Texts in Conversation
The Epistle of Barnabas and the Gospel of Philip connect Abraham's circumcision with a vision. Barnabas finds Jesus in the numbers of Abraham's household; Philip makes cutting away flesh a lesson for its readers, giving the same act different purposes.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Epistle of Barnabas 9:6
Epistle of Barnabas
Early Christian
6 Therefore learn, beloved children, fully about all things. Abraham, who first established circumcision, looked ahead in spirit to Jesus when he circumcised, having received the ordinances of three letters. 7 For Scripture says: ‘And Abraham circumcised eighteen males and three hundred in his household.’ What knowledge was given to him? Notice that it first mentions eighteen, and then, after a pause, three hundred. In the eighteen, ‘I’ stands for ten and ‘H’ for eight; here you have JESUS (ΙΗ). And because the cross, in the ‘T’ (Τ), was going to have grace, it also says three hundred. So He reveals Jesus in the two letters, and in the remaining one, the cross. 8 He who put within us the innate gift of His covenant knows this. No one has learned a more genuine word from me than this, but I know that you are worthy.
Gospel of Philip 11:83
Nag Hammadi
She must be seen only by her father, and her mother, and the friend of the bridegroom, and the sons of the bridegroom. These are the ones who are allowed to enter the bridal chamber on a daily basis. However, the others are allowed only to desire to hear her voice and to relish her ointment. They are also allowed to feed on the crumbs that fall from the table, like dogs. Bridegrooms and brides belong in the bridal chamber. No one can see the bridegroom together with the bride unless [he become] these. When Abraham [...] for him to see what he was to see, [he] circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, [instructing] us that we must destroy the flesh.
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Notes and References
“... The minimal amount of verbal overlap indicates that Abraham (possibly) reacted to something that he would see, but the lacuna in 82.27 limits the certainty of this parallel with John 8:56. It is also unclear what Abraham ‘would see.’ According to John 8:56, he saw Jesus’ day, and this ‘day’ likely refers to the ‘last day’ when Jesus will raise up those who: are given to him by the Father; believe in him; are drawn by the Father; and eat his flesh and drink his blood (John 6:39, 40, 44, 54). In seeing this day, Abraham anticipated the resurrection and did not see death (John 8:51).45 Since the Gos. Phil. is concerned with the present resurrection, perhaps the author wanted to emphasize that Abraham experienced the resurrection in seeing ‘that which he would see,’ and in response, cirumcised his flesh. This response aligns with the previous discussion of the resurrection and flesh (§23b), where the readers are to unclothe themselves of the flesh (56.26–34), as well as the exhortation to not fear or love the flesh (66.4–6), and to acquire the resurrection in this world and strip off the flesh (66.18– 19). Ep. Barn. also connects Abraham’s vision with his cirucmcision: ‘Learn then, my children, concerning all things richly, that Abraham, the first who enjoined circumcision, looking forward in spirit to Jesus, practiced that rite, having received the mysteries of the three letters’ (Ep. Barn. 9.7). It is difficult to prove that the Ep. Barn. was influenced by the FG,46 but we can be more confident with the Gos. Phil. There is a minimal amount of verbal overlap, and much depends on the reconstruction of the lacuna and interpretation of this passage, but the probable influence of John 8:32, 34 (§§110a and 123d) suggests that the influence of John 8:56 is plausible.47 Therefore, the author may haved interpreted this passage to mean that Abraham saw Jesus’ resurrection, experienced it himself, and circumcized himself, which is an example of self-mortification for all those who have also experienced the resurrection in this world. ...”
Zelyck, Lorne R.
John among the Other Gospels: The Reception of the Fourth Gospel in the Extra-Canonical Gospels
(p. 117) Mohr Siebeck, 2013
* 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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