The Acts of Peter Overview

THE ACTS OF PETER

• Claimed Author: Leucius (in tradition)

• Sect: Encratites & Gnostic (unintentionally)

• Original Language: Greek

• References: Eusebius, Philaster of Brescia, The Gelasian Decree, Augustine, The Stichometry of Nicephorus, Clement of Alexandria? Origen? The Didascalia?

• Although The Acts of John and The Acts of Peter show an affinity, their dating doesn’t allow dependence for either of them—it must just be a common origin

• Pseudo-Clementine literature has a problematic relationship with The Acts of Peter but probably comes later

pgs. 397-426 & https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/actspeter.html

(a) Peter is healing many sick people who are being brought to him, but one person asks why he doesn’t cure his own daughter when her side is paralyzed. Peter says only Jesus will heal her to show his power: he then calls her to arise and come to him, she does, and then he commands her to go back and be unwell again, and she does. Then the people weep and ask why he made her unwell. Peter says that, before she was born. The Lord showed him in a vision that she would be a stumbling block for others if she were well. He then accounts how when she was 10, some Ptolemy lusted after her after seeing her bathing and asked her mother to have her as his wife, but she refused (the text is damaged, so we don’t know what’s missing). Peter then says that they found that Ptolemy had left her at the door of the house with half of her body paralyzed. They praised God for protecting her from being violated. Ptolemy repented and wept so hard that he became blind. Just before he was going to hang himself, the Lord told him to go to Peter. He has his servants lead him to Peter, who explains everything and restores his sight. When Ptolemy dies, he goes to be with the Lord and leaves his land to Peter’s daughter. Peter has the land sold and gives all the money to the poor.

(b) A story is given: A peasant has a virgin daughter and asks Peter to pray for her. Peter prays and says God will give her what’s most expedient, and she falls down and dies. The peasant doesn’t understand, and so he asks Peter to raise her. Peter does raise her, but later, a person comes to stay with the peasant pretending to be a believer, seduces his daughter, and goes off to never be seen again.

1. Paul is in Rome encouraging Christians. The Lord appears to him in a vision, telling him to go to the Spaniards. Paul tells the Roman Church, but they are sad because of how he had debated the Jews, telling them how Jesus did away with the Torah. A voice from heaven says Paul will be perfected under the wicked Nero.

2-3. The people bring Paul bread and water to pray and do eucharist. As he is about to give some lady named Rufina Eucharist, he is filled by the Spirit and calls her out for coming to take Eucharist while also committing adultery—he tells her to repent. She falls down paralyzed on her whole left side, and can’t talk because of her tied tongue. He then uses the opportunity to exhort the others not to be worldly but repent. They then pray for Paul’s journey to Spain to prosper. Paul then goes off on a ship. Paul isn’t martyred in Rome, but fulfills his desire to go to Spain.

4. Some days later, Simon comes claiming to be “the great power of God”. He demonstrates that he can fly, and the majority of the church falls down and worships him, calling Paul a sorcerer and deceiver. The elder Narcissus and a few others, however, are faithful and pray that Paul might return or someone else might take care of his people. Simon the sorcerer, whom Peter had already rebuked (Acts), comes to Rome to deceive believers once again.

5. As the people are fasting, God prepares Peter (He had shown him that it would happen after 12 years). God speaks to Peter in a vision and tells him that the Simon whom he threw out of Judea is in Rome and uses Satan’s power to deceive his believers. He tells him to go to Caesarea to find a ship headed to Rome. Peter gets on a ship and the captain offers a free ride (Peter doesn’t bring anything). The captain has a vision telling him to honor Peter, and asks Peter about it. Peter teaches him, baptizes him in the Trinitarian formula, and then has Eucharist with him.

6. Peter lands at Puteoli, and a presbyter, Ariston, comes weeping and tells him everything that happens. Peter goes off to Rome with Ariston and the captain, Theon, who had sold everything on his ship and followed Peter.

7. Peter arrives in Rome. The brethren come together on the first day of the week, and Peter preaches about how he came to deal with the issue with Simon: he explains how he walked on water, but even still ended up denying Jesus 3 times. He explains that if Satan could have tempted him, he could do much worse to them. He calls them to repent.

