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The '''''Acts of John''''' is a second-century collection of Christian-based narratives and traditions, relating the supposed miraculous deeds of [[John the Apostle]], on of the three closest disciples of Jesus. Together with the [[Acts of Paul]] it is considered one of the most significant of the apostolic Acts in the [[New Testament apocrypha]]. It was traditionally ascribed to [[Prochorus]], one of the [[Seven Deacons]] discussed in [[Acts of the Apostles]]. The traditional author was said to be one [[Leucius Charinus]], a companion of John, who was associated with several second century ''Acts''.
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[[Image:Santa Maria Novella 3 Lippi.jpg|thumb|350px|John raises Dusiana from the dead, by Fra [[Filippino Lippi]].]]
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The '''''Acts of John''''' is a second century collection of Christian-based narratives and traditions, relating the travels and [[miracle|miraculous]] deeds of [[John the Apostle]], one of the three closest [[disciple]]s of [[Jesus]]. Together with the [[Acts of Paul]], it is considered one of the most significant of the Apostolic Acts in the [[New Testament apocrypha]].
  
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It describes journeys of John to [[Ephesus]], filled with dramatic events, miracles such as the collapse of the [[Temple of Artemis]], romantic episodes, and well-framed melodramatic speeches. It may have originated as a Christianized wonder tale, designed for a Hellenic audience, and literary critics consider it to fall in the [[Romance (genre)|genre of Romance]] set in a Christian context.  
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The ''Acts of John'' describes his journeys to [[Ephesus]], filled with dramatic events, romantic episodes, miracles such as the collapse of the [[Temple of Artemis]], and well-framed [[melodrama]]tic speeches. It may have originated as a Christianized [[wonder tale]], designed for a [[Hellenism|Hellenic]] audience. Literary critics consider it to fall in the [[Romance (genre)|Romance genre]] set in a Christian context. Two of its tales involve couples who become tragically parted by death by are united after John revives one or both of them channeling [[God]]'s power. However, these "romances" are remarkable in that they downplay the sexual aspect of [[marriage]]. In one rendition the couple is committed to [[celibacy]].
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The work was rejected as [[heresy|heretical]] due to a section containing teachings of a [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] or [[doceticism|docetic]] nature, in which Jesus is depicted as not having a normal [[human being|human]] body and as not truly suffering when he was on the [[Crucifixtion|Cross]]. Several of the legends contained in the ''Acts of John,'' however, survived in Christian tradition and [[art|artwork]].
  
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A large fragment of the ''Acts of John'' survives in Greek manuscripts of widely varying date. Two particularly segments of the work posed a major problem for orthodox Christian readers because of their [[docetism|docetic]] imagery and overt [[gnosticism|gnostic]] teachings (chapters 94-102 and 109). These resulted in the work's condemnation as heretical, but today many scholars believe these sections to be interpolations, in an otherwise orthodox, though clearly fanciful, work.  
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==Introduction==
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Because of its vivid and sometimes tantalizing descriptions of Christian [[miracles]], the ''Acts of John'' was apparently in wide circulation until it was condemned by the [[Second Council of Nicaea]] in 787 C.E. Little is known regarding the actual author or authors of this work, but Saint [[Photius]], the ninth century patriarch of [[Constantinople]], identified him as Leucius Charinus. Earlier, [[Epiphanius]] (Haer. 51.427) said that Leucius was a disciple of [[John the Apostle]], but other [[Church Fathers]] refer to the work as heretical because of its [[docetism|Docetist]] teaching, denying the humanity of [[Christ]]. [[Gregory of Tours]], on the other hand, found the work valuable enough to make an abridged version of it, omitting its "tiresome" elaborations. Faustus of Mileve, a [[Manichaeanism|Manichaean]] bishop of the later fourth century, held that it was improperly excluded from the [[New Testament]]. Photios attributes not only the ''Acts of John'' to Lecius, but several other apocryphal Acts, which he refers to as the ''Circuits of the Apostles,'' including the Acts of Peter, Andrew, Thomas, and Paul.
  
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A large fragment of the ''Acts of John'' survives in Greek manuscripts of widely varying dates. Two particular segments of the work posed a major problem for orthodox Christian readers because of their [[docetism|docetic]] imagery and overt [[gnosticism|Gnostic]] teachings (chapters 94-102 and 109). These resulted in the work's condemnation as heretical, but today many scholars believe these sections to be interpolations, in an otherwise orthodox, though clearly fanciful, work. Also found in the ''Acts of John'' is a hymn describing a circle dance performed by Jesus and the disciples, containing formulas which may have been thought to enable the Gnostic believer to evade [[demons]] who could impede one’s journey to [[heaven]].
  
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It also contains the episode at the [[Last Supper]] of the '''Round Dance of the Cross''' initiated by Jesus, saying, "Before I am delivered to them, let us sing a hymn to the Father and so go to meet what lies before us." Directed to form a circle around him holding hands and dancing, the apostles cry "Amen" to the hymn of Jesus.
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[[Image:Temple of Artemis.jpg|thumb|300px|Artists conception of the [[Temple of Artemis at Ephesus]].]]
  
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Embedded in the text is another hymn (sections 94 – 96), "which no doubt was once used as a liturgical song (with response) in some Johannine communities" (Davis). In the summer of 1916 [[Gustav Holst]] set it, in a version by [[G.R.S. Mead]], as "The Hymn of Jesus" for two mixed choirs and a small [[orchestra]] (Trippett).
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Despite being considered as heretical in church tradition, the ''Acts of John'' has been found in many monastic libraries. A number of versions, especially those in Latin, seem to have been edited so as to remove any unorthodox content.
  
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==Analysis==
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Several of the stories in this work emphasize the theme of sexual purity. One involves a "spiritual marriage" in which husband and wife live as brother and sister, a state apparently approved of, while another involves a young man who goes too far and [[castration|castrates]] himself in remorse after repenting of the sins of [[adultery]] and murder.
  
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    But our text also contain two extraordinary mystical sections which are in character distinct from the rest of the document. The first recounts the sacred words and actions of the Lord on the night before his death. This is followed directly by the second, recounting the vision John received of the Lord at the moment of the crucifixion. The first section (sections 94-96 in the James edition, below) has been in modern times titled the "Hymn of Jesus", and very likely preserves a text used in the liturgy of at least some Johannine communities.  The vision text that follows, sometimes titled "the Mystery of the Cross" (sections 97-102), illustrates with great beauty the mystical depths penetrated by Johannine Christology. These two sections make the Acts of John a crucially important document for understanding the visionary and Gnostic underpinnings within the tradition of John.  They are important companion texts to the Apocryphon of John.  Also see G.R.S. Mead's very fine study of The Hymn of Jesus for more extensive commentary on the Acts of John.
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The text begins with John traveling toward [[Ephesus]]. Its actual beginning has been lost. Some believe that it may have described John's temporary banishment to the isle of [[John of Patmos|Patmos]]. One later version of the ''Acts of John'' explains that he was exiled to Patmos by Emperor [[Domitian]] after an episode similar to the one described below with the [[pagan]] priest Aristodemus. Another speaks of him experiencing a shipwreck when he left Patmos, landing at Miletus, and then proceeding to Ephesus.
  
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    Though the Acts of John was condemned by orthodoxy as heretical, it found a perpetual place in many monastic libraries, and a large fragment survives in Greek manuscripts of widely varying date. The surviving Latin fragments, by contrast, appear to have been edited with an eye to purging all "unorthodox" content.
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A number of the episodes contained in the Acts of John were adopted into orthodox Christian. For example the story of the resurrection of Drusiana is depicted in the works of well known Christian artists, while the legend of the death assumption of John the Apostle became incorporated into the cult of Saint John at Ephesus. The miracle of the destruction of the [[Temple of Artemis at Ephesus]], meanwhile, would be re-enacted in not-so-miraculous fashion by Saint [[John Chrysostom]] and his followers, who destroyed the ancient temple c. 401 C.E.
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    The following translation is from the classic 1924 Oxford edition by M. R. James.  This old edition has undergone recent revision, and we recommend you reference the new print edition:  The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation by J. K. Elliott (Editor), Oxford University Press, USA; Second Revised Edition, 1994  Buy the Book
 
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    (Note: This HTML formatted text of the Acts of John - first posted to our Archives in 1995 - is the single source of essentially all subsequent versions distributed on the internet.  Unfortunately, an early version of this file had several primitive HTML formatting errors that caused minor corruptions in the text — and these all remain in the document as reproduced on many other sites. Thus we confess to corrupting the modern manuscript history of this document. If you have copied and reproduced this text, please edit it again for accuracy!)
 
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        The length of this book is given in the Stichometry of Nicephorus as 2,500 lines: the same number as for St. Matthew's Gospel. We have large portions of it in the original, and a Latin version (purged, it is important to note, of all traces of unorthodoxy) of some lost episodes, besides a few scattered fragments. These will be fitted together in what seems the most probable order.
 
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        The best edition of the Greek remains is in Bonnet, Acta Apost. Apocr. 11.1, 1898: the Latin is in Book V of the Historia Apostolica of Abdias (Fabricius, Cod. Apoer. N. T.: there is no modern edition).
 
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        The beginning of the book is lost. It probably related in some form a trial, and banishment of John to Patmos. A distinctly late Greek text printed by Bonnet (in two forms) as cc. 1-17 of his work tells how Domitian, on his accession, persecuted the Jews. They accused the Christians in a letter to him: he accordingly persecuted the Christians. He heard of John's teaching in Ephesus and sent for him: his ascetic habits on the voyage impressed his captors. He was brought before Domitian, and made to drink poison, which did not hurt him: the dregs of it killed a criminal on whom it was tried: and John revived him; he also raised a girl who was slain by an unclean spirit. Domitian, who was much impressed, banished him to Patmos. Nerva recalled him. The second text tells how he escaped shipwreck on leaving Patmos, swimming on a cork; landed at Miletus, where a chapel was built in his honour, and went to Ephesus. All this is late: but an old story, known to Tertullian and to other Latin writers, but to no Greek, said that either Domitian at Rome or the Proconsul at Ephesus cast John into a caldron of boiling oil which did him no hurt. The scene of this was eventually fixed at the Latin Gate in Rome (hence the St. John Port Latin of our calendar, May 6th). We have no detailed account of this, but it is conjectured to have been told in the early part of the Leucian Acts. If so, it is odd that no Greek writer mentions it.
 
  
 
==Summary==
 
==Summary==
 
===Lycomedes and Cleopatra===
 
===Lycomedes and Cleopatra===
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The beginning of the work is apparently lost, and it open with John, having received a vision, on his way to the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor (today's Turkey). As he approaches the city, the wealthy praetor of Ephesus, Lycomedes, falls at the apostle's fee and beseeches him to help his wife Cleopatra, who is incurably ill. John immediately goes with Lycomedes to his house, where the find Cleopatra not only ill, but clearly dying. Lycomedes expresses his grief in touching tones:
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[[Image:Segna di Bonaventura. St John the Evangelist. Metroplitan, N-Y.jpg|thumb|200px|[[John the Apostle]]]]
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The surviving text opens with John, having received a vision, on his way to the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor (today's Turkey). As he approaches the city, the wealthy [[praetor]] (magistrate) of Ephesus, Lycomedes, falls at the apostle's feet and beseeches him to help his wife [[Cleopatra]], who is incurably ill. John immediately goes with Lycomedes to his house, where they find Cleopatra clearly dying. Lycomedes expresses his grief in touching tones:
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<blockquote>See, Lord, the withering of the beauty, see the youth, see the renowned flower of my poor wife, at which all Ephesus was wont to marvel... The sun in his course shall no more see me conversing with thee. I will go before thee, Cleopatra, and rid myself of life. I will not spare mine own safety, though it be yet young.</blockquote>
 
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John pulls him away, reminds him that suicide is a sin, and predicts "thou shalt receive thy consort again." Lycomedes, however, falls on the floor in despair and dies.
 
