Chapter 20
Way of darkness
|
20:1 Ἡ
δὲ
τοῦ
μέλανος
ὁδός
ἐστιν
σκολιὰ
καὶ
κατάρας
μεστή. ὁδὸς γάρ ἐστιν[19] θανάτου αἰωνίου μετὰ τιμωρίας, ἐν ᾗ ἐστιν τὰ ἀπολλύντα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν· εἰδωλολατρεία, θρασύτης, ὕψος δυνάμεως, ὑπόκρισις, διπλοκαρδία, μοιχεία, φόνος, ἁρπαγή, ὑπερηφανία, παράβασις, δόλος, κακία, αὐθάδεια, φαρμακεία, μαγεία, πλεονεξία, ἀφοβία θεοῦ· |
Now the Way of the Black One [the Devil] is crooked and full of a curse.
For it is a way of eternal death with punishment, in which are the things that destroy their soul: idolatry, audacity, the loftiness of power, hypocrisy, double-heartedness, adultery, murder, robbery, arrogance, transgression, deceit, malice, stubbornness, sorcery, magic, greed, lack of the fear of God. |
[19] Alt. text: ὅλος instead of ὁδὸς γάρ ἐστιν.
| 20:2 διῶκται τῶν ἀγαθῶν, μισοῦντες ἀλήθειαν, ἀγαπῶντες ψεῦδος, οὐ γινώσκοντες μισθὸν δικαιοσύνης, οὐ κολλώμενοι ἀγαθῷ, οὐ κρίσει δικαίᾳ, χήρᾳ καὶ ὀρφανῷ οὐ προσέχοντες, ἀγρυπνοῦντες οὐκ εἰς φόβον θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ ἐπὶ τὸ πονηρόν, ὧν μακρὰν καὶ πόρρω πραΰτης καὶ ὑπομονή, ἀγαπῶντες μάταια, διώκοντες ἀνταπόδομα, οὐκ ἐλεῶντες πτωχόν, οὐ πονοῦντες ἐπὶ καταπονουμένῳ, εὐχερεῖς ἐν καταλαλιᾷ, οὐ γινώσκοντες τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτούς, φονεῖς τέκνων, φθορεῖς πλάσματος θεοῦ, ἀποστρεφόμενοι τὸν ἐνδεόμενον, καταπονοῦντες τὸν θλιβόμενον, πλουσίων παράκλητοι, πενήτων ἄνομοι κριταί, πανθαμάρτητοι.[20] | Persecutors of the good, hating truth, loving a lie, not knowing the reward of righteousness, not cleaving to what is good, not holding to righteous judgment, giving no heed to the widow and the orphan, keeping awake not for the fear of God but for what is evil, from whom gentleness and patience are far and distant, loving vanities, pursuing rewards, not showing mercy to the poor, not laboring for the oppressed, quick to slander, not knowing the One who made them, murderers of children, corrupters of God’s creation, turning away from the needy, oppressing the afflicted, advocates of the rich, lawless judges of the poor, utterly sinful. |
[20] Alt. text: πανταμάρτητοι
Summary
In Chapter 20 of the Epistle of Barnabas, the author presents the counterpart to the Way of Light: the Way of the Black One (Ἡ τοῦ μέλανος ὁδός), which represents the Way of Darkness and death.The chapter consists of a dense, cataloged list of vices, evil attitudes, and unjust actions that lead to eternal condemnation.
The author details three main categories of sin:
Personal Virtuelessness and Idolatry: Including sorcery (φαρμακεία), hypocrisy, greed, pride, and lack of reverence for God.
Social and Moral Injustice: Oppressing the poor, turning away the needy, serving as bias advocates for the rich, refusing mercy to widows and orphans, and murdering children (abortion/infanticide).
Spiritual Darkness: Active hatred of truth, persecution of good people, and total alienation from God as Creator.
Significant Greek Expressions
Ἡ τοῦ μέλανος ὁδός (The Way of the Black One): A vivid early Christian designation for Satan/the Devil (ὁ μέλας, "the Black One"), emphasizing his dark, deceptive, and destructive realm in contrast to the divine light.
σκολιὰ καὶ κατάρας μεστή (crooked and full of a curse): Characterizes the path of evil as bent/perverted (σκολιά, contrasting with straight righteousness) and laden with divine judgment (κατάρα).
διπλοκαρδία (double-heartedness): Denotes hypocrisy and insincerity—having a divided allegiance or masked motives rather than single-minded devotion (ἁπλότης) to God.
φαρμακεία, μαγεία (sorcery, magic): Explicit prohibitions against occult practices, potions, and demonic magic commonly condemned in early Christian codes (cf. Galatians 5:20; Didache 2:2).
φονεῖς τέκνων, φθορεῖς πλάσματος θεοῦ (murderers of children, corrupters of God’s creation): Re-emphasizes the condemnation of abortion and infanticide/exposure, framing human offspring directly as the handiwork/creation (πλάσμα) of God.
πλουσίων παράκλητοι, πενήτων ἄνομοι κριταί (advocates of the rich, lawless judges of the poor): Condemns social corruption and judicial partiality where the legal system protects the wealthy while oppressing the vulnerable.
πανθαμάρτητοι (utterly sinful / altogether sinful): A comprehensive compound term summarizing those who walk this path as saturated in every form of sin.