18 – 19 – 20 – 21 – 22 – 23 – 24 – 25 – 26 – 27 – 28 – 29 – 30 – 31 – 32 – 33 – 34 – 35 – 36 – 37 – 38 – 39 – 40 – 41 – 42 – 43 – 44 – 45 – 46 – 47 – 48 – 49 – 50 – 51 – 52 – 53 – 54 – 55 – 58 – 59 – 60 – 61 – 62 – 63 – 64 – 65 – 66 – 67 – 68 – 69 – 70 – 71 – 72 – 73 – 74 – 75 – 76 – 77 – 78 – 79 – 80 – 81 – 82 – 83 – 84 – 85 – 86 – 87 – 88 – 89 – 90 – 91 – 92 – 93 – 94 – 95 – 96 – 97 – 98 – 99 – 100 – 101 – 102 – 103 – 104 – 105
The Death of John: 106 – 107 – 108 – 109 – 110 – 111 – 112 – 113 – 114 – 115
Translated here from extant versions in Greek and Latin, the Acts of John is a collection of stories and ancient legends about the apostle by that name. The collection is pseudepigraphal and was likely composed in the 2nd century, and the first section, chapters 1–17, is missing. The content of 56–57 is unclear. It is generally divided into three sections (18–86, 87–105, and 106–115), with the final section relating John’s death. It is likely that some of these sections were independent works. It contains primordial hallmarks of both Docetism and Gnosticism.
1 Now John was hastening to Ephesus, moved there by a vision. 2 Therefore Damonicus, and his relative Aristodemus, and a certain very rich man Cleobius, and the wife of Marcellus, hardly prevailed to keep him for one day in Miletus, reclining themselves with him. 3 And when very early in the morning they had set forth, and already about four miles of the journey were accomplished, a voice came from Heaven in the hearing of all of us, saying, “John, you are about to give glory to your Lord in Ephesus, whereof you will know—you and all the brothers that are with you, and certain of them that are there, which will believe by your means.” 4 John therefore pondered, rejoicing in himself, what it should be that should happen to him at Ephesus, and said: “Lord, behold, I go according to Your will: let that be done which You desire.”
And as we drew near to the city, Lycomedes the praetor of the Ephesians, a man of great wealth, met us, and falling at John’s feet, he pleaded with him, saying, “Is your name John? The God whom you preach has sent you to do good to my wife, who has been stricken with palsy now these seven days and lies incurable. But glorify your God by healing her, and have compassion on us. For as I was considering within myself what decision to take in this matter, One stood by me and said: Lycomedes, cease from this thought which wars against you, for it is evil: do not submit yourself to it. For I have compassion on My handmaid Cleopatra, and have sent from Miletus a man named John who will raise her up and restore her to you whole. Therefore, do not tarry—you servant of the God who has manifested Himself to me, but hurry to my wife who has nothing more than breath.” And John went from the gate immediately, with the brothers that were with him and Lycomedes, to his house. But Cleobius said to his young men: “Go to my relative Callippus and receive from him comfortable entertainment—for I have come here with his son—so that we may find all things decent.”
1 Now when Lycomedes came with John into the house wherein his wife lay, he caught hold again of his feet and said: “See, lord, the withering of the beauty, see the youth, see the renowned flower of my poor wife, at which all of Ephesus was accustomed to marvel: 2 wretched me, I have suffered envy, I have been humbled, the eye of my enemies has stricken me: I have never wronged anyone, although I might have injured many, for I looked before to this very thing, and took care, lest I should see any evil or any such misfortune as this. 3 What profit, then, has Cleopatra from my anxiety? What have I gained by being known as a pious man until this day? Indeed, I suffer more than the impious, in that I see you, Cleopatra, lying in such a plight. 4 The sun in his course will no longer see me conversing with you: I will go before you, Cleopatra, and rid myself of life: I will not spare my own safety though it is still young. 5 I will defend myself before Justice, so that I have rightly deserted, for I may indict her as judging unrighteously. 6 I will be avenged on her when I come before her as a spirit of life. 7 I will say to her: You forced me to leave the light when you robbed me of Cleopatra; you caused me to become a corpse when you sent me this misfortune; you compelled me to insult Providence, by cutting off my joy in life.”
1 And with yet more words, Lycomedes, addressing Cleopatra, came near to the bed, and cried aloud, and lamented: 2 but John pulled him away and said: “Cease from these lamentations and from your unsuitable words: you must not disobey Him that appeared to you, for know that you will receive your consort again. 3 Therefore, stand with us that have come here on her account and pray to the God whom you saw manifesting Himself to you in dreams. 4 What, then, is it, Lycomedes? Awake—you also—and open your soul. 5 Cast off the heavy sleep from yourself: plead with the Lord, beg Him for your wife, and He will raise her up.” 6 But he fell on the floor and lamented, fainting, [[and died]]. 7 Therefore, John said with tears: “Oh, for the fresh betrayal of my vision! For the new temptation that is prepared for me! For the new scheme of him who plots against me! 8 The voice from Heaven that was carried to me in the way, has it devised this for me? Was it this that it foreshowed to me should come to pass here, betraying me to this great multitude of the citizens because of Lycomedes? 9 The man lies without breath, and I know well that they will not allow me to go out of the house alive. 10 Why do You tarry, Lord? Why have You shut off from us Your good promise? 11 Do not, I beg You, Lord, give him a reason to exult who rejoices in the suffering of others; do not give a reason to dance [to the one] who always derides us; but let Your holy Name and Your mercy make haste. Raise up these two dead [ones] whose death is against me.”
1 And even as John thus cried out, the city of the Ephesians ran together to the house of Lycomedes, hearing that he was dead. 2 And John, beholding the great multitude that had come, said to the Lord: “Now is the time of refreshment and of confidence toward You, O Christ; now is the time for us who are sick to have the help that is from You [alone], O Physician who heals freely; keep my entering in here safe from derision. 3 I beg You, Jesus, help this great multitude, so that it may come to You who are Lord of all things: 4 behold the affliction, behold them that lie here. 5 Prepare, even from them that are assembled for that end, holy vessels for Your service, when they behold Your gift. 6 For You Yourself have said, O Christ, Ask, and it will be given to you. We therefore ask of You, O King, not gold, not silver, not substance, not possessions, nor anything of what is on earth and perishes, but two souls, 7 by whom You will convert them that are here to Your way, to Your teaching, to Your liberty, to Your most excellent [[or unfailing]] promise: 8 for when they perceive Your power in that those that have died are raised, they will be saved—some of them. 9 You Yourself, therefore, give them hope in You: and so I go to Cleopatra and say: Arise, in the Name of Jesus Christ.”
1 And he came to her, and touched her face, and said: “Cleopatra, He says—whom every ruler fears, and every creature and every power, the abyss and all darkness, and unsmiling death, and the height of Heaven, and the circles of Hades, [[and the resurrection of the dead, and the sight of the blind,]] and the whole power of the prince of this world, and the pride of the ruler—Arise! 2 And do not be an excuse to many that do not desire to believe, or an affliction to souls that are able to hope and to be saved.” 3 And Cleopatra immediately cried with a loud voice: “I arise, Master: save Your handmaid!” 4 Now when she had arisen seven days, the city of the Ephesians was moved at the unexpected sight. 5 And Cleopatra asked concerning her husband Lycomedes, but John said to her: “Cleopatra, if you keep your soul unmoved and steadfast, you will immediately have your husband Lycomedes standing here beside you, if at least you are not disturbed nor moved at that which has happened, having believed on my God, who by my means will grant him to you alive. 6 Therefore, come with me into your other bedchamber, and you will behold him, a dead corpse indeed, but raised again by the power of my God.”
1 And Cleopatra, going with John into her bedchamber, and seeing Lycomedes dead for her sake, had no power to speak, and ground her teeth, and bit her tongue, and closed her eyes, raining down tears: and with composure she gave heed to the apostle. 2 But John had compassion on Cleopatra when he saw that she neither raged nor was beside herself, 3 and he called on the perfect and humble mercy, saying, “Lord Jesus Christ, You see the pressure of sorrow, You see the need; You see Cleopatra shrieking her soul out in silence, for she constrains within her the frenzy that cannot be endured; 4 and I know that for Lycomedes’ sake she will also die on his body.” 5 And she quietly said to John: “That I have in mind, master, and nothing else.” 6 And the apostle went to the couch whereon Lycomedes lay, and taking Cleopatra’s hand he said: “Cleopatra, because of the multitude that is present, and your relatives that have come in, with strong crying, say to your husband: Arise and glorify the Name of God, for He gives back the dead to the dead.” 7 And she went to her husband and said to him, according as she was taught, and immediately raised him up. 8 And he, when he arose, fell on the floor and kissed John’s feet, but he raised him, saying, “O man, do not kiss my feet, but [rather] the feet of God by whose power you have both arisen.”
