The Gospel of Nicodemus Overview

THE ACTS OF PILATE

• Date: 400-600

• Claimed Author: Ananias (collecting records written by Nicodemus)

• Sect: Coptic

• Original Language: Greek; claims Hebrew

• References: Justin Martyr?

• Although it was written in the fifth or sixth century, Epiphanius refers to details found in it, so it seems that there were some traditions floating around long before they were written down (and then edited and passed around)

• Christ’s Descent into Hell and the Acts of Pilate first started as entirely different texts written by entirely different authors, but they were eventually connected in Latin manuscripts

• Legends about Pontius Pilate became very popular in the Middle Ages and inspired other legends about Christ’s “Harrowing of Hades”, the Holy Grail, and Joseph of Arimathea

pgs. 170-185 & https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelnicodemus.html

1:1. When the Jews accuse Jesus of many things, Pilate asks how Jesus profanes the Sabbath or casts out demons if he is Beelzebub. Pilate is shown as not being as bad of a person, but even using arguments similar to what Jesus himself uses in the Canonical Gospels.

1:2. Pilate asks how he can judge Jesus if Jesus is a king and even claims it himself. Pilate knows full well not only that Jesus claims to be a king, but even that he is one.

1:2-3. Pilate asks for a servant to gently bring Jesus before him; the servant puts his scarf on the ground in front of Jesus to walk on it and calls him Lord. Pilate is shown as being gentle and humble, even in calling Jesus to come to him.

1:5-6. When Jesus enters to see Pilate, the royal flags with images and images themselves bow before him. The Jews accuse the guards holding the flags of making them bow, so Pilate asks them, and they say they are Greeks who worship idols, so there’s no reason for them to fake the bowing. Pilate then tests it by having Jesus enter through a second time and having the multiple of the strongest guards hold the flags…once again, they bow. Jesus is shown to be so holy here that even the images on the flags bow before him. This is also like when the Ark of the Covenant is brought into the Philistine pagan temples, and the idols fall down in front of it.

2:1-2. Right when Pilate sees the images bowing to Jesus during his test, his wife sends to him to tell him not to deal with Jesus because of her terrifying dream. Pilate reminds the Jews that his wife is also a pious Jew, and so he should stop, but the Jews accuse Jesus of using sorcery to give her the dream. Pilate then asks why Jesus doesn’t respond to the people’s testimony against him. This explains why Pilate decides to go through with judging Jesus despite his wife’s dream.

2:3-5. The Jews say Jesus was born from fornication, his birth caused the death of the holy innocents, and that Mary and Joseph fled into Egypt because they had no status. Some pious Jews who were at Mary and Joseph’s betrothal (Lazarus is named as one of them) then deny that he was born of fornication. There were Jews who had known and witnessed that Mary and Joseph didn’t give birth to Jesus in fornication.

4:1-2. After telling the Jewish leaders to “see to it”, he summons the priests and Levites to tell them not to do anything because Jesus doesn’t deserve death. Pilate is shown to not be as bad of a person because, although he gave Jesus over to be punished, he nonetheless tells some of the leaders to prevent it.

4:3. Pilate asks Jesus what should be done to him, and Jesus says, “As it was given to you.” Pilate asks, “How was it given?” to which Jesus answers, “Moses and the prophets foretold my death and resurrection.” Jesus here tells Pilate to have him killed to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy.

5:1-2. Nicodmus comes up and says that Jesus did great things that no one has ever done and doesn’t deserve death. The Jews say Nicodemus was Jesus’ disciple and spoke on his behalf; Nicodemus asks, “Has the governor also become his disciple, and speaks on his behalf? Did not Caesar appoint him to this high office?” and the Jews gnash their teeth. Nicodemus is shown as openly testifying for Jesus to Pilate and against the Jewish mob, in contrast to his shyer self in the canonical narratives, only making moves in the evenings.

6:1-7:1. A bunch of healed sick people speak up and testify for Jesus, but the Jews point out that Jesus healed some of them on the Sabbath and even tell one of them that their law doesn’t allow the woman to testify in court. There are more people at Jesus’ court appearance than just the angry Jewish mob.

