Barnabas' GospelProphecies About the Prophet of Islam A Book used in Opposing Christianity. Who was Barnabas?The name Barnabas carries a wonderful meaning, which is "Son of Encouragement". Surely we all need encouragement. Barnabas lived in the days of Christ. He was the source of encouragement to Paul, the apostle of Christ. He helped Paul in his transformation from being a murderer of the followers of Christ to being martyred because of his witness to the true message of Christ and His salvation for humankind. The Discovery of the Gospel of BarnabasThe book was found in the year 1709, its cover in Eastern style, and in its margin were explanations and comments in the Arabic language. By examining the paper and ink used in this book, it was found that it related to a very recent time, the 15th or 16th century after Christ, which was a time when the Arabs were dominating Spain, calling it Andalos. In the Spanish copy of this book was found a Spanish name, common at the time, which was Mostafa of Aranda. Could he be the writer of this gospel? The fact that the book was called "The Gospel of Barnabas" has impressed and led astray some among both Christians and Moslems, but the attempt has failed, as it has been demolished by the words of the scholars. In the acknowledged writings ("Morug Al Thahab", by Massoudi, and also "The Beginning and the End" by the Imam Emad Al Din, and "Al Qawl Al Ebreez", by the scholar Ahmed Al Muqreezy) these Moslem scholars recorded that the Holy Book of the Christians was written only by four: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Quotes from The Gospel of BarnabasQuote: "Adam, .. saw .. writing .., which said: "There is only one God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God" .. Then said God: "..he whom you have seen [mentioned] is your son, who shall come into the world many years hence" .. Weeping, he (Adam) said: "May it be pleasing to God, O my son, that you come quickly and draw us out of misery" .. The angel of the Lord comforted them, saying: "Behold, I announce to you a great joy, for there is born in the city of David (Jerusalem) a child (Christ) who is a prophet of the Lord, who brings great salvation."" (Ch.39 vv.14-19, ch.41 v.34, and ch.4 vv.4-6) Comment: It sounds like the writer is unconfident of who should save Adam and his offspring, and where that saviour should come from. **************************** Quote: (ch.43: 25-30) The book's writer claims that David described the Prophet as Lord – an expression referring to God. Comment: By doing that the writer shows that David was blaspheming (Kafer). **************************** Quote: "Christ said: "I am not worthy to unloose the ties .. of the shoes of the Messenger of God whom you call Messiah ..I have confessed also that I am not the Messiah, .. I desire to serve God's Messenger whom you call Messiah."" (ch.42 v.15, ch.198 v.17, and ch.206 v.5) Comment: The writer falsely claims that Christ is not the Messiah, whereas both Islam and Christianity claim that the Messiah is Christ. (Al Omran 45 and Al Nissaa 171) **************************** Quote: (ch.42 v.15, and ch.72 v.13), The book's writer ascribes words to Christ about a prophet coming after him, when in fact it was John the Baptist who spoke these words about Christ. Comment: The writer ignores the existence of John the Baptist, in spite of the Christian and the Moslem belief in John the prophet who leaped for joy in his mother's womb when Mary visited her while pregnant with Christ. **************************** Quote: "The heavens are nine and that they are distant from one another even as the first heaven is distant from the earth, .. five hundred years' journey." (ch.105 v.3) Comment: That doesn't fit with the Bible or with Islam, which teach that the heavens are only seven. (Al Esraa 44) **************************** Quote: "Let a man content himself with the wife whom his creator has given him, and let him forget every other woman." (ch.115 v.18) Comment: This contradicts the polygamy in Islam. **************************** Quote: "The virgin was surrounded by an exceedingly bright light, and brought forth her son without pain." (ch.3 v.9,10) Comment: The writer claims that Mary gave birth without pain, although he admitted her exhaustion after traveling from the city of Nazareth to the city of Bethlehem, not finding appropriate shelter or refuge for herself or for her child, Christ. (ch.3 v.6). He also contradicts with what is rational and with the Quraan (Sura