1 But Lycomedes said to John: “I implore and adjure you by the God in whose Name you have raised us, to abide with us, together with all those that are with you.” 2 Likewise, Cleopatra also caught his feet and said the same. 3 And John said to them: “For tomorrow I will be with you.” And they said to him again: “We will have no hope in your God, but will have been raised with no purpose, if you do not abide with us.” 4 And Cleobius, with Aristodemus, and Damonicus were touched in the soul and said to John: “Let us abide with them, so that they continue without offense toward the Lord.” 5 So he continued there with the brothers.
1 Therefore, a gathering of a great multitude came together on John’s account; 2 and as he discoursed to them that were there, Lycomedes, who had a friend who was a skillful painter, went hastily to him and said to him: “You see me in a great hurry to come to you: come quickly to my house and paint the man whom I show you without his knowing it.” 3 And the painter, giving someone the necessary implements and colors, said to Lycomedes: “Show him to me, and as for the rest, have no anxiety.” 4 And Lycomedes pointed out John to the painter, and brought him near him, and shut him up in a room from which the apostle of Christ could be seen. 5 And Lycomedes was with the blessed man, feasting on the faith and the knowledge of our God, and rejoiced yet more in the thought that he should possess him in a portrait.
1 The painter, then, on the first day, made an outline of him and went away. 2 And on the next [day], he painted him in with his colors and so delivered the portrait to Lycomedes to his great joy. 3 And he took it, and set it up in his own bedchamber, and hung it with garlands, so that later John, when he perceived it, said to him: “My beloved child, what is it that you always do when you come in from the bath into your bedchamber alone? 4 Do I not pray with you and the rest of the brothers? Or is there something you are hiding from us?” 5 And as he said this and talked jestingly with him, he went into the bedchamber and saw the portrait of an old man crowned with garlands, and lamps and altars set before it. 6 And he called him and said: “Lycomedes, what do you intend by this matter of the portrait? Can it be one of your gods that is painted here? For I see that you are still living in heathen fashion.” 7 And Lycomedes answered him: “My only God is He who raised me up from death with my wife: but if, next to that God, it is right that the men who have helped us should be called gods—it is you, father, whom I have had painted in that portrait, whom I crown, and love, and revere as having become my good guide.”
1 And John, who had never at any time seen his own face, said to him: “You mock me, child: am I like that in form—your Lord? How can you persuade me that the portrait is like me?” 2 And Lycomedes brought him a mirror. And when he had seen himself in the mirror and looked earnestly at the portrait, he said: “As the Lord Jesus Christ lives, the portrait is like me, yet not like me, child, but like my fleshly image; 3 for if this painter, who has imitated this face of mine, desires to draw me in a portrait, he will be at a loss—the colors that are now given to you, and boards, and plaster, and glue, and the position of my shape, and old age, and youth, and all things that are seen with the eye.”
1 “But you become a good painter for me, Lycomedes. 2 You have colors which He gives you through me, who paints all of us for Himself, even Jesus, who knows the shapes, and appearances, and postures, and dispositions, and types of our souls. 3 And the colors with which I command you to paint are these: faith in God, knowledge, godly fear, friendship, thanksgiving, meekness, kindness, brotherly love, purity, simplicity, tranquility, fearlessness, grieflessness, sobriety, 4 and the whole band of colors that paints the likeness of your soul, and even now raises up your members that were cast down, and levels them that were lifted up, and tends your bruises, and heals your wounds, and orders your hair that was disarranged, and washes your face, and corrects your eyes, and purges your bowels, and empties your belly, and cuts off that which is beneath it; 5 and in a word, when the whole company and mingling of such colors has come together into your soul, it will present it to our Lord Jesus Christ undaunted, whole, and with firm shape. 6 But this that you have now done is childish and imperfect: you have drawn a dead likeness of the dead.”
1 And he commanded Verus, the brother that ministered to him, to gather the aged women that were in all Ephesus, and made ready—he, and Cleopatra, and Lycomedes—all things for the care of them. 2 Verus, then, came to John, saying, “Of the aged women that are here over sixty years old, I have only found four sound in body, and of the rest some . . . and some palsied, and others sick.” 3 And when he heard that, John kept silent for a long time, and [then] rubbed his face and said: “O the slackness of them that dwell in Ephesus! O the state of dissolution, and the weakness toward God! O Devil, that have so long mocked the faithful in Ephesus! 4 Jesus, who gives me grace and the gift to have my confidence in Him, says to me in silence: Send after the old women that are sick and come with them into the theater, and through Me, heal them: for there are some of them that will come to this spectacle whom by these healings I will convert and make them useful for some end.”
1 Now when all the multitude had come together to Lycomedes, he dismissed them on John’s behalf, saying, “Come to the theater tomorrow, as many as desire to see the power of God.” 2 And the multitude, the next day, while it was yet night, came to the theater, so that the proconsul also heard of it, and hurried, and took his seat with all the people. 3 And a certain praetor, Andronicus, who was the [most] prominent of the Ephesians at that time, spread it around that John had promised impossible and incredible things: 4 “But if,” he said, “he is able to do any such thing as I hear, let him come into the public theater, when it is open, naked, and holding nothing in his hands—neither let him name that magical Name which I have heard him utter.”
1 John, therefore, having heard this and being moved by these words, commanded the aged women to be brought into the theater; 2 and when they were all brought into the midst, some of them on beds and others lying in a deep sleep, and all the city had run together, and a great silence was made, John opened his mouth and began to say:
1 “You men of Ephesus, first of all, learn why I am visiting in your city, or what this great confidence is which I have toward you, so that it may become manifest to this general assembly and to all of you. 2 I have been sent, then, on a mission which is not of man’s ordering, and not on any vain journey; neither am I a merchant that makes bargains or exchanges; 3 but Jesus Christ whom I preach, being compassionate and kind, desires by my means to convert all of you who are held in unbelief and sold to evil lusts, and to deliver you from error; 4 and by His power I will confound even the unbelief of your praetor, by raising up them that lie before you, whom you all behold, in what plight and in what sicknesses they are. 5 And to do this, to confound Andronicus, is not possible for me if they perish: therefore they will be healed.”
1 “But this first I have desired to sow in your ears, even that you should take care for your souls—on which account I have come to you—and not expect that this time will be forever, for it is but a moment, and not lay up treasures on the earth where all things fade away. 2 Neither think that when you have obtained children you can rest on them, and try not for their sakes to defraud and overreach. 3 Neither, you poor, be bothered if you do not have resources to minister to pleasures; for men of wealth, when they are diseased, call you blessed. 4 Neither, you rich, rejoice that you have much money, for by possessing these things, you provide for yourselves grief that you cannot be rid of when you lose them; and besides, while it is with you, you are afraid lest someone attacks you on account of it.”
1 “You also that are puffed up because of the attractiveness of your body, and have good looks, will see the end of the promise thereof in the grave; 2 and you that rejoice in adultery, know that both law and nature avenge it on you, and before these, conscience; 3 and you, adulteress, that are an adversary of the law, do not understand where you will come in the end. 4 And you that do not share with the needy, but have money stored up, when you depart out of this body and have need of some mercy when you burn in fire, will have no one to pity you; 5 and you, the wrathful and passionate, know that your conversation is like the brute beasts; 6 and you, drunkard and quarreler, learn that you lose your senses by being enslaved to a shameful and dirty desire.”
1 “You that rejoice in gold and delight yourself with ivory and jewels, when night falls, can you behold what you love? 2 You that are vanquished by luxurious attire, and then leave life, will those things profit you in the place where you go? 3 And let the murderer know that the deserved punishment is laid up for him twofold after his departure from here. 4 Likewise, also you poisoner, sorcerer, robber, defrauder, sodomite, thief, and as many as are of that band, you will come at last, as your works lead you, to unquenchable fire, and utter darkness, and the pit of punishment, and eternal threatenings. 5 Therefore, you men of Ephesus, turn yourselves back, knowing this also: that kings, rulers, tyrants, boasters, and they that have conquered in wars, stripped of all things when they depart from here, suffer pain, lodged in continuous misery.”
1 And having said this, John, by the power of God, healed all the diseases. . . . 2 Now the brothers from Miletus said to John: “We have continued a long time at Ephesus; if it seems good to you, let us also go to Smyrna; 3 for we already hear that the mighty works of God have reached it also.” 4 And Andronicus said to them: “Whenever the teacher wills, then let us go.” 5 But John said: “Let us first go to the temple of Artemis, for perhaps there also, if we show ourselves, the servants of the Lord will be found.”