  
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John himself now depairs for his own life, as the Ephesians are likely to hold him responsible for Lycomedes's death. "I know well that they will not suffer me to go out of the house alive," John declares. "Why tarriest thou, Lord? Why hast thou shut off from us thy good promise?" He beseeches God to raise the Lycomedes and Cleopatra from the dead.
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<blockquote>See, Lord, the withering of the beauty, see the youth, see the renowned flower of my poor wife, at which all Ephesus was wont to marvel… The sun in his course shall no more see me conversing with thee. I will go before thee, Cleopatra, and rid myself of life.</blockquote>
  
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The multitude of the people of Ephesus, meanwhile hear that Lycomedes is dead and rush to his house. John prays to Christ: "O physician who healest freely; keep thou mine entering in hither safe from derision." He then turns to Cleopatra and says: "Arise in the name of Jesus Christ... Arise, and be not an occasion unto many that desire not to believe, or an affliction unto souls that are able to hope and to be saved."  Cleopatra immediate declares: "I arise, master! Save thou thine handmaid."
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John pulls him away, reminding him that [[suicide]] is a sin, and predicts "thou shalt receive thy consort again." Lycomedes, however, falls on the floor in despair and dies. John himself now despairs for his own life, as the Ephesians are likely to hold him responsible for Lycomedes's death. He beseeches God to raise Lycomedes and Cleopatra from the dead.
  
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The Ephesians are duly impressed by this miracle. Cleopatra then goes with John into her bedchamber and discovers Lycomedes' dead body. She goes into deep mourning, but John instructs her how to resurrect her husband: "Say thou to thine husband: 'Arise and glorify the name of God, for he giveth back the dead to the dead.'" She does as she is commanded, and Lycomedes immediately revives. He then falls again at John's feet and kisses them, to which the apostle responds: "O man, kiss not my feet but the feet of God by whose power ye are both arisen."
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The multitude of the people of Ephesus, meanwhile, hear that Lycomedes is dead and rush to his house. John prays to Christ: "O physician who healest freely; keep thou mine entering in hither safe from derision." He then turns to Cleopatra and says: "Arise in the name of Jesus Christ."  Cleopatra immediate declares: "I arise, master! Save thou thine handmaid." The Ephesians are duly impressed by this miracle.
  
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Deeply grateful, the couple offer John and his companions hospitality, which they accept. Lycomedes commissions a noted paint to create John's portrait, stimulate a long discourse on the subject of portraiture and perception.
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Cleopatra then goes with John into her bedchamber and discovers Lycomedes' dead body. She goes into deep mourning, but John instructs her how to resurrect her husband. Lycomedes immediately revives. Deeply grateful, the couple offers John and his companions hospitality, which they accept. Lycomedes commissions a noted painter to create John's portrait, stimulate a discourse which concludes with objecting that the painter, in portraying the physical body, has "drawn a dead likeness of the dead."
  
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Lycomedes invites John to the public theater. Andromeus, the leading citizen of the Ephesians, meanwhile has challenged John's miracles as the product of trickery, where he miraculously heals several old women. He also delivers a sermon, urging Andromeus and the crowd to moral disciple and asceticism.
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The home of Lycomedes and Cleopatra becomes a hospice of old widows, and when Andromeus, the leading citizen of the Ephesians, challenges John's miracles as the product of trickery, John miraculously heals several of the dying old women. He also delivers a sermon, urging Andromeus and the crowd to moral disciple and asceticism.
  
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===John at the Temple of Artemis===    
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===John at the Temple of Artemis===  
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John then leads his followers the the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, on of the Seven Wonders of the World. As it was a festival day, all in attendance were dressed in white, while John alone wore black. Offended by John's impiety, those in attendance were ready to kill him. John courages ascended a pedestal and confronted the bloodthirsty crowd, appealing to the miracles he has wrought as evidence of God's favor. "Ye all say that ye have a goddess, even Artemis," John declares. "Pray then unto her that I alone may die; or else I only, if ye are not able to do this, will call upon mine own god, and for your unbelief I will cause every one of you to die."
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[[Image:Statue of Artemis Ephesus.jpg|thumb|200px|The goddess [[Artemus]] of Ephesus]]   
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John then leads his followers to the [[Temple of Artemis at Ephesus]], one of the [[Seven Wonders of the World.]] As it was a festival day, all in attendance are dressed in white, while John alone wears black. Offended by John's impiety, those in attendance are ready to kill him. John courageously ascends a pedestal and confronts the bloodthirsty crowd, appealing to the miracles he has wrought as evidence of God's favor. "Ye all say that ye have a goddess, even Artemis," John declares. "Pray then unto her that I alone may die; but if ye are not able to do this, I only will call upon mine own god, and for your unbelief, I will cause every one of you to die."
  
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The people admit that John's power to perform miracles is the greater, and he then prays: "O God that art God above all that are called gods... show thou thy mercy in this place, for they have been made to err." Immediately the altar of Artemis was torn asunder and her sacred vessels fell over, together with the images seven other deities. "Half of the temple" collapses, and the priest of Artemis dies as a result. A large number of the Ephesians are immediate converted to the worship of the "One God" of John.
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The frightened people admit that John's power is the greater, and he then prays: "O God that art God above all that are called gods… show thou thy mercy in this place, for they have been made to err." Immediately the altar of Artemis is torn asunder and her sacred vessels falls over, together with the images of seven other deities. "Half of the temple" then collapses, and the priest of Artemis dies as a result. A large number of the Ephesians are immediately converted to the worship of the "One God" of John.
  
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Although John had intended to continue on to Smyrna, he remains in Ephesus to teach the new converts and raise them in the Christian faith. In the process he raises from the dead the priest of Artemis, who become one of John's disciples.  
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Although John had intended to continue on to [[Smyrna]], he remains in Ephesus to teach the new converts and raise them in the Christian faith. In the process he raises from the dead the priest of Artemis, who becomes one of John's disciples.  
  
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John then brings a murderous and adulterous young man to repentance and sobriety, raising the young mans father, whom he has slain from the dead. When the young man castrates himself in remorse, John
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John then brings a murderous and adulterous young man to repentance and sobriety, raising from the dead the young man's father, whom he has slain. When the young man castrates himself in remorse, John corrects him, teaching him that "it is not the instruments that are injurious, but the unseen springs by which every shameful emotion is stirred." The young man is duly repentant, and becomes John's disciple.
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corrects, teaching him that "it is not the instruments that are injurious, but the unseen springs by which every shameful emotion is stirred." The young man is duly repentant, and becomes John's disciple.
 
  
 
===The miracle of the bedbugs===
 
===The miracle of the bedbugs===
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In a particularly amusing tale, John and his companions stay at an inn, where John's bed is infested with bedbugs. Unable to rest, John commands: "I say unto 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." John's disciples are amused at this seemingly ridiculous outburst, but in the morning, they discover a huge number of bugs outside the door of John's room, where John has enjoyed a very restful night. At the apostle's command, the bugs then return to their abode to trouble the next guest.
  
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In a particularly amusing tale, John and his companions stay at an inn, where John's bed is infested with bedbugs. Unable to rest, John commands: "I say unto 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." John's disciples are amused at this seemingly ridiculous outburst, but in the morning, they discover a huge number of bugs outside the door of John's room, where John has enjoyed a very restful night. At the apostles command, the bug then return to their abode to trouble the next guest.
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===Andronicus and Drusiana===
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[[Image:Giotto, cappella peruzzi, resurrezione di drusiana, 1318 circa 450x280.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Giotto]]'s version of the resurrection of Drusiana]] 
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The story of the noble couple Andronicus and Drusiana is the best known of the stories of the Acts of John. A dramatic and lurid tale, it demonstrates the tendency of some early Christian literature to view sex, even within marriage, as a detestable act. Here, a certain man characterized as "a messenger of Satan," later named as Callimachus, falls in love with the beautiful Drusiana, the wife of Andronicus. The noble Christian couple has devoted themselves to [[celibacy]], after the chaste Drusiana tells Andronicus that she would "rather to die than to do that foulness." Now, feeling terrible guilt at having inspired Callimachus to adulterous thoughts, Drusiana herself dies of remorse. This however, did not dampen the lust of Callimachus who desires her all the more, and he shockingly bribes Andronicus' steward to open Drusiana tomb in order to have sex with her dead body. He and the wicked steward proceed to strip the grave-clothes from Drusiana's corpse. She is nearly naked when a serpent suddenly appears, killing the steward and entwining himself around the fallen body of Drusiana's would-be lover.
  
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===Andronicus and Drusiana===   
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The next day at dawn, John and Andronicus appear on the scene. John commands the venomous serpent to depart and then raises Callimachus, who confesses his evil intent and repents of his sin. Johns proceeds to raise Drusiana as well, who, though embarrassed to find herself clad in only her shift, rejoices to learn that Callimachus no longer lusts after her. After restoring herself to a more modest attire, she asks John to restore the steward as well. John empowers Drusiana to revive the steward, which she promptly does. The steward, however, is not grateful, protesting that he would have rather remained dead, and he immediately flees. After celebrating the [[Eucharist]] at Drusiana's sepulcher, the group discovers the unfortunate steward dying a second time from a snake bite. John pronounces his doom: "Thou hast thy child, O Devil."
  
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        63 And whereas there was great love and joy unsurpassed among the brethren, a certain one, a messenger of Satan, became enamoured of Drusiana, though he saw and knew that she was the wife of Andronicus. To whom many said: It is not possible for thee to obtain that woman, seeing that for a long time she has even separated herself from her husband for godliness' sake. Art thou only ignorant that Andronicus, not being aforetime that which now he is, a God-fearing man, shut her up in a tomb, saying: Either I must have thee as the wife whom I had before, or thou shalt die. And she chose rather to die than to do that foulness. 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 thee desiring to be her seducer? depart from this madness which hath no rest in thee: give up this deed which thou canst not bring to accomplishment.
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===Docetic teaching===
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[[Image:Johannesminne BNM.jpg|thumb|200px|John and Jesus: "He would take me upon his own breast; and sometimes his breast was felt of me to be smooth and tender, and sometimes hard like unto stones."]]
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At this point, the text contains an interlude in which several issues are discussed regarding the nature of [[Jesus]] and his suffering. John explains that Jesus appeared during his earthly life in several guises: Sometimes as a child, sometimes as himself, and sometimes as an old man. John testifies that when he used to rest his head on Jesus' breast, it was sometimes soft and smooth, and other times hard like stone. Moreover, Jesus did not leave footprints when he would walk on the sandy shore near the [[Sea of Galilee]]. John reports seeing Jesus naked on occasion, and that "the earth was lit by his feet and his head touched the heaven." John also says that "Sometimes when I would lay hold on 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 existed not at all."
  
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        64 But his familiar friends saying these things to him did not convince him, but with shamelessness he courted her with messages; and when he learnt the insults and disgraces which she returned, he spent his life in melancholy (or better, she, when she learnt of this disgrace and insult at his hand, spent her life in heaviness). And after two days Drusiana took to her bed from heaviness, and was in a fever and said: Would that I had not now come home to my native place, I that have become an offence to a man ignorant of godliness! for if it were one who was filled with the word of God, he would not have gone to such a pitch of madness. But now (therefore) Lord, since I am become the occasion of a blow unto a soul devoid of knowledge, set me free from this chain and remove me unto thee quickly. And in the presence of John, who knew nothing at all of such a matter, Drusiana departed out of life not wholly happy, yea, even troubled because of the spiritual hurt of the man.
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Before going to his death, Jesus performs a circle dance with his disciples and sings an apparently Gnostic hymn of spiritual protection:
  
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        65 But Andronicus, grieved with a secret grief, mourned in his soul, and wept openly, so that John checked him often and said to him: Upon a better hope hath Drusiana removed out of this unrighteous life. And Andronicus answered him: Yea, I am persuaded of it, O John, and I doubt not at all in regard of trust in my God: but this very thing do I hold fast, that she departed out of life pure.
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:…One [[Ogdoad]] singeth praise with us. Amen.
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:The number Twelve danceth on high. Amen.
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:The Whole on high hath part in our dancing. Amen.
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:Whoso danceth not, knoweth not what cometh to pass. Amen.
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:I would flee, and I would stay. Amen.
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:I would adorn, and I would be adorned. Amen.
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:I would be united, and I would unite. Amen.
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:A house I have not, and I have houses. Amen.
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:A place I have not, and I have places. Amen.
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:A temple I have not, and I have temples. Amen.
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:A lamp am I to thee that beholdest me. Amen.
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:A mirror am I to thee that perceivest me. Amen.
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:A door am I to thee that knockest at me. Amen.
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:A way am I to thee a wayfarer.  
  
