The Gospel of Barnabas

101.

Then said Jesus: 'Penitence is a reversing of the evil life; for every sense must be turned round to the contrary of that which it wrought while sinning. For instead of delight must be put mourning; for laughter, activity; for lust, chastity; let story-telling be turned into prayer and avarice into almsgiving.'

Then answered he who writeth: 'But if they be asked, how we ought to mourn, how we ought to weep, how we ought to fast, how we ought to show activity, how we ought to remain chaste, how we ought to make prayer and do alms: what answer shall they give? And how shall they do penance aright if they know not how to repent?'

Jesus answered: 'Well hast thou asked, O Barnabas, and I wish to answer all fully if it be pleasing to God. So today I will speak to thee of penitence generally, and that which I say to one I say unto all.

'Know then that penitence more than anything must be done for pure love of God; otherwise it will be vain to repent. For I will speak unto you by a similitude.

'Every building, if its foundation be removed, falleth into ruin: is this true?'

'It is true,' answered the disciples.

Then said Jesus: 'The foundation of our salvation is God, without whom salvation is not. When man hath sinned, he hath lost the foundation of his salvation; so it is necessary to begin from the foundation.

'Tell me, if your slaves had offended you, and ye knew that they did not grieve at having offended you, but grieved at having lost their reward, would ye forgive them? Certainly not. Even so I tell you that God will do to those who repent for having lost paradise. Satan, the enemy of all good, hath great remorse for having lost paradise and gained hell. But yet will he never find mercy, and know ye why? Because he hath no love of God; nay he hateth his Creator.