming.
The same ideas even expressed more explicitly in another document called the Zaboo kiat document in chapter 14, verse 18, retreats and these in specific form are the regulations which they are to follow throughout the era of wickedness until
the priestly and lay messiahs in Florida
until the priest and a Messiah has entered upon their office and experience their inequities. The thing which really interesting, and that basic theme of the two messiahs, which appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls, very ancient document, is also repeated in the Gospel of Barnabas. In chapter 82, where Jesus is quoted in an answer to one woman court, I am indeed sent to the house of Israel as a prophet of salvation, but after me, shall come the Messiah sent of God to all the world.
Now, are there any other chapters in the Gospel of darkness, which speaks of the two messiahs that were expected? Indeed there are. And if we have time,
we can even read some direct quotations out maybe there’s for the first one is a bit shorter than the next one, the next one is a bit longer. But in chapter 17, for example, in the Gospel of Barnabas, there is one section there, which would be of interest, say, Jesus answered,
there are written in the prophets many parables, Wherefore You ought not to attend to the lectures, but to the sense for all the profits that are 144,000, whom God has sent into the world have spoken directly, but after me, shall come the splendor of all the prophets, and holy ones,
and shed shed light upon the darkness of all, that the prophets have said, because he is the messenger of God.
And having said this, Jesus sighed, and said, Have mercy on Israel, or Lord God, and look with pity upon Abraham, and upon his seeds, in order that they may serve the with truth of, of the heart, or truth of heart. That’s one condition. Another one is really an interesting conversation with Prophet Jesus peace be upon him, according to Barnabas, which appears in chapters 9697.
And it is like this. When the prayer was ended, the priest said with a loud voice, stay Jesus, for we need to know who you are, for the quietness of our nation. Jesus answered, I am Jesus, son of Mary, of the seed of David. Amen, that is mortal, and fierce God. And I seek that To God be given honor and glory.
The priests answered
in the book of Moses, it is written, that our God must send us a Messiah, who shall come to announce to us that which God wills, and can bring to the word, the mercy of God. Therefore, I pray you, I’m just changing this experience English to make it more fluent, I pray you, tell us the truth. Are You the Messiah of God, whom we expect? Jesus answered,
It is true that God has so promised, but indeed, I am not here, for he is made before me, and shall come after me. The priest answered, by your word, words and science, at any rate, we believe you to be a prophet, and Holy One of God. Wherefore I pray D or a train you in the name of all Judea and Israel, that you for love of God shouldn’t
should tell us
in what why is, the Messiah will come.
Jesus answered, as God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, I am not the Messiah, who all the tribes of the earth, expect, even as God promised to our father Abraham, saying, God invited when I bless all the tribes of the earth. But when God shall take me away from the world, Satan will raise
again. This occurs sedition, by making the employers believe that I am God, and Son of God, once my words and my doctrine shall be contaminated, in so much, that scarcely said they remain 35th once were upon, God will have mercy upon the world. And he will send His Messenger for whom he has made all things, who shall come from the south, with power from the south, notice, yes, that was the first time that that’s Arabic, and shall destroy the idols with the idolaters, who shall take away the Dominion from Satan, which he has over men, he shall bring with him, the mercy of God, for salvation of them, that shall believe in him. And blessed is he who shall believe in his words,
continue with 97, please.
And then just skip the first part to shorten this a little bit to change when Jesus said, with your words, I’m not concerned at this in particular with him, because where do you hope for light, darkness shall come, but my consolation is in the coming of the messenger, who shall destroy every false opinion of me.
And his faith shall spread, and shall take hold of the whole world. For so has got promised to Abraham, our Father, and that which gives me consolation is that his faith shall have no end, but shall be kept invited by God. The priest answered, after the coming of the Messenger of God, shall other prophets come. Jesus answered, there shall not come after him, through prophets sent by God, I should stop here indicate that he was that you will be the last prophet, the zero prophets. And then he continues, but there shall come a great number of false prophets, where as I sorrow, for Satan, cherish them, shall raise them up by the just judgment of God. And they should they did, sorry, and
they shall hide themselves under the pretext of my gospel harrowed answers, how is it is just judgment of God, that such embarrassment should come? Jesus answered, It is just that he who will not believe in the truth, to his salvation, should believe in a lie to his damnation.
Wherefore I say unto you, that the world has ever despised the true prophets, and love the false
as can be seen in the time of mica, and Jeremiah, for every like, loves his like, Ben, said the priest, how should the Messiah be called, and what science shadow reveals is coming, Jesus answered, the name of the Messiah is admirable, admirable, for God Himself, gave him the name, when he had created his soul, and placed it in a celestial splendor. God said, Wait, Mohammed,
that’s not my translation. That’s the translation by Reverend Rex, wait, Mohammed.
