The Questions of Bartholomew Overview

THE QUESTIONS OF BARTHOLOMEW

• Date: 100-600?

• Sect: Gnostic?

• Provence: Egypt?

• Original Language: Greek

pgs. 655-6668 & http://www.gnosis.org/library/gosbart.htm

I

1-9. Bartholomew asks Jesus to show him the mysteries of heaven. Bartholomew continues to explain how he saw angels come down to worship Jesus while he was on the cross, but after there was darkness, he only saw him vanish from the cross and heard a voice from under the earth, along with weeping and gnashing of teeth. He asks Jesus where he went from the cross.

10-20. Jesus calls Bartholomew blessed and explains how he went down to Hades. As he was 500 steps down, Hades was telling Beliar how he was coming, but Beliar insisted that it was probably Elijah or Enoch. The angels cried out that the doors should be removed: “Behold! The King of Glory comes down.” Hades says he feels God’s breath, but Beliar continues to insist that it's probably some other prophet. Jesus then came in, scourged Hades, and bound him with chains, taking out all the patriarchs with him.

21-27. Bartholomew explains how he saw the dead arising and worshipping Jesus while he was on the cross. He asks who it was that had great stature that the angels were carrying up in their hands. Jesus says it was Adam. Bartholomew then asks about a greater angel that he saw that would not ascend with the other angels, but sent fire out of his hands to the city of Jerusalem. Jesus explains that this was one of his “angels of vengeance”, whom he commanded to ascend, even though he wanted to destroy the powers of the world. The angel sent a flame out to rip the veil of the temple as a testimony to Israel that had crucified him.

30-35. Bartholomew asks how many souls depart out of the world daily. Jesus says it’s 30,000. Bartholomew asks how many of those 30,000 are found righteous. Jesus answers, “Hardly 53.” Then, Jesus vanishes.

II

1-12. Bartholomew goes with Peter, John, and Andrew to ask Mary how she bore “him that cannot be carried” and how she brought forth “so much greatness.” First, Mary says that if she told them, fire would come from her mouth and consume the whole world. Then, after they continue asking her, she says they should pray. The apostles go behind Mary, but Mary says, “The head of the man is Christ”, so they should go before her. Peter insists that she is the Lord’s tabernacle, and so she should go first. Mary says that they are the hills that the Psalmist in 121 lifted his eyes up to; God formed sparrows that looked like them and sent them to the four corners of the earth.” Peter still insists that, as God’s mother, she should go first.

13-20. Mary prays, asking God to allow her to speak to the apostles. She has them all sit down: Peter with his hand under one armpit, Andrew with his hand on the other, John holding her bosom, and Bartholomew with his knees against her back and holding her shoulders, “lest when [she] begin to speak [her] bones be loosed one from another.” She speaks of when she lived in the Temple and received food from an angel, another angel arrived and made a great earthquake and split the temple. A dew came from heaven and fell on all Mary, and the angel wiped her with his garment. He then made bread and wine appear on the altar and ate and drank it with her. He told her that he’d come back in 3 years to tell her that she’d conceive a son to save all creation.

22. As Mary says all this, fire comes from her mouth and almost destroys the world. Jesus appears and puts his hand over her mouth, telling her not to utter the mystery and destroy creation.

III

1-9. Jesus invites the apostles to ask him anything the week before he ascends. They ask to see the abyss. Jesus warns them that it wouldn’t be good, but takes them to a certain place, has angels roll up the earth like a scroll, and shows them the abyss. The apostles fall on their faces. Jesus says he told them so, and has angels cover the abyss again.

IV

1-6. Peter asks Mary to entreat the Lord to reveal things in the heavens to them. Mary says Peter is a “stone hewn out of the rock” that Jesus built his church upon. She tells him to ask. Peter says that she is a tabernacle, and so she should ask. She explains how Adam had the east side of Eden and Eve the west. Adam had the sun and Eve the moon. Because Eve sinned, the moon was covered with clay and is less bright. She then tells Peter that, being like Adam, he should go first. Again, Peter says that Mary undid the transgression of Eve, and so she should ask.

