# Epistle of Barnabas 5.9

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Epistle of Barnabas](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/barnabas/) (*Epistula Barnabae*)
- Date: ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:356; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 340–407 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912), digitized by the Perseus Digital Library and published by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/barnabas/5/9/

Summary: Christ chose sinners as apostles to show he came for sinners.

## Greek text

ὅτε δὲ τοὺς ἰδίους ἀποστόλους τοὺς μέλλοντας κηρύσσειν τὸ εὐαγγέλιον αὐτοῦ ἐξελέξατο, ὄντας ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν ἀνομωτέρους, ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἦλθεν καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς, τότε ἐφανέρωσεν ἑαυτὸν εἶναι υἱὸν θεοῦ.

## English translation (Claude)

And when he chose his own apostles, who were to preach his gospel, men who were lawless beyond all sin, so that he might show that he came not to call the righteous but sinners, then he revealed himself to be the Son of God.

## Scripture references

- Matt 9:13: quotation, high confidence
- Mark 2:17: quotation, high confidence

## Translation notes

- “Lawless beyond all sin”: a striking exaggeration, to stress that Christ called sinners.

## Citation (SBL)

Barn. 5.9 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/barnabas/5/9/).