For for the sake, I will,
to create paradise, the words and a great multitude of creatures where I make V or make you a present
in so much that whoso shall bless you shall be blessed, and also shall curse you shall be cursed, when I shall send you into the world. I said, send you as my messenger of salvation. And your word shall be true in so much that heavens and earth shall fail, but your faith shall never fail. Mohammed is his blessed name. Then the crowd lifted up their voices saying, Oh God, send us your messenger, or Mohammed, come quickly, for the salvation of the world.
By the way,
this notion of a successor to Jesus May peace be upon him compare with the New Testament.
Okay, we must be aware to begin with, as many biblical scholars themselves have pointed out that some of the writers of the New Testament, and in particular, Matthew was very much interested in trying to see any prophecy in the Old Testament, applied and fulfilled in Jesus so that there is nobody to come after him. But biblical scholars also many of them, at least, are aware of the fact that the writing of some portions of the New Testament was made in response to theological arguments and in support of one theological school, or the other. And of course, the idea of Jesus being the ultimate the last one, no one to come after him, definitely might have affected the attitudes of
trying to show that nobody really is coming after Jesus peace be upon him.
Take, for example, what happened with john the baptist, when he came, the reference of that are found in the canonized gospels, for example, in john chapter one, verses 19, through 28. In Mark chapter one, verses one through eight in Matthew chapter three, the first 12 verses in Luke, chapter three, the first 18 verses. Now if you check on these, you find that there’s, there are some
basic similarities between them. But that’s understandable, because we are told that mark is likely to be the first and oldest of the gospels, Matthew and Luke based the writing on mark, and john was written much later. So he basically perhaps already must have been aware also of the information in this three synoptic gospels.
So there are some similarities Yes, to begin with. And if you compare this in references I give to the canonized gospels with the Gospel of Barnabas in chapter 42. You find amazing similarity with the stories in the Synoptic Gospels, with one basic difference, that the words that are attributed to Jesus peace be upon him, in the canonized gospels are, in fact attributed are the words attributed to john john the baptist, are attributed to Jesus himself in the Gospel of Barnabas, and that has a great deal of significance. Because to begin with,
central the viewers have access to the Bible, it’s available everywhere, but not too many have access to the Gospel of Barnabas.
I’ll read a little portion from chapter 42
of the Gospel of Barnabas, which I think for many of our Christian Brethren, it would sound quite familiar from the knowledge of the of the Gospels, in 32.
Again, I hope it can be that long to read, it’s not very long anyway. It says, Then the disciples wept after this discourse. And Jesus was weeping when they saw many who came to find him, for the chiefs of the priests to counsel among themselves to catch him in his talk. Wherefore they sent the violets and some of the scribes to question him saying, Who are you? By the way the questioning of the john the baptist?
According to canonize gospel, appealing john chapter one, verses 19 through 28. But again, the interesting part is that what is put in the mouth of john the baptist in the canonized gospels is in fact, in the mouth of Jesus, according to Bernard, this is a very interesting
comparison. It says Jesus not confessed, and said, That’s true. I am not the Messiah. They said, Are you Elijah or Jeremiah? or any of the ancient prophets? Jesus answer’s no. Then said they, who are you say, in order that we may give testimony to those who sent us? Then said, Jesus, I am a voice that cries through our Judea, and cries prepare you the way for the messenger of the Lord,
for the Lord as the gospel, even as it is written in Isaiah.
They said, If you be not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor any Prophet, Wherefore Do you preach new doctrine and make yourself have more account than the Messiah? Jesus answered, the miracles which God works by his hands, sure that I speak that which God wills nor indeed, Do I make myself to be accounted as him of whom you speak, for I am not worthy to unloose the ties of the hosen or the lead ship of the shoes of the Messenger of God, whom you called Messiah who was made before me and
Come after me, and send bring the word of truth so that his faith shall have no end. benevides and scribes departed in confusion and recounted all to the chiefs of the priests who said, he has the devil on his back, who recounts all of him, Then said Jesus to His disciples, verily I say unto you, That that she is and the elders of our people seek occasions against me. Then said, Peter, therefore, go not you anymore into Jerusalem, therefore said Jesus unto him, you are foolish, and no is not what you say. For it is necessary that I should suffer many prosecutions, because so have suffered all the prophets and the holy ones of God, but fear not, for there be that are with us, and
there be that are against us. And having said this, Jesus departed and went to the Mount travelers to a B or R. And they’re ascended with him, Peter and James and john, his brother, with him who writes this, that means burners were upon their shown a great light above them, and his government became white like snow, and his face glistened as the sun. And lo, there came Moses and Elijah, speaking with Jesus concerning all that needs, must come upon our race, and upon the holy city. Peter
spoke just about finished, Lord, it is good to be here. Therefore, if you will, we will make you three tabernacles, one for the and one for Moses and the other for Elijah. And why they staked, they were covered with a white cloud. And they heard a voice saying, Behold, my servant, in who I am well pleased, he is you him. The disciples were filled with fear, and fell with their faces upon the earth as dead. Jesus went down and visited his disciples say, feared not, for God loves you, and has done this in order that you may believe
