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
your hands and, beseeching the Lord,
your iniquities, which you have done,
sprinkle it in his name on the pieces of
with imperishable fire and you shall be
the statue and it shall be a whole as bein outer darkness.” Having spoken these fore.” Marcellus did not doubt, but bewords the dog ran away. And the multilieved with his whole heart, and before tude followed so that Simon remained
taking the water he lifted up his hands
alone. And the dog came to Peter who
and said, “I believe in you, Lord Jesus
was with the crowd who had come to see
Christ. For your apostle Peter has examthe face of Peter; and the dog reported ined me whether I truly believe in your
what had happened with Simon. To the
holy name. Therefore I take water in my
messenger and apostle of the true God
hands and sprinkle these stones in your
the dog said as follows, “Peter, you shall
name that the statue become whole again
have a hard fight with Simon, the enemy
as before. If it is your will, O Lord, that
of Christ, and with his adherents, but
I live and receive no punishment from
many whom he deceived you shall con
Caesar, let this statute be whole as bevert to the faith. For this you shall receive fore.” And he sprinkled water on the
a reward for your work from God.” Havstones, and the statue became whole. Peing thus spoken the dog fell at the feet of ter, therefore, exulted that he had not
Peter and expired. When the multitude
hesitated to petition the Lord, and Marwith great astonishment saw the talking cellus also rejoiced in the Spirit, that the
dog, many fell down at the feet of Peter,
first miracle took place by his hands. He
but others said, “Show us another miracle
believed therefore, with all his heart in
that we may believe in you as a servant
THE ACTS OF PETER
143
of the living God, for Simon too did
vants, having obtained permission,
many wonders in our presence, and on
treated him in the most shameful way;
that account we followed him.”
some struck him in the face, some beat
him with a rod, some flung stones at him,
And Peter turning around saw
13
some emptied vessels containing filth
a smoked tuna fish hanging in
over his head. Those who, for his sake,
a window. He took it, saying to the peohad left their master and were imprisple, “When you see this swimming in oned, and other servants whom he had
water like a fish, will you be able to
maligned to their master, reviled him and
believe in him whom I preach?” And all
said to him, “Now we repay to you the
said with one voice, “Indeed we shall
worthy reward, according to the will of
believe you.” So he went to the pond near
God, who had mercy upon us and upon
by, saying, “In your name, O Jesus Christ,
our master.” And Simon, thus treated, left
in whom they do not yet believe, I say,
the house and went to the house in which
‘Tuna, in the presence of all these, live
Peter was staying. Standing at the door
and swim like a fish.’ ” And he cast the
of the house of the presbyter Narcissus,
tuna into the pond, and it became alive
he cried, “Behold, here am I, Simon.
and began to swim. The multitude saw
Come down, Peter, and I will prove that
the swimming fish and he made it swim
you believed in a Jewish man and the son
not only for that hour but, lest they said
of a carpenter.”
that it was a deception, he made it swim
longer, thereby attracting crowds from all
15
parts and showing that the smoked tuna
When Peter heard these things
he sent to him a woman with
had again become a living fish. The sucher suckling child and said to her, “Go cess was such that many threw pieces of
down quickly and you shall see someone
bread into the water, seeing that the fish
seeking me. As for you, do not speak,
was whole. Very many who had witbut keep silent and listen to what the child nessed this followed Peter and believed
which you hold will say to him.” And the
in the Lord, and met day and night in the
woman went down. And her baby was
house of Narcissus the presbyter. And
seven months old. Assuming a manly
Peter spoke to them of the prophetical
voice it said to Simon, “You abomination
writings and of the things done by our
before God and people, O destroyer of
Lord Jesus Christ in word and deed.
truth and most wicked seed of corruption,
O unfaithful fruit of nature! After only a
Marcellus was more firmly es14
little while an everlasting punishment
tablished in the faith, seeing the
awaits you. Son of a shameless father,
signs which Peter did by the grace of
never taking root in good soil but in poi
Jesus Christ, which was given to him.
son; unfaithful creature, destitute of all
And Marcellus attacked Simon, who sat
hope, when the dog accused you, you
in the dining-room of his house. Cursing
were not ashamed. I, a child, am forced
him, he said to him, “O you most malevby God to speak and still you do not olent and most pestilential of men, deblush. But against your will, on the comstroyer of my soul and of my house, who ing Sabbath day, another shall lead you
intended to lead me away from Christ,
to the forum of Julius that you may be
my Lord and Savior.” And he laid his
shown what you are. Leave by the doorhand on him and ordered that he be way at which the saints enter. For no
thrown out of his house. And the sermore shall you corrupt innocent souls
144
NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
whom you perverted and led away from
you his right hand; through him we have
Christ. Your whole evil nature will
light unapproachable which darkness
therefore be manifested, and your machcannot hide. Through me he says to you, inations will be spoiled. Now I say to
‘Open your eyes, see and walk on your
you a last word: Jesus Christ says to
own.’ ” And the widow at once saw Peter
you, ‘Be speechless by the power of my
put his hand upon her. When Peter came
name and leave Rome till the coming
into the dining-room he saw that the gos
Sabbath.’ ”
pel was being read. And rolling it up he
At once he became speechless, and
said, “People, who believe in Christ and
being constrained he left Rome till the
hope in him, you shall know how the
next Sabbath and lodged in a stable. The
holy scriptures of our Lord must be exwoman returned to Peter with the baby plained. What we have written down acand told Peter and the other brethren what cording to his grace, though it may seem
the child had said to Simon. And they
to you as yet so little, contains what is
praised the Lord who had shown these
endurable to be understood by humanity.
things to humans.