1 After two days, then, was the birthday of the idol temple. 2 John therefore, when all were dressed in white, alone put on black attire and went up into the temple. 3 And they took him and attempted to kill him. 4 But John said: “You are mad to set on me—a man that is the servant of the only God.” And he got himself up on a high pedestal and said to them:
1 “You run the risk, men of Ephesus, of being like in character to the sea: every river that flows in and every spring that runs down, and the rains, and waves that press on each other, and torrents full of rocks are made salt together by the bitter promise that is therein. 2 So you also, remaining unchanged to this day toward true godliness, have become corrupted by your ancient rites of worship. 3 How many wonders and healings of diseases have you seen worked through me? And yet you are blinded in your hearts and cannot recover sight. 4 What is it, then, O men of Ephesus? I have ventured now and even come up into this idol temple of yours. I will convict you of being most godless, and dead from the understanding of mankind. 5 Behold, I stand here: you all say that you have a goddess, even Artemis: pray then to her that I alone may die; or else I alone, if you are not able to do this, will call on my own God, and for your unbelief, I will cause every one of you to die.”
1 But they who had previously made a trial of him and had seen dead men raised up, cried out: “Do not slay us so, we beg you, John. We know that you can do it.” 2 And John said to them: “If then you do not desire to die, let that which you worship be confounded, and therefore it is confounded, so that you may also depart from your ancient error. 3 For it is now time that you are either converted by my God, or I myself die by your goddess; for I will pray in your presence and implore my God that mercy be shown to you.”
1 And having so spoken, he prayed thus: “O God who is God above all that are called gods, that until this day have been set at nothing in the city of the Ephesians; 2 who put into my mind to come into this place, whereof I never thought; 3 who convicts every manner of worship by turning men to You; 4 at whose Name every idol flees and every evil spirit and every unclean power; 5 now also by the flight of the evil spirit here at Your Name, even of him that deceives this great multitude, show Your mercy in this place, for they have been made to err.”
1 And as John spoke these things, the altar of Artemis was immediately divided into many pieces, and all the things that were dedicated in the temple fell and were torn apart, and likewise of the images of the gods—more than seven. 2 And half of the temple fell down, so that the priest was slain at one blow by the falling of the [[roof]]. 3 The multitude of the Ephesians therefore cried out: “One is the God of John! One is the God that has pity on us, for You alone are God! 4 Now we are turned to You, beholding Your marvelous works! Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your will, and save us from our great error!” 5 And some of them, lying on their faces, made supplication, and some kneeled and pleaded, and some tore their clothes and wept, and others tried to escape.
1 But John spread forth his hands, and being uplifted in soul, said to the Lord: “Glory be to You, my Jesus, the only God of truth, because You gain Your servants by manifold plans.” 2 And having so spoken, he said to the people: “Rise up from the floor, you men of Ephesus, and pray to my God, and recognize the invisible power that comes to manifestation, and the wonderful works which are worked before your eyes. 3 Artemis should have helped herself: her servant should have been helped by her and not have died. 4 Where is the power of the evil spirit? Where are her sacrifices? Where her birthdays? Where her festivals? Where are the garlands? Where is all that sorcery and the witchcraft that is sister to that?”
But the people, rising up from off the floor, went hastily and cast down the rest of the idol temple, crying, “We only know John’s God, and hereafter do we worship Him, since He has had mercy on us!” And as John came down from there, many people took hold of him, saying, “Help us, O John! Assist us who perish in vain! You see our purpose: you see the multitude following you and hanging on you in hope toward your God. We have seen the way wherein we went astray when we lost Him; we have seen our gods that were set up in vain; we have seen the great and shameful derision that has come to them: but permit us, we pray, to come to your house and to be aided without hindrance. Receive us that are in bewilderment.”
1 And John said to them: “Men [of Ephesus], believe that for your sakes I have remained in Ephesus, and have put off my journey to Smyrna and to the rest of the cities, that there also the servants of Christ may turn to Him. 2 But since I am not yet perfectly assured concerning you, I have continued praying to my God and pleading with Him that I should then depart from Ephesus when I have confirmed you in the faith: 3 and whereas I see that this has come to pass and yet more is being fulfilled, I will not leave you until I have weaned you like children from the nurse’s milk and have set you on a firm rock.”
1 Therefore, John remained with them, receiving them in the house of Andronicus. 2 And one of them that were gathered laid down the dead body of the priest of Artemis before the door [of the temple], for he was his relative, and came in quickly with the rest, saying nothing of it. 3 John, therefore, after the discourse to the brothers, and the prayer, and the thanksgiving, and the laying of hands on every one of the congregation, said by the Spirit: “There is one here who moved by faith in God has laid down the priest of Artemis before the gate and has come in, 4 and in the yearning of his soul, taking care first for himself, has thought this in himself: It is better for me to take thought for the living than for my relative that is dead: for I know that if I turn to the Lord and save my own soul, John will not deny to raise up the dead also.” 5 And John, arising from his place, went to that into which that relative of the priest who had so thought had entered, and took him by the hand, and said: “Did you have this thought when you came to me, my child?” 6 And he, taken with trembling and fright, said: “Yes, lord,” and cast himself at his feet. 7 And John said: “Our Lord is Jesus Christ, who will show His power in your dead relative by raising him up.”
1 And he made the young man rise, and took his hand, and said: “It is no great matter for a man that is a master of great mysteries to continue wearying himself over small things: or what great thing is it to rid men of diseases of the body?” 2 And still holding the young man by the hand, he said: “I say to you, child, go and raise the dead yourself, saying nothing but this only: John the servant of God says to you, Arise.” 3 And the young man went to his relative and said this only—and many people were with him—and entered in to John, bringing him alive. 4 And John, when he saw him that was raised, said: “Now that you are raised, you do not truly live, neither are you a partaker or heir of the true life: will you belong to Him by whose Name and power you were raised? 5 And now believe, and you will live throughout all ages.” 6 And he immediately believed on the Lord Jesus and thereafter clung to John.
1 Now on the next day, John, having seen in a dream that he must walk three miles outside the gates, did not neglect it, but rose up early and set out on the way, together with the brothers. 2 And a certain countryman who was admonished by his father not to take for himself the wife of a fellow laborer of his who threatened to kill him—this young man would not endure the admonition of his father, but kicked him and left him without speech [(dead)]. 3 And John, seeing what had happened, said to the Lord: “Lord, was it on this account that You commanded me to come out here today?”
1 But the young man, beholding the violence of death, and looking to be taken, drew out the sickle that was in his girdle and started to run to his own abode; 2 and John met him and said: “Stand still—you most shameless devil—and tell me where you run bearing a sickle that thirsts for blood.” 3 And the young man was troubled, and cast the iron on the ground, and said to him: “I have done a wretched and barbarous deed and I know it, and so I determined to do an evil still worse and more cruel, even to kill myself at once. 4 For because my father was always curbing me to sobriety, so that I should live without adultery, and chastely, I could not endure him to scold me, and I kicked him and slew him, 5 and when I saw what was done, I was hurrying to the woman for whose sake I became my father’s murderer, with intent to kill her and her husband, and myself last of all: for I could not bear to be seen by the husband of the woman and undergo the judgment of death.”
1 And John said to him: “So that I may not, by going away and leaving you in danger, give room to him who desires to laugh and sport with you: come with me and show me your father, where he lies. 2 And if I raise him up for you, will you hereafter abstain from the woman that has become a snare to you?” 3 And the young man said: “If you raise up for me my father himself alive, and if I see him whole and continuing in life, I will hereafter abstain from her.”
1 And while he was speaking, they came to the place where the old man lay dead, and many bystanders were standing near to it. 2 And John said to the youth: “You wretched man, did you not even spare the old age of your father?” 3 And he, weeping and tearing his hair, said that he converted from it; 4 and John, the servant of the Lord, said: “You showed me that I was to set forth for this place; You knew that this would come to pass, from whom nothing can be hidden of things done in life, who give me power to work every cure and healing by Your will: 5 now also give me this old man alive, for You see that his murderer has become his own judge: and spare him, You only Lord, that did not spare his father [who] counseled him for the best.”
1 And with these words, he came near to the old man and said: “My Lord will not be weak to spread out His kind pity and His humble mercy even to you: therefore, rise up and give glory to God for the work that has come to pass at this time.” And the old man said: “I arise, Lord.” 2 And he rose, and sat up, and said: “I was released from a terrible life and had to bear the insults of my son, dreadful and many, and his desire for natural affection, and to what end have you called me back, O man of the living God?” 3 [And John answered him:] “If you are raised only for the same end, it were better for you to die; but raise yourself to better things.” 4 And he took him and led him into the city, preaching to him the grace of God, so that before he entered the gate, the old man believed.