7-11. Bartholomew asks to see the adversary. Jesus calls him bold for asking “for that which [he is] not able to look upon.” Jesus warns Bartholomew that he and the other apostles and Mary will fall down like dead corpses if they see him. They still want to see him.

12-17. Jesus goes down from the Mount of Olives and looks wrathfully at the angels that keep Tartarus, and has Michael sound a trumpet in heaven. The earth quakes, and Beliar comes up, bound by 660 angels holding flaming chains. Belial is 1,600 cubits (2,400 feet) tall and 40 cubits (60 feet) wide; his face is like lightning, and his eyes are full of darkness. Stinky smoke comes from his nostrils, and he has wings. The apostles fall to the ground like they are dead. Jesus raises them and gives them “a spirit of power”. He tells Bartholomew to trample Satan’s neck and find out what his power is. Bartholomew tramples his neck.

18-24. Bartholomew is afraid and asks Jesus for part of his garment so he can have courage. Jesus says he can’t, because they aren’t the garments from before he was crucified. He tells him how he made spirits subject to Solomon. He then tells him to go and tread on his neck and ask him what his power is. Bartholomew makes the sign of the cross, Jesus following behind him. Bartholomew treads his neck, pressing his face into the earth, and asks him what his name and power is.”

25-36. Beliar explains how he was first “Satanael” (‘messenger of God’), but was changed to “Satanas” (keeper of Tartarus) after he rejected the image of God. He explains how he was created by fire first after the heavens; then was Michael, the chief of the angels, and then others. He then explains how there are 100 myriads of angels in each of the 7 heavens, and even others who work to control different aspects of nature.

37-45. Bartholomew asks how Satan leads men astray and to not follow God. He gnashes his teeth and has a wheel with a flaming sword, and pipes come up from the bottomless pit. He explains that the sword is for gluttons, the second pipe for backbiters, and the third hypocrites. He then explains how he has swift angels who hunt souls of men and entice them “with various tempting baits.” He explains how whenever any of his spirits wants to go forth by land or sea, the angels over nature (hail, snow, thunder, and lightning) send out fire at them.

48-51. Bartholomew falls on his face and asks Jesus to have mercy on sinners. Jesus tells Satan to arise and go back to his place with his angels. Jesus will show Bartholomew the rest.

52-57. Satan explains how he came to be: God had him go to the four corners of the earth to gather rods, while he had Michael help him make humanity in his image. When they finished, Michael bowed down to the human and told Satan to bow down when he returned. However, Satan said he was the first being made and was made of fire, so he refused to bow down to a being lesser than himself. They then asked the 600 angels under him if they’d bow down, and they refused.

58-59. Next, Satan woke up with his angels senseless. His son, Salpsan, told him how he could deceive men since he was cast out of heaven on their account. He explains how he went to wash himself in the spring from which the four rivers of Eden come. When Eve drank from it, desire came upon her.

60-71. Bartholomew commands Satan to go back to Tartarus. He then goes on praying to God to save the sinners. Jesus explains that he was sent down to anoint those who come to him and heal them of sin. Bartholomew asks if he can share this revelation. Jesus permits him to share it with those who can “Keep [the revelations] to themselves.” Bartholomew gives Jesus glory.

V

1-4. Bartholomew asks Jesus what the worst sins are. Jesus says, “hypocrisy and backbiting.” He says those who sin against the Holy Spirit can’t be forgiven. Bartholomew asks what the sin against the Holy Ghost is, and Jesus explains that it is when people “decree against any man who has served my holy Father.”

7-10. Bartholomew asks, “[I]f people sin with sin of the body, what is their reward?” Jesus says it is best not to marry except if the desire is strong. A single marriage is good, but “the third marriage is unworthy of God.” Jesus then ascends into heaven, and all the apostles praise him.