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
give a testimony that is beyond all the
accuses you is Moses, in whom you have
prophets. And so, tell us: is it right to pay
hoped.”
the kings the things that relate to their
They replied, “We know full well that
rule? Shall we pay them or not?”
God spoke to Moses. But we do not know
But when Jesus understood their
where you have come from.”
thought he became incensed and said to
Jesus answered them, “Now what
them, “Why do you call me teacher with
stands accused is your failure to believe
your mouth, when you do not listen to
his testimonies. For if you had believed
what I say? Well did Isaiah prophecy
Moses, you would have believed me. For
about you, ‘This people honors me with
that one wrote to your fathers concerning
their lips, but their heart is far removed
me. . . .”
from me. In vain do they worship me,
2
commandments. . . . ’ ”3
. . . to the crowd . . . stones together so that they might stone him. And the rulers were trying to lay
“ . . . hidden away in a secret place
4
their hands on him, that they might arrest
. . . placed underneath in secret . . .
him and deliver him over to the crowd.
its weight beyond measure.” . . . And
And they were unable to arrest him bewhile they were puzzling over his strange cause the hour for him to be delivered
question, Jesus walked and stood on the
over had not yet come. But the Lord
banks of the Jordan river; he reached out
himself went out through their midst and
his right hand, and filled it. . . . And he
left them.
sowed it on the . . . And then . . . water
And behold, a leper approached him
. . . and . . . before their eyes; and it
and said, “Teacher Jesus, while I was
brought
forth
fruit . . . many . . . for
traveling with some lepers and eating
joy . . .
with them at the inn, I myself contracted
leprosy. If, then, you are willing, I will
be made clean.”
2Less certain restorations of the text are enclosed in
Then the Lord said to him, I am will-
square brackets. 3Isa. 29:13.
The Gospel of Peter
The Gospel of Peter was known and used as Scripture in some parts of the Christian church in the second century.1 Its use was eventually disallowed by church leaders, however, who considered some of its teachings heretical and who claimed, as a consequence, that it could not have been written by its imputed author, Simon Peter. Having fallen out of circulation, it was practically forgotten in all but name until a fragment of its text was discovered near the end of the nineteenth century in the tomb of a Christian monk in Egypt.
The fragment narrates the events of Jesus’ passion and resurrection; it begins in mid-sentence with the story of Pilate’s washing of his hands at Jesus’ trial. The narrative that follows bears a close relationship with the accounts found in the New Testament Gospels, especially Matthew, including descriptions of Jesus’ crucifixion, his burial, the posting of a guard, and the events surrounding the resurrection. Some of the details here, however, are strikingly different. During the crucifixion, for example, Jesus is said to have been “silent as if he had no pain” (v. 10). In addition, some of the stories found here occur nowhere else among our early Christian Gospels.
Most significantly, the Gospel narrates an account of Jesus’ emergence from his tomb. He is supported by two gigantic angels whose heads reach up to heaven; his own head reaches above the heavens. Behind them emerges the cross. A voice then speaks from heaven, “Have you preached to those who are sleeping?” The cross replies, “Yes” (vv. 39–42).
At the conclusion of the narrative the story breaks off in the middle of a sentence in which the author reveals his name: “But I, Simon Peter, and Andrew my brother, took our nets and went off to the sea . . .” (v. 60).
It appears that the complete Gospel of Peter contained a full narrative of Jesus’ ministry, not just of his passion, for several other Gospel fragments discovered in Egypt recount conversations between Jesus and Peter, recorded in the first person, plausibly from an earlier portion of the same Gospel.
1For a full discussion, see Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities
, 13–28.
´
Translation by Bart D. Ehrman, based on the text in M. G. Mara,
Evangile
de
Pierre:
Introduction,
texte
critique,
traduction,
commentaire
et
index
(SC 201; Paris: Cerf, 1973).
31
32
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
One of this Gospel’s principal concerns is to incriminate Jews for the death of Jesus. Here, for instance, after Jesus’ crucifixion, the Jewish people bewail their guilt and lament the certain fate of their beloved sacred city Jerusalem, which God will now destroy as retribution for their disobedience (v. 25). This anti-Judaic slant can perhaps be used to help date the Gospel in its final form, for such themes became common among Christian authors in the second century. The author was possibly writing at the beginning of the century, utilizing oral and written traditions that were themselves much older. It is not clear whether or not he had access to the accounts now found in the canonical Gospels.
1
. . . but none of the Jews washed his
began to flog him, saying, “This is how
hands, nor did Herod or any of his judges.
we should honor the Son of God!”
Since they did not wish to wash, Pilate
10
They brought forward two evildoers
stood up.
2
The kind Herod ordered the
and crucified the Lord between them. But
Lord to be taken away and said to them,
he was silent, as if he had no pain.
“Do everything that I ordered you to do
11
When they had set the cross upright,
to him.”
they wrote an inscription: “This is the
3
Standing there was Joseph, a friend
King of Israel.”
