Chapter 21
Concluding remarks
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21:1 Καλὸν
οὖν
ἐστὶν,
μαθόντα
τὰ
δικαιώματα
τοῦ
κυρίου
ὅσα
γέγραπται,
ἐν
τούτοις
περιπατεῖν. ὁ γὰρ ταῦτα ποιῶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ δοξασθήσεται· ὁ ἐκεῖνα ἐκλεγόμενος μετὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ συναπολεῖται. διὰ τοῦτο ἀνάστασις, διὰ τοῦτο ἀνταπόδομα. |
It is good, therefore, having learned the ordinances of the Lord—as many as have been written—to walk in them; for he who does these things shall be glorified in the kingdom of God, but he who chooses those other things shall perish together with his works. For this reason there is a resurrection; for this reason there is a recompense. |
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21:2 Ἐρωτῶ
τοὺς
ὑπερέχοντας,
εἴ
τινά
μου
γνώμης
ἀγαθῆς
λαμβάνετε
συμβουλίαν· ἔχετε μεθ' ἑαυτῶν εἰς οὓς ἐργάσησθε τὸ καλόν· μὴ ἐλλείπητε. | I ask those who are in high positions, if you receive any advice of good judgment from me: you have among yourselves those toward whom you may work what is good; do not fail. |
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21:3 ἐγγὺς
ἡ
ἡμέρα
ἐν
ᾗ
συναπολεῖται
πάντα
τῷ
πονηρῷ. ἐγγὺς ὁ κύριος καὶ ὁ μισθὸς αὐτοῦ. | The day is near in which all things will perish together with the Evil One; the Lord is near and His reward. |
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21:4 ἔτι
καὶ
ἔτι
ἐρωτῶ
ὑμᾶς· ἑαυτῶν γίνεσθε νομοθέται ἀγαθοί, ἑαυτῶν μένετε σύμβουλοι πιστοί, ἄρατε ἐξ ὑμῶν πᾶσαν ὑπόκρισιν. | Again and again I ask you: become good lawgivers for yourselves, remain faithful counselors to yourselves, remove all hypocrisy from among you. |
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21:5 ὁ
δὲ
θεός,
ὁ
τοῦ
παντὸς
κόσμου
κυριεύων,
δώῃ
ὑμῖν
σοφίαν,
σύνεσιν,
ἐπιστήμην,
γνῶσιν
τῶν
δικαιωμάτων
αὐτοῦ,
ὑπομονήν. | And may God, who rules over the whole world, give you wisdom, understanding, insight, knowledge of His ordinances, and patience. |
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21:6 γίνεσθε
δὲ
θεοδίδακτοι,
ἐκζητοῦντες
τί
ζητεῖ
κύριος
ἀφ'
ὑμῶν,
καὶ
ποιεῖτε
ἵνα
εὑρεθῆτε[21]
ἐν
ἡμέρᾳ
κρίσεως. | And become taught of God, seeking out what the Lord requires from you, and do it so that you may be found in the day of judgment. |
[21] Alt. text: θεῷ.
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21:7 εἰ
δέ
τίς
ἐστιν
ἀγαθοῦ
μνεία,
μνημονεύετέ
μου
μελετῶντες
ταῦτα,
ἵνα
καὶ
ἡ
ἐπιθυμία
καὶ
ἡ
ἀγρυπνία
εἴς
τι
ἀγαθὸν
χωρήσῃ. ἐρωτῶ ὑμᾶς, χάριν αἰτούμενος. |
And if there is any remembrance of good, remember me when meditating on these things, so that both my desire and my vigilance may issue in some good. I ask you, requesting a favor. |
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21:8 ἕως
ἔτι
τὸ
καλὸν
σκεῦός
ἐστιν
μεθ'
ὑμῶν,
μὴ
ἐλλείπητε
μηδενὶ
ἑαυτῶν,
ἀλλὰ
συνεχῶς
ἐκζητεῖτε
ταῦτα
καὶ
ἀναπληροῦτε
πᾶσαν
ἐντολήν· ἔστιν γὰρ ἄξια. | As long as the good vessel is still with you, fail not in any of these things for yourselves, but continually seek out these things and fulfill every commandment; for they are worthy. |
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21:9 διὸ
μᾶλλον
ἐσπούδασα
γράψαι
ἀφ'
ὧν
ἠδυνήθην,
εἰς
τὸ
εὐφρᾶναι
ὑμᾶς. σῴζεσθε, ἀγάπης τέκνα καὶ εἰρήνης. ὁ κύριος τῆς δόξης καὶ πάσης χάριτος μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν. |
Wherefore I was the more eager to write from what I was able, in order to gladden you. Fare well, children of love and peace! The Lord of glory and of all grace be with your spirit. |
Summary
In Chapter 21, the final chapter of the Epistle of Barnabas, the author brings his discourse to an affectionate and urgent conclusion.He summarizes the stark choice between the two ways: keeping the Lord’s commandments leads to glory in the kingdom of God, while choosing evil leads to destruction alongside the Evil One (ὁ πονηρός).
Pointing to the eschatological reality of the imminent return of the Lord, the resurrection, and final judgment, he exhorts believers—especially those with authority or wealth—to practice active charity, foster internal harmony, and eliminate hypocrisy.
The author prays for God to grant his readers wisdom (σοφία) and understanding (σύνεσις), encouraging them to be "taught of God" (θεοδίδακτοι).
He concludes with a personal request for their prayers while they remain in "the good vessel" (the physical body/earthly life), offering a final benediction of peace and grace.
Significant Greek Expressions
ἐγγὺς ἡ ἡμέρα ... ἐγγὺς ὁ κύριος (the day is near ... the Lord is near): Reflects the intense eschatological expectation of the early Christian community, utilizing solemn, apocalyptic language to urge immediate repentance and persistent good works.
ἑαυτῶν γίνεσθε νομοθέται ἀγαθοί (become good lawgivers for yourselves): A call for internal moral accountability, urging believers to apply God’s law to their own lives and govern their actions righteously without needing external compulsion.
θεοδίδακτοι (taught of God): A distinct early Christian concept (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:9, John 6:45) describing those who are directly instructed by God through His Spirit and Scriptures rather than relying solely on human wisdom.
τὸ καλὸν σκεῦος (the good vessel): A metaphor for the human body or mortal life on earth (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:7), emphasizing that the present life is the critical, fleeting window of opportunity to perform good works and fulfill God’s commandments.
σώζεσθε, ἀγάπης τέκνα καὶ εἰρήνης (Fare well, children of love and peace): A warm epistolary farewell blending the traditional Greek formula (σώζεσθε, "farewell/be saved") with characteristically Christian designations of community identity (children of love and peace).