Texts in Conversation
The author of Barnabas writes not as a teacher but as one of his readers, and Ignatius speaks to the Ephesians as fellow disciples. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus also refuses the title, telling Thomas that he is not his teacher.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Barnabas 1:7
Epistle of Barnabas
Early Christian
7 For the Lord made known to us through His prophets things past and present, giving us likewise the firstfruits of the taste of things to come. And seeing each of these things separately occurring as He said, we should offer a richer and higher offering to Him in reverent fear. But I, not as though I were a teacher but as one of you, will show a few things by which you will be gladdened in these present circumstances.
Gospel of Thomas 1:13
Nag Hammadi
12 The disciples said to Jesus, “We know that you will leave us. Who will be our leader?” Jesus said to them, “Wherever you are, you should go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being.” 13 Jesus said to his disciples, “Compare me and tell me whom I am like.” Simon Peter said to him, “You are like a righteous messenger.” Matthew said to him, “You are like a wise philosopher.” Thomas said to him, “Teacher, my mouth is utterly unable to say whom you are like.” Jesus said, “I am not your teacher. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring I have measured out.” And he took him and withdrew and spoke three sayings to him. When Thomas returned to his companions, they asked him, “What did Jesus say to you?” Thomas said to them, “If I tell you even one of the sayings he spoke to me, you will pick up stones and throw them at me, and fire will come out of the stones and burn you up.” 14 Jesus said to them, “If you fast, you will bring sin upon yourselves; if you pray, you will be condemned; if you give alms, you will do harm to your spirits. When you go into any land and travel about in the countryside, if they receive you, eat what they set before you and heal the sick among them. For what goes into your mouth will not defile you; rather, what comes out of your mouth is what will defile you.”
Ignatius, Epistle to the Ephesians 1:3
Early Christian
3 I do not issue orders to you, as if I were some great person. For though I am bound for the name [of Christ], I am not yet perfect in Jesus Christ. For now I begin to be a disciple, and I speak to you as fellow-disciples with me. For it was needful for me to have been stirred up by you in faith, exhortation, patience, and long-suffering. But inasmuch as love suffers me not to be silent in regard to you, I have therefore taken upon me first to exhort you that ye would all run together in accordance with the will of God. For even Jesus Christ, our inseparable life, is the [manifested] will of the Father; as also bishops, settled everywhere to the utmost bounds [of the earth], are so by the will of Jesus Christ.
Date: 160-180 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
“... 13.5 Jesus said, ‘I am not your master.’ Jesus’ rejection of the title ‘teacher’ or ‘master’ ([...]) might be influenced by either John 15.15, according to which the disciples are no longer servants but friends, or by 1 John 2.27 (‘you no longer need anyone to teach you’), but neither is very obviously referred to here. There is a sense of parity between Jesus and Thomas (cf. GTh 108), although this should not obscure other more transcendent images of Jesus (see ad GTh 23), and the fact that Thomas still needs further enlightenment from Jesus in the ‘three words’ in 13.6. [...] There are plenty of parallels to the device of a teacher disavowing the status of teacher to identify with his pupils: even an Ignatius can say προσλαλῶ ὑμῖν ὡς συνδιδασκαλίταις μου (Eph. 3.1), and the author of Barnabas introduces himself, ἐγὼ δέ, οὐχ ὡς διδάσκαλος ἀλλ’ ὡς εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν (Barn. 1.8; cf. 4.9). ...”
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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