Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
PASSION 1
PROLOGUE TO THE ACTS OF PONTIUS PILATE (ALSO KNOWN AS THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS)
Jerusalem? {I am Ananias, an officer of the Praetorian
guard. And as one who is well-versed in the Law, I learned of Jesus Christ through the
holy writings, which I read with an unwavering trust, and was deemed worthy to receive holy
baptism. And I looked high and low for reports that had been made by the Jews, who during
and after the time of our Lord Jesus Christ, had written them under orders from Pontius
Pilate himself. I found these accounts written in the original Hebrew during the seventeenth
year of our Emperor Flavius Theodosius, the sixth year of the ninth indiction of the Nobility
of Flavius Valentinianus, and have translated them into Greek both to please God and to
enlighten all who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For this very reason, all of you who read this account and copy it into other books,
think of me and pray on my behalf, that God might be kindly disposed toward me and forgive
all of the sins that I have committed against Him. Peace to all who read this book and come
to hear what it has to say, and to those who serve them as well. Amen.
Now these are the things that Nicodemus recorded with regard to the deeds of the chief priests
and the rest of the Jews after the Lord had suffered on the cross. He handed them over
on the twenty-fifth of March, four years into the two hundred and second Olympiad, eight
days prior to the month of April. This same Nicodemus, during the nineteenth year of the
reign of Emperor Tiberius of Rome, translated these accounts into the Hebrew tongue. This
coincides with the nineteenth year of the reign of Herod, king of Galilee, which was
during the consulate of Rufus and Rubellio, when the Jewish high priest was Joseph Caiaphas.}
JESUS BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN (John 18:12 14, 19 24; Matt 26:57 68;
Mark 14:53 65; Luke 22:63 71; POxy 1224:4) Jerusalem
Together, the soldiers, the Captain of the Thousand, and the officers seized Jesus, tied
him up, and led him away to Annas first, since he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, that year’s
high priest. Caiaphas, you see, was the one who had counseled the Jews, "Better that one
man should die than the entire nation." The high priest then examined Jesus with regard
to his students and his teaching. "I spoke plainly and openly before the world," Jesus
replied. "I was forever in the synagogue and the temple, speaking where the Jews perpetually
convene. I never spoke anything in secret, so why are you interrogating me? Why not ask
the ones who heard me teach what I said?" And when he heard this, one of the officers
standing nearby struck Jesus and shouted, "Is this the way you answer the high priest?"
"If I spoke amiss," Jesus replied, "kindly tell me where I misspoke, but if I spoke the
truth, how can you justify hitting me?" So Annas forwarded him to Caiaphas, the high
priest. Those arresting Jesus seized him and led him away still bound into the house of
the high priest Caiaphas, where all of the chief priests, teachers of the law, and elders
had gathered together. The high-ranking priests and the entire Sanhedrin were looking for
false testimony to use against Jesus in order to bring about his execution. But even though
many pretenders stepped up and put forth false statements about him, they were unable to
produce any. Their stories, you see, did not agree with one another. Then at last two rose
to their feet, came forward and hurled this false accusation against him: "Both of us
heard him say, ‘I can (and) will destroy this temple that was built through manual
labor, and in three days raise up in its place one not made with the hands of men.’" But
even the testimonies of these two were not in perfect accord.
Then the high priest stood up in the sight of all and examined Jesus: "Are you not going
to respond? What can all of the things that these men have testified against you possibly
mean? not answering? What are you repudiating, anyway?
What is this new doctrine they claim that you teach? What is this brand new message
that you are preaching? Explain and " But Jesus held his
peace and gave no response. Once again the high priest examined him: "I order you to
swear by the Living God: Tell us plainly, are you the Messiah, the Son of the Holy God?"
"Indeed I am," answered Jesus. "This is what you say yourselves! And to all of you I say
that one day you are going to see the Son of Man coming from the sky on clouds, seated
to the right hand of Power." Then the high priest ripped his clothing. "His words are
blasphemous!" he argued. Then he said, "What need have we of further witnesses? Listen
up, now that you have heard his blasphemy, are you ready to render your verdict?" "He
ought to be put to death!" they all replied. So each of them passed sentence against him
as one deserving the death penalty. Then some of the men guarding Jesus started taunting
him: they blindfolded him, spit into his face, beat him, and punched him with their fists.
