Published in the Egyptian gazette on 17\11\2006

Teacher of the teachers

The Gospel of Barnabas, which is not recognized by the churches, contains many prophecies about a prophet descended from Ishmael. He was a prophet sent to all peoples of the earth, and he was named as Mohamed. Some of these prophecies were not fulfilled others were incorrect. This assures that Muslims had not written this Gospel, as the church claims, and that whoever wrote this Gospel did not live at the time of prophet Mohammad (PBUH) or any time after him. The manuscript of that Gospel of Barnabas which is now in a public library in Vienna, was never handled by Arabs. With the exception of a Muslim, who cannot be said to have been an Arab, who wrote translations and comments in the margins of the manuscript, there is no evidence that any Muslim had seen this manuscript before it was translated into English by Mr. And Mrs. Ragg in the beginning of the 18^th century.

In Barnabas 43: 20- 31 “James answered: ‘O master, tell us in whom this promise was made; for the Jews say “in Isaac” and the Ishmaelite say “ in Ishmael.”’ Jesus answered ‘David, whose son was he, and of what lineage? James answered: ‘Of Isaac; for Isaac was father of Jacob, and Jacob was father of Judah of whose lineage is David.’ Then said Jesus ‘and the messenger of God when he shall come, of what lineage will he be?’ The disciples answered: ‘of David’ Whereupon Jesus said: ‘ye deceive yourselves; for David in spirit calleth him lord, saying thus “God said to my lord, sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. God shall send forth thy rod which shall have lordship in the midst of thine enemies.” If the messenger of God whom ye call messiah were son of David, how should David call him lord? Believe me, for verily I say to you, that the promise was made in Ishmael, not in Isaac.’

In Psalms 110: 1, 2 we find: “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.” The words “my lord” must mean teacher, or else it will contradict that the Lord said to him (shall He speaks to himself). The word Lord in Arabic “Rabb” cf. Hebrew word “Rabboni” 'master', 'teacher', and 'guide'. We find in John 20: 16 “Rabboni; which is to say, Master”. How can Mohammed teach David? This was through the Holy Qur’an, which was found before Adam was created.

In Barnabas Christ says that this is evidence that Messiah is not from the descendants of David, since in no way should the son teach his Fathers. No Muslim can accept that the word Lord should be used for any one but God. In Barnabas “God said to my lord, sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. God shall send forth thy rod which shall have lordship in the midst of thine enemies.” Note the differences with the verse as found in Psalms 110: 1. This is evidence that the “Holy Bible” in its present form cannot be a source of the Gospel of Barnabas. We also notice that it could not be about Jesus since he never used any weapon against his enemies, especially if we considered what Christians say about his end. In their point of view his enemies not only conquered him, they also humiliated him by all means and injured him in every possible way.

In Psalms 118:22 “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.” Jesus explained the prophecy in Mathew 21: 42- 44 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” this means that the prophecy would leave Israel for another people.

We find also in Barnabas Chapter 67: 5- 7 “For the time draweth near when that shall be done of which our God spake by Hosea the prophet, saying ‘I will call chosen the people not chosen.’ And as he saith in Ezekiel the prophet: ‘God shall make a new covenant with his people, not according to the covenant which he gave to your fathers, which they observed not; and he shall take from them a heart of stone, and give them a new heart’: and all this shall be because ye walk not now in his law. And ye have the key and open not rather do ye block the road for those who would walk in it.”

The parallel verses in Hosia 2: 23 “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.” and in Hosia 1:6- 9 “And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away… Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.” Also we find in Ezekiel 36: 26 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

It is clear then that God’s people are not Israel, or any other nation; but those who worship God, follows his commandments.

Race has no importance in this. Every person is responsible for his deeds only not the deeds of anyone else. This is clear in Ezekiel 18: 20 “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

If the descendants of Israel are his people, why did God punish them? The grandson of Jacob was killed by God because he sinned.