1 But the young man, when he beheld the unexpected raising of his father, and the saving of himself, took a sickle and mutilated himself, and ran to the house wherein he had his adulteress, and reproached her, saying, “For your sake I became the murderer of my father, and of you two, and of myself: 2 there you have that which is alike guilty for everything. For God has had mercy on me, so that I should know His power.”
1 And he came back and told John in the presence of the brothers what he had done. 2 But John said to him: “He that put it into your heart, young man, to kill your father and become the adulterer of another man’s wife, the same made you think it a good deed to also take away the unruly members. 3 But you should have done away, not with the place of sin, but the thought which through those members showed itself harmful: for it is not the instruments that are injurious, but the unseen springs by which every shameful emotion is stirred and comes to light. 4 Therefore convert, my child, of this fault, and having learned the tricks of Satan, you will have God to help you in all the necessities of your soul.” 5 And the young man kept silent and attended, having converted from his former sins, so that he should obtain pardon from the goodness of God: and he did not separate from John.
When, then, these things had been done by him in the city of the Ephesians, those of Smyrna sent to him, saying, “We hear that the God whom you preach is not envious, and has charged you not to show partiality by abiding in one place. Since, then, you are a preacher of such a God, come to Smyrna and to the other cities, so that we may come to know your God, and having known Him, may have our hope in Him.” [[3 Now one day, as John was seated, a partridge flew by and came and played in the dust before him; and John looked on it and wondered. And a certain priest came, who was one of his hearers, and came to John, and saw the partridge playing in the dust before him, and was offended in himself, and said: “Can such and so great a man take pleasure in a partridge playing in the dust?” But John, perceiving in the Spirit his thought, said to him: “It were better for you also, my child, to look at a partridge playing in the dust and not to defile yourself with shameful and profane practices: for he who awaits the conversion and reformation of all men has brought you here on this account, for I have no need of a partridge playing in the dust. For the partridge is your own soul.” Then the elder, hearing this and seeing that he was not hidden, but that the apostle of Christ had told him all that was in his heart, fell on his face on the earth and cried aloud, saying, “Now I know that God dwells in you, O blessed John! For he that tempts you tempts Him who cannot be tempted.” And he implored him to pray for him. And he instructed him, and delivered him the rules, and let him go to his house, glorifying God who is over all.]]
From Laodicea to Ephesus the Second Time.
1 Now when a long time had passed, and none of the brothers had been at any time grieved by John, they were then grieved because he had said: “Brothers, it is now time for me to go to Ephesus, [[for so have I agreed with them that dwell there,]] lest they become slack, now for a long time having no man to confirm them. 2 But all of you must have your minds steadfast toward God, who never forsakes us.” 3 But when they heard this from him, the brothers lamented because they were to be parted from him. 4 And John said: “Even if I am parted from you, yet Christ is always with you: whom if you love purely, you will have His fellowship without reproach, for if He is loved, He anticipates them that love Him.”
1 And having so spoken, and bidden farewell to them, and left much money with the brothers for distribution, he went forth to Ephesus, while all the brothers lamented and groaned. 2 And there accompanied him, of Ephesus, both Andronicus, and Drusiana, and Lycomedes, and Cleobius, and their families. 3 And Aristobula also followed him, who had heard that her husband Tertullus had died on the way, and Aristippus with Xenophon, and the harlot that was celibate, and many others, whom he exhorted at all times to cleave to the Lord, and they would no longer be parted from Him.
1 Now on the first day, we arrived at a deserted inn, and when we were at a loss for a bed for John, we witnessed a strange matter: 2 there was one bedstead lying somewhere there without coverings, whereon we spread the cloaks which we were wearing, and we implored him to lie down on it and rest, while the rest of us all slept on the floor. 3 But he, when he lay down, was troubled by the bugs, and as they continued to become yet more troublesome to him, when it was now about the middle of the night, in the hearing of all of us, he said to them: “I say to you, O bugs, behave yourselves—one and all—and leave your abode for this night, and remain quiet in one place, and keep your distance from the servants of God.” 4 And as we laughed and went on talking for some time, John talked himself to sleep; and we, talking low, gave him no disturbance.
1 But when the day was now dawning, I arose first, and with me Verus and Andronicus, and we saw at the door of the house which we had taken, a great number of bugs standing, and while we wondered at the great sight of them, and all the brothers were roused up because of them, John continued sleeping. 2 And when he was awakened, we declared to him what we had seen. 3 And he sat up on the bed, and looked at them, and said: “Since you have behaved yourselves well in listening to my rebuke, come to your place.” 4 And when he had said this and risen from the bed, the bugs running from the door, hurried to the bed, and climbed up by the legs thereof, and disappeared into the joints. 5 And John said again: “This creature listened to the voice of a man, and abode by itself, and was quiet, and did not trespass; but we which hear the voice and commandments of God disobey and are flippant—and for how long?”
1 After these things, we came to Ephesus: and the brothers there, who had for a long time known that John was coming, ran together to the house of Andronicus (where he also came to lodge), handling his feet, and laying his hands on their own faces, and kissing them; 2 and many rejoiced even to touch his garment, and were healed by touching the clothes of the holy apostle.
1 And whereas there was great love and joy unsurpassed among the brothers, a certain one, a messenger of Satan, became enamored by Drusiana, though he saw and knew that she was the wife of Andronicus. 2 To whom many said: “It is not possible for you to obtain that woman, seeing that for a long time she has even separated herself from her husband for godliness’ sake. 3 Are you only ignorant that Andronicus, not being aforetime that which he now is, a God-fearing man, shut her up in a tomb, saying, Either I must have you as the wife whom I had before, or you will die. 4 And she chose rather to die than to do that filth. 5 If, then, she would not consent, for godliness’ sake, to cohabit with her lord and husband, but even persuaded him to be of the same mind as herself, will she consent to you desiring to be her seducer? 6 Depart from this madness which has no rest in you: give up this deed which you cannot bring to accomplishment.”
1 But his familiar friends, saying these things to him, did not convince him, but with shamelessness he courted her with messages; and when he learned the insults and disgraces which she returned, he spent his life in melancholy. 2 And after two days, Drusiana took to her bed from heaviness, and was in a fever and said: “If only I had not now come home to my native place—I that have become an offense to a man ignorant of godliness! 3 For if it were one who was filled with the word of God, he would not have reached such a degree of madness. 4 But now, Lord, since I have become the cause of a blow to a soul devoid of knowledge, set me free from this chain and remove me to You quickly.” 5 And in the presence of John, who knew nothing at all of such a matter, Drusiana departed out of life not wholly happy—yes, even troubled because of the spiritual hurt of the man.
1 But Andronicus, grieved with a secret grief, mourned in his soul and wept openly, so that John checked him often and said to him: “On a better hope has Drusiana departed from this unrighteous life.” 2 And Andronicus answered him: “Yes, I am persuaded of it, O John, and I do not doubt at all in regard to trust in my God: but this very thing do I hold fast: that she departed out of life pure.”
1 And when she was carried forth, John took hold of Andronicus, and now that he knew the cause, he mourned more than Andronicus. 2 And he kept silent, considering the provocation of the adversary, and for a span [of time], sat still. 3 Then, the brothers being gathered there to hear what word he would speak of her who had departed, he began to say:
1 “When the captain that voyages, together with them that sail with him, and the ship herself, arrives in a calm and stormless harbor, then let him say that he is safe. 2 And the farmer that has committed the seed to the earth and greatly toiled in the care and protection of it, let him then take rest from his labors, when he lays up the seed with manifold increase in his barns. 3 Let him that undertakes to run in the course, then exult when he carries home the prize. 4 Let him that inscribes his name for boxing, then boast of himself when he receives the crowns: and so in succession is it with all contests and crafts, when they do not fail in the end, but show themselves to be like that which they promised.”
1 “And thus, I also think it is with the faith which each one of us practices, that it is then discerned whether it is indeed true, when it continues like itself even until the end of life. 2 For many obstacles fall into the way and prepare trouble for the minds of men: care, children, parents, glory, poverty, flattery, prime of life, beauty, conceit, lust, wealth, anger, uplifting, slackness, envy, jealousy, neglect, fear, insolence, love, deceit, money, pretense, and other such obstacles—as many as there are in this life: 3 as also the captain sailing a prosperous course is opposed by the onset of contrary winds, and a great storm, and mighty waves out of calm, and the farmer by untimely winter, and blight, and creeping things rising out of the earth; 4 and they that strive in the games just do not win, and they that exercise crafts are hindered by the various difficulties of them.”
