Post by rakovsky on Apr 18, 2019 11:47:28 GMT -5
The Gnostic "Apocalypse of Peter" comes to us in Coptic from the 4th century documents in the Nag Hammadi library. It was originally written in Greek, but it is much different from the Greek "Apocalypse of Peter" that some of the Church fathers respected.
(Question 1) What range of dates would you give it?
Wikipedia dates it to 100-200 AD (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnostic_Apocalypse_of_Peter), but the Early Christian Writings (ECW) site dates it to 200-255. The ECW site notes that the Coptic version is a translation from an earlier Greek version.
Andreas Werner writes:
Already in Cerinthus' Apocryphon of James (c.100 AD) one can see conflict between Cerinthus and the mainstream canonical Church, so I am skeptical about Werner's suggestion that the existence of conflict in the documents shows that it dates from c.200 AD.
On the other hand, the "Shepherd of Hermas" is dated to about 88-160 AD. This is because the Shepherd says for Clement to send copies of the "Shepherd" abroad, and Clement began his papacy in 88 AD. My guess is that the "Shepherd" was written in the mid-2nd century, which in turn suggests to me that the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter was written in the mid-2nd century or later.
Here is where the text appears to identify a Hermas who opposes the truth and sets up a law against what the text presents as Christ's teachings:
(Question 2) How separate are Christ the Savior and the suffering Jesus in the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter? Are they two fully separate persons?
The Orthodox and Catholic Churches, following the Councils of Nicea and Chalcedon, teach that Jesus and Christ are the same person with the same one soul, with both a human substances and a divine one, a person who took on flesh - a human, physical body - at His Incarnation. The Church came to call the idea that Christ is actually two persons (a divine one and a human one) "Nestorianism", and to call another belief, that Christ only appeared to be human or only appeared to suffer, "Docetism".
Some scholars seem to think that the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter considers Jesus Christ the Savior and the suffering Jesus to be two different persons with different, separate souls. Wikipedia considers the possibility that the text is Docetist:
Gerard Luttikhiuizen in his essay "The Suffering Jesus and the Invulnerable Christ in the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter" sees the text as portraying Christ in two realms simultaneously in the opening of the text, which begins:
"As the Savior was sitting in the temple, in the inner part of the building at the convergence of the tenth pillar, and as he was at rest above the congregation of the living, incorruptible Majesty, he said to me... "
Luttikhiuizen comments:
The concluding statement of the text's opening passage goes: "When he (Jesus) had said these things, he (Peter) came to himself." (Bullard's translation)
Luttikhiuizen notes about this statement:
The scholar also tries to summarize the difference between the divine Jesus and the substitute:
It sounds like it is saying that the body is the sufferer and what is seen is the substitute, and that the followers can also achieve this protected state. Perhaps then, the "substitute" is not really a fully separate, other soul, but rather the physical body or a physical, earthly form, since the apostles also have the potential to go from their frail, vulnerable state to Christ's blessed state?
What happens is that in the dialogue, the Savior is in the Temple talking to Peter about how "He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, .... the living Jesus", is different from "the son of their glory", whom "they have put to shame". And while the Savior is talking to Peter, the Savior who resembles the laughing one and is filled with the Holy Spirit approaches the Savior and Peter.
Here is the extended passage in the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter that talks about the difference between the Jesus laughing on the cross and the one who suffered and received pain:
Other translations of two key parts are (1) Jesus' words:
"The one whom you see above the tree, who is glad and is laughing, is the living Jesus. But that one, into whose hands and feet they are driving the nails, in his fleshly counterpart, the substitute... But look at him and Me."
And (2) Peter's narrative:
"Then I looked again and saw someone approaching that resembled the one who was laughing on the tree. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and I knew him then to be the Savior." (Source: jacksonsnyder.com/sss/pages/Apocalypse%20of%20Peter%20Gnostic.htm)
Next, Jesus explains the differences:
Another translation of Jesus' explanation goes:
The first translation above puts Jesus' persons as three, with the third person approaching Jesus and Peter, whereas the second translation consolidates Jesus' three into two.
(Question 1) What range of dates would you give it?
Wikipedia dates it to 100-200 AD (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnostic_Apocalypse_of_Peter), but the Early Christian Writings (ECW) site dates it to 200-255. The ECW site notes that the Coptic version is a translation from an earlier Greek version.
