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THE GOSPEL OF THE EGYPTIANS (not another ‘Gospel of the Egyptians’ from Nag Hammadi)
Date: 150
Sect: some Encratite, some Nassene, some Sabellian
Provence: Egypt
References: Clement, Origen, Hippolytus, and Epiphanius
Those who wrote it claimed it was written before the Gospel of Luke
Accepted as canonical in Egypt early on, but rejected by Origen’s time (185-254)
pgs. 17-19
1. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are said to be one and the same. This provides a heretical explanation of the Godhead: each person is said to be a mode of the other, rather than a person co-existing with the others.
3. Jesus claims, “I have come to undo the works of the female”: lust and birth and decay. Here, in contrast to the canonical gospels, Jesus demands abstinence from all his followers.
4. Salome asks Jesus how long death shall prevail, and he answers, “As long as you women bear children.” Again, Jesus says he will not bring his kingdom until there is total abstinence; he claims that the evil of sex is what brings about death.
5. Salome says she did well in not giving birth, and Jesus says to eat of every herb except “the bitter one.” Again, Jesus pushes for universal abstinence.
6. Salome asks Jesus when everything will be made known, and Jesus answers, “When you tread under foot the covering of shame and when out of two is made one, and the male with the female, neither male nor female.” This seems to be some esoteric teaching of Jesus about how he will reverse all things?
THE TRADITIONS OF MATTHIAS
Date: > 200
Sect: Gnostic?
Provence: Egypt
References: Clement, Origen? Ambrose? Jerome? Eusebius? and the Gelasian Decree?
Original Names: The Gospel According to Matthias?
pg. 20
2. Matthias taught to fight and abuse the flesh, but grow by faith and knowledge. This is instruction on how to find salvation and life in knowledge.
4. Zacchaeus and Matthias (Matthew?) are said to be the same person. It seems that, since Zacchaeus and Matthew are both tax collectors who leave their jobs to follow Jesus, they are confused as being the same.
THE PREACHING OF PETER / “KERYGMA PETROU”
Date: 100-150
Sect: orthodox?
Provence: Egypt?
References: Clement, Origen? Gregory of Nazianzus? John of Damascus?
Probably actually of the apocryphal acts genre, but probably not part of the original Acts of Peter
pgs. 21-24
1. Jesus is referred to as the Word and the Law. Jesus is said to be the Law because he is its perfect fulfillment.
4. Jesus sends the disciples to preach so that no one can have an excuse that they were not preached to, that all will be saved and be forgiven for sinning in ignorance.
5. The Apostles read the Old Testament and continue to see many things pointing to Jesus. Perhaps this was oriented towards Jews? It nonetheless explains how everything is about Jesus’ passion and resurrection.
6. Peter realizes God’s mercy in not killing him at the very moment, for whatever reason, and commands rich people to understand God’s rich mercy and to give to others as if their things belong to others. Rich people are instructed to give to the poor and do acts of mercy just as God had mercy on them.
7. Peter preached that people shouldn’t worship God as the Greeks in idolatry, nor the Jews in thinking they are the only ones who know him. The nuanced nature of God is shown to have tension with all Jews and non-Jews alike.
8. Jesus says, “I am not a bodiless demon” (demon in Greek referring to a lesser spirit, except in Christianity). Jesus makes the explicit claim that the post-resurrection narratives in the Canonical Gospels make: he was bodily risen.
9. Peter says, “A soul in trouble is near to God.” It is right that when one has lost everything, they can start searching to find God? (Kind of like the beatitudes? Being poor?).
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