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The Epistle of Barnabas
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Chapter 13: Christians, Not Jews, Are the Heirs of the Covenant
LET US DETERMINE WHETHER THESE PEOPLE ARE THE HEIRS: or if the covenant belongs to others. Listen now to what the Scripture says about the people. Isaac prayed for Rebekah, his wife, because she was unable to have children, and she conceived.
Moreover, Rebekah went to inquire of the Lord; and the Lord told her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will come from your body; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” You should understand who Isaac and Rebekah were and about whom He declared that this people would be greater than the other.
In another prophecy, Jacob speaks more clearly to his son Joseph, saying, “Behold, the Lord has not deprived me of your presence; bring your sons to me so that I may bless them.” Joseph brought Manasseh and Ephraim, wanting Manasseh to be blessed because he was the elder. With this intention, Joseph led him to the right hand of his father Jacob.
But Jacob, seeing in spirit the type of people to arise later, changed the direction of his hands and placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, the second and younger, and blessed him.
Joseph said to Jacob, “Move your right hand to Manasseh's head, for he is my first-born son.” And Jacob said, “I know, my son, I know; but the elder will serve the younger, although he, too, will be blessed.” You see on whom he laid his hands, that this people should be first and heir of the covenant. If, moreover, the same thing was signaled through Abraham, we reach the perfection of our knowledge. What, then, does He say to Abraham? “Because you have believed, it is credited to you as righteousness: behold, I have made you the father of the nations who believe in the Lord while in a state of uncircumcision.”
Hear the Scriptures cited in The Epistle of Barnabas
The Epistle of Barnabas quotes or alludes to these Bible chapters more than any others. Each link opens the free audio Bible, where the chapter is read aloud alongside the text, cross-references, and what other early Christian writers said about it.
- Hear James 1 (audio Bible) — cited 3 times in this work
- Hear Psalms 22 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Psalms 118 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Isaiah 1 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Daniel 7 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear John 12 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Romans 1 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Romans 2 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Hebrews 9 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Genesis 14 (audio Bible)
- Hear Genesis 22 (audio Bible)
- Hear Genesis 25 (audio Bible)