{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c005\">He speaks moreover concerning our ears, how He hath\r\ncircumcised both them and our heart. The Lord saith in the\r\nprophet, “In the hearing of the ear they obeyed me.”<a id=\"r561\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f561\"><sup>[561]</sup></a> And\r\nagain He saith, “By hearing, those shall hear who are afar\r\noff; they shall know what I have done.”<a id=\"r562\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f562\"><sup>[562]</sup></a> And, “Be ye\r\ncircumcised in your hearts, saith the Lord.”<a id=\"r563\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f563\"><sup>[563]</sup></a> And again\r\nHe says, “Hear, O Israel, for these things saith the Lord\r\nthy God.”<a id=\"r564\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f564\"><sup>[564]</sup></a> And once more the Spirit of the Lord proclaims,\r\n“Who is he that wishes to live for ever? By hearing let\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_116\">116</span>him hear the voice of my servant.”<a id=\"r565\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f565\"><sup>[565]</sup></a> And again He saith,\r\n“Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for God<a id=\"r566\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f566\"><sup>[566]</sup></a> hath\r\nspoken.”<a id=\"r567\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f567\"><sup>[567]</sup></a> These are in proof.<a id=\"r568\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f568\"><sup>[568]</sup></a> And again He saith, “Hear\r\nthe word of the Lord, ye rulers of this people.”<a id=\"r569\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f569\"><sup>[569]</sup></a> And again\r\nHe saith, “Hear, ye children, the voice of one crying in the\r\nwilderness.”<a id=\"r570\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f570\"><sup>[570]</sup></a> Therefore He hath circumcised our ears, that\r\nwe might hear His word and believe, for the circumcision in\r\nwhich they trusted is abolished.<a id=\"r571\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f571\"><sup>[571]</sup></a> For He declared that circumcision\r\nwas not of the flesh, but they transgressed because\r\nan evil angel deluded them.<a id=\"r572\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f572\"><sup>[572]</sup></a> He saith to them, “These\r\nthings saith the Lord your God”—(here<a id=\"r573\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f573\"><sup>[573]</sup></a> I find a new<a id=\"r574\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f574\"><sup>[574]</sup></a> commandment)—“Sow\r\nnot among thorns, but circumcise yourselves\r\nto the Lord.”<a id=\"r575\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f575\"><sup>[575]</sup></a> And why speaks He thus: “Circumcise\r\nthe stubbornness of your heart, and harden not your\r\nneck?”<a id=\"r576\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f576\"><sup>[576]</sup></a> And again: “Behold, saith the Lord, all the\r\nnations are uncircumcised<a id=\"r577\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f577\"><sup>[577]</sup></a> in the flesh, but this people are\r\nuncircumcised in heart.”<a id=\"r578\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f578\"><sup>[578]</sup></a> But thou wilt say, “Yea, verily\r\nthe people are circumcised for a seal.” But so also is every\r\nSyrian and Arab, and all the priests of idols: are these then\r\nalso within the bond of His covenant?<a id=\"r579\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f579\"><sup>[579]</sup></a> Yea, the Egyptians\r\nalso practise circumcision. Learn then, my children, concerning\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_117\">117</span>all things richly,<a id=\"r580\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f580\"><sup>[580]</sup></a> that Abraham, the first who enjoined\r\ncircumcision, looking forward in spirit to Jesus, practised\r\nthat rite, having received the mysteries<a id=\"r581\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f581\"><sup>[581]</sup></a> of the three letters.\r\nFor [the Scripture] saith, “And Abraham circumcised ten,\r\nand eight, and three hundred men of his household.”<a id=\"r582\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f582\"><sup>[582]</sup></a> What,\r\nthen, was the knowledge given to him in this? Learn the\r\neighteen first, and then the three hundred.<a id=\"r583\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f583\"><sup>[583]</sup></a> The ten and\r\nthe eight are thus denoted—Ten by <abbr class=\"spell\">I</abbr>, and Eight by <abbr class=\"spell\">H</abbr>.<a id=\"r584\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f584\"><sup>[584]</sup></a>\r\nYou have [the initials of the name of] Jesus. And because<a id=\"r585\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f585\"><sup>[585]</sup></a>\r\nthe cross was to express the grace [of our redemption] by\r\nthe letter <abbr class=\"spell\">T</abbr>, he says also, “Three Hundred.” He signifies,\r\ntherefore, Jesus by two letters, and the cross by one. He\r\nknows this, who has put within us the engrafted<a id=\"r586\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f586\"><sup>[586]</sup></a> gift of\r\nHis doctrine. No one has been admitted by me to a more\r\nexcellent piece of knowledge<a id=\"r587\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f587\"><sup>[587]</sup></a> than this, but I know that ye\r\nare worthy.</p>","headings":["The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers","THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS.","THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS.","Chap. ix.—The spiritual meaning of circumcision."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg77576-paragraph-174"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"c56017b7e24339ffab13fd2526a8ba498e6f21052b633ca68f91010433b557f3","edition_title":"The writings of the Apostolic Fathers","edition_translators":["Alexander Roberts","James Donaldson","Frederick Crombie"],"edition_year":1870,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg77576-f573","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Historical 1870 English edition; electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f573","source_ebook":77576,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f573\">\n<p class=\"c006\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r573\">573</a>. </span>The meaning is here very obscure, but the above rendering and\r\npunctuation seem preferable to any other.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"5cef11d737d7f5d65aa99f44ca2d8e967d725f3bed872960330e88c0905597a9","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/77576/pg77576-images.html#f573","text_sha256":"9aa31f6ad55bd6f6ab2fee68e008c1df21251b2601d2288ca51287d7630e9976","verified":false,"work_id":null}