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        66 And when she was carried forth, John took hold on Andronicus, and now that he knew the cause, he mourned more than Andronicus. And he kept silence, considering the provocation of the adversary, and for a space sat still. Then, the brethren being gathered there to hear what word he would speak of her that was departed, he began to say:
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Jesus then describes the crucifixion to John in a manner suggestive of a transcendent event in which his suffering is something of an illusion: "Nothing of the things which they will say of me have I suffered," Jesus says. "Thou hearest that I suffered, yet did I not suffer; that I suffered not, yet did I suffer; that I was pierced, yet I was not smitten; hanged, and I was not hanged; that blood flowed from me, and it flowed not…"
  
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        67 When the pilot that voyageth, together with them that sail with him, and the ship herself, arriveth in a calm and stormless harbour, then let him say that he is safe. And the husbandman that hath committed the seed to the earth, and toiled much in the care and protection of it, let him then take rest from his labours, when he layeth up the seed with manifold increase in his barns. Let him that enterpriseth to run in the course, then exult when he beareth home the prize. Let him that inscribeth his name for the boxing, then boast himself when he receiveth 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 (corrupt).
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John then relates that "When I went down, I laughed them all to scorn, inasmuch as he had told me the things which they have said concerning him; holding fast this one thing in myself, that the Lord contrived all things symbolically and by a dispensation toward men, for their conversion and salvation."
  
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        68 And thus also I think is it with the faith which each one of us practiseth, that it is then discerned whether it be indeed true, when it continueth like itself even until the end of life. For many obstacles fall into the way, and prepare disturbance 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, pretence, and other such obstacles, as many as there are in this life: as also the pilot sailing a prosperous course is opposed by the onset of contrary winds and a great storm and mighty waves out of calm, and the husbandman by untimely winter and blight and creeping things rising out of the earth, and they that strive in the games 'just do not win', and they that exercise crafts are hindered by the divers difficulties of them.
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===Final triumph===
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The text continues with John preaching several homilies on the need for holiness and seeking first the kingdom of God before any earthly treasure.
  
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        69 But before all things it is needful that the believer should look before at his ending and understand it in what manner it will come upon 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. So is it right that a body should be praised as comely when it is wholly stripped, and a general as great when he hath accomplished every promise of the war, and a physician as excellent when he hath succeeded in every cure, and a soul as full of faith and worthy (or receptive) of God when it hath paid its promise in full: 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 borne down to temporal things, nor that which hath longed after the things of time more than those of eternity, nor that which exchangeth [enduring for things] those that endure not, nor that which hath honoured the works of dishonour that deserve shame, nor that which taketh pledges of Satan, nor that which hath received the serpent into its own house, nor that which suffereth reproach for God's sake and then is [not] ashamed, nor that which with the mouth saith yea, but indeed approveth not itself: but that which hath prevailed not to be made weak by foul pleasure, not to be overcome by light-mindedness, not to be caught by the bait of love of money, not to be betrayed by vigour of body or wrath.
+
An episode is also related in which John raises from the dead a young man named Stacteus, converts 12,000 Ephesians to the Christian faith, and confronts the pagan arch-priest Aristodemus. "Tell me, Aristodemus, what can I do to take away the anger from thy soul?" asks John. Aristodemus asks John to drink poison. To assure himself that there is no trick, Aristodemus first gives the poison to two condemned criminals, who promptly die. John drinks the poison and suffers no harm, causing many to believe. Aristodemus however, refuses to have faith in John's God until John raises from the dead those who died of the poison before him. John ultimately does so, and Aristodemus finally admits John's greatness, bringing even the Roman proconsul to John to be baptized along with him.
  
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        70 And as John was discoursing yet further unto the brethren that they should despise temporal things in respect of the eternal, he that was enamoured of Drusiana, being inflamed with an horrible lust and possession of the many-shaped Satan, bribed the steward of Andronicus who was a lover of money with a great sum: and he opened the tomb and gave him opportunity to wreak the forbidden thing upon the dead body. Not having succeeded with her when alive, he was still importunate after her death to her body, and said: If thou wouldst not have to do with me while thou livedst, I will outrage thy corpse now thou art dead. With this design, and having managed for himself the wicked act by means of the abominable steward, he rushed with him to the sepulchre; they opened the door and began to strip the grave-clothes from the corpse, saying: What art thou profited, poor Drusiana? couldest thou not have done this in life, which perchance would not have grieved thee, hadst thou done it willingly?
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===Death===
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[[Image:Giotto di Bondone 051.jpg|thumb|250px|Giotto's ''Assumption of Saint John'']]
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[[Image:Tomb of Saint John the Apostle.jpg|thumb|250px|The traditional tomb of [[John the Apostle in Ephesus]]]]
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The various manuscripts of the ''Acts of John'' differ in many points, including their endings, some of which report his death as follows:
  
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        71 And as these men were speaking thus, and only the accustomed shift 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: but the young man it did not strike; but coiled about his feet, hissing terribly, and when he fell mounted on his body and sat upon him.
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<blockquote>Having sealed himself in every part… and laid himself down in the trench where he had strewn his garments, and having said unto us: "Peace be with you, brethren," he gave up his spirit rejoicing.</blockquote>
  
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        72 Now on the next day John came, accompanied by Andronicus and the brethren, to the sepulchre at dawn, it being now the third day from Drusiana's death, that we might break bread there. 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 sepulchre; nevertheless, let us go, that thou mayest not be neglectful, and the doors shall be opened of themselves, even as the Lord hath done for us many such things.
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Some sources add: "We who were there rejoiced, some of us, and some mourned… And forthwith manna issuing from the tomb was seen of all, which manna that place produceth even unto this day."
  
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        73 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: Art thou come before us hither too, beautiful one? and for what cause? And we heard a voice saying to him: For Drusiana's sake, whom thou art to raise up-for I was within a little of finding her [shamed] - and for his sake that lieth dead beside her tomb. And when the beautiful one had said this unto John he went up into the heavens in the sight of us all. And John, turning to the other side of the sepulchre, saw a young man-even Callimachus, one of the chief of the Ephesians-and a huge serpent sleeping upon him, and the steward of Andronicus, Fortunatus by name, lying dead. And at the sight of the two he stood perplexed, saying to the brethren: What meaneth such a sight? or wherefore hath not the Lord declared unto me what was done here, he who hath never neglected me?
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Another tradition relates:
  
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        74 And Andronicus seeing those corpses, leapt up and went to Drusiana's tomb, and seeing her lying in her shift only, said to John: I understand what has happened, thou blessed servant of God, John. This Callimachus was enamoured of my sister; and because he never won her, though he often assayed it, he hath bribed this mine accursed steward with a great sum, perchance designing, as now we may see, to fulfil by his means the tragedy of his conspiracy, for indeed Callimachus avowed this to many, saying: If she will not consent to me when living, she shall be outraged when dead. And it may be, master, that the beautiful one knew it and suffered not her body to be insulted, and therefore have these died who made that attempt. And can it be that the voice that said unto thee, 'Raise up Drusiana', foreshowed this? because she departed out of this life in sorrow of mind. But I believe him that said that this is one of the men that have gone astray; for thou wast bidden to raise him up: for as to the other, I know that he is unworthy of salvation. But this one thing I beg of thee: raise up Callimachus first, and he will confess to us what is come about.
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"We brought a linen cloth and spread it upon him, and went into the city. And on the day following we went forth and found not his body, for it was translated by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto whom be glory."
  
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        75 And John, looking upon the body, said to the venomous beast: Get thee away from him that is to be a servant of Jesus Christ; and stood up and prayed over him thus: O God whose name is glorified by us, as of right: O God who subduest every injurious force: O God whose will is accomplished, who alway hearest us: now also let thy gift be accomplished in this young man; and if there be any dispensation to be wrought through him, manifest it unto us when he is raised up. And straightway the young man rose up, and for a whole hour kept silence.
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And finally: "On the morrow we dug in the place, and him we found not, but only his sandals, and the earth springing up like a well."
  
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        76 But when he came to his right senses, John asked of him about his entry into the sepulchre, what it meant, and learning from him that which Andronicus had told him, namely, that he was enamoured of Drusiana, John inquired of him again if he had fulfilled his foul intent, to insult a body full of holiness. 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: but me it stopped with affright, and brought me to that plight in which ye saw me before I arose. And another thing yet more wondrous I will tell thee, which yet went nigh to slay and was within a little of making me a corpse. 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 thou seest, I went again to my unholy work: and I saw a beautiful youth covering her with his mantle, and from his eyes sparks of light came forth unto her eyes; and he uttered words to me, saying: Callimachus, die that thou mayest live. Now who he was I knew not, O servant of God; but that now thou hast appeared here, I recognize that he was an angel of God, that I know well; and this I know of a truth that it is a true God that is proclaimed by thee, and of it I am persuaded. But I beseech thee, be not slack to deliver me from this calamity and this fearful crime, and to present me unto thy God as a man deceived with a shameful and foul deceit. Beseeching help therefore of thee, I take hold on thy feet. I would become one of them that hope in Christ, that the voice may prove true which said to me, 'Die that thou mayest live': and that voice hath also fulfilled its effect, for he is dead, that faithless, disorderly, godless one, and I have been raised by thee, I who will be faithful, God-fearing, knowing the truth, which I entreat thee may be shown me by thee.
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==See also==
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* [[John the Apostle]]
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        77 And John, filled with great gladness and perceiving the whole spectacle of the salvation of man, said: What thy power is, Lord Jesu Christ, I know not, bewildered as I am at thy much compassion and boundless long-suffering. O what a greatness that came down into bondage! O unspeakable liberty brought into slavery by us! O incomprehensible glory that is come unto us! thou that hast kept the dead tabernacle safe from insult; that hast redeemed the man that stained himself with blood and chastened the soul of him that would defile the corruptible body; Father that hast had pity and compassion on the man that cared not for thee; We glorify thee, and praise and bless and thank thy great goodness and long-suffering, O holy Jesu, for thou only art God, and none else: whose is the might that cannot be conspired against, now and world without end. Amen.
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* [[Acts of Paul and Thecla]]
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        78 And when he had said this John took Callimachus and saluted (kissed) him, saying: Glory be to our God, my child, who hath had mercy on thee, and made me worthy to glorify his power, and thee also by a good course to depart from that thine abominable madness and drunkenness, and hath called thee unto his own rest and unto renewing of life.
 
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        79 But Andronicus, beholding the dead Callimachus raised, besought John, with the brethren, to raise up Drusiana also, saying: O John, let Drusiana arise and spend happily that short space (of life) which she gave up through grief about Callimachus, when she thought she had become a stumbling block to him: and when the Lord will, he shall take her again to himself. And John without delay went unto her tomb and took her hand and said: Upon thee that art the only God do I call, the more than great, the unutterable, the incomprehensible: unto whom every power of principalities is subjected: unto whom all authority boweth: before whom all pride falleth down and keepeth silence: whom devils hearing of tremble: whom all creation perceiving keepeth its bounds. Let thy name be glorified by us, and raise up Drusiana, that Callimachus may yet more be confirmed unto thee who dispensest that which unto men is without a way and impossible, but to thee only possible, even salvation and resurrection: and that Drusiana may now come forth in peace, having about her not any the least hindrance -now that the young man is turned unto thee- in her course toward thee.
 
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        80 And after these words John said unto Drusiana: Drusiana, arise. And she arose and came out of the tomb; and when she saw herself in her shift only, she was perplexed at the thing, and learned the whole accurately from Andronicus, the while John lay upon his face, and Callimachus with voice and tears glorified God, and she also rejoiced, glorifying him in like manner.
 
