The Apocalypse of Paul Overview

THE APOCALYPSE OF PAUL / “VISIO PAULI”

• Date: ~250

• Claimed Author: Paul (later found and copied by Theodosius)

• Sect: Orthodox (and ascetic)

• Provence: Egypt

• Original Language: Greek

• References: Augustine, Prudentius, Sozomen, The Gelasian Decree, the List of Sixty Books, Origen?

• Paul’s popular mention of knowing someone who was “caught up into the third heaven” is well known to be him referring to himself speaking in the third person—while many today think Paul had a near death experience, he is most likely referring to a more popular phenomenon in his a day: an apocalypse—this apocalypse is certainly inspired by that verse

pgs. 620-644 & https://wesley.nnu.edu/sermons-essays-books/noncanonical-literature/noncanonical-literature-apocryphal-nt-apocalypse/apocalypse-of-paul-summary/

1-2. It opens up directly, saying 2 Corinthians 12:1-5 before going on to talk about his apocalypse. It then goes on to talk about a nobleman to whom an angel appears at night and tells him to open the foundations of his house and publish what he finds under it. He opens it and finds a box with the revelation of Saint Paul and the shoes Paul walked in to teach the Word of God. He sends it to Emperor Theodosius, who has a copy sent to Jerusalem and keeps the original.

3-6. Paul describes being snatched up to the third heaven and the Word of the Lord coming to him, saying, “Speak to the people, ‘How long will you transgress, and heap sin upon sin, and tempt the Lord who made you?’” God speaks of how he created humans to rule all the other creatures, and yet humans are the only creatures that don’t obey him. The sun comes to God, saying that it sees human injustice and asking if it should use its powers to deal with them according to their sins, but God tells it to hold off because he waits patiently for humans to repent; this repeats with the moon and stars coming next, then the sea, then the waters, then the earth.

7. There is an injunction to praise God because humans sin—they should especially praise God when the sun sets because that’s when the angels go to worship God and show him the works of everyone from the morning until evening; the same thing happens first thing in the morning with the sunrise. This explains why Christians might have two prayer times: evening and morning.

8-9. The angels are then described as coming to God, with the Spirit meeting them and asking them where they bring their burdens of tidings from. They say that they come from those who renounced the world and who weep and wail. These angels mourn with them and offer themselves to minister. God then says that His “well-beloved Son shall be present with them…ministering also to them, never deserting them.” The angels are shown as mourning with Christians who mourn because of persecution and the difficulty of the world. God says that His Son is with them even in that.

10. A second set of angels come, questioned by the Spirit again about where they came with the burdens of the ministry of the tidings of the world. They say that they came from those calling on his name, but they are always doing wretched things and don’t have any pure prayer in their whole life. They ask what the point is of being with sinful men. God commands them to continue ministering until they repent, but if they don’t he’ll judge them.

11-12. Paul’s angel tour guide says he will show him where the just go to rest and the abyss where the sinners go. He sees oblivion under the firmament of heaven and many sinful spirits. He sees scary angels who are destined for the souls who do not believe or hope in God as their helper. He then looks up and sees meek and pitying angels sent to bring up the prayers of those who believe in God as their helper.

13-14. The tour-guide angel brings Paul up to see all the small and helpless humans. There is a great cloud of fire over the whole world that the angel explains is “injustice stirred up by the prince of sinners.” Paul then weeps, but the angel says he will take him to see what happens to the just and sinners. First, he shows him a weak man about to die. The angel says he is a just man. The holy and impious angels come to him, but the latter find no place to inhabit him, so the holy angels take him up. One tells the soul to remember his body for the resurrection, and another kisses it and encourages it, and one angel who had watched it every day encourages it as well. They go up to worship God with the cherubim, seraphim, and 24 elders.