9:1-2. The Jews tell Pilate that he is not Caesar’s friend if he releases Jesus, since Jesus called himself the Son of God and king, and Pilate gets angry and tells them that they are a rebellious and seditious nation. When the Jews ask what benefactors they had rebelled against, Pilate says he heard of the Exodus story and how they made the golden calf, and Moses offered up his life to save the people. Pilate is shown to be angry and not afraid of being accused of possibly being an enemy of Caesar. Pilate also connects Jesus’ death to Moses, asking for God to destroy himself instead of all of rebellious Israel.

9:3-4. The Jews tell Pilate how Herod tried to kill Jesus when the wise men gave him gifts as if he were a king. Pilate asks Jesus if it's true, and he says it is; Pilate washes his hands and once again says he is innocent of the man. Pilate then says that he will hang Jesus in the garden where he was captured, next to the two thieves: Dysmas (the righteous one) and Gestas (the one who will mock him). Jesus is hung in the very garden where he was seized, perhaps to compare it to Eden and Jesus giving up his life in a garden?

10. The righteous centurion who acknowledged Jesus as righteous goes to Pilate to tell him everything that happened. He and his wife hear and don’t eat or drink. Pilate asks the Jews what happened, and they explain that there was some unusual eclipse. Pilate and his wife fast over Jesus’ death, perhaps like King Darius fasts as Daniel is in the lions’ den. Pilate is shown to mourn Jesus’ death and not just be a politician interested in saving his own neck (even though the Jews only think the darkened sky is just an unusual eclipse).

12:1. The Jews search for the 11 disciples, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea after Pilate gives him his body; however, all of them hide. Only Nicodemus and Joseph are found in the synagogue because they are Jewish leaders. This shows why the disciples hid after Jesus died and how the Jews still wanted to suppress the Jesus movement.

12:1. The Jews throw Joseph of Arimathea into prison and say they will kill him and not bury him on the first day of the week since the Sabbath was coming. Joseph tells them that they talk like Goliath, but that God says vengeance is His. He refers to Pilate as uncircumcised in flesh but circumcised in heart and as having given them to these Jews, whom Joseph says he fears will have children who will have God’s wrath because of their oath. The Jews then seal the door of Joseph’s windowless prison. Joseph of Arimathea is shown to be a courageous, very theologically literate man who stands up for Jesus even after his death. Joseph of Arimathea’s imprisonment is also set in parallel to Jesus’ own death: he also has the prison door sealed until the first day of the week. At the same time, Pilate is shown as not being evil in washing his hands and handing Jesus over to the Jewish leaders.

12:2. The Jews look for Joseph of Arimathea on the first day of the week so that they can kill him, but see that the door had been opened and he was nowhere to be found. Joseph of Arimathea is not found on the first day of the week in the same way that Jesus is resurrected, and the sealed stone is rolled away on that same day.

13. The guards come to the Jews just after they missed Joseph of Arimathea to tell them what had happened and how they heard Jesus’ conversation with the women who came to look for his body. The Jews ask them when it was that it happened and why the guards didn’t arrest the women, and the guards say they were like dead men in fear. The Jews say, “As the Lord lives, we do not believe you.” The guards say, “You saw so many signs in that man, and you did not believe; and how can you believe us? You rightly swore, ‘As the Lord lives’, for he does live… We have heard that you shut up the man who asked for the body of Jesus, and sealed the door, and that when you opened it you did not find him. Therefore give us Joseph and we will give you Jesus.” The Jews say Joseph went home, and the soldiers say Jesus rose from the dead, so the Jews pay the soldiers and tell them to say that the disciples stole the body. The guards and Jews are both explained to have known that Jesus rose from the dead (although the Jews still seem dubious), and there is an explanation for the Jews paying the guards off.

