Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (19 page)

went up into the mountains, looking for

until his avenger comes.” When he heard

a place to hide him. But there was no

this word he was afraid and went outside

hiding place. Elizabeth moaned and said

to report to the priests what he had seen

with a loud voice, “Mountain of God,

and heard.

receive a mother with her child.” For

3
Taking courage they entered and saw

Elizabeth was not able to climb the

what had happened, and the paneling

mountain. And straight away the mounaround the temple cried out aloud; and tain split open and received her. And a

they ripped their clothes from top to botlight was shining around them, for an tom. They did not find his body, but they

angel of the Lord was with them, profound his blood turned to stone. They left tecting them.

in fear, and reported to all the people that

Zacharias had been murdered. All the

23 Herod was looking for John, tribes of the people heard and grieved for and he sent servants to Zachahim, mourning for three days and nights.

rias, saying, “Where have you hidden

4
After three days the priests decided to

your son?” He answered them, “I am a

put someone in his place, and the lot fell

minister of God, constantly attending his

to Simeon. For this is the one who

temple. How could I know where my son

learned from a revelation of the Holy

is?”
2
The servants returned and reported

Spirit that he would not see death until

everything to Herod. Herod became anhe should see the messiah in the flesh.

gry and said, “His son is about to rule

Israel.” He sent his servants to him a

25

second time to say, “Tell me the truth:

But I James, the one who has

written this account in Jerusa

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NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS

lem, hid myself away in the wilderness

rified God, the Master, who gave me the

when there was a disturbance at the death

gift and the wisdom to write this account.

of Herod, until the disturbance in Jeru

2
Grace be with all those who fear the

salem came to an end. There I glo-

Lord. Amen.

The Epistle of the Apostles

The “Epistle of the Apostles” is a bit of a misnomer in that it is not really an epistle but a Gospel. The book does start out as a letter, written by the apostles to the churches around the world; but its content involves a conversation between Jesus and his eleven remaining disciples after his resurrection—Judas having already hanged himself.

This kind of Gospel, containing a post-resurrection “dialogue” of Jesus and his followers, was quite popular among Gnostic Christians, in that it allowed them to indicate that Jesus provided secret teachings to his disciples that were different from his public teachings delivered during the course of his ministry. These secret teachings, then, could become the basis for the

“true” understanding of the religion that the Gnostics set forth.

But the orientation of this particular book is completely anti-gnostic.

In particular, it seeks to counter the views of Simon Magus and Cerinthus, two Gnostics most despised among the proto-orthodox heresy-hunters of the second century, by insisting on the fleshly nature of Christ’s body, the reality of his incarnation, death, resurrection, and future return in glory, and the importance of his followers’ fleshly existence in this world and in the world to come.1 It appears, then, that a proto-orthodox Christian has taken over a genre beloved among the Gnostics and turned it against them, to show that even after his resurrection Jesus proclaimed not a Gnostic myth but a proto-orthodox understanding of the flesh.

The “Epistle of the Apostles” was unknown through the Middle Ages down into the modern period, until a Coptic version was uncovered in Cairo near the end of the nineteenth century. Later a fuller and more accurate Ethiopic version was found.

The book was originally written in Greek, probably in the middle of the second century. The following excerpt is drawn from the Ethiopic translation.

1On the importance of Simon Magus for the early proto-orthodox heresy-hunters, see Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities
, 165–67.

Translation by C. Detlef G. Muller in Wilhelm Schneemelcher,
New
Testament
Apocrypha
, vol. 1 (rev. ed.; Cambridge/ Louisville: Lutterworth/Westminster/John Knox, 1991) 252–64; used with permission.

73

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NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS

What Jesus Christ revealed to his

1

true word and deed, namely Jesus Christ.

disciples as a letter, and how Jesus

Therefore take care and beware of them,

Christ revealed the letter of the council

for in them is affliction and contaminaof the apostles, the disciples of Jesus tion and death, the end of which will be

Christ, to the Catholics; which was writdestruction and judgment.

ten because of the false apostles Simon

and Cerinthus, that no one should follow

Because of that we have not hesithem—for in them is deceit with which 8 tated with the true testimony of our

they kill people—that you may be estab

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, how he

lished and not waver, not be shaken, and

acted while we saw him, and how he

not turn away from the word of the Gosconstantly both explained and caused our pel that you have heard. As we have

thoughts within us.

heard (it), kept (it), and have written (it)

for the whole world, so we entrust (it) to

you, our sons and daughters, in joy and

9 He of whom we are witnesses we

know as the one crucified in the

in the name of God the Father, the ruler

days of Pontius Pilate and of the prince

of the world, and in Jesus Christ. May

Archelaus, who was crucified between

grace increase upon you.

two thieves;2 and was taken down from

the wood of the cross together with them;

(We,) John and Thomas and Peter

2

and he was buried in a place which is

and Andrew and James and Philip

called the place of the skull, to which

and Bartholomew and Matthew and Nathree women came, Sarah, Martha, and thanael and Judas Zelotes and Cephas,

Mary Magdalene. They carried ointment

we have written to the churches of the

to pour out upon his body, weeping and

East and West, towards North and South,

mourning over what had happened. And

recounting and proclaiming to you conthey approached the tomb and found the cerning our Lord Jesus Christ, as we have

stone where it had been rolled away from

written; and we have heard and felt him

the tomb, and they opened the door and

after he had risen from the dead; and how

did not find his body.

he has revealed to us things great, astonishing, real. . . .

