Read Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament Online
Authors: [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Tags: #Biblical Reference, #Bible Study Guides, #Bibles, #Other Translations, #Apocryphal books (New Testament), #New Testament, #Christianity, #Religion, #Biblical Commentary, #Biblical Studies, #General, #History
too shall rise, though he tried so much to
and renewal of life.”
become my betrayer.” When Callimachus
heard her speaking thus, he said, “No, I
79 When Andronicus saw that beg you, Drusiana. For the voice which I Callimachus had been raised
heard did not mention him, but only confrom the dead, he and the brethren becerned you, and when I saw I believed.
sought John to raise Drusiana also, and
If he were good, God out of mercy would
said, “John, let her be raised and happily
have certainly raised him through the
complete life’s short space, which she
blessed John. He knew that the man
gave up out of sorrow for Callimachus,
should have a bad death.” And John anbecause she thought she was a temptation swered him, “My son, we have not learnt
to him! And when it pleases the Lord, he
to recompense evil with evil: For God
will take her to himself.” And without
had not recompensed the evil which we
delay John went to the grave, seized her
have done to him, but has given us rehand and said, “You who alone are God, pentance. And although we did not know
I call upon you, the immense, the unhis name, he did not forget us, but had speakable, the incomprehensible, to
mercy upon us. And when we reviled
whom all worldly power is subject, behim, he forsook us not, but was merciful.
fore whom every authority bows, before
And when we were disbelieving, he rewhom every pride falls down and is simembered not the evil. And when we lent, before whose voice the demons are
persecuted his brethren, he did not reconfounded, at whose contemplation the quite us, but made us repent, turn away
whole creation surrenders in quiet medifrom sin, and called us to himself, as tation. Your name will be hallowed by us.
he called you also, child Callimachus,
Raise Drusiana that Callimachus be still
and, without remembering your former
102
NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
sins, made you his servant through his
better! O source of the soul, remaining
long-suffering mercy. If you do not wish
in the filth! O essence of corruption, full
me to raise Fortunatus, let Drusiana do
of darkness! O death, dancing among
it.”
those belonging to you! O fruitless tree,
full of fire! O wood, producing coal as
Without wavering, but in the
82
fruit! O forest, with trees full of unjoy of her spirit and soul, she healthy shoots, neighbor of unbelief! You
went to the body of Fortunatus and said,
showed us who you are, and you will
“God of the ages, Jesus Christ, God of
always be convicted with your children.
truth, you allowed me to see signs and
And the power of praising higher things
wonders and granted me to partake of
is unknown to you, for you do not have
your name. You breathed into me your
it. Therefore as your issue is, so is your
spirit with your polymorphous face, and
root and nature. Vanish away from those
showed much compassion. With your
who hope in the Lord—from their
rich goodness, you protected me when
thoughts, from their mind, from their
my former husband, Andronicus, did visouls, from their bodies, from their acolence to me, and gave me your servant tion, from their life, from their conver
Andronicus as a brother. Until now you
sation, from their activity, from their
have kept me, your maiden, pure. You
deeds, from their counsel, from their resraised me when I was dead through your urrection to God, from their fragrance
servant John. To me, risen and freed from
which you will share, from their fastings,
offence, you showed me him who was
from their prayers, from their holy bapoffended at me. You gave me perfect rest tism, from their eucharist, from the nourin you, and delivered me from the secret ishment of their flesh, from their drink,
madness. I love you with all my heart. I
from their dress, from their agape, from
beseech you, Christ, not to dismiss Dru-
their acts of mourning, from their contisiana’s petition, who asks of you the resnence, and from their righteousness.
urrection of Fortunatus, though he tried
From all these, most unholy and abomiso much to become my betrayer.”
nable Satan, shall Jesus Christ, our God
and judge of those who are like you and
And she took the hand of the
83
your nature, remove you.”
dead man and said, “Rise, Fortunatus, in the name of our Lord Jesus 85
Christ!” And Fortunatus rose up. And
After these words John prayed,
fetched a loaf of bread to the
seeing John in the tomb and Andronicus
tomb to break it, and said, “We praise
and Drusiana risen from the dead and
your name, who have converted us from
Callimachus now a believer, he said, “O
error and unmerciful lusts. We praise you
how far the power of these awful people
who have brought before our eyes that
has spread! I wish I were not raised, but
which we saw. We bear witness to your
remained dead, so as not to see them.”
goodness manifested to us in various
And with these words he ran from the
ways. We hallow your gracious name,
tomb.
Lord, and thank you who have convicted
those who are convicted by you. We
And when John perceived the
84
thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, that we
unchangeable soul of Fortunabelieve in your unchangeable mercy.
tus, he said, “O nature, unchanged for the
We thank you that you are in need of a
THE ACTS OF JOHN
103
saved human nature. We thank you that
them to your hearing; and in accordance
you gave this sure faith, that you alone
with everyone’s capabilities I will comare God, now and for ever. We, your municate to you those things whereof you
servants, thank you, O holy One, we who
are able to become hearers, that you may
are assembled with good reason and risen
see the glory that surrounds him who was
from the dead.”
and is both now and forever.
