There are numerous books that were made as forgeries after the gospels were circulated. Besides the Gnostic gospels few had any traction. The Gnostic manuscripts have no connection to the apostles and were rejected as forgeries in the early church and that is why today the gospel of Barnabas is also to be rejected.

The religion of Islam also makes use of certain unbiblical books. The Gospel of Barnabas, an eighteenth-century forgery is one of their favorites. They employ it to prove the Bibles inaccuracies and to discredit the apostle Paul whom they have no respect for. They make use of it to counter what they call “Pauline Christianity.” It calls Paul an apostate; that circumcision is necessary for Salvation (Sec. 23). Jesus is not God incarnate, and did not die on the cross, and Judas died in his place (Sec 217). It has Jesus stating "I am not the Messiah" (sec. 42, 48). Jesus conveniently prophesies of the last prophet, Muhammad, who is the Messiah.

What is inconsistent is their logic, they will say the Bible is corrupted and then use other manuscripts that the Christian church rejects as if they are not corrupted to prove the Bible is wrong.

Much of it has the stories of the Bible as if it combined all the gospels together after the fact, but then it has numerous historical inaccuracies along with its doctrinal inaccuracies. Throughout the gospel of Barnabas are sprinkled a near identical repeat of the Bible stories made to look like they are in anothers words.

Chapter 15  Miracle wrought by Jesus at the marriage, turning the water into wine.

Chpt.42 The transfiguration

Chpt.37 The lords prayer

This book is an intentional forgery using the name of Barnabas but was written long after his time to promote Islam and its messenger Mohammed. One of the hints is the language used, such as “who created man out of the clay of the earth” Strictly a Quranic phrase (Surah 3:49; 6:2;15:28;17:61). The Muslim who forged this document shows his religions hatred for Grace, the cross and the Bible as he changes the words intentionally. Barnabas seems to have an ongoing conversation with Jesus even though he is not mentioned in the gospels as part of the twelve.

First we need to look at the Biblical Barnabas and his story and keep in mind what the Bible states as we read through this supposed epistle written by him.

In Acts 9:26 when Saul was come to Jerusalem, the disciples were all afraid of him, and did not believe he was a disciple. It was Barnabas that introduced him and how he had seen the Lord’s resurrection.

When Barnabas became a Christian, he sold his land and gave the money to the Jerusalem apostles Acts 4:36-37. He is known as Joses, Joseph, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,

This probably why by divine direction in Acts 13:2 they were separated for their first Missionary Journey to Cyprus and other important cities in Asia Minor (Acts 13:14).

In their (Paul, Mark and Barnabas) Second Missionary Journey a dispute arose between Paul and Barnabas on account of John Mark. Barnabas determined to take Mark with them; Paul was not sure that they should. The contention had them separate, Barnabas took Mark with him to Cyprus, while Paul and Silas went through Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:36-41). From this point on, Barnabas is not heard of. He is mentioned several times in the writings of Paul, but nothing significant is mentioned except that Barnabas was at one time led away by Judaizing zealots along with Peter.

This book called “The Gospel of Barnabas” used by the Muslims shows at what length they will go to try and destroy the message of Jesus. I will give the major portion of the scriptures to show how insidious this all is, as a blatant attack on Christianity.

The book emphasizes Jesus as one of the prophets and denies his deity just like the Qur’an:

“Many, being deceived of Satan, under pretence of piety, are preaching most impious doctrine, calling Jesus son of God, repudiating the circumcision ordained of God for ever, and permitting every unclean meat: among whom Paul also hath been deceived. (The Gospel of Barnabas, p.2).

“Others preached that he really died, but rose again. Others preached, and yet preach, that Jesus is the son of God, among whom is Paul deceived.” (The Gospel of Barnabas,).

