Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (8 page)

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