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        81 And when she had clothed herself, she turned and saw Fortunatus lying, and said unto John: Father, let this man also rise, even if he did assay to become my betrayer. But Callimachus, when he heard her say that, said: Do not, I beseech thee, Drusiana, for the voice which I heard took no thought of him, but declared concerning thee only, and I saw and believed: for if he had been good, perchance God would have had mercy on him also and would have raised him by means of the blessed John: he knew therefore that the man was come to a bad end [Lat. he judged him worthy to die whom he did not declare worthy to rise again]. And John said to him: We have not learned, my child, to render evil for evil: for God, though we have done much ill and no good toward him, hath not given retribution unto us, but repentance, and though we were ignorant of his name he did not neglect us but had mercy on us, and when we blasphemed him, he did not punish but pitied us, and when we disbelieved him he bore us no grudge, and when we persecuted his brethren he did not recompense us evil but put into our minds repentance and abstinence from evil, and exhorted us to come unto him, as he hath thee also, my son Callimachus, and not remembering thy former evil hath made thee his servant, waiting upon his mercy. Wherefore if thou allowest not me to raise up Fortunatus, it is for Drusiana so to do.
 
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        82 And she, delaying not, went with rejoicing of spirit and soul unto the body of Fortunatus and said: Jesu Christ, God of the ages, God of truth, that hast granted me to see wonders and signs, and given to me to become partaker of thy name; that didst breathe thyself into me with thy many-shaped countenance, and hadst mercy on me in many ways; that didst protect me by thy great goodness when I was oppressed by Andronicus that was of old my husband; that didst give me thy servant Andronicus to be my brother; that hast kept me thine handmaid pure unto this day; that didst raise me up by thy servant John, and when I was raised didst show me him that was made to stumble free from stumbling; that hast given me perfect rest in thee, and lightened me of the secret madness; whom I have loved and affectioned: I pray thee, O Christ, refuse not thy Drusiana that asketh thee to raise up Fortunatus, even though he assayed to become my betrayer.
 
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        83 And taking the hand of the dead man she said: Rise up, Fortunatus, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And Fortunatus arose, and when he saw John in the sepulchre, and Andronicus, and Drusiana raised from the dead, and Callimachus a believer, and the rest of the brethren glorifying God, he said: O, to what have the powers of these clever men attained! I did not want to be raised, but would rather die, so as not to see them. And with these words he fled and went out of the sepulchre.
 
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        84 And John, when he saw the unchanged mind (soul) of Fortunatus, said: O nature that is not changed for the better! O fountain of the soul that abideth in foulness! O essence of corruption full of darkness! O death exulting in them that are thine! O fruitless tree full of fire! O tree that bearest coals for fruit! O matter that dwellest with the madness of matter (al. O wood of trees full of unwholesome shoots) and neighbour of unbelief! Thou hast proved who thou art, and thou art always convicted, with thy children. And thou knowest not how to praise the better things: for thou hast them not. Therefore, such as is thy way (?fruit), such also is thy root and thy nature. Be thou 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 unto (or rest in) God, from their sweet savour wherein thou wilt [not] share, from their faith, their prayers, from the holy bath, from the eucharist, from the food of the flesh, from drink, from clothing, from love, from care, from abstinence, from righteousness: from all these, thou most unholy Satan, enemy of God, shall Jesus Christ our God and [the judge] of all that are like thee and have thy character, make thee to perish.
 
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        85 And having thus said, John prayed, and took bread and bare it into the sepulchre to break it; and said: We glorify thy name, which converteth us from error and ruthless deceit: we glorify thee who hast shown before our eyes that which we have seen: we bear witness to thy loving-kindness which appeareth in divers ways: we praise thy merciful name, O Lord (we thank thee), who hast convicted them that are convicted of thee: we give thanks to thee, O Lord Jesu Christ, that we are persuaded of thy [grace] which is unchanging: we give thanks to thee who hadst need of our nature that should be saved: we give thanks to thee that hast given us this sure [faith], for thou art [god] alone, both now and ever. We thy servants give thee thanks, O holy one, who are assembled with [good] intent and are gathered out of the world (or risen from death).
 
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        86 And having so prayed and given glory to God, he went out of the sepulchre after imparting unto all the brethren of the eucharist of the Lord. And when he was come unto Andronicus' house he said to the brethren: Brethren, a spirit within me hath divined that Fortunatus is about to die of blackness (poisoning of the blood) from the bite of the serpent; but let some one go quickly and learn if it is so indeed. And one of the young men ran and found him dead and the blackness spreading over him, and it had reached his heart: and came and told John that he had been dead three hours. And John said: Thou hast thy child, O devil.
 
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        'John therefore was with the brethren rejoicing in the Lord.' This sentence is in the best manuscript. In Bonnet's edition It introduces the last section of the Acts, which follows immediately in the manuscript. It may belong to either episode. The Latin has: And that day he spent joyfully with the brethren.
 
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        There cannot be much of a gap between this and the next section, which is perhaps the most interesting in the Acts.
 
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        The greater part of this episode is preserved only in one very corrupt fourteenth-century manuscript at Vienna. Two important passages (93-5 (part) and 97-8 (part)) were read at the Second Nicene Council and are preserved in the Acts thereof: a few lines of the Hymn are also cited in Latin by Augustine (Ep. 237 (253) to Ceretius): he found it current separately among the Priscillianists. The whole discourse is the best popular exposition we have of the Docetic view of our Lord's person.
 
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        87 Those that were present inquired the cause, and were especially perplexed, because Drusiana had said: The Lord appeared unto me in the tomb in the likeness of John, and in that of a youth. Forasmuch, therefore, as they were perplexed and were, in a manner, not yet stablished in the faith, so as to endure it steadfastly, John said (or John bearing it patiently, said):
 
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        88 Men and brethren, ye have suffered nothing strange or incredible as concerning your perception of the [lord], inasmuch as we also, whom he chose for himself to be apostles, were tried in many ways: I, indeed, am neither able to set forth unto you nor to write the things which I both saw and heard: and now is it needful that I should fit them for your hearing; and according as each of you is able to contain it I will impart unto you those things whereof ye are able to become hearers, that ye may see the glory that is about him, which was and is, both now and for ever.
 
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        For when he had chosen Peter and Andrew, which were brethren, he cometh unto me and James my brother, saying: I have need of you, come unto me. And my brother hearing that, said: John, what would this child have that is upon the sea-shore and called us? And I said: What child? And he said to me again: That which beckoneth to us. And I answered: Because of our long watch we have kept at sea, thou seest not aright, my brother James; but seest thou not the man that standeth there, comely and fair and of a cheerful countenance? But he said to me: Him I see not, brother; but let us go forth and we shall see what he would have.
 
  
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        89 And so when we had brought the ship to land, we saw him also helping along with us to settle the ship: and when we departed from that place, being minded to follow him, again he was seen of me as having rather bald, but the beard thick and flowing, but of James as a youth whose beard was newly come. We were therefore perplexed, both of us, as to what that which we had seen should mean. And after that, as we followed him, both of us were by little and little [yet more] perplexed as we considered the matter. Yet unto me there then appeared this yet more wonderful thing: for I would try to see him privily, and I never at any time saw his eyes closing (winking), but only open. And oft-times he would appear to me as a small man and uncomely, and then againt as one reaching unto heaven. Also there was in him another marvel: when I sat at meat he would take me upon his own breast; and sometimes his breast was felt of me to be smooth and tender, and sometimes hard like unto stones, so that I was perplexed in myself and said: Wherefore is this so unto me? And as I considered this, he . .
 
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        90 And at another time he taketh with him me and James and Peter unto the mountain where he was wont to pray, and we saw in him a light such as it is not possible for a man that useth corruptible (mortal) speech to describe what it was like. Again in like manner he bringeth us three up into the mountain, saying: Come ye with me. And we went again: and we saw him at a distance praying. I, therefore, because he loved me, drew nigh unto him softly, as though he could not see me, and stood looking upon his hinder parts: and I saw that he was not in any wise clad with garments, but was seen of us naked, and not in any wise as a man, and that his feet were whiter than any snow, so that the earth there was lighted up by his feet, and that his head touched the heaven: so that I was afraid and cried out, and he, turning about, appeared as a man of small stature, and caught hold on my beard and pulled it and said to me: John, be not faithless but believing, and not curious. And I said unto him: But what have I done, Lord? And I say unto you, brethren, I suffered so great pain in that place where he took hold on my beard for thirty days, that I said to him: Lord, if thy twitch when thou wast in sport hath given me so great pain, what were it if thou hadst given me a buffet? And he said unto me: Let it be thine henceforth not to tempt him that cannot be tempted.
 
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        91 But Peter and James were wroth because I spake with the Lord, and beckoned unto me that I should come unto them and leave the Lord alone. And I went, and they both said unto me: He (the old man) that was speaking with the Lord upon the top of the mount, who was he? for we heard both of them speaking. And I, having in mind his great grace, and his unity which hath many faces, and his wisdom which without ceasing looketh upon us, said: That shall ye learn if ye inquire of him.
 
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        92 Again, once when all we his disciples were at Gennesaret sleeping in one house, I alone having wrapped myself in my mantle, watched (or watched from beneath my mantle) what he should do: and first I heard him say: John, go thou to sleep. And I thereon feigning to sleep saw another like unto him [sleeping], whom also I heard say unto my Lord: Jesus, they whom thou hast chosen believe not yet on thee (or do they not yet, &c.?). And my Lord said unto him: Thou sayest well: for they are men.
 
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        93 Another glory also will I tell you, brethren: Sometimes when I would lay hold on 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 existed not at all. And if at any time he were bidden by some one of the Pharisees and went to the bidding, we went with him, and there was set before each one of us a loaf by them that had bidden us, and with us he also received one; and his own he would bless and part it among us: and of that little every one was filled, and our own loaves were saved whole, so that they which bade him were amazed. 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. And these things I speak unto you, brethren, for the encouragement of your faith toward him; for we must at the present keep silence concerning his mighty and wonderful works, inasmuch as they are unspeakable and, it may be, cannot at all be either uttered or heard.
 
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        94 Now before he was taken by the lawless Jews, who also were governed by (had their law from) the lawless serpent, he gathered all of us together and said: Before I am delivered up unto them let us sing an hymn to the Father, and so go forth to that which lieth before us. He bade us therefore make as it were a ring, holding one another's hands, and himself standing in the midst he said: Answer Amen unto me. He began, then, to sing an hymn and to say:
 
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        Glory be to thee, Father.
 
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        And we, going about in a ring, answered him: Amen.
 
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        Glory be to thee, Word: Glory be to thee, Grace. Amen.
 
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        Glory be to thee, Spirit: Glory be to thee, Holy One:
 
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        Glory be to thy glory. Amen.
 
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        We praise thee, O Father; we give thanks to thee, O Light, wherein darkness
 
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        dwelleth not. Amen.
 
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        95 Now whereas (or wherefore) we give thanks, I say:
 
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        I would be saved, and I would save. Amen.
 
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        I would be loosed, and I would loose. Amen.
 
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        I would be wounded, and I would wound. Amen.
 
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        I would be born, and I would bear. Amen.
 
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        I would eat, and I would be eaten. Amen.
 
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        I would hear, and I would be heard. Amen.
 
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        I would be thought, being wholly thought. Amen.
 
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        I would be washed, and I would wash. Amen.
 
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        Grace danceth. I would pipe; dance ye all. Amen.
 
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        I would mourn: lament ye all. Amen.
 
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        The number Eight (lit. one ogdoad) singeth praise with us. Amen.
 
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        The number Twelve danceth on high. Amen.
 
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        The Whole on high hath part in our dancing. Amen.
 
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        Whoso danceth not, knoweth not what cometh to pass. Amen.
 
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        I would flee, and I would stay. Amen.
 
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        I would adorn, and I would be adorned. Amen.
 
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        I would be united, and I would unite. Amen.
 
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        A house I have not, and I have houses. Amen.
 
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        A place I have not, and I have places. Amen.
 
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        A temple I have not, and I have temples. Amen.
 
