Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (34 page)

to us at all times—for this is your will,

sword and killed her. For I could not see

that we should always seek you, and you

her commit adultery with another.”

have given us the right to ask and to

receive, and have not only permitted us

52 When the apostle heard this he this, but have also taught us how to pray—said, “O insane intercourse, who are not seen by us with the bodily

how you lead to shamelessness! O unreeyes, but who are never hidden from strained lust, how have you excited this

those of our soul, and who are hidden in

man to do this! O work of the serpent,

form, but manifested to us by your works;

how you rage in your own!” And the

by your many deeds we have recognized

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NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

you as much as we are able, and you

“An ugly-looking man, entirely black, rehave given us your gifts without measure ceived me; and his clothing was exceedsaying, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; ingly filthy. And he took me to a place

seek, and you shall find; knock, and it

where there were many chasms, and a

shall be opened unto you.’5 We pray,

great stench and most hateful vapour

therefore, being afraid of our sins. And

were given forth thence. And he made

we ask you not for riches or gold or silver

me look into each chasm, and in the first

or possessions or any of those things that

I saw blazing fire, and fiery wheels runcome from earth and go into the earth ning, and souls were hung upon these

again; but we beg of you and entreat that

wheels, dashing against each other. And

in your holy name you raise this woman

there was crying and great lamentation

lying here by your power, to your glory

and no Saviour was there. And that man

and to an awakening of faith in those

said to me, ‘These souls are akin to you,

who stand by.”

and in the days of reckoning they were

delivered to punishment and destruction.

And he said to the young man,

54

And then others are brought in their

after sealing him, “Go and take

stead; in like manner all these are again

her hand and say to her, ‘With iron I

succeeded by others. These are they who

killed you with my hands, and with my

perverted the intercourse of man and

hands I raise you because of faith in

wife.’ And again I looked down, and saw

Jesus.’ ” And the young man went and

infants heaped upon each other, strugstood by her, saying, “I have believed in gling and lying upon each other. And he

you, O Christ Jesus.” And looking upon

said to me, ‘These are their children, and

Judas Thomas the apostle, he said to him,

for this they are placed here for a testi

“Pray for me, that my Lord, upon whom

mony against them.’

I call, may come to my help.” And laying

his hand on her hand he said, “Come,

“And he brought me to another

Lord Jesus Christ, give her life and me

56 chasm, and as I looked into it I

the reality of your faith.” And he drew

saw mud and worms spouting forth, and

her by the hand, and she sprang up and

souls wallowing there; and I heard a great

sat looking at the great multitude standgnashing of teeth come from them. And ing around. And she also saw the apostle

that man said to me, ‘These are the souls

standing opposite her, and leaving her

of women who left their husbands and

couch she sprang up and fell at his feet

committed adultery with others, and they

and took hold of his garments, saying, “I

have been brought to this torment.’ And

pray, Lord, where is your companion

he showed me another chasm, and lookwho has not left me to remain in that ing into it I saw souls hung up, some by

fearful and grievous place, but has given

the tongue, some by the hair, some by

me up to you, saying, ‘Take this one, that

the hands, others by the feet, head downshe may be made perfect, and thereafter ward, and reeking with smoke and sulbe brought into her own place.’?”

phur. Concerning these the man who accompanied me said the following: ‘The And the apostle said to her,

55

souls hung up by the tongue are slander

“Tell us where you have been.”

And she answered, “Do you, who were

with me, to whom also I was entrusted,

wish to hear?” And she commenced thus:

5Matt 7:7.

THE ACTS OF THOMAS

133

ers and such as have spoken false and

dered away.’ And received by you, I now

disgraceful words and are not ashamed.

stand before you; I beg, therefore, and

Those hung up by their hair are the

supplicate you that I may not come to

shameless, who are not ashamed at all

those places of punishment which I have

and go about with uncovered heads in the

seen.”

world. Those hung up by the hands are

they who took that which did not belong

to them and have stolen, and who never

58 And the apostle said, “You have

heard what this woman has regave anything to the poor, nor helped the counted. And these are not the only punafflicted; but they did so because they ishments, but there are others worse than

wished to get everything, and cared neithese. And you too, unless you turn to ther for law nor right. And these hung up

the God whom I preach, and abstain from

by the feet are those who lightly and

your former works and from the deeds

eagerly walked in wicked ways and diswhich you did in ignorance, shall find orderly paths, not visiting the sick nor

your end in these punishments. Believe,

escorting those who depart this life. On

therefore, in Christ Jesus, and he will

this account each soul receives what it

forgive you the former sins and will

has done.’