15-16. Paul then sees a person who ate and drank and pleased himself, denying that there would be a judgment. As it dies, holy and impious angels come to it, but the holy angels find no place in it, so the impious angels curse it and take the soul, telling it to remember the body so it can return to receive its due for its impurities in the resurrection. The angel who had reported all his works to the Lord tells him how he had done so. He says that he wouldn’t have ministered to him had the Lord who has mercy and pity not commanded him to. The angel afflicts the soul, and it receives a burden as it comes up to heaven. The spirit of fornication, as well as other powers ask why it rushes to heaven since it doesn’t have “a holy helper”. They go before God, and the angel guiding them tells the others to weep with him because he found no rest in the soul. This angel then tells God that he was with the soul and never found rest in it. Then God asks where his fruit is. “Did I not make the sun to arise upon you as upon the just?” The soul stays silent because it can’t say anything, and it is taken to the angel Tartaruchus to be cast into outer darkness. At the same time, all the angels and archangels proclaim God as the just judge.

17-18. Paul then sees a soul led forth by two angels, weeping and crying out that he had been out of his body for seven days. God asks what he did, because he didn’t show mercy or do acts of compassion. He tells the soul to confess his sins. He says he didn’t sin, but God is angered and asks why he thinks he’s still in the world where he can conceal his sins against his neighbor from him. An angel then shows God all the soul’s sins until it was 10-years-old and offers to reveal sins for him until 15 years. God says he doesn’t want the sins up until 15 years because he wouldn’t have counted any of his sins if he had repented five or even one year ago. This sinner’s angel then asks to have souls shown. God asks what the sinner did to them, and he confesses to having killed one, fornicated with one another, and stolen their stuff. He is then sent to Tartarus as the angels proclaim God’s just judgment.

19-20. Paul is brought up to the third heaven and sees a golden door with golden letters over them with the names of the just on earth written on them. Paul then goes into the gate of Paradise and meets an old man whose face shines like the sun, who comes to embrace and kiss him. He then weeps because many “they” are hurt by many people who don’t perceive the good things God prepares. Paul asks who this is, and his angel says it is Enoch, the Scribe of Righteousness. Paul then meets Elijah, who rejoices and acknowledges Paul’s many works. Paul sees the two people who had been caught up into Heaven: Enoch and Elijah. Enoch is given the title “Scribe of Righteousness” as he has in 1 Enoch.

21. An angel tells him he is about to show him things that he can’t tell anyone on earth. He then hears words “which it is not lawful for a man to speak.” He is then taken to the second heaven and sees that it was laid on the river, which waters all the earth (that is, the ocean). He sees that the land is seven times brighter than silver. After asking, Paul finds out that this is the land promised to the Meek in the beatitudes; when Jesus comes again, he will dissolve the first earth and reveal this new earth as Jesus is manifested and reigns in it with all his saints for 1,000 years. This refers to when Paul says he heard inexpressible words, as he said in 2 Corinthians 12:4. The beatitude in Matthew 5:5 about the meek inheriting the earth is interpreted as referring to the new earth. This also assumes a premillennial interpretation of Revelation where Jesus has not yet established his millennial kingdom.

22. Paul then sees a land with a river flowing with milk and honey, and many trees by it that are all full of 10,000 fruits. He sees grapevines with 10,000 plants that have 10,000 bunches with 1,000 grapes. The tour guide angel says that the souls Paul sees in this land are those who had marriage vows, but the virgins and those who were afflicted for God will have it seven times better. The angel then leads him to a place with waters whiter than milk. The angel explains that this is “the Acherusian Lake where is the City of Christ”, but only after those who repent and bear fruit are brought out of the body, worship God, and are taken by the angel Michael to be baptized in this lake, are they led to the City of Christ.

23. The angel then takes Paul in a golden ship with 3,000 angels to go to the City of Christ. When they arrive, people rejoice over Paul. The city is all gold, has 12 walls, 12 towers around it, and 12 towers around inside; the distance of each of the 12 walls is “as much as there is between the Lord God and the men who are on the earth”. There are also four rivers encircling it: one of honey, called Pishon, one of milk, the Euphrates, one of wine, the Gihon, and one of wine, the Tigris.