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        A lamp am I to thee that beholdest me. Amen.
 
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        A mirror am I to thee that perceivest me. Amen.
 
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        A door am I to thee that knockest at me. Amen.
 
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        A way am I to thee a wayfarer. [amen].
 
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        96 Now answer thou (or as thou respondest) unto my dancing. Behold thyself in me who speak, and seeing what I do, keep silence about my mysteries.
 
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        Thou that dancest, perceive what I do, for thine is this passion of the manhood, which I am about to suffer. For thou couldest not at all have understood what thou sufferest if I had not been sent unto thee, as the word of the Father. Thou that sawest what I suffer sawest me as suffering, and seeing it thou didst not abide but wert wholly moved, moved to make wise. Thou hast me as a bed, rest upon me. Who I am, thou shalt know when I depart. What now I am seen to be, that I am not. Thou shalt see when thou comest. If thou hadst known how to suffer, thou wouldest have been able not to suffer. Learn thou to suffer, and thou shalt be able not to suffer. What thou knowest not, I myself will teach thee. Thy God am I, not the God of the traitor. I would keep tune with holy souls. In me know thou the word of wisdom. Again with me say thou: Glory be to thee, Father; glory to thee, Word; glory to thee, Holy Ghost. And if thou wouldst know concerning me, what I was, know that with a word did I deceive all things and I was no whit deceived. I have leaped: but do thou understand the whole, and having understood it, say: Glory be to thee, Father. Amen.
 
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        97 Thus, my beloved, having danced with us the Lord went forth. And we as men gone astray or dazed with sleep fled this way and that. I, then, when I saw him suffer, did not even abide by his suffering, but fled unto the Mount of Olives, weeping at that which had befallen. And when he was crucified on the Friday, at the sixth hour of the day, darkness came upon all the earth. And my Lord standing in the midst of the cave and enlightening it, said: John, unto the multitude below in Jerusalem I am being crucified and pierced with lances and reeds, and gall and vinegar is given me to drink. But unto thee I speak, and what I speak hear thou. I put it into thy mind to come up into this mountain, that thou mightest hear those things which it behoveth a disciple to learn from his teacher and a man from his God.
 
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        98 And having thus spoken, he showed me a cross of light fixed (set up), and about the cross a great multitude, not having one form: and in it (the cross) was one form and one likenesst [so the MS.; I would read: and therein was one form and one likeness: and in the cross another multitude, not having one form]. And the Lord himself I beheld 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 unto me: John, it is needful that one should hear these things from me, for I have need of one that will hear. This cross of light is sometimes called the (or a) 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. 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 unto you (MS. us), 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 [this last clause in the MS. is joined to the next: 'and being wisdom in harmony']. There are [places] of the right hand and the left, powers also, authorities, lordships and demons, workings, threatenings, wraths, devils, Satan, and the lower root whence the nature of the things that come into being proceeded.
 
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        99 This cross, then, is that which fixed all things apart (al. joined all things unto itself) by the (or a) word, and separate off the things that are from those that are below (lit. the things from birth and below it), and then also, being one, streamed forth into all things (or, made all flow forth. I suggested: compacted all into [one]). But this is not the cross of wood which thou wilt see when thou goest down hence: neither am I he that is on the cross, whom now thou seest not, but only hearest his (or a) voice. I was reckoned to be that which I am not, not being what I was unto many others: but they will call me (say of me) something else which is vile and not worthy of me. As, then, the place of rest is neither seen nor spoken of, much more shall I, the Lord thereof, be neither seen [nor of spoken].
 
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        100 Now the multitude of one aspect (al. [not] of one aspect) that is about the cross is the lower nature: and they whom thou seest in the cross, if they have not one form, it is because not yet hath every member of him that came down been comprehended. But when the human nature (or the upper nature) is taken up, and the race which draweth near unto me and obeyeth my voice, he that now heareth me shall be united therewith, and shall no more be that which now he is, but above them, as I also now am. For so long as thou callest not thyself mine, I am not that which I am (or was): but if thou hear me, thou, hearing, shalt be as I am, and I shall be that which I was, when I [have]thee as I am with myself. For from me thou art that (which I am). Care not therefore for the many, and them that are outside the mystery despise; for know thou that I am wholly with the Father, and the Father with me.
 
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        101 Nothing, therefore, of the things which they will say of me have I suffered: nay, that suffering also which I showed unto thee and the rest in the dance, I will that it be called a mystery. For what thou art, thou seest, for I showed it thee; but what I am I alone know, and no man else. Suffer me then to keep that which is mine, and that which is thine behold thou through me, and behold me in truth, that I am, not what I said, but what thou art able to know, because thou art akin thereto. Thou hearest that I suffered, yet did I not suffer; that I suffered not, yet did I suffer; that I was pierced, yet I was not smitten; hanged, and I was not hanged; that blood flowed from me, and it flowed not; and, in a word, what they say of me, that befell me not, but what they say not, that did I suffer. Now what those things are I signify unto thee, for I know that thou wilt understand. Perceive thou therefore in me the praising (al. slaying al. rest) of the (or a) Word (Logos), 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 (fixing) of the Word, the death of the Word. And so speak I, separating off the manhood. Perceive thou therefore in the first place of the Word; then shalt thou perceive the Lord, and in the third place the man, and what he hath suffered.
 
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        102 When he had spoken unto me these things, and others which I know not how to say as he would have me, he was taken up, no one of the multitudes having beheld him. 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; holding fast this one thing in myself, that the Lord contrived all things symbolically and by a dispensation toward men, for their conversion and salvation.
 
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        103 Having therefore beheld, brethren, the grace of the Lord and his kindly affection toward us, let us worship him as those unto whom he hath 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 -even him who became a man apart from this body: and let us watch because (or we shall find that) now also he keepeth 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 himself suffereth with us when we suffer, brethren. When he is called upon by each one of us, he endureth not to shut his ears to us, but as being everywhere he hearkeneth to all of us; and now both to me and to Drusiana, -forasmuch as he is the God of them that are shut upbringing us help by his own compassion.
 
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        104 Be ye also persuaded, therefore, beloved, that it is not a man whom I preach unto you to worship, but God unchangeable, God invincible, God higher than all authority and all power, and elder and mightier than all angels and creatures that are named, and all aeons. If then ye abide in him, and are builded up in him, ye shall possess your soul indestructible.
 
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        105 And when he had delivered these things unto the brethren, John departed, with Andronicus, to walk. And Drusiana also followed afar off with all the brethren, that they might behold the acts that were done by him, and hear his speech at all times in the Lord.
 
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        The remaining episode which is extant in the Greek is the conclusion of the book, the Death or Assumption of John. Before it must be placed the stories which we have only in the Latin (of 'Abdias' and another text by 'Mellitus', i.e. Melito), and the two or three isolated fragments.
 
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        (Lat. XIV.) Now on the next (or another) day Craton, a philosopher, had proclaimed in the market-place that he would give an example of the contempt of riches: and the spectacle was after this manner. He had persuaded two young men, the richest of the city, who were brothers, to spend their whole inheritance and buy each of them a jewel, and these they brake in pieces publicly in the sight of the people. And while they were doing this, it happened by chance that the apostle passed by. And calling Craton the philosopher to him, he said: That is a foolish despising of the world which is praised by the mouths of men, but long ago condemned by the judgement of God. For as that is a vain medicine whereby the disease is not extirpated, so is it a vain teaching by which the faults of souls and of conduct are not cured. But indeed my master taught a youth who desired to attain to eternal life, in these words; saying that if he would be perfect, he should sell all his goods and give to the poor, and so doing he would gain treasure in heaven and find the life that has no ending. And Craton said to him: Here the fruit of covetousness is set forth in the midst of men, and hath been broken to pieces. But if God is indeed thy master and willeth this to be, that the sum of the price of these jewels should be given to the poor, cause thou the gems to be restored whole, that what I have done for the praise of men, thou mayest do for the glory of him whom thou callest thy master. Then the blessed John gathered together the fragments of the gems, and holding them in his hands, lifted up his eyes to heaven and said: Lord Jesu Christ, unto whom nothing is impossible: who when the world was broken by the tree of concupiscence, didst restore it again in thy faithfulness by the tree of the cross: who didst give to one born blind the eyes which nature had denied him, who didst recall Lazarus, dead and buried, after the fourth day unto the light; and has subjected all diseases and all sicknesses unto the word of thy power: so also now do with these precious stones which these, not knowing the fruits of almsgiving, have broken in pieces for the praise of men: recover thou them, Lord, now by the hands of thine angels, that by their value the work of mercy may be fulfilled, and make these men believe in thee the unbegotten Father through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Ghost the illuminator and sanctifier of the whole Church, world without end. And when the faithful who were with the apostle had answered and said Amen, the fragments of the gems were forthwith so joined in one that no mark at all that they had been broken remained in them. And Craton the philosopher, with his disciples, seeing this, fell at the feet of the apostle and believed thenceforth (or immediately) and was baptized, with them all, and began himself publicly to preach the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
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        XV. Those two brothers, therefore, of whom we spake, sold the gems which they had bought by the sale of their inheritance and gave the price to the poor; and thereafter a very great multitude of believers began to be joined to the apostle.
 
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        And when all this was done, it happened that after the same example, two honourable men of the city of the Ephesian sold all their goods and distributed them to the needy, and followed the apostle as he went through the cities preaching the word of God. But it came to pass, when they entered the city of Pergamum, that they saw their servants walking abroad arrayed in silken raiment and shining with the glory of this world: whence it happened that they were pierced with the arrow of the devil and became sad, seeing themselves poor and clad with a single cloak while their own servants were powerful and prosperous. But the apostle of Christ, perceiving these wiles of the devil, said: I see that ye have changed your minds and your countenances on this account, that, obeying the teaching of my Lord Jesus Christ, ye have given all ye had to the poor. Now, if ye desire to recover that which ye formerly possessed of gold, silver, and precious stones, bring me some straight rods, each of you a bundle. And when they had done so, he called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and thev were turned into gold. And the apostle said to them: Bring me small stones from the seashore. And when they had done this also, he called upon the majesty of the Lord, and all the pebbles were turned into gems. Then the blessed John turned to those men and said to them: Go about to the goldsmiths and jewellers for seven days, and when ye have proved that these are true gold and true jewels, tell me. And they went, both of them, and after seven days returned to the apostle, saying: Lord, we have gone about the shops of all the goldsmiths, and they have all said that they never saw such pure gold. Likewise the jewellers have said the same, that they never saw such excellent and precious gems.
 
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        XVI. Then the holy John said unto them: Go, and redeem to you the lands which ye have sold, for ye have lost the estates of heaven. Buy yourselves silken raiment, that for a time ye may shine like the rose which showeth its fragrance and redness and suddenly fadeth away. For ye sighed at beholding your servants and groaned that ye were become poor. Flourish, therefore, that ye may fade: be rich for the time, that ye may be beggars for ever. Is not the Lord's hand able to make riches overflowing and unsurpassably glorious? but he hath appointed a conflict for souls, that they may believe that they shall have eternal riches, who for his name's sake have refused temporal wealth. Indeed, our master told us concerning a certain rich man who feasted every day and shone with gold and purple, at whose door lay a beggar, Lazarus, who desired to receive even the crumbs that fell from his table, and no man gave unto him. And it came to pass that on one day they died, both of them, and that beggar was taken into the rest which is in Abraham's bosom, but the rich man was cast into flaming fire: out of which he lifted up his eyes and saw Lazarus, and prayed him to dip his finger in water and cool his mouth for he was tormented in the flames. And Abraham answered him and said: Remember, son, that thou receivedst good things in thy life, but this Lazarus likewise evil things. Wherefore rightly is he now comforted while thou art tormented, and besides all this, a great gulf is fixed between you and us, so that neither can they come thence hither, nor hither thence. But he answered: I have five brethren: I pray that some one may go to warn them, that they come not into this flame. And Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. To that he answered: Lord, unless one rise up again, they will not believe. Abraham said to him: If they believe not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, if one rise again. And these words our Lord and Master confirmed by examples of mighty works: for when they said to him: Who hath come hither from thence, that we may believe him? he answered: Bring hither the dead whom ye have. And when they had brought unto him a young man which was dead (Ps.-Mellitus: three dead corpses), he was waked up by him as one that sleepeth, and confirmed all his words.
 