“For when he had chosen Peter and
Having thus prayed and praised
86
Andrew, who were brothers, he came to
God, he made all the brethren
me and to my brother James, saying, ‘I
partake of the eucharist of the Lord and
have need of you, come unto me.’ And
then left the tomb. And when he had
my brother said, ‘John, this child on the
come into the house of Andronicus, he
shore who called to us, what does he
said to the brethren, “Dear brethren, a
want?’ And I said, ‘What child?’ He respirit within me has prophesied that, in plied, ‘The one who is beckoning to us.’
consequence of the bite of the serpent,
And I answered, ‘Because of our long
Fortunatus would die of blood-poisoning.
watch that we kept at sea you are not
Let someone make haste and inquire
seeing straight, brother James: but do you
whether it is so!” And one of the young
not see the man who stands there, fair
men ran and found him dead already, the
and comely and of a cheerful countepoison having spread and reached his nance?’ But he said to me, ‘Him I do not
heart. And he returned to John, reporting
see, brother; but let us go and we shall
that he had been dead three hours already.
see what it means.’ And so when we had
And John said, “You have your child,
landed the ship, we saw him helping us
devil!”
to beach the ship.
Thus John rejoiced with the brethren
in the Lord.
“And when we left the place,
89 wishing to follow him again, he
. . . Then those who were pres87
again appeared to me, bald-headed but
ent inquired about the cause,
with a thick and flowing beard; but to
and were especially perplexed because
James he appeared as a youth whose
Drusiana had said, ‘The Lord appeared
beard was just starting. We were perto me in the tomb in the form of John plexed, both of us, as to the meaning of
and of a youth.’ And as they were perwhat we had seen. But when we followed plexed and in some ways were not yet
him, we both became gradually more perconfirmed in the faith, John said with plexed as we thought on the matter. Yet
patience:
to me there appeared a still more wonderful sight; for I tried to see him as he was, and I never at any time saw his eyes
“Men and brethren, you have
88
closing but only open. And sometimes he
suffered nothing that is strange
appeared to me as a small man and unor incredible in your perception of the attractive, and then again as one reaching
Lord, inasmuch as we also, whom he
to heaven. Also there was in him another
chose for himself as apostles, were tried
marvel; when I sat at table he would take
in many ways. I, indeed, am able neither
me upon his breast and I held him; and
to set forth to you nor to write the things
sometimes his breast felt to me to be
which I saw and heard. Now I must adapt
smooth and tender, and sometimes hard,
104
NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
like stone, so that I was perplexed in
has many faces, and his wisdom which
myself and said, ‘What does this mean?’
without ceasing looked upon us, said,
And when I was thinking of these
‘This you shall learn if you ask him.’
things. . . .3
“Again when all of us disciples
90 “At another time he took me 92 were once sleeping in a house and James and Peter to the
at Gennesaret, after wrapping myself up
mountain, where he used to pray, and we
I watched what he did, and first I heard
beheld such a light on him that it is not
him say, ‘John, go to sleep.’ And
possible for a man who uses mortal
thereupon I feigned to be asleep; and I
speech to describe what it was like.
saw another like him whom I also heard
Again in a similar way he led us three up
saying to my Lord, ‘Jesus, those whom
to the mountain saying, ‘Come with me.’
you have chosen still do not believe in
And we went again and saw him at a
you.’ And my Lord said to him, ‘You are
distance praying. Now I, because he
right, for they are men.’
loved me, went to him quietly as though
he should not see, and stood looking
upon his back. And I saw that he was not
93 “Another glory I will tell you,
brethren. Sometimes when I
dressed in garments, but was seen by us
meant to touch him, I met a material and
as naked and not at all like a man; his
solid body; and at other times again when
feet were whiter than snow, so that the
I felt him, the substance was immaterial
ground there was lit up by his feet, and
and bodiless and as if it were not existing
his head reached to heaven; so that I was
at all. Now, if at any time he were invited
afraid and cried out, and he turned and
by one of the Pharisees and went where
appeared as a man of small stature, and
he was invited, we went with him. And
took hold of my beard and pulled it and
there was set before each one of us a loaf
said to me, ‘John, be not unbelieving, but
of bread by our host, and he also received
believing, and not inquisitive.’ And I said
a loaf. And he would bless his own and
to him, ‘What have I done, Lord?’ And I
divide it amongst us; and from that little
tell you brethren, I suffered such pain for
piece each of us was filled, and our own
thirty days at the place where he took
loaves were saved intact, so that those
hold of my beard, that I said unto him,
who had invited him were amazed. And
‘Lord, if your playful tug has given me
often when I was walking with him I
so much pain, what if you had given me
wished to see whether the print of his
a beating?’ And he said to me, ‘Let it be
foot appeared upon the earth—for I saw
your concern from henceforth not to
him raising himself from the earth—but
tempt him who is not to be tempted.’
I never saw it. Now, these things, dear
brethren, I speak to you to encourage you
“But Peter and James were an91