Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (23 page)

Translation by Bart D. Ehrman, based on the text in Morton Smith,
Clement
of
Alexandria
and
a
Secret
Gospel
of
Mark
(Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1973).

87

88

NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS

preserved only in an eighteenth-century fragment that is no longer available for examination (Smith published photographs of the document, but the original is inaccessible)? Why is this Gospel, or even Clement’s letter, never mentioned by any other ancient source? Is the letter an ancient forgery? A modern forgery? If the letter is actually by Clement, were the stories that it narrates known before the end of the second century? Do they actually come from a second edition of Mark’s Gospel? Could they, instead, have originally been part of the first edition of the Gospel, only to be deleted by orthodox Christian scribes concerned with their ethical implications? Were these stories widely known by Christians already in the first century (such as the author of the Fourth Gospel?). Could they, in fact, have actually happened?

The
entire
letter
of
Clement
is
not
where the young man was, stretched out

translated
here,
but
only
the
quotations
his hand, and raised him by seizing his

that
relate
to
the
Secret
Gospel.
Clement
hand.

begins
the
letter
by
providing
the
account
The young man looked at him intently

summarized
above,
indicating
that
the
and loved him; and he began pleading

apostle
Mark
produced
a
second
version
with him that he might be with him.

of
his
Gospel
for
the
spiritually
enlight-

When they came out of the tomb they

ened
in
Alexandria,
which
was
wrong-

went to the young man’s house, for he

fully
procured
and
corrupted
by
the
Car-

was wealthy.

pocratians.
He
then
goes
on
to
indicate
And after six days Jesus gave him a

two
passages
that
were
in
this
second
command. And when it was evening the

version,
the
Secret
Gospel,
along
with
young man came to him, wearing a

one
that
was
not
in
it,
that
he
had
been
linen cloth over his naked body. He

queried
about.

stayed with him that night, for Jesus

was teaching him the mystery of the

Kingdom of God. When he got up from

Citation
1
(following
Mark
10:34)
there, he returned to the other side of

the Jordan.”

They came to Bethany, and a woman

was there whose brother had died. She

came and prostrated herself before Jesus,

The
letter
goes
on
to
indicate
a
pas-

saying to him, “Son of David, have

sage
not
found
in
the
Secret
Gospel:
mercy on me.” But his disciples rebuked

her. Jesus became angry and went off

with her to the garden where the tomb

Citation
2

was.

Immediately a loud voice was heard

But the phrase “naked man with

from the tomb. Jesus approached and

naked man,” and the other matters you

rolled the stone away from the entrance

inquired about, are not found (in the

to the tomb. Immediately he went in

text).

THE SECRET GOSPEL OF MARK

89

Citation
3
(following
Mark
10:46a)
The
fragment
of
the
letter
concludes
with
a
tantalizing
statement
that
Clement
And the sister of the young man Jesus

now
intends
to
provide
“a
true
interpre-

loved was there, along with his mother

tation”
of
these
matters,
“in
accordance
and Salome. And Jesus did not receive

with
the
true
philosophy.”
But
that
is
ex-

them.

actly
where
the
letter
breaks
off.

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NON-CANONICAL

ACTS OF THE

APOSTLES

92

NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

Only one account of the activities of the apostles of Jesus came to be included in the New Testament, the book of Acts, written by the author of the Gospel of Luke. The second century, however, saw the production of numerous legendary accounts of the missionary endeavors of the apostles, who were said to have taken the gospel message far afield throughout the Roman Empire, and even outside of it. These narratives recount the apostles’

heroic deeds in order to show that they were empowered by the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit to do God’s will here on earth, as they heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. In addition, the accounts reveal the numerous obstacles the apostles encountered, especially in their confrontations with advocates of “pagan” religions, whose temples are occasionally destroyed by a word from an apostle, and with “heretics,” who proclaim a false view of the religion. Some of the stories involve miracle-working contests between the apostolic advocates of the truth and their heretical opponents, who, naturally, come to be soundly defeated by the power of the one true God.

In addition to tales of the apostles who were known from the New Testament, there were lively accounts written about others as well—most notably a female apostle, a companion of Paul, named Thecla, whose miraculous exploits and supernatural escapes from death continue to enthrall readers today.

Throughout these accounts one finds not just a set of episodic narratives, but an ideological point, stressed time and again, relating to the need for true followers of Christ to abandon the trappings and pleasures of this world—especially the pleasures of sex—in order to participate fully in the life of the other world, the world of God. And so these tales consistently take an ascetic line, urging their readers to abandon what might be otherwise thought of as wholesome activities of daily life that bind society together (sexual love of married couples, raising of children, commitment to family life) in order to serve the God who stands over against the social conventions of this world.