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        But wherefore should I speak of my Lord, when at this present there are those whom in his name and in your presence and sight I have raised from the dead: in whose name ye have seen palsied men healed, lepers cleansed, blind men enlightened, and many delivered from evil spirits ? But the riches of these mighty works they cannot have who have desired to have earthly wealth. Finally, when ye yourselves went unto the sick and called upon the name of Jesus Christ, they were healed: ye did drive out devils and restore light to the blind. Behold, this grace is taken from you, and ye are become wretched, who were mighty and great. And where as there was such fear of you upon the devils that at your bidding they left the men whom they possessed, now ye will be in fear of the devils. For he that loveth money is the servant of Mammon: and Mammon is the name of a devil who is set over carnal gains, and is the master of them that love the world. But even the lovers of the world do not possess riches, but are possessed of them. For it is out of reason that for one belly there should be laid up so much food as would suffice a thousand, and for one body so many garments as would furnish clothing for a thousand men. In vain, therefore, is that stored up which cometh not into use, and for whom it is kept, no man knoweth, as the Holy Ghost saith by the prophet: In vain is every man troubled who heapeth up riches and knoweth not for whom he gathereth them. Naked did our birth from women bring us into this light, destitute of food and drink: naked will the earth receive us which brought us forth. We possess in common the riches of the heaven, the brightness of the sun is equal for the rich and the poor, and likewise the light of the moon and the stars, the softness of the air and the drops of rain, and the gate of the church and the fount of sanctification and the forgiveness of sins, and the sharing in the altar, and the eating of the body and drinking of the blood of Christ, and the anointing of the chrism, and the grace of the giver, and the visitation of the Lord, and the pardon of sin: in all these the dispensing of the Creator is equal, without respect of persons. Neither doth the rich man use these gifts after one manner and the poor after another.
 
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        But wretched and unhappy is the man who would have something more than sufficeth him: for of this come heats of fevers rigours of cold, divers pains in all the members of the body, and he can neither be fed with food nor sated with drink, that covetousness may learn that money will not profit it, which being laid up bringeth to the keepers thereof anxiety by day and night, and suffereth them not even for an hour to be quiet and secure. For while they guard their houses against thieves, till their estate, ply the plough, pay taxes, build storehouses, strive for gain, try to baffle the attacks of the strong, and to strip the weak, exercise their wrath on whom they can, and hardly bear it from others, shrink not from playing at tables and from public shows, fear not to defile or to be defiled, suddenly do they depart out of this world, naked, bearing only their own sins with them, for which they shall suffer eternal punishment.
 
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        XVII. While the apostle was thus speaking, behold there was brought to him by his mother, who was a widow, a young man who thirty days before had first married a vvife. And the people which were waiting upon the burial came with the widowed mother and cast themselves at the apostle's feet all together with groans, weeping, and mourning, and besought him that in the name of his God, as he had done with Drusiana, so he would raise up this young man also. And there was so great weeping of them all that the apostle himself could hardly refrain from crying and tears. He cast himself down, therefore, in prayer, and wept a long time: and rising from prayer spread out his hands to heaven, and for a long space prayed within himself. And when he had so done thrice, he commanded the body which was swathed to be loosed, and said: Thou youth Stacteus, who for love of thy flesh hast quickly lost thy soul: thou youth which knewest not thy creator nor perceivedst the Saviour of men, and wast ignorant of thy true friend, and therefore didst fall into the snare of the worst enemy: behold, I have poured out tears and prayers unto my Lord for thine ignorance, that thou mayest rise from the dead, the bands of death being loosed, and declare unto these two, to Atticus and Eugenius, how great glory they have lost, and how great punishment they have incurred. Then Stacteus arose and worshipped the apostle, and began to reproach his disciples, saying: I beheld your angels vveeping, and the angels of Satan rejoicing at your overthrow. For now in a little time ye have lost the kingdom that was prepared for you, and the dwellingplaces builded of shining stones, full of joy, of feasting and delights, full of everlasting life and eternal light: and have gotten yourselves places of darkness, full of dragons, of roaring flames, of torments, and punishments unsurpassable, of pains and anguish, fear and horrible trembling. Ye have lost the places full of unfading flowers, shining, full of the sounds of instruments of music (organs), and have gotten on the other hand places wherein roaring and howling and mourning ceaseth not day nor night. Nothing else remaineth for you save to ask the apostle of the Lord that like as he hath raised me to life, he would raise you also from death unto salvation and bring back your souls which now are blotted out of the book of life.
 
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        XVIII. Then both he that had been raised and all the people together with Atticus and Eugenius, cast themselves at the apostle's feet and besought him to intercede for them with the Lord. Unto whom the holy apostle gave this answer: that for thirty days they should offer penitence to God, and in that space pray especially that the rods of gold might return to their nature and likewise the stones return to the meanness wherein they were made. And it came to pass that after thirty days were accomplished, and neither the rods were turncd into wood nor the gems into pebbles, Atticus and Eugenius came and said to the apostle: Thou hast always taught mercy, and preached forgiveness, and bidden that one man should spare another. And if God willeth that a man should forgive a man, how much more shall he, as he is God, both forgive and spare men. We are confounded for our sin: and whereas we have cried with our eyes which lusted after the world, we do now repent with eyes that weep. We pray thee, Lord, we pray thee, apostle of God, show in deed that mercy which in word thou hast always promised. Then the holy John said unto them as they wept and repented, and all interceded for them likewise: Our Lord God used these words when he spake concerning sinners: I will not the death of a sinner, but I will rather that he be converted and live. For when the Lord Jesus Christ taught us concerning the penitent, he said: Verily I say unto you, there is great joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth and turneth himself from his sins: and there is more joy over him than over ninety and nine which have not sinned. Wherefore I would have you know that the Lord accepteth the repentance of these men. And he turned unto Atticus and Eugenius and said: Go, carry back the rods unto the wood whence ye took them, for now are they returned to their own nature, and the stones unto the sea-shore, for they are become common stones as they were before. And when this was accomplished, they received again the grace which they had lost, so that again they cast out devils as before time and healed the sick and enlightened the blind, and daily the Lord did many mighty works by their means.
 
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        XIX tells shortly the destruction oi the temple of Ephesus and the conversion of 12,000 people.
 
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        Then follows the episode of the poison-cup in a form which probably represents the story in the Leucian Acts. (We have seen that the late Greek texts place it at the beginning, in the presence of Domitian.)
 
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        XX. Now when Aristodemus, who was chief priest of all those idols, saw this, filled with a wicked spirit, he stirred up sedition among the people, so that one people prepared themselves to fight against the other. And John turned to him and said: Tell me, Aristodemus, what can I do to take away the anger from thy soul? And Aristodemus said: If thou wilt have me believe in thy God, I will give thee poison to drink, and if thou drink it, and die not, it will appear that thy God is true. The apostle answered: If thou give me poison to drink, when I call on the name of my Lord, it will not be able to harm me. Aristodemus said again: I will that thou first see others drink it and die straightway that so thy heart may recoil from that cup. And the blessed John said: I have told thee already that I am prepared to drink it that thou mayest believe on the Lord Jesus Christ when thou seest me whole after the cup of poison. Aristodemus therefore went to the proconsul and asked of him two men who were to undergo the sentence of death. And when he had set them in the midst of the market-place before all the people, in the sight of the apostle he made them drink the poison: and as soon as they had drunk it, they gave up the ghost. Then Aristodemus turned to John and said: Hearken to me and depart from thy teaching wherewith thou callest away the people from the worship of the gods; or take and drink this, that thou mayest show that thy God is almighty, if after thou hast drunk, thou canst remain whole. Then the blessed Jolm, as they lay dead which had drunk the poison, like a fearless and brave man took the cup, and making the sign of the cross, spake thus: My God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose word the heavens were established, unto whom all things are subject, whom all creation serveth, whom all power obeyeth, feareth, and trembleth, when we call on thee for succour: whose name the serpent hearing is still, the dragon fleeth, the viper is quiet, the toad (which is called a frog) is still and strengthless, the scorpion is quenched, the basilisk vanquished, and the phalangia (spider) doth no hurt -in a word, all venomous things, and the fiercest reptiles and noisome beasts, are pierced (or covered with darkness). [Ps.- Mellitus adds: and all roots hurtful to the health of men dry up.] Do thou, I say, quench the venom of this poison, put out the deadly workings thereof, and void it of the strength which it hath in it: and grant in thy sight unto all these whom thou hast created, eyes that they may see, and ears that they may hear and a heart that they may understand thy greatness. And when he had thus said, he armed his mouth and all his body with the sign of the cross and drank all that was in the cup. And after be had drunk, he said: I ask that they for whose sake I have drunk, be turned unto thee, O Lord, and by thine enlightening receive the salvation which is in thee. And when for the space of three hours the people saw that John was of a cheerful countenance, and that there was no sign at all of paleness or fear in him, they began to cry out with a loud voice: He is the one true God whom John worshippeth.
 
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        XXI. But Aristodemus even so believed not, though the people reproached him: but turned unto John and said: This one thing I lack -if thou in the name of thy God raise up these that have died by this poison, my mind will be cleansed of all doubt. When he said that, the people rose against Aristodemus saying: We will burn thee and thine house if thou goest on to trouble the apostle further with thy words. John, therefore, seeing that there was a fierce sedition, asked for silence, and said in the hearing of all: The first of the virtues of God which we ought to imitate is patience, by which we are able to bear with the foolishness of unbelievers. Wherefore if Aristodemus is still held by unbelicf, let us loose the knots of his unbelief. He shall be compelled, even though late, to acknowledge his creator -for I will not cease from this work until a remedy shall bring help to his wounds, and like physicians which have in their hands a sick man needing medicine, so also, if Aristodemus be not yet cured by that which hath now been done, he shall be cured by that which I will now do. And he called Aristodemus to him, and gave him his coat, and he himself stood clad only in his mantle. And Aristodemus said to him: Wherefore hast thou given me thy coat? John said to him: That thou mayest even so be put to shame and depart from thine unbelief. And Aristodemus said: And how shall thy coat make me to depart from unbelief? The apostle answered: Go and cast it upon the bodies of the dead, and thou shalt say thus: The apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ hath sent me that in his name ye may rise again, that all may know that life and death are servants of my Lord Jesus Christ. Which when Aristodemus had done, and had seen them rise, he worshipped John, and ran quickly to the proconsul and began to say with a loud voice: Hear me, hear me, thou proconsul; I think thou rememberest that I have often stirred up thy wrath against John and devised many things against him daily, wherefore I fear lest I feel his wrath: for he is a god hidden in the form of a man and hath drunk poison, and not only continueth whole, but them also which had died by the poison he hath recalled to life by my means, by the touch of his coat, and they have no mark of death upon them. Which when the proconsul heard he said: And what wilt thou have me to do? Aristodemus answered: Let us go and fall at his feet and ask pardon, and whatever he commandeth us let us do. Then they came together and cast themselves down and besought forgiveness: and he received them and offered prayer and thanksgiving to God, and he ordained them a fast of a week, and when it was fulfilled he baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and his Almighty Father and the Holy Ghost the illuminator. [And when thev were baptized, with all their house and their servants and their kindred, they brake all their idols and built a church in the name of Saint John: wherein he himself was taken up, in manner following :]
 
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        This bracketed sentence, of late complexion, serves to introduce the last episode of the book.
 
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        [M.R. James gives two additional fragments that do not fit in any other place. These fragments are very broken and are not of much use for this present project. However, if there is interest in them, they can be found on pages 264-6 of the text.]
 
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        The last episode of these Acts (as is the case with several others of the Apocryphal Acts) was preservcd separately for reading in church on the Saint's day. We have it in at least nine Greck manuscripts, and in many versions: Latin, Syriac, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopic, Slavonic.
 