24. Paul sees very high trees in front of the doors and some men who lament as others enter the city. The trees are also sorry and bow down and become straight again before them. Paul asks about why this happens. The angel responds:

“The whole time which these men passed on earthm they zealously served God, but on account of the shame and reproaches of men for a time they blushed and humbled themselves, but they were not saddened, nor did they repent that they should desist from the pride which was in them. This is why the trees humble themselves and again are raised up…Because of the great goodness of God [that they are allowed into the doors of the city], and because this is the entrance of his saints entering this city: for this reason they are left in this place, but when Christ the King Eternal enters with his saints, all the righteous may pray for them, and then they may enter into the city along with them; yet none of them is able to have the same confidence as those who humbled themsevles, serving the Lord God all their lives.”

25-28. Paul is led to the river of honey and sees Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Micah, Zechariah, and the other minor prophets (those who were afflicted and did God’s will instead of their own were brought here). Paul then sees the infants that Herod slew when he tried to kill Christ by the river of milk (everyone who keeps chaste and pure goes here); he then sees Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Lot, Job, and the other saints by the river of wine, and he is greeted by them (everyone who shows hospitality to others goes here). He then goes to the river of oil and sees men rejoicing and singing Psalms there (everyone who has no pride but praises and rejoices in God in their whole hearts goes here).

29. Paul then goes to the City of Christ and sees higher walls within the city and asks why some walls are higher than others. The angel says it is this way up to 12 times because anyone with even a little slander or pride—“something of his glory would be made void even if they were in the City of Christ”. Paul then sees 12 men on thrones near the 12 gates with golden diadems and gens, but then sees 12 men on thrones who have greater glory. The angel explains that these “knew neither Scripture nor psalms, but mindful of one chapter of the commands of God,…they acted with much diligence…Wait and see how these unlearned men who know nothing more have merited so great and beautiful a garment and so great glory on account of their innocence.” Paul then seees a great altar in the middle of the city with someone standing hnear it who looks like the sun and has a psalter and harp and sings “Alleluia!” with a voice that fills the city. Then everyone on the towers and gates responds “Alleluia!” The angel explains that this is David and that he will go before Jesus when he comes again singing psalms with the righteous responding “Alleluia!” Paul asks why David gets to lead the saints in singing Psalms. The angel explains that David sings “in the hour of the oblation of the body and blood of Christ” in the seventh heaven and “as it is performed in heaven, so also on earth.”

30. Paul asks what Alleluia is, and the angel explains that it is Hebrew, “the language of God and angels”, and its meaning is “tecel cat marith macha”, which he explains means “Let us all bless him together”. He then says that everyone who doesn’t sing Alleluia with someone else when they sing it, they sin.

31. The angel takes Paul outside the city and over past the ocean, which supports the foundations of heaven, to a place with only darkness and sorrow. Paul sees a river of boiling fire with men and women in it up to their knees, navel, lips, or hair. Paul asks about each of these, and the angel says those in the fire are there because “They are neither hot nor cold…for those spent the time of their life on earth passing some days in prayer, but others in sins and fornications.” Those with fire to their knees where those would go “occupy themselves with idle disputes” right after church; those with fire up to navel went to fornicate and do sins although they had taken the body and blood of Christ; those with fire up to their lips slander each other in the church of God; those with it up to their eyebrows “nod to each other and plot spite against their neighbor.”

32. Paul sees a place with various punishments with pits reaching 3,000 cubits, and full of many souls asking God to pity them. Paul asks, and the angel explains that these are those who wouldn’t trust in God as their helper. Paul says that the pits wouldn’t hold them unless they were deeper, but the angel explains that “The Abyss has no measure” and that it would take hours for a stone to reach the bottom, and a soul would “hardly reach the bottom in fifty years.”

33. When Paul hears this, he weeps. The angel asks why he weeps: “Are you more merciful than God? For though God is good, he knows that there are punishments, and he patiently bears with the human race, allowing each one to do his own will in the time which he dwells on the earth.”

