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
When I heard this, I wept and
33
ing, and crying he said, “Have pity on
groaned over the human race.
me! For I am hurt more than the rest who
THE APOCALYPSE OF PAUL
295
are in this punishment.” And I asked,
said, “Sir, what is this place?” And he
“Sir, who is this?” And he said to me,
said to me, “Into that pit stream all the
“This man whom you see was a deacon
punishments.” And I saw men and
who devoured the oblations and commitwomen immersed up to the lips, and I ted fornication and did not do right in the
asked, “Sir, who are these?” And he said
sight of God; for this cause he unceasto me, “These are the magicians who ingly pays this penalty.”
prepared for men and women evil magic
And I looked closely and saw alongarts and did not cease till they died.”
side of him another man, whom they de
And again I saw men and women with
livered up with haste and cast into the
very black faces in a pit of fire, and I
fiery river, and he was in it up to the
sighed and lamented and asked, “Sir, who
knees; and the angel who was set over
are these?” And he said to me, “These are
the punishments came with a great fiery
fornicators and adulterers who committed
razor, and with it he cut the lips of that
adultery, having wives of their own; likeman and the tongue likewise. And sighwise also the women committed adultery, ing, I lamented and asked, “Who is that,
having husbands of their own; therefore
sir?” And he said to me, “He whom you
they unceasingly suffer penalties.”
see was a reader and read to the people,
but he himself did not keep the precepts
And I saw there girls in black
39
of God; now he also pays the proper
raiment, and four terrifying anpenalty.”
gels having in their hands burning chains,
and they put them on the necks of the
And I saw another multitude of
37
girls and led them into darkness; and I,
pits in the same place, and in
again weeping, asked the angel, “Who
the midst of it a river full with a multitude
are these, sir?” And he said to me. “These
of men and women, and worms conare they who, when they were virgins, sumed them. But I lamented, and sighing
defiled their virginity unknown to their
asked the angel and said, “Sir, who are
parents; for which cause they unceasingly
these?” And he said to me, “These are
pay the proper penalties.”
those who exacted interest on interest and
And again I observed there men and
trusted in their riches and did not hope
women with hands cut and their feet
in God that he was their helper.”
placed naked in a place of ice and snow,
And after that I looked and saw anand worms devoured them. Seeing them other place, very narrow, and it was like
I lamented and asked, “Sir, who are
a wall, and fire round about it. And I saw
these?” And he said to me, “These are
inside men and women gnawing their
they who harmed orphans and widows
tongues, and I asked, “Sir, who are
and the poor, and did not hope in the
these?” And he said to me, “These are
Lord, for which cause they unceasingly
they who in church disparage the Word
pay the proper penalties.”
of God, not attending to it, but as it were
And I observed and saw others hangmaking naught of God and his angels; ing over a channel of water, and their
for that reason they now likewise pay the
tongues were very dry, and many fruits
proper penalty.”
were placed in their sight, and they were
not permitted to take of them, and I
And I observed and saw an38
asked, “Sir, who are these?” And he said
other pool in the pit and its apto me, “These are they who broke their pearance was like blood, and I asked and
fast before the appointed hour; for this
296
NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES
cause they unceasingly pay these
And I saw other men and women covpenalties.”
ered with dust, and their countenance was
And I saw other men and women hang-
like blood, and they were in a pit of pitch
ing by their eyebrows and their hair, and
and sulphur running in a fiery river, and
a fiery river drew them, and I said, “Who
I asked, “Sir, who are these?” And he
are these, sir?” And he said to me, “These
said to me, “These are they who comare they who join themselves not to their mitted the iniquity of Sodom and Go-own husbands and wives but to whores,
morrah, the male with the male, for
and therefore they unceasingly pay the
which reason they unceasingly pay the
proper penalties.”
penalties.” . . .
The Secret Book of John
The Secret Book (sometimes called “Apocryphon”) of John was one of the most remarkable discoveries of the Nag Hammadi Library (see p. 19), where it was found in multiple versions that differ from one another in some ways.1
Cast as a post-resurrection discussion of Jesus with his disciple, John the son of Zebedee, the book contains one of the clearest expositions of the Gnostic myth of creation and redemption, an exposition designed, ultimately, to explain the existence of evil in the world and the path of escape for those who recognize their plight.2
In intricate detail the account discusses the propagation of the divine realm from the one invisible, imperishable, incomprehensible God prior to creation, and the tragic mistake of the aeon Sophia, who produced an offspring apart from her divine consort. The result was the monster Creator God, whom Sophia named Yaltabaoth; this, in fact, is none other than the God of the Bible, who is portrayed here as a malformed and imperfect divine being, who out of ignorance proclaims “I am God, and there is no other God beside me” (Isa 45:5–6).
Yaltabaoth is ultimately responsible for the creation of the world and humans; but he is tricked into breathing the breath of life into the human he has made, thus imparting the power of his mother, Sophia, to them, making them animate, with an element of the divine within. As with other forms of the Gnostic myth, a good deal of the Secret Book of John represents a creative exposition of the stories of creation found in Genesis 1–4. The tale continues with the appearance of Christ from above to provide the divine souls entrapped within mortal bodies the knowledge necessary for escape.