8-10. The people repent. They then ask Peter to confront Simon, since he converted a senator named Marcellus. They explain how he is very wise and used to give everything to orphans and widows, but now beats pilgrims who come by his house. Peter goes to his house immediately, but the doorman says Simon told him to say that he isn’t home. Peter then loosens a big dog that was tied by a chain. The dog asks Peter in a human voice what to do, and Peter tells him to tell wicked Simon that he is outside and has come to Rome because of him. The dog goes out before Simon, stands up on his hind 2 legs, and speaks to Simon. Simon is speechless, and Marcellus goes outside to fall at Peter’s feet and repent. Peter praises God and asks him to accept Marcellus. In contrast to the Old and New Testaments, this dog is not an unclean, feral creature.

11. A man is possessed by an evil devil and bursts out laughing as Peter embraces Marcellus. Peter tells the person to show himself in public, and the young man throws himself against a wall and cries out that Simon contests the dog: he tells it to say he is not there, but the dog says even more things than what Peter commanded and will die at his feet when it has fulfilled his desire. Peter commands the demon to come out and expose itself. The young man rushes to a marble statue of Caesar and kicks it to pieces. Marcellus is troubled and thinks he’ll get in trouble when Caesar finds out about his destroyed statue. Peter reprimands him for already changing and commands him to sprinkle water on the statue to make it whole.

12. The dog continues to rebuke Simon and call him wicked, even though he commands the dog to tell Peter he isn’t there. The dog brings the crowd that Simon was impressing out to Peter and dies at Peter’s feet after it tells him he will receive many rewards for converting many people. Some of that crowd repents and others asks for another miracle, since they followed Simon after he did many miracles.

13. Peter sees a smoked tunny fish and asks if the people will believe if he makes it swim. They agree, and he throws it into the water. It swims even for longer than an hour (so that they couldn’t call it a trick), and people even feed it. People come from around that region to see the fish and meet at their church.

14-15. Marcellus is even more encouraged by Peter’s miracles and goes to his house to curse him and have him thrown out. Some servants who had gotten permission, who had left their master or been imprisoned so they could follow Simon, go out to strike him, throw stones at him, hit him with a rod, and empty vessels of filth over his head. Simon goes out to the elder Narcissus’ house, where Peter is staying, and says he has come to prove that Jesus is just the son of a carpenter. Peter sends a woman who has a suckling child to go down without speaking and let the 7-month-old child speak. The child rebukes Simon (especially for being so foolish as not even hear the dog). Simon leaves Rome until the next Sabbath (as the child commanded).

16. That night, Jesus appears to Jesus and tells him that most of the brethren already returned to the faith, but many more Jews and Gentiles shall convert after he has Peter do miracles and exposes Simon as using magical deception. Peter tells the brethren the next day.

17-18. It is revealed to Peter in a dream that Simon had stayed in the house of an esteemed woman, Eubola, when he was in Judea. When he left, he had 2 other robbers sneak in and steal money from her for him. She thought her servants had robbed her and tortured them. He fasts and prays for 3 days to learn more and has a vision where he is told to fast 2 more days to learn even more. He sees that Simon’s servants will try to sell 2 pounds of a gold satyr to a godly goldsmith. Peter goes to Eubola to tell her about this, but that she ought to repent first and follow God, and then she will receive back all her money. He then tells her about how the 2 men will try to sell her satyr for money to the goldsmith and tells the goldsmith that some will try to sell it at the ninth hour—he should act like the item is good but report it. He ends up telling Eubola when the 2 people hand him the satyr, and she is troubled. She goes to Pompey, the governor, who had not seen her troubled before. He has the 2 thieves tortured until they tell on Simon. When Simon finds out, he runs away from Judea. Eubola received her money and gave it all to the poor.