Still others slapped him and demanded: "Hey, Christ, why not prophesy to us! Which of us
punched you?" Then the officers took him and drubbed him.
PETER’S DENIALS (Matt 26:58, 69 75; Mark 14:54, 66 72;
Luke 22:54b 62; John 18:15 18, 25 27; AcPt 7)
Jerusalem Simon Peter and another disciple were following
after Jesus. Now because the high priest knew about this follower, he went ahead and accompanied
Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter had to wait outside at the door.
The other disciple, the one that the high priest knew about, returned and spoke to the
girl who was posted there and brought Peter in with him. But Peter followed at a distance
all the way to the court of the high priest. But after some people had gotten a fire going
in the midst thereof, and all of them had seated themselves around it, Peter went right
in and sat down alongside them to see how things would turn out, and he basked in the
warmth of the fire. Now Peter was sitting there openly, and a
servant girl spotted him sitting in the firelight below. And after looking at him closely she
said, "This man was with him." Then one of the servants of the high priest, the girl
who was assigned to the door, came up to him and looked him over carefully. "You were right
at the side of that Nazarene, Jesus of Galilee," she accused him. "You are another of that
man’s followers, aren’t you?" But he denied Jesus before them all, saying, "I am not!
Not only do I not know him, Lady, but I do not so much as know or understand what you
are saying!" And he slipped away to another spot over by the entrance, and the *** crowed.
Now the servants and officials were keeping warm together around a fire they had kindled
on account of the chill, and Peter stood right there warming himself alongside them. And
again another servant girl saw him there and informed those who were standing nearby, "This
man was with Jesus of Nazareth. He is one of them!" And a little while later, as Simon
Peter stood basking in the warmth, someone else accused him, "You are assuredly another
of his students." "Mister," Peter answered, "I am not!" "You most certainly are!" And
he denied it again with an oath: "I do not even know that man!"
And about an hour or so after that, another one of them affirmed, "There can be no question,
this man had to have been with him, for he is a Galilean." And a short time later, those
who were standing nearby went up to Peter and said, "You have got to be one of them!
Behold, your Galilean accent gives you away." And Peter answered him, "Mister, I do not
know what you are saying!" One of the servants of the high priest, someone related to the
man whose ear Peter had cut off, demanded, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?"
And once again Peter denied it, calling all manner of curses down upon himself. And he
offered this testimony before them all: "I don’t even know this man that you’re talking
about!" And right then, even as he was saying all of this, the *** crowed a second time.
Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter called to mind the word that the
Lord had spoken to him, "Today, before the *** crows twice, you will deny me three times."
And after thinking it through, he went out and started sobbing bitterly.
Precious brothers, I denied our Lord Jesus Christ not once, but three times. Still, all
of those who cornered me were vicious dogs, as the Lord’s prophet had foretold. Even
so, the Lord did not hold it against me. Not at all, but out of his compassion for the
weakness of my flesh, he turned and looked at me, prompting me to pour forth bitter tears.
And I deeply regretted my lack of faith; how could I have been so taken in by the devil
as to turn my back on my Lord’s word? You men and brothers who are gathered together
in the name of Jesus Christ, I am telling you now that Satan, that deceiver, also shoots
his arrows at you, that he might lead you all astray. Never be wanting for faith, my
brothers, nor ever waver in your mind. You ought instead to strengthen yourselves. Show
some resolve and do not doubt. For if Satan was able to undermine and bring down someone
like myself, whom the Lord regarded so highly, even to the point where I denied the light
of my hope, convincing me to back down as though the one I believed in were some mere
mortal, what do you suppose that he will do to you who are new to this? Do you think that
he will not tear you down and turn you into enemies of God’s kingdom, dragging you all
down to destruction? Everyone he manages to rob of his assurance in our Lord Jesus Christ,
you see, becomes forevermore a child of destruction. Therefore, my brothers--those who have been
chosen by the Lord--turn yourselves around and be securely founded on the Lord Almighty,
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom no one has ever seen, nor indeed can any behold
whose faith is not in him. Recognize where this seduction that has lured you came from.
You see, I did not come to convince you with mere words that the one I preach to you is
the Messiah, but through faith in Jesus to urge you on instead by supernatural powers
and deeds. Let none of you hold out for any other ‘savior’ besides him who was despised,
whom the Jews assailed; this Nazarene who was crucified, and died, and rose again on
the third day.