Scholars have long noted that this ascetic ideology stands at tension with the “pagan” writings that are most similar to the Christian Acts and probably served as their model—ancient pagan Romances (sometimes called novels), which celebrate sexual love and the bonds of family that it creates.

Numerous subplots tie the Romances together with the Christian Acts—travels and dangers on sea and land, shipwrecks, piracy, kidnappings, stories of broken marriages and frustrated love. But whereas the pagan romances affirm what today some might call “family values,” the Christian Acts denounce these as worldly concerns to be overcome by the true believer.

For the authors of these books, it is the true worship of God and the spread of the Christian gospel that are of ultimate importance, with society and its institutions seen as impediments to the goals of the Christians’ existence, which is to be directed to life in heaven, not life on earth.

The Acts of John

Some of the most entertaining stories found among the apocryphal accounts of the apostles are in the “Acts of John,” stories of the missionary adventures of the son of Zebedee, the disciple commonly regarded as Jesus’ closest companion.1 Many of the stories demonstrate the uncanny power of God at work within his great apostle, as he is able to perform remarkable miracles by healing the sick and raising the dead—evidence of the truth of his proclamation of the gospel of Christ.

The following excerpts narrate some of the apostle’s most remarkable deeds, including a tale in which he raises from the dead a prominent leader in the city of Ephesus, Lycomedes, and his beautiful wife, Cleopatra (chaps.

19–25). A second resurrection account involves a gripping tale of passion gone awry, in a love triangle involving the beautiful but ascetic Christian, Drusiana, her loving husband, Andronicus, and the unbeliever Callimachus, whose unsatisfied lust becomes known to Drusiana, causing her to die of grief for being the object of temptation. In a fit of passion, however, Callimachus bribes his way into the burial vault, where he plans to fulfill his lust on Drusiana’s corpse, only to be attacked by a preternatural serpent that stands as her guardian (chaps. 63–86).

Razor-sharp in its contrast between ascetic virtue and lustful vice, this intriguing Acts of John stresses both the need for purity before God and the power of the apostle, who is able to raise the dead and to right all that has gone wrong in the world (the pure Drusiana too, it should be noted, performs a resurrection in the account).

Other stories found here are somewhat more amusing—including John’s encounter with a host of unwanted bed-bugs at a roadside inn (chaps.

60–61). Yet other accounts, probably from a different source, involve more mystical reflections on the nature of Christ, who is described in ways that appear docetic—that is, suggesting that he did not have a real flesh-and-blood body (see esp. chaps. 85–103).

1See further Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities
, 41–44.

Translation by J. K. Elliott;
Apocryphal
New
Testament
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993) 311–26; 328–35; used with permission.

93

94

NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

It is difficult to know when the Acts of John was composed, but many scholars locate it to the second half of the second century.

When we came near the city

19

or anything like it! Of what use is my

Lycomedes, the commander-in-

care now, Cleopatra? What good was it

chief of the Ephesians, a wealthy man,

to me, that I was called godly to this day?

met us, fell down before John and asked

I suffer more than a heathen, seeing you,

him for help, with these words, “Your

Cleopatra, suffering so. The sun in his

name is John; the God whom you preach

circuit shall not see me, if you are no

has sent you to help my wife, who has

more with me. Cleopatra, I will die bebeen paralyzed for seven days and lies fore you. I will not spare my life though

past recovery. But glorify your God and

I am still youthful. I will justify myself

treat her out of compassion for us. Whilst

before the goddess of right, whom I

I was reflecting what to do, a man came

served in righteousness, though I might

to me and said, ‘Desist, Lycomedes, from

indict her for her unrighteous sentence. I

the evil thought which militates against

will avenge myself on her by coming as

you. Do not submit. For out of compasa shade. I will say to her, ‘You have sion for my servant Cleopatra I have sent

forced me to leave the light of life, beyou a man from Miletus, named John, cause you tore away Cleopatra. You are

who will comfort her and restore her to

the cause of my death, by having preyou cured.’ Delay not, therefore, servant pared for me this fate. You have forced

of the God who announced you to me,

me to blaspheme Providence by destroybut hasten to the ailing woman.” And ing my joy.’ ”

John went at once from the gate with the

brethren who were with him and fol

And Lycomedes spoke more to

21

lowed Lycomedes into his house. And

Cleopatra, went to her couch,

Cleobius said to his servants, “Go to my

and cried bitterly. But John drew him

relative Callippus and make yourselves

away and said, “Abandon these tears and

comfortable in his house—for I am comunbecoming words! It is not proper for ing there with his son—that we may find

you, who saw the vision, to be disbelieveverything prepared!”

ing. Know that your partner for life will

be restored to you. Therefore join us, who

20 When Lycomedes and John had have come for her sake, and pray to the come into the house in which