And as they were mourning and

10

And these things our Lord and Sav6

weeping, the Lord appeared to

ior revealed and showed to us, and

them and said to them, “Do not weep; I

likewise we to you, that you, reflecting

am he whom you seek. But let one of

upon eternal life, may be associates in

you go to your brothers and say to them,

the grace of the Lord and in our service

‘Come, our Master has risen from the

and in our glory. Be firm, without wadead.’ ”

vering, in the knowledge and investiga

And Mary came to us and told us. And

tion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he will

we said to her, “What have we to do with

prove gracious and will save always in

you, O woman? He that is dead and burall never-ending eternity.

ied, can he then live?” And we did not

believe her, that our Savior had risen

Cerinthus and Simon have come to

7

from the dead.

go through the world. But they are

enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in

reality alienate those who believe in the

2Matt 27–28; Mark 15–16; Luke 23–24; John 19–21.

THE EPISTLE OF THE APOSTLES

75

Then she went back to our Lord and

13

said to him, “None of them believed me

And what he revealed is this, as

he said to us, “While I was

concerning your resurrection.” And he

coming from the Father of all, passing by

said to her, “Let another one of you go

the heavens, wherein I put on the wisdom

saying this again to them.” And Sarah

of the Father and by his power clothed

came and gave us the same news, and we

myself in his power, I was like the heavaccused her of lying. And she returned ens. And passing by the angels and archto our Lord and spoke to him as Mary angels in their form and as one of them,

had.

I passed by the orders, dominions, and

princes, possessing the measure of the

wisdom of the Father who sent me. And

And then the Lord said to Mary

11

the archangels Michael and Gabriel,

and to her sisters, “Let us go to

Raphael and Uriel followed me until the

them.” And he came and found us inside,

fifth firmament of heaven, while I apveiled. And we doubted and did not bepeared as one of them. This kind of lieve. He came before us like a ghost and

power was given me by the Father. Then

we did not believe that it was he. But it

I made the archangels to become diswas he. And thus he said to us. “Come, tracted with the voice and go up to the

and do not be afraid. I am your teacher

altar of the Father and serve the Father

whom you, Peter, denied three times bein their work until I should return to him.

fore the cock crowed, and now do you

I did this thus in the likeness of his wisdeny again?” And we went to him, thinkdom. For I became all in all with them, ing and doubting whether it was he. And

that I, fulfilling the will of the mercy of

he said to us, “Why do you doubt and

the Father and the glory of him who sent

why are you not believing that I am he

me, might return to him.

who spoke to you concerning my flesh,

my death, and my resurrection? And that

“Do you know that the angel

you may know that it is I, lay your hand,

14 Gabriel came and brought the

Peter (and your finger) in the nailprint of

message to Mary?” And we said to him,

my hands; and you, Thomas, in my side;

“Yes, O Lord.” And he answered and said

and also you, Andrew, see whether my

to us, “Do you not remember that I prefoot steps on the ground and leaves a viously said to you that I became like an

footprint. For it is written: ‘But a ghost,

angel to the angels?” And we said to him,

a demon, leaves no print on the ground.’ ”

“Yes, O Lord.” And he said to us, “At

that time I appeared in the form of the

But now we felt him, that he

12

archangel Gabriel to the virgin Mary and

had truly risen in the flesh. And

spoke with her, and her heart received

then we fell on our faces before him,

(me); she believed and laughed; and I,

asked him for pardon, and entreated him

the Word, went into her and became

because we had not believed him. Then

flesh; and I myself was servant for myour Lord and Savior said to us, “Stand self; and in the likeness of an angel, like

up and I will reveal to you what is on

him will I do, and after it I will go to my

earth, and what is above heaven, and your

Father.

resurrection that is in the kingdom of

heaven, concerning which my Father has

“And you therefore celebrate

15

sent me, that I may take up you and those

the remembrance of my death,

who believe in me.”

which is the Passover; the one who stands

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NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS

beside me will be thrown into prison for

sent me?” And we said to him, “O Lord,

my name’s sake, and he will be very

is it possible that you should be both here

grieved and sorrowful, for while you celand there?” And he said to us, “I am ebrate the passover he who is in custody

wholly in the Father and the Father in me

did not celebrate it with you. And I will

after his image and after his likeness and

send my power in the form of (my) angel,

after his power and after his perfection

and the door of the prison will open, and

and after his light, and I am his perfect

he will come out and come to you to

word.”

watch with you and to rest. And when

you complete my Agape and my remem

This is, when he was crucified,

brance at the crowing of the cock, he will