1 “But before all things, it is necessary that the believer should look before at his ending and understand it in what manner it will come on him, whether it will be vigorous, and sober, and without any obstacle, or disturbed, and clinging to the things that are here, and bound down by desires. 2 So is it right that a body should be praised as lovely when it is completely stripped, and a general as great when he has accomplished every promise of the war, and a physician as excellent when he has succeeded in every cure, and a soul as full of faith and worthy of God when it has paid its promise in full: 3 not that soul which began well and was dissolved into all the things of this life and fell away, nor that which is numb, having made an effort to attain to better things, and then is weighed down by temporal things, 4 nor that which has longed after the things of time more than those of eternity, nor that which exchanges those that do not endure, nor that which has honored the works of dishonor that deserve shame, 5 nor that which taketh pledges of Satan, nor that which has received the serpent into its own house, nor that which suffers reproach for God’s sake and then is [not] ashamed, nor that which with the mouth says yes, but indeed does not approve itself: 6 but that which has not prevailed to be made weak by foul pleasure, not to be overcome by flippancy, not to be caught by the bait of love of money, not to be betrayed by vigor of body or wrath.”
1 And as John was discoursing yet further to the brothers that they should despise temporal things in respect for the eternal, he that was enamored with Drusiana, being inflamed with a horrible lust and possession of the many-shaped Satan, bribed the steward of Andronicus who was a lover of money with a great sum: 2 and he opened the tomb and gave him opportunity to inflict the forbidden thing on the dead body. 3 Not having succeeded with her when [she was] alive, he was still persistent after her death to her body, and said: “If you would not have [anything] to do with me while you lived, I will outrage your corpse now that you are dead.” 4 With this [vile] scheme, and having managed for himself the wicked act by means of the abominable steward, he rushed with him to the tomb; they opened the door and began to strip the grave-clothes from the corpse, saying, “What have you profited, poor Drusiana? Could you not have done this in life, which perhaps would not have grieved you, had you done it willingly?”
1 And as these men were speaking thus, and only the accustomed undergarment now remained on her body, a strange spectacle was seen, such as they deserve to suffer who do such deeds: a serpent appeared from some quarter, and dealt the steward a single bite, and slew him: 2 but it did not strike the young man, but coiled around his feet, hissing terribly, and when he fell, mounted on his body and sat on him.
1 Now on the next day John came, accompanied by Andronicus and the brothers, to the tomb at dawn, it being now the third day from Drusiana’s death, so that we might break bread there. 2 And first, when they set out, the keys were sought for and could not be found; but John said to Andronicus: “It is quite right that they should be lost, for Drusiana is not in the tomb; nevertheless, let us go, so that you may not be neglectful, and the doors will be opened of themselves, even as the Lord has done many such things for us.”
1 And when we were at the place, at the commandment of the master, the doors were opened, and we saw by the tomb of Drusiana a beautiful youth, smiling: and John, when he saw him, cried out and said: “Have you come before us here too, beautiful one? And for what reason?” 2 And we heard a voice saying to him: “For Drusiana’s sake, whom you are to raise up—for I was within a moment of finding her—and for his sake that lies dead beside her tomb.” 3 And when the beautiful one had said this to John, he went up into the heavens in the sight of us all. 4 And John, turning to the other side of the tomb, saw a young man—even Callimachus, one of the chiefs of the Ephesians—and a huge serpent sleeping over him, and the steward of Andronicus, Fortunatus by name, lying dead. 5 And at the sight of the two, he stood perplexed, saying to the brothers: “What does such a sight mean? Why has the Lord not declared to me what was done here—He who has never neglected me?”
1 And Andronicus, seeing those corpses, leapt up and went to Drusiana’s tomb, and seeing her lying in her undergarment only, said to John: “I understand what has happened, you blessed servant of God, John. 2 This Callimachus was enamored with my sister; and because he never won her, though he often attempted it, he has bribed this accursed steward of mine with a great sum, perhaps scheming, as now we may see, to fulfill by his means the tragedy of his conspiracy; 3 for indeed, Callimachus vowed this to many, saying, If she will not consent to me when living, she will be outraged when dead. 4 And it may be, master, that the beautiful one knew it and did not allow her body to be insulted, and therefore these have died who made that attempt. 5 And can it be that the voice that said to you, Raise up Drusiana, foreshowed this? Because she departed out of this life in sorrow of mind. 6 But I believe him that said that this is one of the men that have gone astray; for you were commanded to raise him up: for as to the other, I know that he is unworthy of salvation. 7 But this one thing I beg of you: raise Callimachus up first, and he will confess to us what has come about.”
1 And John, looking on the body, said to the venomous beast: “Get away from him that is to be a servant of Jesus Christ”; 2 and he stood up and prayed over him thus: “O God, whose Name is glorified by us, as of right; O God who subdue every harmful force; O God whose will is accomplished, who always hears us: now also let Your gift be accomplished in this young man; 3 and if there is any dispensation to be worked through him, manifest it to us when he is raised up.” 3 And immediately the young man rose up, and for a whole hour kept silent.
1 But when he came to his right senses, John asked of him about his entry into the tomb, what it meant, and learning from him that which Andronicus had told him, namely, that he was enamored with Drusiana, John inquired of him again if he had fulfilled his foul intent—to insult a body full of holiness. 2 And he answered him: “How could I accomplish it when this fearful beast struck down Fortunatus at a blow in my sight: and rightly, since he encouraged my frenzy, when I was already cured of that unreasonable and horrible madness? 3 But it stopped me with fright and brought me to that plight in which you saw me before I arose. 4 And another thing yet more wondrous I will tell you, which yet went near to slay and was within a moment of making me a corpse: 5 when my soul was stirred up with folly and the uncontrollable malady was troubling me, and I had now torn away the grave-clothes in which she was clad, and I had then come out of the grave and laid them as you see, I went again to my unholy work; 6 and I saw a beautiful youth covering her with his mantle, and from his eyes sparks of light came forth to her eyes; and he uttered words to me, saying, “Callimachus, die that you may live.” 7 Now who he was, I did not know, O servant of God; but that now you have appeared here, I recognize that he was a messenger of God—that I know well; 8 and this I surely know: that it is a true God that is proclaimed by you, and I am persuaded of it. 9 But I beg you: do not be slack to deliver me from this calamity and this fearful crime, and to present me to your God as a man deceived with a shameful and foul deceit. 10 Therefore, begging for help from you, I take hold of your feet. I would become one of them that hope in Christ, that the voice may prove true which said to me, Die that you may live; 11 and that voice has also fulfilled its effect, for he is dead—that faithless, disorderly, godless one—and I have been raised by you: I who will be faithful, God-fearing, knowing the truth, which I plead with you may be shown to me by you.”
1 And John, filled with great gladness and perceiving the whole spectacle of the salvation of man, said: “What Your power is, Lord Jesus Christ, I do not know, bewildered as I am at Your great compassion and boundless long-suffering. 2 O what a greatness that came down into bondage! O unspeakable liberty brought into slavery by us! O incomprehensible glory that has come to us! 3 You that have kept the dead tabernacle safe from insult; that have redeemed the man that stained himself with blood and punished the soul of him that would defile the corruptible body; Father that have had pity and compassion on the man that did not care for You; 4 We glorify You, and praise, and bless, and thank Your great goodness and long-suffering, O holy Jesus, for You alone are God, and no one else: whose is the might that cannot be conspired against, now and world without end. Amen.
1 And when he had said this, John took Callimachus and kissed him, saying, “Glory be to our God, my child, who has had mercy on you and made me worthy to glorify His power— 2 and you also by a good course to depart from that abominable madness and drunkenness of yours—and has called you to His own rest and to renewing of life.”
1 But Andronicus, beholding the dead Callimachus raised, pleaded with John, with the brothers, to raise Drusiana up also, saying, “O John, let Drusiana arise and spend happily that short span [of life] which she gave up through grief concerning Callimachus, when she thought she had become a stumbling block to him: 2 and when the Lord will, He will take her again to Himself.” 3 And without delay, John went to her tomb, and took her hand, and said: “I call on You who are the only God—the greater than great, the unutterable, the incomprehensible: 4 to whom every power of principalities is subjected; to whom all authority bows; before whom all pride falls down and keeps silent; whom devils hearing of tremble; whom all creation perceiving keeps its bounds. 5 Let Your Name be glorified by us and raise up Drusiana, so that Callimachus may yet be [even] more confirmed to You who dispense that which to men is without a way and impossible, but to You only possible, even salvation and resurrection; 6 and so that Drusiana may now come forth in peace, not having even the least hindrance, now that the young man has turned to You, in her course toward You.”
1 And after these words, John said to Drusiana: “Drusiana, arise.” And she arose and came out of the tomb; 2 and when she saw herself in her undergarment only, she was perplexed at the thing and learned everything accurately from Andronicus while John lay on his face; 3 and Callimachus, with a loud voice and tears, glorified God, and she also rejoiced, glorifying Him in like manner.
