The Acts of Peter and Andrew is a heroic romance, written sometime between the 2nd and 5th centuries, which is a sequel of sorts to the earlier Acts of Andrew and Matthias, providing entertaining, fictional adventures of the apostles; scholarship has noted no real theological imperative for the work. The extant work is fragmentary, ending abruptly.
1 It came to pass when Andrew, the apostle of Christ, went forth from the city of the cannibals, behold, a bright cloud snatched him up and carried him away to the mountain where Peter, and Matthew, and Alexander were sitting. 2 And when he saw them, they saluted him with great joy. Then Peter says to him: “What has happened to you, brother Andrew? Have you sown the word of truth in the country of the cannibals or not?” 3 Andrew says to him: “Yes, father Peter, through your prayers; but the men of that city have caused me many troubles, for they dragged me through their street [for] three days, so that my blood stained the whole street.” 4 Peter says to him: “Be a man in the Lord, brother Andrew, and come here, and rest from your labor. For if the good farmer laboriously tills the ground, it will also bear fruit, and immediately all his toil will be turned into joy; but if he toils, and his land brings forth no fruit, he has double toil.” 5 And while he was thus speaking, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to them in the form of a child and said to them: “Hail, Peter, overseer of the whole of My Assembly! Hail, Andrew! My co-heirs, be courageous, and struggle for mankind; 6 for truly I say to you: you will endure toils in this world for mankind, but be bold. 7 I will give you rest in one hour of repose in the kingdom of My Father. 8 Arise, then, and go into the city of the barbarians and preach in it; and I will be with you in the wonders that will happen in it by your hands.” 9 And the Lord Jesus, after saluting them, went up into the heavens in glory.
1 And Peter, and Andrew, and Alexander, and Rufus, and Matthias, went into the city of the barbarians. 2 And after they had come near the city, Andrew answered and said to Peter: “Father Peter, must we again undergo toils in this city, as in the country of the cannibals?” 3 Peter says to him: “I do not know. But behold, there is an old man before us sowing in his field: if we go up to him, let us say to him, Give us bread; and if he gives us bread, we may know that we are not to suffer in this city; but if he says to us, We have no bread, on the other hand, we will know that suffering awaits us again.” 4 And when they came up to the old man, Peter says to him: “Hail, farmer!” And the farmer says to them: “Hail you too, merchants!” Peter says to him: “Do you have bread to give to these children? For we have been in need.” 5 The old man says to them: “Wait a little, and look after the oxen, and the plow, and the land, so that I may go into the city and get loaves for you.” 6 Peter says to him: “If you provide hospitality for us, we will look after the cattle and the field.” The old man says: “So be it.” 7 Peter says to him: “Are the oxen your own?” The old man says: “No; I have them on hire.” Peter says to him: “Go into the city.” And the old man went into the city. 8 And Peter arose, and girded up his cloak and his undergarment, and says to Andrew: “It is not right for us to rest and be idle—especially when the old man is working for us, having left his own work.” Then Peter took hold of the plow and sowed the wheat. 9 And Andrew was behind the oxen, and he says to Peter: “Father Peter, why do you bring toil on us, especially when we already have enough work!” 10 Then Andrew took the plow out of Peter’s hand and sowed the wheat, saying, “O seed cast into the ground in the field of the righteous, come up, and come to the light. Let the young men of the city therefore come forth, whom I found in the pit of destruction until today; for behold, the apostles of Christ are coming into the city, pardoning the sins of those who believe in them, and healing every disease, and every sickness. 11 Pray for me, so that He may have mercy on me, and that I may be delivered from this difficulty.” 12 And many of the multitude believed in Christ, because of what was said; and they fell at the feet of the apostles and adored them. 13 And they laid their hands on them. And they healed those in the city that were sick, and gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, and drove out the demons. 14 The whole multitude glorified the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