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        106 John therefore continued with the brethren, rejoicing in the Lord. And on the morrow, being the Lord's day, and all the brethren being gathered together, he began to say unto them: Brethren and fellow-servants and coheirs and partakers with me in the kingdom of the Lord, ye know the Lord, hovv many mighty works he hath granted you by my means, how many wonders, healings, signs, how great spirital gifts, teachings, governings, refreshings, ministries, knowledges, glories, graces, gifts, beliefs, communions, all which ye have seen given you by him in your sight, yet not seen by these eyes nor heard by these ears. Be ye therefore stablished in him, remembering him in your every deed, knowing the mystery of the dispensation which hath come to pass towards men, for what cause the Lord hath l accomplished it. He beseecheth you by me, brethren, and entreateth you, desiring to remain without grief, without insult, not conspired against, not chastened: for he knoweth even the insult that cometh of you, he knoweth even dishonour, he knoweth even conspiracy, he knoweth even chastisement, from them that hearken not to his commandments.
 
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        107 Let not 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 unwrathful, even our God Jesus Christ, who is above every name that we can utter or conceive, and more exalted. Let him rejoice with us because we walk aright, 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 continently, let him be pleased because we communicate one with another, let him smile because we are chaste, let him be merry because we love him. These things I now speak unto you, brethren, because I am hasting unto the work set before me, and already being perfected by the Lord. For what else could I have to say unto you? Ye have the pledge of our God, ye have the earnest of his goodness, ye have his presence that cannot be shunned. If, then, ye sin no more, he forgiveth you that ye did in ignorance: but if after that ye have known him and he hath had mercy on you, ye walk again in the like deeds, both the former will be laid to your charge, and also ye will not have a part nor mercy before him.
 
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        108 And when he had spoken this unto them, he prayed thus: O Jesu who hast woven this crown with thy weaving, who hast joined together these many blossoms into the unfading flower of thy cormtenance, who hast sown in them these words: thou only tender of thy servants, and physician who healest freely: only doer of good and despiser of none, only merciful and lover of men, only saviour and righteous, only seer of all, who art in all and everywhere present and containing all things and filling all things: Christ Jesu, God, Lord, that with thy gifts and thy mercy shelterest them that trust in thee, that knowest clearly the wiles and the assaults of him that is everywhere our adversary, which he deviseth against us: do thou only, O Lord, succour thy servants by thy visitation. Even so, Lord.
 
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        109 And he asked for bread, and gave thanks thus: What praise or what offering or what thanksgiving shall we, breaking this bread, name save thee only, O Lord Jesu? We glorify thy name that was said by the Father: we glorify thy name that was said through the Son (or we glorify the name of Father that was said by thee . . . the name of Son that was said by thee): we glorify thine entering of the Door. We glorify the resurrection shown unto us by thee. We glorify thy way, we glorify of thee the seed, the word, the grace, the faith, the salt, the unspeakable (al. chosen) pearl, the treasure, the plough, the net, the greatness, the diadem, him that for us was called Son of man, that gave unto us truth, rest, knowledge, power, the commandment, the confidence, hope, love, liberty, refuge in thee. For thou, Lord, art alone the root of immortality, and the fount of incorruption, and the seat of the ages: called by all these names for us now that calling on thee by them we may make known thy greatness which at the present is invisible unto us, but visible only unto the pure, being portrayed in thy manhood only.
 
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        110 And he brake the bread and gave unto all of us, praying over each of the brethren that he might be worthy of the grace of the Lord and of the most holy eucharist. And he partook also himself likewise, and said: Unto me also be there a part with you, and: Peace be with you, my beloved.
 
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        111 After that he said unto Verus: Take with thee some two men, with baskets and shovels, and follow me. And Verus without delay did as he was bidden by John the servant of God. The blessed John therefore went out of the house and walked forth of the gates, having told the more part to depart from him. And when he was 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 instant with them yet more, saying: Let the trench be deeper. And as they dug he spoke unto them the word of God and exhorted them that were come with him out of the house, edifying and perfecting them unto the greatness of God, and praying over each one of us. And when the young men had finished the trench as he desired, we knowing nothing of it, he took off his garments wherein he was clad and laid them as it were for a pallet in the bottom of the trench: and standing in his shift only he stretched his hands upward and prayed thus:
 
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        112 O thou that didst choose us out for the apostleship of the Gentiles: O God that sentest us into the world: that didst reveal thyself by the law and the prophets: that didst never rest, but alway from the foundation of the world savedst them that were able to be saved: that madest thyself known through all nature: that proclaimedst thyself even among beasts: that didst make the desolate and savage soul tame and quiet: that gavest thyself to it when it was athirst for thy words: that didst appear to it in haste when it was dying: that didst show thyself to it as a law when it was sinking into lawlessness: that didst manifest thyself to it when it had been vanquished by Satan: that didst overcome its adversary when it fled unto thee: that avest it thine hand and didst raise it up from the things of Hades: that didst not leave it to walk after a bodily sort (in the body): that didst show to it its own enemy: that hast made for it a clear knowledge toward thee: O God, Jesu, 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 thine own: receive also the soul of thy John, which it may be is accounted worthy by thee.
 
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        113 O thou who hast kept me until this hour for thyself and untouched by union with a woman: who when in my youth I desired to marry didst appear unto me and say to me: John I have need of thee: who didst prepare for me also a sickness of the body: who when for the third time I would marry didst forthwith prevent me, and then at the third hour of the day saidst unto me on the sea: John, if thou hadst not been mine, I would have suffered thee to marry: who for two years didst blind me (or afflict mine eyes), and grant me to mourn and entreat thee: who in the third year didst open the eyes of my mind and also grant me my visible eyes: who when I saw clearly didst ordain that it should be grievous to me to look upon a woman: who didst save me from the temporal fantasy and lead me unto that which endureth always: who didst rid me of the foul madness that is in the flesh: who didst take me from the bitter death and establish me on thee alone: who didst muzzle the secret disease of my soul and cut off the open deed: who didst afflict and banish him that raised tumult in me: who didst make my love of thee spotless: who didst make my joining unto thee perfect and unbroken: who didst give me undoubting faith in thee, who didst order and make clear my inclination toward thee: thou who givest unto every man the due reward of his works, who didst put into my soul that I should have no possession save thee only: for what is more precious than thee? Now therefore Lord, whereas I have accomplished the dispensation wherewith I was entrusted, account thou me worthy of thy rest, and grant me that end in thee which is salvation unspeakable and unutterable.
 
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        114 And as I come unto thee, 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. Let angels follow, let devils fear, let rulers be broken, Iet powers fall; let the places of the right hand stand fast, let them of the left hand not remain. Let the devil be muzzled, let Satan be derided, let his wrath be burned out, Iet his madness be stilled, let his vengeance be ashamed, let his assault be in pain, let his children be smitten and all his roots plucked up. And grant me to accomplish the journey unto thee without suffering insolence or provocation, and to receive that which thou hast promised unto them that live purely and have loved thee only.
 
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        115 And having sealed himself in every part, he stood and said: Thou art with me, O Lord Jesu Christ: and laid himself down in the trench where he had strown his garments: and having said unto us: Peace be with you, brethren, he gave up his spirit rejoicing.
 
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        The less good Greek manuscripts and some versions are not content with this simple ending. The Latin says that after the prayer a great light appeared over the apostle for the space of an hour, so bright that no one could look at it.
 
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            Then he laid himself down and gave up the ghost.) We who were there rejoiced, some of us, and some mourned. . . . And forthwith manna issuing from the tomb was seen of all, which manna that place produceth even unto this day, &c.
 
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        But perhaps the best conclusion is that of one Greek manuscript:
 
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            We brought a linen cloth and spread it upon him, and went into the city. And on the day following we went forth and found not his body, for it was translated by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto whom be glory, &c.
 
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        Another says:
 
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            On the morrow we dug in the place, and him we found not, but only his sandals, and the earth moving (lit. springing up like a well), and after that we remembered that which was spoken by the Lord unto Peter, &c.
 
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        Augustine (on John xxi) reports the belief that in his time the earth over the grave was seen to move as if stirred by John's breathing.
 
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Archive | Library | Bookstore | Index | Web Lectures | Ecclesia Gnostica | Gnostic Society
 
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==See also==
 
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* [[Leucius Charinus]]
 
 
==References==
 
==References==
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*Jan N. Bremmer (editor), ''The Apocryphal Acts of John'' (1995) brought together a series of eleven essays by various authors on the ''Acts of John'' and a bibliography (Kampen, Netherlands: Pharos). [http://keur.eldoc.ub.rug.nl/wetenschappers/11/583/ On-line as a series of pdf files]
+
* Bremmer, Jan N. ''The Apocryphal Acts of John''. Studies on the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles, 1. Kampen, The Netherlands: Kok Pharos, 1995. ISBN 9789039001417.
 +
* Mead, G. R. S.'' Gnosticism from the Acts of John''. Kila, Mont.: Kessinger Pub, 2006. ISBN 9780766196841.
 +
* Schneider, Paul G. ''The Mystery of the Acts of John: An Interpretation of the Hymn and the Dance in Light of the Acts' Theology''. San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1991. ISBN 9780773499508.
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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*[http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/actsjohn.html Early Christian Writings:] ''Acts of John'' e-text consisting of 115 brief chapters, translated by M.R. James, and introductory material (1924).  
+
All links retrieved June 15, 2023.
 +
*[http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/actsjohn.html Early Christian Writings:] ''Acts of John'' e-text consisting of 115 brief chapters, translated by M.R. James, and introductory material (1924).
 
*[http://www.ntcanon.org/Acts_of_John.shtml Glenn Davis, "The development of the Canon of the New Testament"]: ''Acts of John''
 
*[http://www.ntcanon.org/Acts_of_John.shtml Glenn Davis, "The development of the Canon of the New Testament"]: ''Acts of John''
 
*[http://www.gnosis.org/library/actjohn.htm Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments]: ''Acts of John''
 
*[http://www.gnosis.org/library/actjohn.htm Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments]: ''Acts of John''
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*[http://www.musicweb-international.com/holst/Page4.html David Trippett, "Gustav Holst (1874-1934)"]
 
 
*[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0827.htm Church Fathers: Acts of John]: abbreviated translation of the Latin version
 
*[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0827.htm Church Fathers: Acts of John]: abbreviated translation of the Latin version
  
 
[[Category:religion]]
 
[[Category:religion]]
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[[Category: Christianity]]
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[[Category:Bible]]
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[[Category:literature]]
 
{{credit|197287608}}
 
{{credit|197287608}}

Latest revision as of 05:43, 15 June 2023

John raises Dusiana from the dead, by Fra Filippino Lippi.

The Acts of John is a second century collection of Christian-based narratives and traditions, relating the travels and miraculous deeds of John the Apostle, one of the three closest disciples of Jesus. Together with the Acts of Paul, it is considered one of the most significant of the Apostolic Acts in the New Testament apocrypha.

The Acts of John describes his journeys to Ephesus, filled with dramatic events, romantic episodes, miracles such as the collapse of the Temple of Artemis, and well-framed melodramatic speeches. It may have originated as a Christianized wonder tale, designed for a Hellenic audience. Literary critics consider it to fall in the Romance genre set in a Christian context. Two of its tales involve couples who become tragically parted by death by are united after John revives one or both of them channeling God's power. However, these "romances" are remarkable in that they downplay the sexual aspect of marriage. In one rendition the couple is committed to celibacy.

The work was rejected as heretical due to a section containing teachings of a Gnostic or docetic nature, in which Jesus is depicted as not having a normal human body and as not truly suffering when he was on the Cross. Several of the legends contained in the Acts of John, however, survived in Christian tradition and artwork.