Andreas Werner writes:
If the text itself, with its mention of the name 'Hermas' at p. 78.18, engages in polemic against the possibility of repentence advocated in the Shepherd of Hermas, this would yield a terminus post quem on grounds of content in the middle of the 2nd century. Apoc. Pet. presupposes and criticizes the structures of a Great Church in process of consolidation, and the appropriation of Peter as the inaugurator of Gnosis is probably also directed against this; these points together with the controversy with other gnostics suggest placing the document at the end of the 2nd century or the beginning of the 3rd.
(New Testament Apocrypha, vol. 2, p. 702)
(New Testament Apocrypha, vol. 2, p. 702)
Already in Cerinthus' Apocryphon of James (c.100 AD) one can see conflict between Cerinthus and the mainstream canonical Church, so I am skeptical about Werner's suggestion that the existence of conflict in the documents shows that it dates from c.200 AD.
On the other hand, the "Shepherd of Hermas" is dated to about 88-160 AD. This is because the Shepherd says for Clement to send copies of the "Shepherd" abroad, and Clement began his papacy in 88 AD. My guess is that the "Shepherd" was written in the mid-2nd century, which in turn suggests to me that the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter was written in the mid-2nd century or later.
Here is where the text appears to identify a Hermas who opposes the truth and sets up a law against what the text presents as Christ's teachings:
"But many others, who oppose the truth and are the messengers of error, will set up their error and their law against these pure thoughts of mine, as looking out from one (perspective) thinking that good and evil are from one (source). They do business in my word. And they will propagate harsh fate. The race of immortal souls will go in it in vain, until my Parousia. For they shall come out of them - and my forgiveness of their transgressions, into which they fell through their adversaries, whose ransom I got from the slavery in which they were, to give them freedom that they may create an imitation remnant in the name of a dead man, who is Hermas, of the first-born of unrighteousness, in order that the light which exists may not believed by the little ones. But those of this sort are the workers who will be cast into the outer darkness, away from the sons of light. For neither will they enter, nor do they permit those who are going up to their approval for their release."
(Question 2) How separate are Christ the Savior and the suffering Jesus in the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter? Are they two fully separate persons?
The Orthodox and Catholic Churches, following the Councils of Nicea and Chalcedon, teach that Jesus and Christ are the same person with the same one soul, with both a human substances and a divine one, a person who took on flesh - a human, physical body - at His Incarnation. The Church came to call the idea that Christ is actually two persons (a divine one and a human one) "Nestorianism", and to call another belief, that Christ only appeared to be human or only appeared to suffer, "Docetism".
Some scholars seem to think that the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter considers Jesus Christ the Savior and the suffering Jesus to be two different persons with different, separate souls. Wikipedia considers the possibility that the text is Docetist:
Like some of the rarer Gnostic writings, this one also doubts the established Crucifixion story which places Jesus on the cross. Instead, according to this text, there was a substitute:
"He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshly part, which is the substitute being put to shame, the one who came into being in his likeness. But look at him and me."
It is unclear whether this text advocates an adoptionist or docetist Christology, but based on its literary parallels with the Second Treatise of the Great Seth, it may well subscribe to the latter.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnostic_Apocalypse_of_Peter
"He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshly part, which is the substitute being put to shame, the one who came into being in his likeness. But look at him and me."
It is unclear whether this text advocates an adoptionist or docetist Christology, but based on its literary parallels with the Second Treatise of the Great Seth, it may well subscribe to the latter.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnostic_Apocalypse_of_Peter
"As the Savior was sitting in the temple, in the inner part of the building at the convergence of the tenth pillar, and as he was at rest above the congregation of the living, incorruptible Majesty, he said to me... "
Luttikhiuizen comments:
If we assume that this emendation and its translation are correct, what does the text mean? Is this a reference to the earthly temple in Jerusalem or, rather, to a spiritual temple in the divine world? It is quite probably that the reference is to both places at the same time. ... GApPt[this work] frequently directs the attention to a spiritual dimension in visible reality. In particular, the subsequent phrase, 'and as he was at rest above the congregation of the living incorruptible Majesty', suggests that the Saviour is in his true spiritual environment together with all those who belong tot he Father.
Luttikhiuizen notes about this statement:
I suggest that the relevant Coptic phrase is laden with far more meaning: after Christ's teachings Peter 'came to himself (ie to his true self)'. This interpretation means that when the Savious had completed his teachings, Peter achieved the state of perfection to which he was called before by Christ: 'You too, Peter, become perfect.... just like me, the one who has chosen you.... (71.5-21).'