19-20. Marcellus tells Peter how he had his whole house sprinkled with water to purify it from the shameful dust of Simon. He invites Peter, the widows, and the elders to come to his house and pray and receive a piece of gold. Peter goes. Peter sees a blind widow there and heals her. At the house, Peter hears the gospel being read and then preaches about its importance and truth. He then shares about how he saw the awesomeness of Jesus in his transfiguration. He finishes:

“This God who is great and small, fair and foul, young and old, seen in time and unto eternity invisible; whom the hand of man hath not held, yet is he held by his servants; whom no flesh hath seen, yet now seeth; who is the word proclaimed by the prophets and now appearing; not subject to suffering, but having now made trial of suffering for our sake; never chastised, yet now chastised; who was before the world and hath been comprehended in time; the great beginning of all principality, yet delivered over unto princes; beautiful, but among us lowly; seen of all yet foreseeing all. This Jesus ye have, brethren, the door, the light, the way, the bread, the water, the life, the resurrection, the refreshment, the pearl, the treasure, the seed, the harvest, the mustard seed, the vine, the plough, the grace, the faith, the word: he is all things and there is none other greater than he.”

Marcellus sprinkles water (like in baptism) to purify his whole house because Simon had been there. In Peter says that Jesus didn’t ever thirst or hunger.

21. Some old widows who are blind find out about the other blind widow Peter had healed. They ask to be healed, and Peter prays so that a super bright light appears. Some widows see a small boy touch their eyes, and some a young man—either way, they are all healed.

22. The night before the Sabbath, when Peter will confront Simon, Marcellus has a dream and wakes up Peter in the middle of the night to tell him: he saw an Ethiopian woman in rags who represented a demon. Peter prayed for Jesus Christ to cut off the head of the demon, but Marcellus saw that Peter and the one who cut the lady into pieces looked the same. Peter is encouraged.

23-24. All the brethren and those in Rome pay a gold piece to see Peter and Simon’s trial before the prefects and senators. Peter points out how Simon tried to pay him and Paul for their power and says that if they both do signs, he will demonstrate his magic trickery. Simon says that Jesus was an ordinary human. He says the Romans have understanding and know God can’t be born or crucified; God can’t have a master either. The officials say Simon is right. Peter curses Simon for his blasphemy and quotes the prophets to show how Jesus fulfilled them—he even quotes unknown sources and apocrypha such as the Ascensions of Isaiah and the Apocryphon of Ezekiel. Peter says he will demonstrate to the judges how Simon’s works are tricks if they allow. Simon asks, and they allow it. The author of this text quotes apocryphal material not around, as well as the Ascension of Isaiah and the Apocryphon of Ezekiel.

25-27. The prefect, Agrippa, tells Simon to kill his servant and have Peter raise him. Simon whispers in the servant’s ear and he dies. Then, a widow comes out and pleads with Peter to raise her son who had been dead. They have people bring in her son, check to make sure he’s dead, and then Peter raises him and says he will later become a bishop. Everyone rejoices and hails Peter’s God as Lord.

28-29. Then another senator hears about it and wants her son raised. They bring him still on the bier and in his grave clothes. Peter challenges Simon to raise him from the dead and says he’d prove to be God’s angel if so. Simon asks to make sure Peter will be expelled from the city if he can raise him from the dead, and the people say they would even burn Simon. Simon goes to the body and shows it lifting its head and moving it, opening its eyes, and slightly bowing to him. The people get wood ready to burn Peter, but Peter rebukes them for being bewitched by Simon’s trickery. He says that if he were truly raised, he would get up and tell the mourners to stop and act normal. The people then say that they will burn Simon after Peter raises the man, but Peter stops them and says they shouldn’t burn Simon until after he refuses to convert—they shouldn’t repay evil for evil, and they ought to give even Simon a chance. Peter prays, and the young man is raised from the dead. The young man says that he saw Jesus speak to Peter and tell him, “Bring him here, for he belongs to me.” Peter is encouraged. He tells everyone to repent and take communion so they can have eternal life. They then go to Marcellus’ house on the day after the Sabbath, and Peter gives money to virgins.

The Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Peter

30 (1). One Sunday, Peter is encouraging the brethren, and a very rich woman, Chryse, says she heard God tell her that she owes Peter 10,000 pieces of gold and ought to give it to him. She gives him the money, and Peter praises God for having money to give to the poor. The people question how he could do it since she commits adultery a lot, but Peter laughs and says that she brought it as a debtor to Christ to give to his servants.

