Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (31 page)

One who saved Thecla!”—so that the

was greatly amazed; and those who heard

entire city shook from their cry.

were strengthened, and they prayed for

Tryphaena. Thecla then rose up and told

39 When Tryphaena was told the Paul, “I am going to Iconium.” Paul regood news she went out and plied, “Go and teach the word of God.”

met the crowd and embraced Thecla, and

And so Tryphaena sent Thecla a large

said, “Now I believe that the dead are

amount of clothing and gold to leave for

raised; now I believe that my child lives.

Paul’s ministry to the poor.

Come inside, and I will bequeath to you

all that is mine.” So Thecla went in with

her and rested in her house for eight days,

42 And Thecla came away into

Iconium. She entered Onesi-

instructing her in the word of God, so

phorus’s house and fell on the dirt floor

that even most of Tryphaena’s female

where Paul had sat, teaching the sayings

servants believed; and there was great joy

of God. And she wept aloud, saying: “O

in that house.

my God and God of this house, where

40

the light shone upon me, Christ Jesus, the

Thecla began to long for Paul Son of God, my helper in prison, my and was trying to find him,

helper before governors, my helper in the

sending around for news of him everyfire, my helper among the wild beasts—where. It was reported to her that he was you yourself are God. To you be the glory

in Myra. She took some young men and

forever. Amen.”

some female servants and prepared for

her journey by sewing her outer garment

to make it look like a man’s cloak. And

43

so she went away to Myra and found

She found that Thamyris had

died but that her mother was

Paul speaking the word of God; and she

living. She called to her mother and said

stood beside him. But he was astonished

to her, “Theocleia, my mother, are you

when he saw her and the crowd with her,

able to believe that the Lord in heaven

wondering whether some other temptalives? For if you desire riches, the Lord tion was coming upon her. When she

will give them to you through me; if you

realized what he was thinking she said to

desire your child, see, here I am!” After

him, “I have received my cleansing, Paul;

testifying these things she went away to

for the one who has worked with you for

Seleucia and after enlightening many

the spread of the gospel has worked with

there with the word of God, she lay down

me for my own cleansing.”

to her glorious rest.

The Acts of Thomas

In some ways the Acts of Thomas may be the best known of the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles, for this is the text that supports the well-known tradition that the apostle Thomas was the missionary who first brought Christianity to India. Thomas is not simply one of the apostles in this account, however. He is actually the brother of Jesus, in fact, his identical twin. (The name “Thomas” is an Aramaic word that means “twin.”) Thomas and Jesus as “look alikes” serves a narrative ploy at one point in the story: when Jesus appears from heaven in a married couple’s bedroom, he is mistaken for his mortal twin—creating considerable confusion, since Thomas has just been seen leaving the house (ch. 11).

The narrative recounts how Thomas is compelled to go to India, despite his reluctance: his “master” Jesus sells him as a slave to work as a carpenter for the King of India (chaps. 1–3). Both en route and while there Thomas performs miraculous deeds and proclaims a message of asceticism. For him, the gospel means renouncing this world, its wealth (see chaps. 17–24), and its pleasures—especially its sexual pleasures. Even those who are married are urged to refrain from having sexual relations, as children are a distraction on the one hand and are doomed to lives of sin on the other (see chaps. 10–16).

The cost of failing to adhere to this gospel message are extreme; in this account we find a graphic description of the torments of hell, reserved for those who did not lead lives of strict morality and renunciation, as told by a woman raised from the dead, who has seen the fates of the damned first hand (chaps. 51–58).

As with other Apocryphal Acts, it is difficult to know when the Acts of Thomas was written; most scholars have dated it to the third century and assumed that it was written in Edessa, the major city of Eastern Syria.

Translation by J. K. Elliott,
Apocryphal
New
Testament
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993) 447–57; 468–72; used with permission.

122

THE ACTS OF THOMAS

123

At that time we apostles were all

1

king of the Indians.” When the purchase

in Jerusalem—Simon called Peter,

was completed the Saviour took Judas,

and Andrew his brother, James the son of

also called Thomas, and led him to Ab-

Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and

ban, the merchant. When Abban saw him

Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the

he said to him, “Is this your master?” The

taxgatherer, James the son of Alphaeus

apostle answered and said, “Yes, he is my

and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas the

Lord.” And he said, “I have bought you

son1 of James—and we portioned out the

from him.” And the apostle held his

regions of the world, in order that each

peace.

one of us might go into the region that

fell to him by lot, and to the nation to

On the following morning the

which the Lord had sent him. By lot India

3 apostle prayed and entreated the

fell to Judas Thomas, also called Didy

Lord, saying, “I go wherever you wish,

mus. And he did not wish to go, saying

O Lord Jesus, your will be done.”2 And

that he was not able to travel on account

he went to the merchant Abban, carrying

of the weakness of his body. He said,

nothing at all with him, but only his price.

