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Biblical Inspiration and the Canon: How We Got the Bible

...pistle of Barnabas, were highly respected but ultimately not included in the New Testament. Why? 1 Clement was written by Clement of Rome, an early church leader likely taught by the apostles. However, it was more of a pastoral letter encouraging church unity rather than a divinely inspired revelation. While it was highly valued, it did not carry the same apostolic authority as the New Testament writings. The Epistle of Barnabas was traditionally attributed to Barnabas, Paul’s companion, but its authorship is uncertain. Additionally, it contains theological interpretations that go beyond apostolic teaching, particularly in its extreme allegorical reading o...

Was Jesus worshipped in the New Testament?

...Paul and Barnabas Resist the Temptation When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “People, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you... In the city of Lystra, amidst mistaken identity, Paul and Barnabas adamantly rejected worship, tearing their clothes to redirect attention to the living God. This episode serves as a strong reminder of the exclusivity of divine worship and that it should never be directed towards other humans. 3. Revelation 22:8-9 - The Angel's Directive And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to...

The Coming of Jesus: Our Future Hope - What Now?

...pistle of Barnabas conveys it well: The sabbaths, that now are, are not acceptable unto me, but that which I have made is, even that in which, after that I have brought all things to an end, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, which thing is the beginning of another world. Wherefore we keep the eighth day as a day of gladness, on which also Jesus rose from the dead, and after he had appeared ascended unto heaven. Barnabas 15:8,9   An unexpected twist After an exploration through Revelation, comparing and contrasting with the Olivet Discourse and historical accounts, I found myself discovering things I didn't expect. Up to this point I was beco...

How many apostles are there in the New Testament?

...ans 1:19 Barnabas – Acts 14:14 Apollos – 1 Corinthians 4:6-9 ("...us apostles..." v.9) Timothy and Silvanus – 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:7 Epaphroditus – Philippians 2:25.  While some Bibles translate the word as “messenger”, the Greek word apostolon is actually “apostle” (as in other places – see endnote). Two unnamed apostles – 2 Corinthians 8:23 Again, this is translating apostolon as "messenger" rather than “apostle”. This should make around 21 apostles now, including the Twelve and Paul. (22 if you count Judas as an original apostle before his betrayal). There are then potentially two more in Romans 16:7, Andronicus and Junias, w...

Man-Made Tradition vs Apostolic Tradition

...pistle of Barnabas and 1 Clement. Later on, other books such as the Letter to Diognetus; the Shepherd of Hermas and the Didache were also included or widely read and used for teaching. Better still, all of these texts still survive today and can be read and consulted as a modern way to seek to learn from apostolic tradition, since we can no longer just pop to the Ephesus church and enquire after the things John taught, or go to Corinth and ask after the things Paul which weren’t written down. You can view each of these letters by clicking the corresponding links above. The references to apostolic traditions and the writings of those who followed and succeed...

Did the Early Church invent the Trinity?

...pistle of Barnabas (~70–96) and the letters of Ignatius (108–110) long before Nicaea codified the terminology. Not only are these very early texts, but the authors are links back to the Apostles themselves, having sat under, and learnt from them. Could they have got such a core belief wrong so soon after learning from Paul or John? It’s highly unlikely. So, to display this as plainly as possible, and to act as a proof against those who would like to rewrite history and say that “the Church invented the Trinity/deity of Christ at Nicaea”, below is a large selection of quotes from Apostolic period onward showing that Christians everywhere for all time ha...