1 And when she had clothed herself, she turned and saw Fortunatus lying, and said to John: “Father, let this man also rise, even if he did attempt to become my betrayer.” 2 But Callimachus, when he heard her say that, said: “Do not, I beg you, Drusiana, for the voice which I heard took no thought of him, but declared concerning you only, and I saw and believed: 3 for if he had been good, perhaps God would have had mercy on him also and would have raised him by means of the blessed John”; 4 he therefore knew that the man had come to a bad end. 5 And John said to him: “We have not learned, my child, to render evil for evil, for God, though we have done much bad and no good toward Him, has not given retribution to us, but conversion; 6 and though we were ignorant of His Name, He did not neglect us but had mercy on us, 7 and when we blasphemed Him, He did not punish, but pitied us, 8 and when we disbelieved Him, He bore us no grudge, 9 and when we persecuted His brothers, He did not repay us evil, but put into our minds conversion and abstinence from evil, and exhorted us to come to Him, as He has you also, my son Callimachus; 10 and not remembering your former evil, He has made you His servant, waiting on His mercy. 11 Therefore, if you do not allow me to raise up Fortunatus, it is for Drusiana to do so.”
1 And she, not delaying, went with rejoicing of spirit and soul to the body of Fortunatus and said: “Jesus Christ, God of the ages, God of truth, who have granted me to see wonders and signs, and given to me to become a partaker of Your Name; 2 who breathed Yourself into me with Your many-shaped countenance, and had mercy on me in many ways; 3 who protected me by Your great goodness when I was oppressed by Andronicus (who was formerly my husband); 4 who gave me Your servant Andronicus to be my brother; 5 who have kept me, Your handmaid, pure to this day; 6 who raised me up by Your servant John, and when I was raised, showed me him that was made to stumble free from stumbling; 7 who have given me perfect rest in You, and lightened me from the secret madness; whom I have loved and affectioned: please, O Christ, do not refuse Your Drusiana that asks You to raise up Fortunatus, even though he attempted to become my betrayer.”
1 And taking the hand of the dead man, she said: “Rise up, Fortunatus, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 And Fortunatus arose, and when he saw John in the tomb, and Andronicus, and Drusiana raised from the dead, and Callimachus a believer, and the rest of the brothers glorifying God, he said: “O to what the powers of these clever men have attained! I did not want to be raised, but would rather die, so as not to see them.” 3 And with these words, he fled and went out of the tomb.
1 And John, when he saw the unchanged mind of Fortunatus, said: “O nature that is not changed for the better! O fountain of the soul that abides in foulness! O essence of corruption full of darkness! O death exulting in them that are yours! O fruitless tree full of fire! O tree that bear coals for fruit! O matter that dwell with the madness of matter and neighbor of unbelief! 2 You have proved who you are, and you are always convicted with your children. 3 And you do not know how to praise the better things, for you do not have them. 4 Therefore, such as is your way, such also is your root and your nature. 5 Be destroyed from among them that trust in the Lord: from their thoughts, from their mind, from their souls, from their bodies, from their acts, their life, their conversation, from their business, their occupations, their counsel, from the resurrection to God, from their sweet savor wherein you will share, from their faith, their prayers, from the holy bath, from the thanksgiving, from the food of the flesh, from drink, from clothing, from love, from care, from abstinence, from righteousness: 6 from all these, you most unholy Satan, enemy of God, will Jesus Christ our God and of all that are like you and have your character, make you to perish.”
And having said this, John prayed, and took bread, and carried it into the tomb to break it; and he said: “We glorify Your Name, which converts us from error and ruthless deceit; we glorify You who have shown before our eyes that which we have seen; we bear witness to Your loving-kindness which appears in various ways; we praise Your merciful Name, O Lord—who have convicted them that are convicted by You; we give thanks to You, O Lord Jesus Christ, that we are persuaded of Your [[divinity]] which is unchanging; we give thanks to You who took on our nature so that we should be saved; we give thanks to You who have given us this assurance, for You are alone, both now and ever. We, Your servants, give You thanks, O Holy One, who are assembled with intent and are gathered out of the world.”
1 And having so prayed and given glory to God, he went out of the tomb after imparting to all the brothers of the communion of the Lord. 2 And when he had come to Andronicus’ house, he said to the brothers: “Brothers, [the] Spirit within me has divined that Fortunatus is about to die of poisoning from the bite of the serpent; but let someone go quickly and learn if it indeed is so.” 3 And one of the young men ran and found him dead and the poisoning spreading over him, and it had reached his heart; 4 and he came and told John that he had been dead [for] three hours. And John said: “You have your child, O Devil.”
1 Those that were present inquired of the cause, and were especially perplexed, because Drusiana had said: “The Lord appeared to me in the tomb in the likeness of John, and in that of a youth.” 2 Forasmuch, therefore, as they were perplexed and were, in a way, not yet established in the faith, so as to endure it steadfastly, John said:
1 “Men and brothers, you have suffered nothing strange or incredible as concerning your perception of the issue, inasmuch as we also, whom He chose for Himself to be apostles, were tried in many ways: 2 I, indeed, am neither able to set forth to you nor to write the things which I both saw and heard: and now is it necessary that I should fit them for your hearing; 3 and according as each of you is able to contain it, I will impart to you those things whereof you are able to become hearers, so that you may see the glory that is around Him who was and is, both now and forever. 4 For when He had chosen Peter and Andrew, which were brothers, He comes to me and my brother James, saying, I have need of you; come to Me. 5 And my brother, hearing that, said: John, what might this child have that is on the seashore and called us? And I said: What child? And he said to me again: He who beckons to us. 6 And I answered: Because of our long watch we have kept at sea, you do not see correctly, my brother James; but do you not see the man that stands there—lovely, and fair, and of a cheerful countenance? 7 But he said to me: I do not see Him, brother; but let us go forth and we will see what He might have.”
1 “And so, when we had brought the ship to land, we saw Him also helping along with us to settle the ship; 2 and when we departed from that place, intending to follow Him, again He was seen by me as having a rather bald [head], but the beard [was] thick and flowing, 3 but to James, [He was] as a youth whose beard had newly come. 4 We were therefore perplexed, both of us, as to what that which we had seen should mean. 5 And after that, as we followed Him, both of us were little by little perplexed as we considered the matter. 6 Yet to me there then appeared this yet more wonderful thing: for I would try to see Him privately, and I never at any time saw His eyes closing, but only open. 7 And oftentimes He would appear to me as a small man and unattractive, and then again as one reaching to the sky. 8 Also, there was another marvel in Him: when I sat down to eat, He would take me on His own breast; and sometimes His breast was felt by me to be smooth and tender, and sometimes hard like stones, so that I was perplexed in myself and said: Why is this so to me? And as I considered this, He . . .”
1 “And at another time, He takes me, and James, and Peter with Him to the mountain where He was accustomed to pray, and we saw in Him a light such as it is not possible for a man that uses corruptible speech to describe what it was like. 2 Again, in like manner, he brings the three of us up into the mountain, saying, Come with Me. And we went again: and we saw Him at a distance praying. 3 I, therefore, because He loved me, drew near to Him gently, as though He could not see me, and stood looking on His back: 4 and I saw that He was not in any way clothed with garments, but was seen by us naked, and not in any way as a man, and that his feet were whiter than any snow, so that the earth there was lit up by His feet, and that His head touched the sky, so that I was afraid and cried out, 5 and He, turning around, appeared as a man of small stature, and caught hold of my beard, and pulled it, and said to me: John, do not be faithless but believing, and not curious. And I said to Him: But what have I done, Lord? 6 And I say to you, brothers, I suffered such a great pain in that place where He took hold of my beard for thirty days, that I said to Him: Lord, if Your [mere] twitch when You were sporting [with me] has given me such great pain, what were it if You had given me a beating? 7 And He said to me: Let it be, henceforth, not to tempt Him who cannot be tempted.”
1 “But Peter and James were angry because I spoke with the Lord and beckoned to me that I should come to them and leave the Lord alone. 2 And I went, and they both said to me: He who was speaking with the Lord on the top of the mountain, who was He? For we heard both of them speaking. 3 And I, having in mind His great grace, and His unity which has many faces, and His wisdom which without ceasing looks on us, said: You will learn that if you inquire of Him.”
1 “Again, once when all of us, His disciples, were at Gennesaret sleeping in one house, I alone having wrapped myself in my mantle, watched what He would do: 2 and first I heard Him say: John, go to sleep. 3 And I, thereon pretending to sleep, saw another like Him [sleeping], whom I also heard say to my Lord: Jesus, they whom You have chosen do not yet believe on You. 4 And my Lord said to him: You speak correctly, for they are [mere] men.”