12
Putting his clothes in
of both Pilate and the Lord; when he
front of him they divided them up and
knew that they were about to crucify him,
cast a lot for them.
13
But one of the
he came to Pilate and asked for the Lord’s
evildoers reviled them, “We have sufbody for burial.
4
Pilate sent word to fered like this for the evil things we did;
Herod, asking for the body.
5
Herod said,
but this one, the Savior of the people—
“Brother Pilate, even if no one had asked
what wrong has he done you?”
14
They
for him we would have buried him, since
became angry at him and ordered that his
the Sabbath is dawning. For it is written
legs not be broken, so that he would die
in the Law that the sun must not set on
in torment.
one who has been killed.”2 And he deliv
15
It was noon and darkness came
ered him over to the people the day beover all of Judea. They were disturbed fore their Feast of Unleavened Bread.
and upset that the sun may have already
6
Those who took the Lord began
set while he was still alive; for their
pushing him about, running up to him
Scripture says that the sun must not set
and saying, “Let us drag around the Son
on one who has been killed.3
16
One of
of God, since we have authority over
them said, “Give him gall mixed with
him.”
7
They clothed him in purple and
vinegar to drink.” And they made the
sat him on a judge’s seat, saying, “Give
mixture and gave it to him to drink.
a righteous judgment, O King of Israel!”
17
Thus they brought all things to ful
8
One of them brought a crown made of
fillment and completed all their sins on
thorns and placed it on the Lord’s head.
their heads.
9
Others standing there were spitting in
his face; some slapped his cheeks; others
were beating him with a reed; and some
2Deut. 21:22–23. 3Deut. 21:22–23.
THE GOSPEL OF PETER
33
18
But many were wandering around
31
So Pilate gave them the centurion
with torches, thinking that it was night;
Petronius and soldiers to guard the tomb.
and they stumbled about.
19
And the
The elders and scribes came with them
Lord cried out, “My power, O power, you
to the crypt.
32
Everyone who was there,
have left me behind!” When he said this,
along with the centurion and the soldiers,
hea was taken up.
rolled a great stone and placed it there
20
At that time, the curtain of the Tembefore the entrance of the crypt.
33
They ple in Jerusalem was ripped in half.
smeared it with seven seals, pitched a tent
21
Then they pulled the nails from the
there, and stood guard.
Lord’s hands and placed him on the
34
Early in the morning, as the Sabground. All the ground shook and everybath dawned, a crowd came from Jeruone was terrified.
22
Then the sun shone salem and the surrounding area to see
and it was found to be three in the
the sealed crypt.
35
But during the
afternoon.
night on which the Lord’s day dawned,
23
But the Jews were glad and gave
while the soldiers stood guard two by
his body to Joseph that he might bury
two on their watch, a great voice came
him, since he had seen all the good things
from the sky.
36
They saw the skies
he did.
24
He took the Lord, washed him,
open and two men descend from there;
wrapped him in a linen cloth, and brought
they were very bright and drew near to
him into his own tomb, called the Garden
the tomb.
37
The stone cast before the
of Joseph.
25
Then the Jews, the elders,
entrance rolled away by itself and
and the priests realized how much evil
moved to one side; the tomb was open
they had done to themselves and began
and both young men entered.
beating their breasts, saying “Woe to us
38
When the solders saw these things,
because of our sins. The judgment and
they woke up the centurion and the el-
the end of Jerusalem are near.”
ders—for they were also there on guard.
26
But I and my companions were
39
As they were explaining what they had
grieving and went into hiding, wounded
seen, they saw three men emerge from
in heart. For we were being sought out
the tomb, two of them supporting the
by them as if we were evildoers who
other, with a cross following behind
wanted to burn the Temple.
27
Because
them.
40
The heads of the two reached
of these things we fasted and sat mournup to the sky, but the head of the one ing and weeping, night and day, until the
they were leading went up above the
Sabbath.
skies.
41
And they heard a voice from
28
The scribes, Pharisees, and elders
the skies, “Have you preached to those
gathered together and heard all the people
who are asleep?”
42
And a reply came
murmuring and beating their breasts, sayfrom the cross, “Yes.”
ing, “If such great signs happened when
43
They then decided among themhe died, you can see how righteous he selves to go off to disclose what had
was!”
29
The elders became fearful and
happened to Pilate.
44
While they were
went to Pilate and asked him,
30
“Give
still making their plans, the skies were
us some soldiers to guard his crypt for
again seen to open, and a person dethree days to keep his disciples from scended and entered the crypt.
45
Those
coming to steal him. Otherwise the people may assume he has been raised from the dead and then harm us.”
aOr
it
34
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
who were with the centurion saw these
trance of the crypt, that we can go in, sit
things and hurried to Pilate at night,
beside him, and do what we should?
abandoning the tomb they had been
54
For it was a large stone, and we are
guarding, and explained everything they
afraid someone may see us. If we cannot
had seen. Greatly agitated, they said, “He
move it, we should at least cast down the