Since this particular version of the Gnostic myth was known, in a slightly different form, to the late second-century church father Irenaeus, most scholars date the Secret Book of John sometime prior to 180 ce.
1See further Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities,
123–25. 2For a fuller explanation of Christian Gnosticism, see Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities,
122–25.
Translation by Frederik Wisse, in James Robinson,
Nag
Hammadi
Library
in
English,
3rd ed. (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1988) 105–13; 116; 117–120; 123; used with permission.
297
298
NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES
The teaching [of the savior], and [the
are not unfamiliar with this image, are
revelation] of the mysteries, [and the]
you?—that is, do not [be] timid!—I am
things hidden in silence, [even these
one who is [with you (pl.)] always. I [am
things which] he taught John, [his]
that Father], I am the Mother, I am the
disciple.
Son. I am the undefiled and incorruptible
[And] it happened one [day], when
one. Now [I have come to teach you]
John, [the brother] of James—who are
what is [and what was] and what will
the sons of Zebedee—had come up to the
come to [pass], that [you may know the]
temple, that a Pharisee named Arimanius
things which are not revealed [and those
approached him and said to him, “Where
which are revealed, and to teach you]
is your master [whom] you followed?”
concerning the [unwavering race of] the
And he [said] to him, “He has gone to
perfect [Man]. Now, [therefore, lift up]
the [place] from which he came.” The
your [face, that] you may [receive] the
Pharisee [said to him, “With deception
things that I [shall teach you] today, [and]
did this Nazarene] deceive you (pl.), and
may [tell them to your] fellow spirits who
he filled [your ears with lies], and closed
[are from] the [unwavering] race of the
[your hearts (and) turned you] from the
perfect Man.”
traditions [of your fathers.”]
[And I asked] to [know it, and he said]
[When] I, [John], heard these things [I
to me, “The Monad [is a] monarchy with
turned] away from the temple [to a desert
nothing above it. [It is he who exists] as
place]. And I grieved [greatly in my heart
[God] and Father of everything, [the insaying]. “How [then was] the savior [apvisible] One who is above [everything, pointed], and why was he sent [in to the
who exists as] incorruption, which is [in
world] by [his Father, and who is his]
the] pure light into which no [eye] can
Father who [sent him, and of what sort]
look.
is [that] aeon [to which we shall go?] For
“He [is the] invisible [Spirit] of whom
what did he [mean when he said to us],
it is not right [to think] of him as a god,
‘This aeon to [which you will go is of
or something similar. For he is more than
the] type of the [imperishable] aeon,’ [but
a god, since there is nothing above him,
he did not teach] us concerning [the latter
for no one lords it over him. [For he does]
of what sort it is.”]
not [exist] in something inferior [to him,
Straightway, [while I was contemplatsince everything] exists in him. [For it is ing these things,] behold, the [heavens
he who establishes] himself. [He is eteropened and] the whole creation [which nal] since he does [not] need [anything].
is] below heaven shone, and [the world]
For [he] is total perfection. [He] did not
was shaken. [I was afraid, and behold I]
[lack anything] that he might be comsaw in the light [a youth who stood] by pleted by [it; rather] he is always comme. While I looked [at him he became]
pletely perfect in [light]. He is [illimitalike an old man. And he [changed his]
ble] since there is no one [prior to him]
likeness (again) becoming like a servant.
to set limits to him. He is unsearchable
There was [not a plurality] before me,
[since there] exists no one prior to him
but there was a [likeness] with multiple
to [examine him. He is] immeasurable
forms in the light, and the [likenesses]
since there [was] no one [prior to him to
appeared through each other, [and] the
measure] him. [He is invisible since no]
[likeness] had three forms.
one saw [him. He is eternal] since he
He said to me, “John, John, why do
[exists] eternally. He is [ineffable since]
you doubt, or why [are you] afraid? You
no one was able to comprehend him to
THE SECRET BOOK OF JOHN
299
speak [about him]. He is unnameable
For it is he who looks at him[self] in his
since [there is no one prior to him] to
light which surrounds [him], namely the
give [him] a name.
spring [of the] water of life. And it is he
“He is [immeasurable light] which is
who gives to [all] the [aeons] and in every
pure, holy, [(and) immaculate]. He is inway, (and) who [gazes upon] his image effable [being perfect in] incorruptibility.
which he sees in the spring of the [Spirit].
(He is) [not] in perfection, nor in bless
It is he who puts his desire in his [water]-
edness, nor in divinity, but he is far sulight [which is in the] spring of the [pure perior. He is not corporeal [nor] is he
light]-water [which] surrounds him.
incorporeal. He is neither large [nor] is
“And [his thought performed] a deed
he small. [There is no] way to say, ‘What
and she came forth, [namely] she who
is his quantity?’ or, ‘What [is his qualhad [appeared] before him in [the shine ity?’], for no one can [know him]. He is
of] his light. This is the first [power which
not someone among (other) [beings,
was] before all of them (and) [which
rather he is] far superior. [Not] that [he
came] forth from his mind. She [is the
is (simply) superior], but his essence does