1 “I will also tell you of another glory, brothers: sometimes when I would lay hold of Him, I met with a material and solid body, and at other times, again, when I felt Him, the substance was immaterial and as if it did not exist at all. 2 And if at any time He were requested by someone of the Pharisees and went at the request, we went with Him, and there was set before each one of us a loaf by them that had requested us, and with us He also received one; 3 and His own He would bless and part it among us: and of that little bit, everyone was filled, and our own loaves were saved whole, so that they which requested Him were amazed. 4 And oftentimes, when I walked with Him, I desired to see the print of His foot, whether it appeared on the earth; for I saw Him, as it were, lifting Himself up from the earth: and I never saw it. 5 And these things I speak to you, brothers, for the encouragement of your faith toward Him; for we must at the present keep silent concerning His mighty and wonderful works, inasmuch as they are unspeakable and, it might be, cannot be either uttered or heard at all.”
1 “Now before He was taken by the lawless Jews, who also were governed by the lawless serpent, He gathered all of us together and said: Before I am delivered up to them, let us sing a hymn to the Father, and so go forth to that which lies before us. 2 He therefore commanded us to make, as it were, a ring, holding one another’s hands; and [with] Himself standing in the midst, He said: Answer Amen to Me. 3 He then began to sing a hymn and to say: Glory be to You, Father. 4 And we, going around in a circle, answered Him: Amen. Glory be to You, Word; Glory be to You, Grace. Amen. Glory be to You, Spirit; Glory be to You, Holy One; Glory be to Your glory. Amen. 5 We praise You, O Father; We give thanks to You, O Light, wherein darkness does not dwell. Amen.”
1 “Now whereas we give thanks, I say: I would be saved, || And I would save. Amen. 2 I would be loosed, || And I would loose. Amen. 3 I would be wounded, || And I would wound. Amen. 4 I would be born, || And I would bear. Amen. 5 I would eat, || And I would be eaten. Amen. 6 I would hear, || And I would be heard. Amen. 7 I would be thought, || Being wholly thought. Amen. 8 I would be washed, || And I would wash. Amen. 9 Grace dances. I would pipe—Dance you all. Amen. 10 I would mourn—Lament you all. Amen. 11 The number Eight sings praise with us. Amen. 12 The number Twelve dances on high. Amen. 13 The Whole on high has part in our dancing. Amen. 14 Whoever does not dance, || Does not know what comes to pass. Amen. 15 I would flee, || And I would stay. Amen. 16 I would adorn, || And I would be adorned. Amen. 17 I would be united, || And I would unite. Amen. 18 A house I have not, || And I have houses. Amen. 19 A place I have not, || And I have places. Amen. 20 A temple I have not, || And I have temples. Amen. 21 A lamp am I to you that behold me. Amen. 22 A mirror am I to you that perceive me. Amen. 23 A door am I to you that knock at me. Amen. A way am I to you a wayfarer.”
1 “Now respond to My dancing. Behold yourself in Me who speak, and seeing what I do, keep silent concerning My mysteries. 2 You that dance, perceive what I do, for you is this passion of the manhood, which I am about to suffer. 3 For you could not at all have understood what you suffer if I had not been sent to you, as the Word of the Father. 4 You that saw what I suffer saw Me as suffering, and seeing it, you did not abide but were wholly moved—moved to make wise. 5 You have Me as a bed: rest on Me. 6 Who I am, you will know when I depart. What I now am seen to be, that I am not. You will see when you come. 7 If you had known how to suffer, you would have been able not to suffer. 8 Learn to suffer, and you will be able not to suffer. 9 What you do not know, I Myself will teach you. 10 I am your God, not the god of the traitor. I would keep tune with holy souls. 11 In Me, know the word of wisdom. Again, say with Me: Glory be to You, Father; Glory to You, Word; Glory to You, Holy Spirit. 12 And if you would know concerning Me, what I was, know that with a word I deceived all things and I was in no way deceived. 13 I have leaped: but understand the whole, and having understood it, say: Glory be to You, Father. Amen.”
1 “Thus, my beloved, having danced with us, the Lord went forth. 2 And we as men gone astray, or dazed with sleep, fled this way and that. 3 I, then, when I saw Him suffer, did not even abide by His suffering, but fled to the Mount of Olives, weeping at that which had happened. 4 And when He was crucified on the Friday, at the sixth hour of the day, darkness came on all the earth. 5 And my Lord, standing in the midst of the cave and illuminating it, said: John, to the multitude below in Jerusalem I am being crucified and pierced with lances and reeds, and gall and vinegar is given to Me to drink. 6 But to you I speak, and what I speak, hear. I put it into your mind to come up into this mountain, so that you might hear those things which it is right for a disciple to learn from his Teacher, and a man from his God.”
1 “And having thus spoken, He showed me a cross of light fixed, and around the cross a great multitude, not having one form; and in it was one form and one likeness. 2 And I beheld the Lord Himself above the cross, not having any shape, but only a voice: and a voice not such as was familiar to us, but one sweet, and kind, and truly of God, saying to me: John, it is necessary that one should hear these things from Me, for I have need of one that will hear. 3 This cross of light is sometimes called the word by Me for your sakes, sometimes mind, sometimes Jesus, sometimes Christ, sometimes door, sometimes a way, sometimes bread, sometimes seed, sometimes resurrection, sometimes Son, sometimes Father, sometimes Spirit, sometimes life, sometimes truth, sometimes faith, sometimes grace. 4 And by these names it is called as toward men: but that which it is in truth, as conceived of in itself and as spoken of to you, it is the marking-off of all things, and the firm uplifting of things fixed out of things unstable, and the harmony of wisdom, and indeed wisdom in harmony. 5 There are of the right hand and the left, powers also, authorities, lordships and demons, workings, threatenings, wraths, devils, Satan, and the lower root from which the nature of the things that come into being proceeded.”
1 “This cross, then, is that which joined all things to itself by the Word and separated the things that are from those that are below, and then also, being one, streamed forth into all things. 2 But this is not the cross of wood which you will see when you go down from here: neither am I he that is on the cross, whom you now do not see, but only hear his voice. 3 I was reckoned to be that which I am not, not being what I was to many others: but they will call Me something else which is vile and not worthy of Me. 4 As, then, the place of rest is neither seen nor spoken of, much more will I, the Lord thereof, be neither seen . . .”
1 “Now the multitude of one aspect that is around the cross is the lower nature: and they whom you see in the cross, if they do not have one form, it is because every member of Him that came down has not yet been comprehended. 2 But when the human nature is taken up, as well as the race which draws near to Me and obeys My voice, he that now hears Me will be united therewith, and will no longer be that which he now is, but above them, as I also now am. 3 For as long as you do not call yourself Mine, I am not that which I am: but if you hear Me, you, hearing, will be as I am, and I will be that which I was, when I [am with] you as I am with Myself. For from Me you are that [which I am]. 4 Therefore, do not care for the many, and them that are outside the mystery despise; for know that I am entirely with the Father, and the Father with Me.”
1 “Nothing, therefore, of the things which they will say of Me have I suffered: indeed, that suffering also which I showed to you and the rest in the dance, I will that it be called a mystery. 2 For what you are, you see, for I showed it to you; but what I am I alone know, and no one else. 3 Allow Me then to keep that which is Mine, and that which is yours, behold through Me, and behold Me in truth, that I am, not what I said, but what you are able to know, because you are akin to it. 4 You hear that I suffered, yet I did not suffer; that I did not suffer, yet I did suffer; that I was pierced, yet I was not stricken; hanged, and I was not hanged; that blood flowed from Me, and it did not flow; and, in a word, what they say of Me, that did not happen to Me, but what they do not say, that I did suffer. 5 Now what those things are, I signify to you: for I know that you will understand. 6 Therefore, perceive in Me the praising of the Word, the piercing of the Word, the blood of the Word, the wound of the Word, the hanging up of the Word, the suffering of the Word, the nailing of the Word, the death of the Word. 7 And so I speak, separating off the manhood. Therefore, perceive in the first place the Word; then you will perceive the Lord, and in the third place the man, and what He has suffered.”
1 “When He had spoken these things to me, and others which I do not know how to say as He would have me, He was taken up—no one of the multitudes having beheld Him. 2 And when I went down, I laughed them all to scorn, inasmuch as He had told me the things which they have said concerning Him; 3 holding fast this one thing in myself: that the Lord planned all things symbolically and by a dispensation toward men, for their conversion and salvation.”
