Episode 6 Apostolic Fathers Epistle of Barnabas

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]What if one of the earliest Christian writings after the apostles showed us exactly how the first believers understood the Old Testament? That writing is known as the Epistle of Barnabas. We know almost nothing about the author's personal life. The letter claims to be written by Barnabas, the companion of the Apostle Paul, but most scholars believe it was written by an anonymous teacher in Alexandria or Syria sometime between AD 70 and 132. Likely after the destruction of the temple in AD 70. The author shows deep knowledge of both Jewish and Christian thought. He writes with great zeal and a strong desire to prove that Jesus is the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament.

[00:00:39]He uses a very allegorical method, seeing almost every detail in the Old Testament as a hidden picture pointing to Christ. For example, he taught that the Jewish food laws were never really about clean and unclean animals, but about avoiding people with certain sinful behaviors. He saw the story of Abraham offering Isaac as a clear prophecy of Jesus' sacrifice. One of the most striking parts is his strong warning against returning to Judaism after becoming a Christian. He believed the old covenant had been replaced by the new. Interestingly, the Epistle of Barnabas was included in the famous Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest complete Bibles in existence, 4th century. For a time, many Christians treated it as almost scripture. However, it was eventually not included in the final New Testament canon because church leaders decided it was not written by an apostle or their direct companion, and some of its teachings were considered too allegorical. Despite not making it into the Bible, this letter gives us an incredibly valuable window into how the very first generations after the apostles understood their faith and read the Old Testament. This is episode 7 of the new series Apostolic Fathers, Voices from the generation after the apostles.

[00:01:52]Which insight from the Epistle of Barnabas surprised you the most? Drop it in the comments. Smash that like button if you want more from this series and follow Heroes of Unshaken Faith. Next episode, series finale, what the Apostolic Fathers can teach us today.

[00:02:07]See you there.