“How can I, being a Hebrew, go among

For the Lord had given it to him, saying,

the Indians to proclaim the truth?” And

“Let your worth also be with you along

while he was considering this and speakwith my grace, wherever you may go.”

ing, the Saviour appeared to him during

And the apostle came up with Abban,

the night and said to him, “Fear not,

who was carrying his luggage into the

Thomas, go away to India and preach the

boat. He too began to carry it along with

word there, for my grace is with you.”

him. And when they had gone on board

But he would not obey saying, “Wherand sat down, Abban questioned the ever you wish to send me, send me, but

apostle, saying, “What kind of work do

elsewhere. For I am not going to the

you know?” And he said, “In wood,

Indians.”

ploughs and yokes and balances and

ships and boats’ oars and masts and small

2 And as he was thus speaking and blocks; in stone, pillars and temples and considering, it happened that a

royal palaces.” And Abban the merchant

merchant named Abban, who had come

said to him, “We need such a workman.”

from India, was there, sent from King

They began their voyage. And they had

Gundaphorus, having received an order

a fair wind; and they sailed cheerfully till

from him to buy a carpenter and bring

they came to Andrapolis, a royal city.

him to him. And the Lord, having seen

him walking about in the market at noon,

said to him, “Do you wish to buy a car4 And leaving the boat they went into the city. And behold, the

penter?” He replied, “Yes.” And the Lord

sounds of flute-players and water-organs

said to him, “I have a slave who is a

and trumpets echoed round them. And

carpenter, and I wish to sell him.” And

the apostle inquired saying, “What festihaving said this he showed him Thomas val is it in this city?” And the inhabitants

from a distance and agreed with him for

there answered, “The gods have brought

three pounds of uncoined silver, and

you to keep festival in this city. For the

wrote a bill of sale saying, “I, Jesus, son

of the carpenter Joseph, declare that I

have sold my slave, Judas by name, to

you, Abban, a merchant of Gundaphorus,

1Brother? 2Matt. 6: 10; Luke 22:42.

124

NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

king has an only daughter and now he is

a branch of reed in his hand and held it.

going to give her to a husband in mar

And the flute-girl, holding her flute in her

riage. This festival, then, which you see

hand, went round them all; and when she

to-day, is the rejoicing and public assemcame to the place where the apostle was bly for the marriage. And the king has

she stood over him, playing the flute over

sent forth heralds to proclaim everywhere

his head a long time. And that flute-girl

that all are to come to the marriage, rich

was a Hebrew by race.

and poor, bond and free, strangers and

citizens. But if anyone should refuse and

6

not come to the marriage, he is answera

And as the apostle looked to the

ground, one of the cupbearers

ble to the king.’ And Abban, having heard

stretched forth his hand and struck him.

this, said to the apostle, “Let us also go so

And the apostle, having raised his eyes,

that we give no offence to the king, espelooked at the man who had struck him, cially as we are strangers.” And he said,

saying, “My God will forgive you for this

“Let us go.” And having obtained lodgwrong in the world to come, but in this ings at the inn and rested a little they went

world he will show his wonders, and I

to the wedding. And the apostle, seeing

shall soon see that hand that struck me

them all reclining, reclined also in their

dragged along by dogs.” And having spomidst. And they all looked at him as at a ken he began to sing this song:

stranger, a man coming from a foreign

“The maiden is the daughter of the

land. And Abban the merchant, being the

light,

master, reclined in another place.

On whom rests the majestic splendour of kings;

And whilst they were eating and

5

Delightful is the sight of her,

drinking, the apostle tasted noth

Resplendent with brilliant beauty

ing. Those about him said to him, “Why

Her garments are like spring flowers

have you come here, neither eating nor

Sending forth sweet fragrance.

drinking?” And he answered and said to

On the crown of her head the king

them, “For something greater than food

is seated

or even drink have I come here, that I

Feeding with his own ambrosia

might accomplish the will of the king.

those who live under him.

For the heralds proclaim the wishes of

Truth rests upon her head,

the king, and whoever will not hear the

Joy she shows forth with her feet.

heralds will be liable to the judgement of

Her mouth is opened, and

the king.” When they had dined and

becomingly.

drunk, and crowns and perfumes had

Thirty-and-two are they who praise

been brought, each took perfume, and

her.

one anointed his face, another his beard,

Her tongue is like a door-curtain,

and others different parts of the body.

Drawn back for those who go in.

And the apostle anointed the crown of

Made by the first creator.

his head, and put a little of the ointment

Her two hands point and make sein his nostrils, and dropped it also in his cret signs predicting the

ears, and applied it also to his teeth, and

chorus of the blessed ages,

carefully anointed the parts round about

Her fingers show the gates of the city.

his heart; but the crown that was brought

Her chamber is bright,

to him, wreathed with myrtle and other

Breathing forth scent from balsam

flowers, he put on his head, and he took

and every perfume,

THE ACTS OF THOMAS

125

Sending forth a sweet smell of

changed, but they did not understand his

myrrh and herbs.

words, as he was a Hebrew and his words

Within are strewn myrtle-branches

were spoken in Hebrew. Only the flute-

and all manner of sweet-

girl understood him, being of the Hebrew

smelling flowers,

race; and leaving him she played the flute

The portal is adorned with reeds.

to the others, but repeatedly looked back

and gazed at him. For she loved him as