14:2-3. After hearing other Jews report Jesus’ ascension, the chief priests and synagogue rulers convene to ask why such a terrible sign came. Annas and Caiaphas say that the disciples gave money to the guards to lie about an angel coming down and rolling away the stone. The priests say, “Let it be that his disciples stole his body. But how did the soul enter again into the body, so that Jesus now waits in Galilee?” They can’t respond, so they just say they shouldn’t believe the uncircumcised soldiers. There is an even better explanation given for why the Jews don’t actually believe the soldiers even though they have good evidence: they only heard second-hand stories from non-Jews, whom they claim they can’t trust.

15:1-2. Nicodemus proposes to the council the story of Elisha: after Elijah ascended into heaven, the prophets told Elisha to search for him for 3 days, but they didn’t find him, so they knew that Elijah was taken up. Nicodemus says they should search for Jesus to see if he was taken up in the spirit and put on another mountain. Everyone agrees, and so they search every mountain, but they only find Joseph of Arimathea (and don’t dare seize him).
Jesus’ ascension is connected to Elijah’s. The Jews still search for Jesus post-Ascension and don’t find him, and so have proof that he ascended.

15:3-6. When no one can find Jesus after his ascension, the Jewish leaders write to Joseph of Arimathea asking for forgiveness and to have a meal with him. Over a meal, they ask what happened and how he escaped. He explains that at midnight, he had seen a flash of lightning and someone appeared to him. He recited the commandments, and the person recited the commandments with him (he explains that this is a test because phantoms will flee when you recite the commandments). Then he calls him Elijah, but he says that he is Jesus. Jesus then frees him but tells him to stay in his house for 40 days while he is with his brethren in Galilee.
Joseph of Arimathea explains his whole story while also showing why it wasn’t included in the Canonical Gospels (Jesus told him to hide in his house the whole time he was teaching his disciples post-Resurrection).

16. The Jewish leaders hear that some rabbis witnessed Jesus’ ascension. They get the rabbis together and interrogate them alone about his ascension. Since they all agree, they say that 3 people witnessed it, so it must be true. They then talk about how Enoch and Moses died, and no one knew what happened to them, and how he was cursed for hanging on a tree. They then conclude that Jesus is the Messiah and ask for God’s forgiveness, bless him, and sing hymns. Jesus is shown to be a greater Moses and Enoch.

CHRIST’S DESCENT INTO HELL

• Date: 400-600

• Author: Leucius and Karinus (in tradition)

• Sect: Coptic Christians

• References: Justin Martyr?

pgs. 185-204 & https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelnicodemus.html

1 (17). Joseph of Arimathea tells the Jews that they shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus rose from the dead, but that others arose with him: he names Simeon and his two sons (Karinus and Leucius). They hunt down this Simeon and his sons (Latin B: as they hunt for them, they find 12,000 resurrected men praising God for rising from the dead). They tell them to swear to tell the truth, so they cross their foreheads and begin to write the rest of the story (Latin B: they all go into separate cells to write the story so that the others can confirm that it is not made up). Joseph of Arimathea expected Jesus to resurrect, and there are witnesses for what Jesus did in Hades: in fact, there are 3 witnesses.

1 (17). (Latin B: Karinus and Leucius are asked by the Rabbis how they were raised from the dead, and they say Christ raised them and destroyed the games of Hell. They say that the Holy Spirit only permitted them to go so far and speak to specific people).
Christ’s harrowing of Hades is connected to his proclamation that the Gates of Hell will not prevail (in fact, they will be destroyed). An explanation is given for why there are so few sources on the others who rose from the dead when Jesus died.

2 (18). When Simeon was in Hades, at midnight, he saw a bright light like the sun's light. The patriarchs, prophets, and Abraham were all filled with joy, and Isaiah said that the light came from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit according to his prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-2. The prophets knew the Trinity, and Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy by shining his light in Hades after his death.

2 (18). (Latin A: Simeon says that he had taken Jesus up into his arms and rejoiced that he had prepared salvation in the sight of all people to be a light to the Gentiles and the glory of his people Israel). Simeon’s prophecy has fulfillment in Jesus descending to the dead to shine light on them and bring them up to glory.

