Epistle of Barnabas 14

1Yes, truly. But concerning the covenant that he swore to the fathers to give to the people, let us see whether he has actually given it. He has given it, but they themselves were not found worthy to receive it because of their sins. For the prophet says, “And Moses fasted on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights, so that he might receive the covenant of the Lord to give to the people. And [Moses] received from the Lord the two tablets, which were written by the finger of the Lord’s hand in the spirit.” And Moses took them and brought them down to give them to the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Moses, Moses, go down quickly, for your people, whom you led out of the land of Egypt, have acted wickedly.” And Moses realized that they had again made cast-metal images for themselves, and he threw the tablets from his hands, and the tablets of the Lord’s covenant were shattered. Moses received them, but they themselves were not found worthy. But how did we receive them? Notice this: Moses received them as a servant, but the Lord himself gave them to us to be the people of his inheritance, having patiently endured for our sakes. But he was revealed so that, at the same time, they might be brought to completion in their sins, and we might receive the covenant through him who inherited it, namely the Lord Jesus. He was prepared beforehand for this purpose, so that by appearing in person he might redeem from darkness our hearts, which had already been handed over to death and delivered up to the iniquity of error, and so establish the covenant in us through the word. For it is written how the Father commands him to deliver us from darkness and to prepare a holy people for himself. Therefore the prophet says, “I, the Lord your God, called you in righteousness. I will take hold of your hand and strengthen you. I have given you as a covenant for the race, a light to the Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring those who are bound out from their chains, and those who sit in darkness out from their prison house.” We understand, then, from where we were ransomed. Again the prophet says, “Behold, I have appointed you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.” Thus says the Lord who ransomed you, namely God. Again the prophet says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore he anointed me to proclaim good news to the humble. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of repayment, and to comfort all who mourn.”