1 “Having therefore beheld, brothers, the grace of the Lord and His kind affection toward us, let us worship Him as those to whom He has shown mercy, not with our fingers, nor our mouth, nor our tongue, nor with any part whatsoever of our body, but with the disposition of our soul— 2 even Him who became a man apart from this body: and let us watch, because He now also keeps ward over prisons for our sake, and over tombs, in bonds and dungeons, in reproaches and insults, by sea and on dry land, in scourgings, condemnations, conspiracies, frauds, punishments, and in a word, He is with all of us, and He Himself suffers with us when we suffer, brothers. 3 When He is called on by each one of us, He does not endure to shut His ears to us, but as being everywhere, He listens to all of us; and now both to me and to Drusiana—forasmuch as He is the God of them that are shut, bringing us help by His own compassion.”
“Therefore, beloved, also be persuaded that it is not a [mere] man whom I preach to you to worship, but God unchangeable, God invincible, God higher than all authority and all power, and older and mightier than all messengers and creatures that are named, and all aeons. If then you abide in Him, and are built up in Him, you will possess your soul indestructible.”
And when he had delivered these things to the brothers, John departed, with Andronicus, to walk. And Drusiana also followed far off with all the brothers, so that they might behold the acts that were done by him and hear his speech at all times in the Lord.
1 John therefore continued with the brothers, rejoicing in the Lord. 2 And the next day, being the Lord’s Day, and all the brothers being gathered together, he began to say to them: “Brothers, and fellow-servants, and coheirs, and partakers with me in the kingdom of the Lord, you know the Lord, how many mighty works He has granted to you by my means, how many wonders, healings, signs, how great [the] spiritual gifts, teachings, governings, refreshings, ministries, knowledges, glories, graces, gifts, beliefs, communions, 3 all of which you have seen given to you by Him in your sight, yet not seen by these eyes nor heard by these ears. 4 Therefore, be established in Him, remembering Him in your every deed, knowing the mystery of the dispensation which has come to pass toward men, for which reason the Lord has accomplished it. 5 He pleads with you by me, brothers, and implores you, desiring to remain without grief, without insult, not conspired against, not disgraced: for He knows even the insult that comes through you—He knows even dishonor, He knows even conspiracy, He knows even disgrace from them that do not listen to His commandments.”
1 “Do not let then our good God be grieved—the compassionate, the merciful, the holy, the pure, the undefiled, the immaterial, the only, the one, the unchangeable, the simple, the guileless, the un-wrathful, even our God Jesus Christ, who is above every name that we can utter or conceive, and more exalted. 2 Let Him rejoice with us because we walk correctly; let Him be glad because we live purely; let Him be refreshed because our conversation is sober; let Him be without care because we live moderately, let Him be pleased because we communicate with one another; let Him smile because we are pure; let Him be glad because we love Him. 3 These things I now speak to you, brothers, because I am hurrying to the work set before me, and I am already being perfected by the Lord. 4 For what else could I have to say to you? You have the pledge of our God, you have the pledge of His goodness, you have His presence that cannot be shunned. 5 If, then, you no longer sin, He forgives you of what you did in ignorance: but if after you have known Him, and He has had mercy on you, you walk again in the same deeds, both the former will be laid to your charge, and you will also have no part nor mercy before Him.”
1 And when he had spoken this to them, he prayed thus: “O Jesus, who have woven this crown with Your weaving, who have joined together these many blossoms into the unfading flower of Your countenance, who have sown in them these words: You, the only tender of Your servants, and Physician who heal freely; 2 [the] only doer of good and despiser of none, [the] only merciful and lover of men, [the] only Savior and righteous, [the] only seer of all, who are in all, and present everywhere, and containing all things, and filling all things: 3 Christ Jesus, God, Lord, who with Your gifts and Your mercy shelter them that trust in You, who clearly knows the schemes and assaults of him that is everywhere our adversary, which he devises against us: You alone, O Lord, help Your servants by Your visitation. Even so, Lord.”
1 And he asked for bread and gave thanks thus: “What praise or what offering or what thanksgiving will we, breaking this bread, name except You alone, O Lord Jesus? 2 We glorify Your Name that was said by the Father; we glorify Your Name that was said through the Son; 3 we glorify Your entering through the Door; we glorify the resurrection shown to us by You; we glorify Your way; 4 we glorify of You the seed, the word, the grace, the faith, the salt, the unspeakable pearl, the treasure, the plow, the net, the greatness, the diadem, Him that for us was called Son of Man, that gave to us truth, rest, knowledge, power, the commandment, the confidence, hope, love, liberty, refuge in You. 5 For You, Lord, are alone the root of immortality, and the fount of incorruption, and the seat of the ages: called by all these names for us now, so that calling on You by them we may make known Your greatness which at the present is invisible to us, but visible only to the pure, being portrayed in Your manhood only.”
1 And he broke the bread and gave to all of us, praying over each of the brothers, so that he might be worthy of the grace of the Lord and of the most holy communion. 2 And he also partook himself likewise and said: “To me also may there be a part with you,” and, “Peace be with you, my beloved.”
1 After that, he said to Verus: “Take two men with you, with baskets and shovels, and follow me.” And Verus without delay did as he was commanded by John, the servant of God. 2 Therefore, the blessed John went out of the house and walked forth from the gates, having told the greater part to depart from him. 3 And when he had come to the tomb of a certain brother of ours, he said to the young men: “Dig, my children.” And they dug, and he was insistent with them even more, saying, “Let the trench be deeper.” 4 And as they dug, he spoke to them the word of God and exhorted them that had come with him out of the house, edifying and perfecting them toward the greatness of God and praying over each one of us. 5 And when the young men had finished the trench as he desired, we knowing nothing of it, he took off his garments with which he was clothed and laid them, as it were, for a pallet in the bottom of the trench; and standing in his undergarment only, he stretched his hands upward and prayed thus:
1 “O You that chose us out for the apostleship of the nations; O God that sent us into the world, that revealed Yourself by the Law and the Prophets, that never rested, but always from the foundation of the world saved them that were able to be saved; 2 that made Yourself known through all nature, that even proclaimed Yourself among beasts; 3 that made the desolate and savage soul tame and quiet, that gave Yourself to it when it was thirsty for Your words, that appeared to it in haste when it was dying, that showed Yourself to it as a law when it was sinking into lawlessness, 4 that manifested Yourself to it when it had been vanquished by Satan, that overcame its adversary when it fled to You, that gave it Your hand and raised it up from the things of Hades, that did not leave it to walk after a bodily sort, that showed to it its own enemy, that have made for it a clear knowledge toward You: 5 O God, Jesus, the Father of them that are above the heavens, the Lord of them that are in the heavens, the law of them that are in the other, the course of them that are in the air, the keeper of them that are on the earth, the fear of them that are under the earth, the grace of them that are Your own: receive the soul of Your John also, which it may so be is counted worthy by You.”
1 “O You who have kept me until this hour for Yourself and untouched by union with a woman: 2 who when in my youth I desired to marry, appeared to me and said to me: John, I have need of you; 3 who also prepared for me a sickness of the body; 4 who when for the third time I would marry, immediately prevented me, and then at the third hour of the day, said to me on the sea: John, if you had not been Mine, I would have permitted you to marry; 5 who for two years blinded me and granted me to mourn and plead with you; 6 who in the third year opened the eyes of my mind and also granted me my visible eyes; 7 who when I saw clearly, ordained that it should be grievous to me to look on a woman; 8 who saved me from the temporal fantasy and led me to that which always endures; 9 who rid me of the foul madness that is in the flesh; 10 who took me from the bitter death and established me on You alone; 11 who muzzled the secret disease of my soul and cut off the open deed; 12 who afflicted and banished him that raised tumult in me; 13 who made my love of You spotless; 14 who made my joining to you perfect and unbroken; 15 who gave me undoubting faith in You; 16 who ordered and made clear my inclination toward You: 17 You who give to every man the due reward of his works, who put into my soul that I should have no possession except You alone, for what is more precious than You? 18 Now therefore, O Lord, whereas I have accomplished the dispensation with which I was entrusted, account me worthy of Your rest and grant me that end in You which is unspeakable and unutterable salvation.”
1 “And as I come to You, let the fire go backward, let the darkness be overcome, let the gulf be without strength, let the furnace die out, let Gehenna be quenched; 2 let messengers follow, let devils fear, let rulers be broken, let powers fall; 3 let the places of the right hand stand fast, let them of the left hand not remain; 4 let the Devil be muzzled, let Satan be derided, let his wrath be burned out, let his madness be stilled, let his vengeance be ashamed, let his assault be in pain, let his children be stricken and all his roots plucked up. 5 And grant me to accomplish the journey to You without suffering insolence or provocation, and to receive that which You have promised to them that live purely and have loved You alone.”
1 And having sealed himself in every part, he stood and said: “You are with me, O Lord Jesus Christ”; and he laid himself down in the trench where he had strewn his garments, 2 and having said to us: “Peace be with you, brothers,” he gave up his spirit, rejoicing.