3 (19). John the Baptist then comes and tells them who he is, and tells people to prepare to worship him, and says that idolaters should repent because after Jesus ascends from Hades, they cannot be saved. People’s last chance at salvation was Jesus’ harrowing of Hades.

3 (19). Adam tells Seth to tell the people about how he sent him when he died: Seth talks about going to Paradise to ask for oil to anoint Adam and save him from his sickness. The Angel of the Lord tells him that he can’t find it, but that after 5,500 years, God’s only begotten Son will become human on earth and anoint him. He will arise and wash him and his descendants with water and the Holy Spirit, and they will be healed of all their diseases. All the prophets and patriarchs then rejoice. Seth tells a story found in the pseudepigraphon “The Life of Adam and Eve.” The Angel of the Lord prophesied that Jesus would come in the year 5,500 of the world (making Usher’s aging of the earth wrong) and his baptism would heal people.

4 (20). Satan comes to Hades to tell him that he just incited the Jews to crucify Jesus and talks about how he undid all of his work in making people sick and crippled with just one word; he talks about how he heard him say, “I am sorrowful unto death”. Hades asks how they will withstand Jesus if he is that powerful and says that he is sorrowful unto death, it was only to make a mockery out of him. He says that Jesus will surely free all the dead from him. He explains how Jesus had just forced Lazarus out of his entrails and how his belly was in pain, and everyone who had died from the beginning was disquieted. Satan thinks that he has beaten Jesus, but Hades (another character) doubts it. Jesus’ claiming to be sorrowful unto death was just to trick Satan into thinking he could win.

4 (20). (Latin B: The saints, prophets, and patriarchs all meet up and talk about their prophecies and how Jesus is coming after Satan speaks to Hades to tell him that he was finishing killing Jesus. Satan hears them talking and trembles and tries to leave, but his minions and Hades hold him back, saying he should receive what he deserves). Satan is shown to shudder and try to leave as he figures out that he has actually lost.

5 (21). Just then, Satan and Hades hear a loud voice thundering, “Lift up your gates, O rulers, and be lifted up, O everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.” Hades tells Satan to withstand Jesus and tells his demons to secure all the gates. The prophets and patriarchs mock Hades by repeating to him the voice and telling him to open his gates. King David says that he prophesied that the gates would be opened (Psalm 24:7; Latin A has Psalm 107:16 instead: saying that God would crush the gates of brass and break the bars of iron). Isaiah says that he prophesied that “The dead shall arise, and those who are in the tombs shall be raised up, and those who are under the earth shall rejoice. O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (Isaiah 26:19; Hosea 13:14). The voice repeats to lift up the gates. Hades asks who the king of glory is, and the angels of the Lord reply, “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” David’s Psalm 24 and Isaiah 26:19 are shown to be a prophecy about Jesus harrowing Hades (and the one asking “Who is the King of Glory?” is interpreted as Hades). Isaiah claims that he prophesied Hosea 13:14. Then the King of Glory comes in as a man and lights up all of Hades. Hades cries out about how it has been defeated by the sinless, humble one and how Jesus destroyed all his power.”

5 (21). (Latin B: someone carrying a cross on his shoulder cries aloud from outside to open up so that he can come in. Satan opens a little to him and shuts the door after him. The saints ask him who he is, and he explains that he is the thief on the other cross who came as a herald to say that Jesus comes right after him. First, David gets inflamed with anger against Satan and shouts at him to open his gates, “most vile wretch, that the King of Glory may come in.” Then all the saints get up to try to take Satan and tear him into pieces). Although the thief on the cross was promised to be with Jesus in Paradise the same day, he is not holier than the saints, so he had to go to Hades to be with them first. All the saints get riled up at Satan and try to destroy him.

5 (21). (Latin A: Jesus breaks the indestructible chains and lightens the eternal darkness and comes to the deep darkness of trespasses and sins). Jesus does the impossible in harrowing Hades.