Introduction

Because of its vivid and sometimes tantalizing descriptions of Christian miracles, the Acts of John was apparently in wide circulation until it was condemned by the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 C.E. Little is known regarding the actual author or authors of this work, but Saint Photius, the ninth century patriarch of Constantinople, identified him as Leucius Charinus. Earlier, Epiphanius (Haer. 51.427) said that Leucius was a disciple of John the Apostle, but other Church Fathers refer to the work as heretical because of its Docetist teaching, denying the humanity of Christ. Gregory of Tours, on the other hand, found the work valuable enough to make an abridged version of it, omitting its "tiresome" elaborations. Faustus of Mileve, a Manichaean bishop of the later fourth century, held that it was improperly excluded from the New Testament. Photios attributes not only the Acts of John to Lecius, but several other apocryphal Acts, which he refers to as the Circuits of the Apostles, including the Acts of Peter, Andrew, Thomas, and Paul.

A large fragment of the Acts of John survives in Greek manuscripts of widely varying dates. Two particular segments of the work posed a major problem for orthodox Christian readers because of their docetic imagery and overt Gnostic teachings (chapters 94-102 and 109). These resulted in the work's condemnation as heretical, but today many scholars believe these sections to be interpolations, in an otherwise orthodox, though clearly fanciful, work. Also found in the Acts of John is a hymn describing a circle dance performed by Jesus and the disciples, containing formulas which may have been thought to enable the Gnostic believer to evade demons who could impede one’s journey to heaven.

Artists conception of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

Despite being considered as heretical in church tradition, the Acts of John has been found in many monastic libraries. A number of versions, especially those in Latin, seem to have been edited so as to remove any unorthodox content.

Several of the stories in this work emphasize the theme of sexual purity. One involves a "spiritual marriage" in which husband and wife live as brother and sister, a state apparently approved of, while another involves a young man who goes too far and castrates himself in remorse after repenting of the sins of adultery and murder.

The text begins with John traveling toward Ephesus. Its actual beginning has been lost. Some believe that it may have described John's temporary banishment to the isle of Patmos. One later version of the Acts of John explains that he was exiled to Patmos by Emperor Domitian after an episode similar to the one described below with the pagan priest Aristodemus. Another speaks of him experiencing a shipwreck when he left Patmos, landing at Miletus, and then proceeding to Ephesus.

A number of the episodes contained in the Acts of John were adopted into orthodox Christian. For example the story of the resurrection of Drusiana is depicted in the works of well known Christian artists, while the legend of the death assumption of John the Apostle became incorporated into the cult of Saint John at Ephesus. The miracle of the destruction of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, meanwhile, would be re-enacted in not-so-miraculous fashion by Saint John Chrysostom and his followers, who destroyed the ancient temple c. 401 C.E.

Summary

Lycomedes and Cleopatra

John the Apostle

The surviving text opens with John, having received a vision, on his way to the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor (today's Turkey). As he approaches the city, the wealthy praetor (magistrate) of Ephesus, Lycomedes, falls at the apostle's feet and beseeches him to help his wife Cleopatra, who is incurably ill. John immediately goes with Lycomedes to his house, where they find Cleopatra clearly dying. Lycomedes expresses his grief in touching tones:

See, Lord, the withering of the beauty, see the youth, see the renowned flower of my poor wife, at which all Ephesus was wont to marvel… The sun in his course shall no more see me conversing with thee. I will go before thee, Cleopatra, and rid myself of life.

John pulls him away, reminding him that suicide is a sin, and predicts "thou shalt receive thy consort again." Lycomedes, however, falls on the floor in despair and dies. John himself now despairs for his own life, as the Ephesians are likely to hold him responsible for Lycomedes's death. He beseeches God to raise Lycomedes and Cleopatra from the dead.

The multitude of the people of Ephesus, meanwhile, hear that Lycomedes is dead and rush to his house. John prays to Christ: "O physician who healest freely; keep thou mine entering in hither safe from derision." He then turns to Cleopatra and says: "Arise in the name of Jesus Christ." Cleopatra immediate declares: "I arise, master! Save thou thine handmaid." The Ephesians are duly impressed by this miracle.

Cleopatra then goes with John into her bedchamber and discovers Lycomedes' dead body. She goes into deep mourning, but John instructs her how to resurrect her husband. Lycomedes immediately revives. Deeply grateful, the couple offers John and his companions hospitality, which they accept. Lycomedes commissions a noted painter to create John's portrait, stimulate a discourse which concludes with objecting that the painter, in portraying the physical body, has "drawn a dead likeness of the dead."

The home of Lycomedes and Cleopatra becomes a hospice of old widows, and when Andromeus, the leading citizen of the Ephesians, challenges John's miracles as the product of trickery, John miraculously heals several of the dying old women. He also delivers a sermon, urging Andromeus and the crowd to moral disciple and asceticism.

John at the Temple of Artemis

The goddess Artemus of Ephesus

John then leads his followers to the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. As it was a festival day, all in attendance are dressed in white, while John alone wears black. Offended by John's impiety, those in attendance are ready to kill him. John courageously ascends a pedestal and confronts the bloodthirsty crowd, appealing to the miracles he has wrought as evidence of God's favor. "Ye all say that ye have a goddess, even Artemis," John declares. "Pray then unto her that I alone may die; but if ye are not able to do this, I only will call upon mine own god, and for your unbelief, I will cause every one of you to die."

The frightened people admit that John's power is the greater, and he then prays: "O God that art God above all that are called gods… show thou thy mercy in this place, for they have been made to err." Immediately the altar of Artemis is torn asunder and her sacred vessels falls over, together with the images of seven other deities. "Half of the temple" then collapses, and the priest of Artemis dies as a result. A large number of the Ephesians are immediately converted to the worship of the "One God" of John.

Although John had intended to continue on to Smyrna, he remains in Ephesus to teach the new converts and raise them in the Christian faith. In the process he raises from the dead the priest of Artemis, who becomes one of John's disciples.

John then brings a murderous and adulterous young man to repentance and sobriety, raising from the dead the young man's father, whom he has slain. When the young man castrates himself in remorse, John corrects him, teaching him that "it is not the instruments that are injurious, but the unseen springs by which every shameful emotion is stirred." The young man is duly repentant, and becomes John's disciple.

The miracle of the bedbugs

In a particularly amusing tale, John and his companions stay at an inn, where John's bed is infested with bedbugs. Unable to rest, John commands: "I say unto 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." John's disciples are amused at this seemingly ridiculous outburst, but in the morning, they discover a huge number of bugs outside the door of John's room, where John has enjoyed a very restful night. At the apostle's command, the bugs then return to their abode to trouble the next guest.

Andronicus and Drusiana

Giotto's version of the resurrection of Drusiana

The story of the noble couple Andronicus and Drusiana is the best known of the stories of the Acts of John. A dramatic and lurid tale, it demonstrates the tendency of some early Christian literature to view sex, even within marriage, as a detestable act. Here, a certain man characterized as "a messenger of Satan," later named as Callimachus, falls in love with the beautiful Drusiana, the wife of Andronicus. The noble Christian couple has devoted themselves to celibacy, after the chaste Drusiana tells Andronicus that she would "rather to die than to do that foulness." Now, feeling terrible guilt at having inspired Callimachus to adulterous thoughts, Drusiana herself dies of remorse. This however, did not dampen the lust of Callimachus who desires her all the more, and he shockingly bribes Andronicus' steward to open Drusiana tomb in order to have sex with her dead body. He and the wicked steward proceed to strip the grave-clothes from Drusiana's corpse. She is nearly naked when a serpent suddenly appears, killing the steward and entwining himself around the fallen body of Drusiana's would-be lover.

The next day at dawn, John and Andronicus appear on the scene. John commands the venomous serpent to depart and then raises Callimachus, who confesses his evil intent and repents of his sin. Johns proceeds to raise Drusiana as well, who, though embarrassed to find herself clad in only her shift, rejoices to learn that Callimachus no longer lusts after her. After restoring herself to a more modest attire, she asks John to restore the steward as well. John empowers Drusiana to revive the steward, which she promptly does. The steward, however, is not grateful, protesting that he would have rather remained dead, and he immediately flees. After celebrating the Eucharist at Drusiana's sepulcher, the group discovers the unfortunate steward dying a second time from a snake bite. John pronounces his doom: "Thou hast thy child, O Devil."

Docetic teaching

John and Jesus: "He would take me upon his own breast; and sometimes his breast was felt of me to be smooth and tender, and sometimes hard like unto stones."

At this point, the text contains an interlude in which several issues are discussed regarding the nature of Jesus and his suffering. John explains that Jesus appeared during his earthly life in several guises: Sometimes as a child, sometimes as himself, and sometimes as an old man. John testifies that when he used to rest his head on Jesus' breast, it was sometimes soft and smooth, and other times hard like stone. Moreover, Jesus did not leave footprints when he would walk on the sandy shore near the Sea of Galilee. John reports seeing Jesus naked on occasion, and that "the earth was lit by his feet and his head touched the heaven." John also says that "Sometimes when I would lay hold on 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 existed not at all."

Before going to his death, Jesus performs a circle dance with his disciples and sings an apparently Gnostic hymn of spiritual protection:

…One Ogdoad singeth praise with us. Amen.
The number Twelve danceth on high. Amen.
The Whole on high hath part in our dancing. Amen.
Whoso danceth not, knoweth not what cometh to pass. Amen.
I would flee, and I would stay. Amen.
I would adorn, and I would be adorned. Amen.
I would be united, and I would unite. Amen.
A house I have not, and I have houses. Amen.
A place I have not, and I have places. Amen.
A temple I have not, and I have temples. Amen.
A lamp am I to thee that beholdest me. Amen.
A mirror am I to thee that perceivest me. Amen.
A door am I to thee that knockest at me. Amen.
A way am I to thee a wayfarer.

Jesus then describes the crucifixion to John in a manner suggestive of a transcendent event in which his suffering is something of an illusion: "Nothing of the things which they will say of me have I suffered," Jesus says. "Thou hearest that I suffered, yet did I not suffer; that I suffered not, yet did I suffer; that I was pierced, yet I was not smitten; hanged, and I was not hanged; that blood flowed from me, and it flowed not…"

John then relates that "When I went down, I laughed them all to scorn, inasmuch as he had told me the things which they have said concerning him; holding fast this one thing in myself, that the Lord contrived all things symbolically and by a dispensation toward men, for their conversion and salvation."

Final triumph

The text continues with John preaching several homilies on the need for holiness and seeking first the kingdom of God before any earthly treasure.

An episode is also related in which John raises from the dead a young man named Stacteus, converts 12,000 Ephesians to the Christian faith, and confronts the pagan arch-priest Aristodemus. "Tell me, Aristodemus, what can I do to take away the anger from thy soul?" asks John. Aristodemus asks John to drink poison. To assure himself that there is no trick, Aristodemus first gives the poison to two condemned criminals, who promptly die. John drinks the poison and suffers no harm, causing many to believe. Aristodemus however, refuses to have faith in John's God until John raises from the dead those who died of the poison before him. John ultimately does so, and Aristodemus finally admits John's greatness, bringing even the Roman proconsul to John to be baptized along with him.

Death

Giotto's Assumption of Saint John
The traditional tomb of John the Apostle in Ephesus

The various manuscripts of the Acts of John differ in many points, including their endings, some of which report his death as follows:

Having sealed himself in every part… and laid himself down in the trench where he had strewn his garments, and having said unto us: "Peace be with you, brethren," he gave up his spirit rejoicing.

Some sources add: "We who were there rejoiced, some of us, and some mourned… And forthwith manna issuing from the tomb was seen of all, which manna that place produceth even unto this day."

Another tradition relates:

"We brought a linen cloth and spread it upon him, and went into the city. And on the day following we went forth and found not his body, for it was translated by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto whom be glory."

And finally: "On the morrow we dug in the place, and him we found not, but only his sandals, and the earth springing up like a well."

See also

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bremmer, Jan N. The Apocryphal Acts of John. Studies on the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles, 1. Kampen, The Netherlands: Kok Pharos, 1995. ISBN 9789039001417.
  • Mead, G. R. S. Gnosticism from the Acts of John. Kila, Mont.: Kessinger Pub, 2006. ISBN 9780766196841.
  • Schneider, Paul G. The Mystery of the Acts of John: An Interpretation of the Hymn and the Dance in Light of the Acts' Theology. San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1991. ISBN 9780773499508.

External links

All links retrieved June 15, 2023.

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