Chpt 48 “Satan did so instigate this manner of speaking that he aroused no small sedition among the people of Nain." But Jesus did not tarry in Nain, but turned to go into Capernaum. The discord of Nain was such that some said: "He is our God who has visited us"; others said: "God is invisible, so that none has seen him, not even Moses, his servant; therefore it is not God, but rather his son." Others said: "He is not God, nor son of God, for God has not a body to beget anything; but he is a great prophet of God." And so did Satan instigate that, in the third year of the prophetic ministry of Jesus, great ruin to our people was like to arise therefrom.

Chpt 53 “And having said this, Jesus smote his face with both his hands, and then smote the ground with his head. And having raised his head, he said: "Cursed be every one who shall insert into my sayings that I am the son of God."

Chpt 70 is like Mt.16 where instead of Peter having a revelation that Jesus is the Son of the Father, it is Satan that inspires him:

Chpt.91 “Some said that Jesus was God come to the world; others said: 'No, but he is a son of God'; and others said: 'No, for God has no human similitude, and therefore does not beget sons; but Jesus of Nazareth is a prophet of God.' This [sedition] arose because of the great miracles which Jesus did.”

Chapter 97 “Jesus answered: "As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, I am not the Messiah whom all the tribes of the earth expect, … Satan will raise again this accursed sedition, by making the impious believe that I am God and son of God, whence my words and my doctrine shall be contaminated”

Chapter 98 “And having said this, the multitude departed with the priest and the governor with Herod, having great disputations concerning Jesus and concerning his doctrine. Whereupon the priest prayed the governor to write to Rome to the senate the whole matter; which thing the governor did; wherefore the senate had compassion on Israel, and decreed that on pain of death none should call Jesus the Nazarene, prophet of the Jews, either God or son of God.”

Chpt 138 “Truly I say to you, God has caused this dearth because here began the madness of men and the sin of Israel when they said that I was God, or Son of God."

Chpt.206 We have Jesus before the Sanhedrin at trial confessing the opposite of what the Bible states. “Whereupon the high priest drew near, saying: 'Tell me, O Jesus, have you forgotten all that you did confess, that you are not God, nor son of God, nor even the Messiah?' Jesus answered: 'No, surely, I have not forgotten; for this is my confession which I shall bear before the judgment seat of God on the day of judgment. For all that is written in the Book of Moses is most true, inasmuch as God our creator is [God] alone, and I am God's servant and desire to serve God's Messenger whom you call Messiah.'

Chpt 220 Jesus supposedly corrects everyone of him being God, the son of God, that he dies in the cross and mentions Mohammed that will come nearly 600 years later.

Jesus denies he is God in flesh but only a man-

In chapter 11 Therefore with tears he prayed him, saying; 'Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.' Jesus answered: 'What wilt thou, brother, that I should do unto thee?' The leper answered: 'Lord, give me health.' Jesus reproved him, saying: 'Thou art foolish; pray to God who created thee, and he will give thee health; for I am a man, as thou art.'

Chpt 92

“Jesus drew near to the river Jordan, to go to Jerusalem. And he was seen by one of them who believed Jesus to be God. Then, crying with great gladness [over and over] "Our God comes!" he reached the city [and] moved the whole city saying: Our God comes, O Jerusalem; prepare you to receive him! And he testified that he had seen Jesus near to [the] Jordan. … [he] said to his disciples: "Perhaps Satan has raised sedition in Judea. May it please God to take away from Satan the dominion which he has over sinners." And when he had said this, the crowd drew near, and when they knew him they began to cry out: "Welcome to you, O our God!" and they began to do him reverence, as to God. Jesus gave a great groan and said: "Get from before me, O madmen, for I fear [that] the earth shall open and devour me with you for your abominable words!"

chpt 93 “Truly you have erred greatly, O Israelites, in calling me, a man, your God.”

The Crucifixion- Jesus did not die on the cross, Judas dies in his place. This is another teaching of Islam.

Jesus “went up into the mountain, and abode all night in prayer, and when day was come he descended from the mountain, and chose twelve, whom he called apostles, among whom is Judas, who was slain upon the cross. (Chpt.14; Chapter 216)  

Speaking of Jesus “ how that he should be taken up from the world, and that he should suffer in a third person, and that he should not die until near the end of the world. Wherefore he went with the mother of Jesus and with John to the cross. The high priest caused Judas;to be brought before him bound, and asked him of his disciples and his doctrine. Whereupon Judas, as though beside himself, answered nothing to the point. The high priest then adjured him by the living God of Israel that he would tell him the truth.