It is necessary that we first know God’s
will or his goodness; for when deceit was
When night came Peter, still
16
spread and many thousands of people
awake, saw Jesus clothed with
were plunging into perdition the Lord
a shining garment, smiling and saying to
was moved by compassion to show himhim, “The greatest part of the brethren self in another form and to appear in the
has already come back through me and
image of man, by whom neither the Jews
through the signs which you have made
nor we are worthy to be enlightened. For
in my name. But on the coming Sabbath
each of us saw him as his capacity peryou shall have a contest of faith, and mitted. Now, however, I will explain to
many more Gentiles and Jews shall be
you that which has been read to you. Our
converted in my name to me who was
Lord wished to let me see his majesty on
reviled, despised, and spat upon. For I
the holy mountain;4 but when I with the
shall show myself to you when you shall
sons of Zebedee saw his brightness I fell
ask for signs and wonders and you shall
at his feet as dead, closed my eyes, and
convert many, but you will have Simon
heard his voice in a manner which I canopposing you through the works of his not describe. I imagined I had been defather. But all his doings shall be maniprived of my eyesight by his splendor. I fested as sorcery and magical deception.
recovered a little and said to myself, ‘Per
And do not delay and you shall confirm
haps the Lord has brought me here to
in my name all those whom I shall send
deprive me of my eyesight.’ And I said,
to you.” When it was day he told the
‘If such is your will, O Lord, I shall not
brethren how the Lord had appeared to
resist.’ And he took me by the hand and
him and what he had commanded
lifted me up. And when I arose I saw him
him. . . .
again in a form which I could not comprehend. So the merciful God, most be20 When Peter had entered he saw loved brethren, has borne our infirmities one of the old women who was
and carried our transgressions, as the
blind, and her daughter led her by the
hand and conducted her into the house of
Marcellus. And Peter said to her, “Come
here, mother; from this day Jesus gives
4Mark 9:2–8.
THE ACTS OF PETER
145
prophet says, ‘He bears our griefs; and is
have yours also; show us, both of you,
afflicted for us; yet we did esteem him
whom we must believe.” And when they
stricken and afflicted.’5 For he is in the
had spoken Simon also came. Dismayed,
Father and the Father in him; in him also
he stood by the side of Peter gazing
is the fullness of all majesty, who has
closely at him. After a long silence Peter
shown us all his benefits. He ate and
said, “Roman men, you shall be our true
drank on our account though he was neijudges. I say that I believe in the living ther hungry nor thirsty; he suffered and
and true God, of whom I will give you
bore reproaches for us, he died and rose
proof already known to me, and to which
for us. He also defended and strengthmany among you testify. You see that this ened me through his greatness when I
man is silent because he has been refuted
sinned; he will also comfort you, so that
and because I have driven him from Juyou may love him, this Great and Small daea on account of the frauds perpetrated
One, this Beautiful and Ugly One, this
upon Eubola, a highly respected but sim
Young Man and Old Man, appearing in
ple woman, by means of his magic. Havtime, yet utterly invisible in eternity; ing been expelled by me from there, he
whom a human hand has not grasped, yet
has come here believing that he could
is held by his servants; whom flesh has
remain hidden among you; and now here
not seen and now sees; who has not been
he stands face to face with me. Tell me,
heard, but is known now as the word
Simon, did you not fall at my feet and
which is heard; never chastised, but now
those of Paul, when in Jerusalem you saw
chastised; who was before the world and
the miraculous cures which took place by
is now perceived in time, beginning
our hands, and say, ‘I pray you, take as
greater than all dominion, yet delivered
much money from me as you wish, that
to the princes; glorious, but lowly among
I too by laying on of hands may perform
us; ugly, yet foreseeing. This Jesus you
such deeds’? And when we heard this
have, brethren, the door, the light, the
from you, we cursed you: do you think
way, the bread, the water, the life, the
that we try to possess money? And now
resurrection, the refreshment, the pearl,
are you afraid? My name is Peter, bethe treasure, the seed, the abundance, the cause the Lord Christ had the grace to
grain of mustard seed, the vine, the
call me to be ready for every cause. For
plough, the grace, the faith, the word: he
I believe in the living God, through
is everything, and there is none greater
whom I shall destroy your magic arts.
than he; to him be praise in all eternity.
Let Simon perform in your presence the