6 (22). Jesus takes Satan by the head and hands him to the angels, saying to bind him with irons and gives him to Hades and tells him to hold him until his second coming (Latin B: Jesus binds Satan by the neck, ties his hands behind his back, throws him into Tartarus, and then puts his foot on his throat). Jesus defeats the two enemies often recalled as his enemies in liturgies. He binds Satan until his second coming, implying that his millennial reign with Satan bound has begun.

6 (22). (Latin A: Jesus tramples Death). This statement is found in many liturgies.

6 (22). (Latin A: Jesus hands Satan over to Hades, and Hades asks Satan why he so foolishly had a righteous and powerful man killed. He says Satan will know what everlasting suffering and torment look like as he keeps him. Then Jesus says that Satan will be under Hades’ power in place of Adam). This explains why Hades now punishes Satan who he used to work with.

8 (24). Jesus takes the hand of Adam and raises him up, then tells the others to follow him. He says that they died through the tree which Adam touched, but he raised them again through the tree of the cross. Adam thanks Jesus, and he makes the sign of the cross on his forehead. He then leaps out of Hades as the holy fathers sing “Blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord. Alleluia. To him be the glory of the saints.” Jesus taking Adam by his hand and raising him up is found in Eastern Orthodox (and perhaps other liturgies). Death by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad is contrasted with life by the tree of the cross. Perhaps this praise sung by the holy fathers was used in the liturgy of the day?

8 (24). (Latin B: As Jesus takes saints into Paradise, he smites Hades and throws some into Tartarus; he also leaves “the sign of his holy cross” in the underworld “so that its most impious officers might not retain as an offender any one whom the Lord had absolved). Jesus not only brought up the faithful to Paradise, but condemned the unfaithful—he even left “the sign of his holy cross” so that future saints would also go up with him to Paradise.

9-10 (25-26). When those raised by Jesus enter into Paradise, they find Enoch and Elijah, who say they will stay there until they are sent to withstand the Antichrist, die, and be raised again. They also meet another man with a cross on his shoulder. They ask him who he is, and he explains that he is the thief on the cross who asked to be delivered, and Jesus said he would see him in Paradise. When he came to Paradise, he found Michael the Archangel and told him Jesus sent him to the gate. The flaming sword guarding the gate saw the sign of the cross and told him to wait a little bit for Adam to come in with the righteous. The thief on the cross explains how he didn’t enter Hades but waited just outside Paradise for one moment as Jesus harrowed Hades.

11 (27). (Latin A: Since they were not supposed to share certain things, the people testifying to Christ’s harrowing of Hades listened to Michael the archangel to go across the Jordan and wait, and they and everyone who had been resurrected were taken up into the clouds and weren’t seen by anyone). This explains why no one else knew about or saw those resurrected again.

11 (27). (Latin A: Joseph and Nicodemus go to the governor to tell him everything, and Pilate writes everything and keeps it public. Then, Pilate mentions that he heard about a great library in the Temple. He makes the Jews who had just heard from Simeon and his two sons swear to tell him whether or not Jesus is the Son of God. They explain everything that happened, as well as how Exodus 25:10 says that the Ark of the Covenant was to be 2.5 cubits long, 1.5 cubits wide, and 1.5 cubits tall: together, these 5.5 cubits showed them that Jesus would come 5,500 years after the creation of the world. They then do all the math to show how it adds up to their time). This explains how the 5,500 years are apparently found in the Hebrew Bible.

11 (27). (Latin B: The written story was only that of Karinus. The people all weep bitterly and flee—Pilate, Annas, Caiaphas, and all the religious leaders. They mourn and fast from bread and water for three days. They then come back to read Leucius’ writing and see that it's the same, to the letter. They lament for forty days and forty nights so that God has mercy on them. God does have mercy in that He doesn’t immediately destroy them, “but they were not worthy to turn to the Lord.”). This explains how Pilate and these religious leaders all heard the story and were sorrowful, but even then weren’t worthy to be saved entirely (But had their fasting and prayers heard inasmuch as God didn’t immediately destroy them).