cleanse you from all your bodily desires

that remain on the earth, and will heal

“And again he led me forth and

57

you from the faults that follow after you

showed me a very dark cavern,

and go along with you and are found

exhaling a very bad stench. Many souls

before you. Let every one of you put off

were peeping out thence, wishing to get

the old man and put on the new,6 and

some share of the air. And their keepers

leave your former course of conduct and

would not let them look out. And my

behaviour. Those who steal, let them steal

companion said to me, ‘This is the prison

no more, but let them live, labouring and

of those souls which you saw. For when

working.7 The adulterers are no more to

they have fully received their punishment

commit adultery, lest they give themfor that which each has done, others sucselves up to everlasting punishment. For ceed them. Some are fully consumed,

with God adultery is an evil exceedingly

others are given up to other punishments.’

wicked above all other evils. Put away

And the keepers of the souls in the dark

also covetousness and lying and drunkcavern said to the man that had charge of enness and slandering, and do not return

me, ‘Give her to us, that we may bring

evil for evil!8 For all these are alien and

her to the others till the time comes when

strange to the God whom I preach. But

she is handed over to punishment.’ But

walk rather in faith and meekness and

he said to them, ‘I will not give her to

holiness and hope, in which God rejoices,

you, because I am afraid of him who

that you may become his kinsmen, exdelivered her to me. For I was not told to pecting from him those gifts which only

leave her here; I shall take her back with

a few receive.”

me, till I get an injunction about her.’

And he took me and brought me to an

The whole people therefore beother place, where there were men who 59 lieved and presented obedient

were cruelly tortured. He who is like

you took me and gave me up

to you, saying to you, ‘Take her, for

she is one of the sheep which have wan6Cf. Col. 3: 9. 7Cf. Eph. 4: 28. 8Cf. I Pet. 3: 9.

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NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

souls to the living God and Christ Jesus,

of him. And the fame of him spread over

rejoicing in the blessed works of the Most

all the cities and villages, and all who

High and in his holy service. And they

had sick persons or such as were troubled

brought money for the service of the widby unclean spirits brought them to him; ows. For he had them gathered together

and some they laid on the road by which

in the cities, and he sent to all of them

he was to pass, and he healed all by the

by his deacons what was necessary, both

power of the Lord. And those who were

clothing as well as food. He himself did

healed by him said with one accord and

not cease to preach and to speak to them

one voice, “Glory to you, Jesus, who in

and to show that this Jesus is the Messiah

like manner has given healing to all

of whom the Scriptures have spoken that

through your servant and apostle Thohe should be crucified and be raised after mas! And being in good health and rethree days from the dead. He also showed joicing, we pray that we may become

to them and explained, beginning from

members of your flock and be counted

the prophets, what was said concerning

among your sheep. Receive us, therefore,

the Messiah, that it was necessary for him

O Lord, and consider not our trespasses

to come, and that everything had to be

and our former transgressions, which we

accomplished which had been prophesied

did while we were in ignorance!”

The Acts of Peter

The Acts of Peter provides a number of entertaining accounts of the missionary adventures of the leader of the apostles, including several of his sermons and a number of his miracles. Much of the narrative concerns a series of contests between Peter and his nemesis, the Satanically inspired sorcerer Simon Magus, who presents himself as the true representative of God on earth. The same Simon is elsewhere portrayed as the first Gnostic and arch-heretic (see, e.g., the Epistle of the Apostles, above), although here there is less attention paid to his theology than to his claims of divine superiority.1 These claims are completely refuted by Peter, who through the power of God is able to make dogs and newborn infants speak and to restore smoked tunas and dead people back to life.

The contests reach a climax when Simon uses his powers to fly like a bird over the temples and hills of Rome; Peter responds by calling upon God to smite him in mid-air. When Simon crashes to the ground, the crowds, convinced of Peter’s superior power, rush to the scene to stone Simon and leave him for dead (chaps. 32–33).

The account ends with Peter’s arrest and execution, in which, at his own request, he is crucified upside down; hanging on the cross, he explains to those nearby the symbolic reasons for his request, utters a long prayer, and then dies—only to appear to one of his followers afterwards to upbraid him for providing him with such a lavish burial (chaps. 36–40).

In many ways, the bulk of the Acts of Peter—that is, the miracle contests between Peter and Simon Magus—reflects the traditions that also lie behind the “Pseudo-Clementine” literature, including the Homilies of Clement (see below). The Acts of Peter itself appears to have been in circulation some time before the end of the second century.

1For the importance of Simon Magus as an opponent of proto-orthodox heresy-hunters, see Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities
, 165–67.

Translation by J. K. Elliott,
Apocryphal
New
Testament
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993) 401–10; 416–26; used with permission.

135

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NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

. . . After a few days there was a

4

byter Narcissus, and two women in the

great commotion in the congregahospice of the Bithynians, and four others tion, for some said that they had seen

who could not leave their house; and day

things done by a man named Simon, who

and night they entreated the Lord either

was at Aricia. They also added, “He

that Paul might return as soon as possible

claims to be the great power of God,

or that someone else might come to care

doing nothing without God. Is he then

for his servants, whom the devil by his

Christ? We, however, believe in him

wickedness had perverted.