In Christ's explanation, the human body of Jesus was merely a temporary dwelling-place. Moreover, he repudiated this sarkikon as the product ('the son') of quasi-glorious cosmic powers. ... As Christ disclosed in his first words addressed to Peter, 'the principalities [who wanted to attack him]' sought him but could not find him. Christ himself was fully immune to the attacks of the forces of evil. His followers could attain this level of protection if they allowed themselves to be enlightened by Christ's teaching and, accordingly, were prepared to live in this world as strangers and children of light.
It sounds like it is saying that the body is the sufferer and what is seen is the substitute, and that the followers can also achieve this protected state. Perhaps then, the "substitute" is not really a fully separate, other soul, but rather the physical body or a physical, earthly form, since the apostles also have the potential to go from their frail, vulnerable state to Christ's blessed state?
What happens is that in the dialogue, the Savior is in the Temple talking to Peter about how "He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, .... the living Jesus", is different from "the son of their glory", whom "they have put to shame". And while the Savior is talking to Peter, the Savior who resembles the laughing one and is filled with the Holy Spirit approaches the Savior and Peter.
Here is the extended passage in the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter that talks about the difference between the Jesus laughing on the cross and the one who suffered and received pain:
When he had said those things, I saw him seemingly being seized by them. And I said "What do I see, O Lord? That it is you yourself whom they take, and that you are grasping me? Or who is this one, glad and laughing on the tree? And is it another one whose feet and hands they are striking?"
The Savior said to me, "He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshly part, which is the substitute being put to shame, the one who came into being in his likeness. But look at him and me."
But I, when I had looked, said "Lord, no one is looking at you. Let us flee this place."
But he said to me, "I have told you, 'Leave the blind alone!'. And you, see how they do not know what they are saying. For the son of their glory instead of my servant, they have put to shame."
And I saw someone about to approach us resembling him, even him who was laughing on the tree. And he was <filled> with a Holy Spirit, and he is the Savior. And there was a great, ineffable light around them, and the multitude of ineffable and invisible angels blessing them. And when I looked at him, the one who gives praise was revealed.
The Savior said to me, "He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshly part, which is the substitute being put to shame, the one who came into being in his likeness. But look at him and me."
But I, when I had looked, said "Lord, no one is looking at you. Let us flee this place."
But he said to me, "I have told you, 'Leave the blind alone!'. And you, see how they do not know what they are saying. For the son of their glory instead of my servant, they have put to shame."
And I saw someone about to approach us resembling him, even him who was laughing on the tree. And he was <filled> with a Holy Spirit, and he is the Savior. And there was a great, ineffable light around them, and the multitude of ineffable and invisible angels blessing them. And when I looked at him, the one who gives praise was revealed.
Other translations of two key parts are (1) Jesus' words:
"The one whom you see above the tree, who is glad and is laughing, is the living Jesus. But that one, into whose hands and feet they are driving the nails, in his fleshly counterpart, the substitute... But look at him and Me."
And (2) Peter's narrative:
"Then I looked again and saw someone approaching that resembled the one who was laughing on the tree. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and I knew him then to be the Savior." (Source: jacksonsnyder.com/sss/pages/Apocalypse%20of%20Peter%20Gnostic.htm)
Next, Jesus explains the differences:
And he said to me, "Be strong, for you are the one to whom these mysteries have been given, to know them through revelation, that he whom they crucified is the first-born, and the home of demons, and the stony vessel in which they dwell, of Elohim, of the cross, which is under the Law. But he who stands near him is the living Savior, the first in him, whom they seized and released, who stands joyfully looking at those who did him violence, while they are divided among themselves. Therefore he laughs at their lack of perception, knowing that they are born blind. So then the one susceptible to suffering shall come, since the body is the substitute. But what they released was my incorporeal body. But I am the intellectual Spirit filled with radiant light. He whom you saw coming to me is our intellectual Pleroma, which unites the perfect light with my Holy Spirit."
The one whom they crucified was the first-born in the home of demons, in a corruptible vessel with which the god of this world had his way by means of the Law and its cross. But near the first-born you have seen the living Savior, the first in spirit, whom they seized and released, who looks at his assassins with joy, while they are yet confused and divided among themselves. He laughs at their lack of perception, knowing full well that they were born blind and are blind still. The one susceptible to suffering suffered; that is, this one who they perceive with their eyes. But what they have released is my divine body. Yes, I am the all-knowing spirit filled with radiant light! The light which you saw about me is our Heavenly Host, which unite perfect light with my Holy Spirit.