Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (26 page)

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