“So they led him to Mount Calvary, where they used to hang malefactors, and there they crucified him naked;, for the greater ignominy. *Judas truly did nothing else but cry out: 'God, why have you forsaken me, seeing the malefactor has escaped and I die unjustly?' *Truly I say that the voice, the face, and the person of Judas were so like to Jesus, that his disciples and believers entirely believed that he was Jesus; wherefore some departed from the doctrine of Jesus, believing that Jesus had been a false prophet, and that by art magic he had done the miracles which he did: for Jesus had said that he should not die till near the end of the world; for that at that time he should be taken away from the world.”

As the women go to the tomb they meet Jesus “Then the Virgin, weeping, said: 'Tell me, my son, wherefore God, having given you power to raise the dead. suffered you to die, to the shame of your kinsfolk and friends, and to the shame of your doctrine? For every one that loves you has been as dead.'

Chapter 220 we find that there is no resurrection of Jesus because It was Judas who was crucified. And speaks of his death at the end of the world just like Islam teaches.

“Thereupon the angels manifested themselves like four shining suns, insomuch that through fear every one again fell down as dead. Then Jesus gave four linen cloths to the angels that they might cover themselves, in order that they might be seen and heard to speak by his mother and her companions. And having lifted up each one, he comforted them, saying: 'These are the ministers of God: Gabriel, who announces God's secrets; Michael, who fights against God's enemies; Rafael, who receives the souls of them that die; and Uriel, who will call every one to the judgment of God at the last day. Then the four angels narrated to the Virgin how God had sent for Jesus, and had transformed Judas, that he might suffer the punishment to which he had sold another.”

The book reads as if someone has an axe to grind as they try to counterfeit the real stories with their own embellishments. The person had enough knowledge of the Bible (probably one next to him) to copy the stories and change what he could.

There are more than 5,300 manuscripts of the Greek New Testament that exist, and more are being discovered. There is no existing Gospel of Barnabas in the Greek language, which the Gospel writers wrote in. The source is from an Italian manuscript now housed in the Imperial Library at Vienna. The text of the Italian manuscript contains numerous spelling errors.

There are two manuscripts of the Gospel of Barnabas in existence, one in Italian and one in Spanish, The copy of the Spanish manuscript is incomplete, the Gospel of Barnabas survives only in the Italian manuscript. the manuscript is dated in the later decades of the sixteenth century. But the reason it was produced is the question that needs to be answered? For more info http://www.latrobe.edu.au/arts/barnabas/marino.html

http://www.spotlights.org/Barnabas5.htm

see http://www.latrobe.edu.au/arts/barnabas/prefacenotes.html

The forgery is filled with historical inaccuracies as well as doctrinal inaccuracies. The geographic errors are numerous and obvious which prove Barnabas was NOT the author, though it claims him to be a constant companion of Jesus as he traveled about Palestine.

Jesus was born when ‘Pilate was governor in the priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas’ (chpt 3). But these men did not come to their office until - Annas 6 AD, Caiaphas 8 AD, Pilate 26 AD.

"Jesus sailed to Nazareth" which has no seaport (chpt 20). The same mistake is repeated when Jesus comes to Nazareth (chpt143), gives a long uninterrupted discourse (chpt 144-151) and then boards a ship and arrives at Jerusalem by ship from Nazareth (chpt 152).

Adam circumcised himself (chpt 23). “This did Adam observe in his sons, and from generation to generation came down the obligation of circumcision. But in the time of Abraham there were but few circumcised upon the earth,” The Bible states Abraham was the first man circumcised (Gen. 17: 24).

chpt 144 Canaanites knew of Pharisees. said in derision 'Pharisee!'

chpt. 145 “in the time of Elijah, friend and prophet of God, there were twelve mountains inhabited by seventeen thousand Pharisees”

There were no Pharisees in the days of the Canaanites or Elijah. History has the Pharisees seven centuries later, between 150-100 BC.