34-46. Paul sees Tartaruchian angels who use an iron instrument with three hooks to pierce the bowels of an old man. He asks who he is, and the angel explains that he was a presbyter [elder] who had been eating and drinking and fornicating as “he offered the host to the Lord at his holy altar.” He sees another man being tortured so that he can’t even cry for pity and finds out he was a bishop who didn’t pity widows and orphans, but received the honor of his title. Then he sees a deacon punished and crying, but finds that he “devoured the oblations and committed fornication and did not do right in the sight of God.” He then sees an angel using a razor to cut the lips and tongue of a man who “was a reader and read to the people, but he himself did not keep the precepts of God.”

37-39. Paul sees those who exacted extra interest, those who didn’t attend to the Word of God, those who did magic, those who committed adultery, defiled virgins, those who harmed the poor, those who broke their fasts before the appointed time, those “who committed the iniquity of Sodom and Gomorrah, the male with the male”, and others being tortured.

40. Paul then sees women and men on fiery pillars and being torn apart by beasts without being able to ask for pity. An angel torments them a lot. The angel explains that “These are women who defiled the image of God by bringing forth infants out of the womb, and these are the men who lay with them. And their infants addressed the Lord God and the angels who were set over the punishments, saying, ‘Avenge us of our parents, for they defiled the image of GOd, having the name of God but not observing his precepts; they gave us for food to dogs and to be trodden on by swine; others they threw into the river.’” These infants are given to angels of Tartarus to be set over punishments and are brought to “a spacious place of mercy.” He sees others tortured by dragons who didn’t pity widows or orphans or “offer an oblation” or pray. Paul weeps a lot. The angel again asks why he weeps and if he thinks he’s more merciful than God. He says he’ll show him worse punishments than even those.

41. The angel brings him to a well of hell with seven seals and tells the angel in charge to open it. The angel opens it, and an indescribably bad stench comes up. The well is only big enough for one person to pass through at a time, and the angel explains that whenever a person is put into the well and it is sealed, no remembrance of the person will be made before the Father, the Son, and the angels. Paul asks who is put in there, and the angel explains that those who deny Christ coming in the flesh, that the Virgin Mary brought him forth, and those who say that “the bread and cup of the Eucharist of blessing are not the body and blood of Christ.” Paul then sees men and women gnashing their teeth in intense cold snow with three-foot-long double-headed worms. Paul weeps and exclaims that it would be better for humans to have never been born because of how sinful they are. Then the people suffering see him and weep. Then, Michael the Archangel descends with other angels. Michael explains that he sees human evil and continues to pray to God for him to send rain, grow crops, and so on. Michael says that he will weep, and the angels with him, and maybe God will pity them. The Son of God descends and explains how, throughout his crucifixion, these people never had mercy on him when he gave himself for them, and yet they ask for mercy. He says, however, that for Michael the Archangel and for Paul, he will have mercy and let their punishment cease for one night and day. The people bless and thank him.

45-46. The angel takes Paul to Paradise and shows him the four rivers that run from a tree. The angel explains how the Spirit hovered over the waters and rested in that tree when everything was invisible. When the Spirit blows, it makes the waters flow. He then shows him the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. Then the Virgin Mary comes with hundreds of angels and says how many can’t wait to see Paul because, as she explains, she is the first person to greet anyone who enters the kingdom. When new people enter the Kingdom of God, people ask them how they got there, and they explain that Paul had preached to them.

47-51. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and his twelve sons all come to meet Paul. Then Moses comes to meet him. Moses weeps and explains his sorrow that Israel saw his virtue and how the work he did counted as nothing, but the uncircumcised entered into the kingdom of God. He explains how he and all the Patriarchs and angels wept when they saw the people hang Jesus on the cross. He then blesses Paul. Then Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, then Lot, then Job, then Noah, and finally Elijah and Elishah all bless him. Each of them has their own angel who assists them and sings a hymn. When Noah meets him, he explains how everyone mocked him as he built the ark, saying that it was the time to sin freely and do fornication, since God wouldn’t judge them or send a flood. However, Noah built the ark anyway: his tunic didn’t wear out, and his hair didn’t grow at all the whole 100 years he spent building the ark.

(Syriac: The angel then tells Paul to make his revelation known to people. Paul returns, writes the revelation, and hides under the foundation of some faithful man in Tarsus).