1 And there was a certain rich man in the city, Onesiphorus by name. 2 He, having seen the miracles done by the apostles, says to them: “If I believe in your God, can I also do a miracle like you?” Andrew says to him: “If you will forsake all that belongs to you, and your wife and your children, as we also have done, then you will also do miracles.” 3 When Onesiphorus heard this, he was filled with rage, and took his scarf, and threw it over Andrew’s neck, and struck him, and said to him: “You are a sorcerer! How do you force me to abandon my wife, and my children, and my goods?” 4 Then Peter, having turned and seen him striking Andrew, says to him: “Man, stop striking Andrew immediately!” Onesiphorus says to him: “I see that you are more sensible than he. Do you then tell me to leave my wife, and my children, and my goods. What do you say?” 5 Peter says to him: “One thing I say to you: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to go into the kingdom of the heavens.” 6 When Onesiphorus heard this, he was even more filled with rage and anger, and took his scarf off the neck of Andrew, and threw it on the neck of Peter; and so he dragged him along, saying, “You are truly a great sorcerer—more than the other; for a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle. 7 But if you will show me this miracle, I will believe in your God; and not only I, but also the whole city. But if not, you will be grievously punished in the midst of the city.” 8 And when Peter heard this, he was exceedingly grieved, and stood and stretched forth his hands toward the sky, and prayed, saying, “O Lord our God, listen to me at this time, for they will ensnare us from Your own words; for no prophet has [yet] spoken to set forth this explanation of his, and no patriarch that we might learn the interpretation of it; and now we seek for ourselves the explanation with boldness. 9 Do You then, Lord, not overlook us? For You are He who is praised by the cherubim.” 10 And after he had said this, the Savior appeared in the form of a child, twelve years of age, wearing a linen garment; and He says to them: “Be courageous and do not tremble, My chosen disciples; for I am with you always. Let the needle and the camel be brought.” And after saying this, He went up into the heavens. 11 And there was a certain merchant in the city who had believed in the Lord through the apostle Philip; and when he heard of this, he ran and searched for a needle with a big eye, to do a favor for the apostles. 12 When Peter learned this, he said: “My son, do not search for a big needle; for nothing is impossible with God: rather bring us a small needle.” 13 And after the needle had been brought, and the whole multitude of the city were standing by to see, Peter looked up and saw a camel coming. And he ordered her to be brought. 14 Then he fixed the needle in the ground and cried out with a loud voice, saying, “In the Name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate: I order you, O camel, to go through the eye of the needle.” 15 Then the eye of the needle was opened like a gate, and the camel went through it, and the whole multitude saw it. 16 Peter again says to the camel: “Go through the needle again.” And the camel went a second time. 17 When Onesiphorus saw this, he said to Peter: “Truly you are a great sorcerer; but I will not believe unless I send and bring a camel and a needle.” 18 And he called one of his servants and said to him privately: “Go and bring me here a camel and a needle; also find an unclean woman and force her to come here, for these men are sorcerers.” 19 And Peter, having learned the mystery through the Spirit, says to Onesiphorus: “Send and bring the camel, and the woman, and the needle.” And when they brought them, Peter took the needle and fixed it in the ground. And the woman was sitting on the camel. 20 Then Peter says: “In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ the crucified: I order you, O camel, to go through this needle.” And immediately the eye of the needle was opened and became like a gate, and the camel went through it. 21 Peter again says to the camel: “Go through it again, so that everyone may see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, in order that some may believe on Him.” Then the camel went through the needle again. 22 And Onesiphorus seeing it, cried out and said: “Truly great is the God of Peter and Andrew, and from this time forth I will believe in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 23 Now then, hear my words, O Peter: I have cornfields, vineyards, and fields; I also have twenty-seven pounds of gold, and fifty pounds of silver; and I have very many slaves. I give my possessions to the poor, so that I may also do one miracle like you.” 24 And Peter was grieved, lest the powers should not work in him, seeing that he had not received the seal in Christ. 25 And while he was considering this, behold, a Voice out of Heaven was saying to him: “Do to him what he wishes, because I will accomplish for him what he desires.” 26 Peter says to him: “My son, come here; do as we do.” And Onesiphorus came up, and stood before the camel and the needle, and said: “In the Name . . .”