Mariam 23). **************************** Quote: "When Christ had arrived, the men .. beseeched him for the dead man, that he being a prophet should raise him up .. Then Christ feared greatly, and turning himself to God, said: "Take me from the world, O Lord, for the world is mad." (ch.47: 5-10) Comment: Neither Christians nor Moslems agree about the writer's words that make Christ afraid of doing what God commissioned Him to do. **************************** Quote: "God said to the followers of Satan: "Repent you, and recognize me as God, your creator." They answered: "We regret having given you any reverence, for that you are not just; but Satan is just."" (ch.35 v.22-24) Comment: The writer slanders God by saying that creatures would behave with such disrespect when facing their creator. **************************** Quote: "Satan spat up that mass of earth, and that spittle the angel Gabriel lifted up with some earth, so that therefore now man has the navel in his belly." (ch.35 vv.26,27) Comment: How can Satan spit if he isn't a human? And it is known that the navel is where the fetus connects to the mother. Since Adam didn't have a mother then he didn't have a navel. **************************** Quote: "For even as God receives the slaughter of men as sacrifice, so received he the lie for praise." (ch.161 v.10) Comment: The writer suggests that God accepts murder and lies as long as it is for his benefit. I wonder what the benefit is to the writer of such lies! **************************** Quote: "Judas was so changed .. to be like Christ .. and the soldiers took Judas, and bound him, with derision. For he said .. "I am Judas Iscariot, and not Christ, who is a magician, and he has so transformed me."" (ch.216 v.4 and 217 vv.1,46) Comment: The writer suggested that God played a cheap trick on the soldiers in order to rescue Christ. Also he made Christ a retaliator and a magician, which contradicts with what we know about the purity and sovereignty of God, and also the love and self-giving of Christ. **************************** Quote: "There they crucified Judas naked .. crying out: "God, why have you forsaken me?"" (ch.217 vv.78,80) Comment: It's ridiculous of the writer to suggest that Judas questioned why God had forsaken him, when it is mentioned in the same book that he planned to betray Christ. **************************** Quote: "Satan .. knew that God of that mass of earth was to create man, .. and that one day God will make Satan revere that earth." (ch.35 vv.8,9) Comment: The writer attributed omniscience to Satan, when it's only God who is omniscient. **************************** Quote: "Whereupon there shone a great light above him, and his garments became white like snow .. and they heard (God's) voice saying: "Behold my servant, in whom I am well pleased; hear you him .. Christ answered: "May .. I receive punishment of God, because I have not served him so faithfully."" (ch.42 vv.28-36 and ch.198 v.14) Comment: The writer portrayed Christ as distrusting God's judgment. **************************** Quote: "Christ said: "He .. is mad ..You will be mad .. the world is mad .. Ah, mad world! .. mad .. are you, O man .. You are become foolish, O Barnabas."" (ch.26 v.3, ch.47 v.10, ch.74 v.18, ch.77 v.6, ch.88 v.18) Comment: It's impossible that these inappropriate words which the writer mentions would come from the Christ who we know. **************************** Quote: "Barnabas secretly questioned Christ with tears, saying: "O master, will Satan deceive me, and shall I then become condemned?"" Comment: Do these words express what was on the writer's conscience while putting together his suspicious book? **************************** Adding to all these mistakes of the writer there are so many historical and geographical faults, which suggests that the writer was never a contemporary of Christ. And this also shows that the writer never lived in Palestine. This surely proves the forgery of that book, especially when we know that it was found in a relatively recent era. There wasn't any quoting of that book in any early religious writings, even in the books which haven't been approved as being divinely inspired. So it is up to every sincere searcher to discover the falseness of the call of those who hang on such a forged book, like that of Barnabas. Do they believe that the divine gospel has been on Barnabas or on Christ or on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? |
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