The Prophet Jonah (chpt 63) mistakenly flees and sails to Tarsus (In present-day Turkey) instead of to Tarshish (Spain) as in Jonah 1: 3.He is then cast up by a fish on nineheh which is 250 miles inland from Jerusalem in modern Iraq (originally in Assyria on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, not the Mediterranean coast.)

Chpt 63 “having called Jonah ;the prophet to send him to that city, he would fain for fear of the people have fled to Tarsus;, wherefore God caused him to be cast into the sea, and received by a fish and cast up near to Nineveh.”

Chpt 105,178 mentions 9 heavens (like Dante), the Bible states there are three heavens (2 Cor. 12:2). Chpt 105 “I tell you, then, that the heavens are nine and that they are distant from one another even as the first heaven is distant from the earth, which is distant from the earth five hundred years' journey.”

Adam and Eve were commanded by God to do penance (chpt 41), they shall be truly penitent and shall serve me - a Catholic practice found in the Middle Ages, not in the New Testament.

The Gospel of Barnabas quotes Jesus as saying the Year of Jubilee “insomuch that the year of jubilee, which now comes every hundred years, shall by the Messiah be reduced to every year in every place." (chpt 82, 83). From Moses’ time (Lev. 25:11) the Year of Jubilee came every 50 years.

Throughout the gospel of Barnabas Jesus is correcting people about not worshipping him The magi chpt 6 “they wished with gifts to worship this new King manifested by his star.”

Chp 71 Then Jesus said: "As God lives, I am not able to forgive sins, nor is any man, but God alone forgives.” (instead of him forgiving as in Mark 2).

Jesus intercedes in vain for God to pardon Satan. God says he will if he confesses his sin (chpt 51).

Chpt 57 Jesus warns Satan: ‘Thou must know that the angel Michael must needs on the day of judgment strike thee with the sword of God one hundred thousand times and each blow will give thee the pain of ten hells’

Chapter 39 Eve eats of two fruits (God does not know that corn is not a fruit) Adam remembers and tries to stop the fruit from going down by vomiting.

“Then Eve took and ate of those [fruits], and when her husband awoke she told [him everything] that Satan had said; and he took and ate the fruit [when] his wife offered them to him. But, as the food was going down, he remembered the words of God, and, wishing to stop the food, he put his hand into his throat, where every man has the mark.”

“Truly I say to you, that every prophet when he is come has borne to one nation only the mark of the mercy of God. And so their words were not extended save to that people to which they were sent.”

Jesus has a vision has the angel Gabriel visit Jesus and give him what sounds like the Qur’an and mentions Barnabas specifically before he begins ministry at this time, none of this is contained in the Bible.

Chapter 10 Jesus having come to the age of thirty years, as he himself said unto me, went up to Mount Olives with his mother to gather olives. Then at midday as he was praying, when he came to these words: 'Lord, with mercy . . . ,' he was surrounded by an exceeding bright light and by an infinite multitude of angels, who were saying: 'Blessed be God.' The angel Gabriel presented to him as it were a shining mirror, a book, which descended into the heart of Jesus, in which he had knowledge of what God hath done and what hath said and what God willeth insomuch that everything was laid bare and open to him; as he said unto me: 'Believe, Barnabas, that I know every prophet with every prophecy, insomuch that whatever I say the whole bath come forth from that book.'

Jesus, having received this vision, and knowing that he was a prophet sent to the house of Israel, revealed all to Mary his mother, telling her that he needs must suffer great persecution for the honour of God, and that he could not any longer abide with her to serve her. Whereupon, having heard this, Mary answered: 'Son. ere thou west born all was announced to me; wherefore blessed be the holy name of God. Jesus departed therefore that day from his mother to attend to his prophetic office.”

 pt.2 The gospel of Barnabas, a Muslim forgery