31-32 (2-3). Peter begins healing many people. However, Simon promised people that he could persuade Peter to deny God, and he performs a lot of tricks: making some spirits that look alive, appearing to cure the blind for some time, and other similar things. The Romans lose their interest in him, so he goes to fly up above and around Rome, telling Peter that his God ought to manifest himself if he is true because Simon is already showing his power. Peter then cries out to Jesus to ask that he fall down and becomes cripled (but doesn’t die). Simon falls down and is cripled. One of his major supporters rejects him as “the power of God” and goes to follow Peter, who accepts him. Simon has an operation and dies.

33-34 (4-5). Peter gives thanks and teaches people about abstinence. 4 of Agrippa the prefect’s concubines repent and stop sleeping with Agrippa. Agrippa becomes angry and swears to destroy them and burn Peter alive, but the women don’t care to suffer for Jesus. Then, a beautiful woman, who is the wife of a friend of the emperor, hears Peter and stops sleeping with her husband, Albinus. Albinus tells Agrippa, and they agree to destroy Peter and get their wives back.

35-36 (7-8). Albinus’ wife hears of the plans he made with Agrippa to destroy Peter and tells him, but Peter says he doesn’t want to desert them. The people tell him he can serve the Lord if he leaves, so he goes out. However, Peter sees Jesus going into Rome, saying, “I go to Rome to be crucified.” Peter asks if he’s going to be crucified again, and he says he will, and ascends. Peter then returns to Rome, rejoicing that he himself will be crucified. He tells the brethren and is arrested by Agrippa’s guards as he is encouraging them.

37 (8). When Peter comes to his cross to be crucified, he says,

“I will declare thee, what thou art: I will not keep silence of the mystery of the cross which of old was shut and hidden from my soul. Let not the cross be unto you which hope in Christ, this which appeareth: for it is another thing, different from that which appeareth, even this passion which is according to that of Christ. And now above all, because ye that can hear are able to hear it of me, that am at the last and final hour of my life, hearken: Separate your souls from every thing that is of the senses, from every thing that appeareth, and does not exist in truth. Blind these eyes of yours, close these ears of yours, put away your doings that are seen.” He then asks to be hanged with his head downwards.

38-39 (9-10). After being hung on the cross upside down, Peter continues:

“Learn ye the mystery of all nature, and the beginning of all things, what it was. For the first man, whose race I bear in mine appearance, fell head downwards, and showed forth a manner of birth such as was not heretofore: for it was dead, having no motion. He, then, being pulled down -who also cast his first state down upon the earth- established this whole disposition of all things, being hanged up an image of the creation wherein he made the things of the right hand into left hand and the left hand into right hand, and changed about all the marks of their nature, so that he thought those things that were not fair to be fair, and those that were in truth evil, to be good. Concerning which the Lord saith in a mystery: Unless ye make the things of the right hand as those of the left, and those of the left as those of the right, and those that are above as those below, and those that are behind as those that are before, ye shall not have knowledge of the kingdom.

This thought, therefore, have I declared unto you; and the figure wherein ye now see me hanging is the representation of that man that first came unto birth. Ye therefore, my beloved, and ye that hear me and that shall hear, ought to cease from your former error and return back again. For it is right to mount upon the cross of Christ, who is the word stretched out, the one and only, of whom the spirit saith: For what else is Christ, but the word, the sound of God? So that the word is the upright beam whereon I am crucified. And the sound is that which crosseth it, the nature of man. And the nail which holdeth the cross-tree unto the upright in the midst thereof is the conversion and repentance of man.”

Then, Peter dies.

40-41. Marcellus goes to take Peter down from the cross, bathe him in milk and wine, and bury him in his marble coffin with tens of pounds of spices. Then Peter comes to him at night and asks if Marcellus knew that Jesus said to “let the dead bury their own” and asks why he was then tending to him if he knew it. When Nero hears that Peter died, he blames Agrippa for killing him without knowing, because he wanted to punish Peter even more. He becomes angry, stops talking to Agrippa, and thinks of how to punish Peter’s disciples. Then, a person strikes him at night and tells him he can’t persecute or destroy Christ’s servants. Nero is afraid and leaves his disciples alone.