Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Revelation of Paul.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Revelation of
Paul.
————————————
Revelation of the holy
Apostle Paul: the things which were revealed to him when he went
up even to the third heaven, and was caught up into paradise, and heard
unspeakable words.2525
There dwelt a certain nobleman in the city of
Tarsus, in the house of St. Paul the apostle, in the government of
Theodosius the worshipful king, and of the most illustrious
Gratianus;2526
| 2526 The
mss. have Kontianus. | and there was
revealed to him an angel of the Lord, saying: Upturn the
foundation of this house, and lift up what thou shalt find. But
he thought that he had had a dream. And the angel having
persisted even to a third vision, the nobleman was compelled to upturn
the foundation; and having dug, he found a marble2527
| 2527 Or, according to
the primary meaning of the word, shining, sparkling. The
translation of the Syriac version has, “a box of white
glass.” | box containing this revelation; and
having taken it, he showed it to the ruler of the city. And the
ruler, seeing it sealed up with lead, sent it to the King Theodosius,
thinking that it was something else.2528
| 2528 Syr., Thinking
that there was something of gold within it. | And
the king having received it, and transcribed it, sent the original
writing to Jerusalem. And there was written in it
thus:—
The word of the Lord came to me, saying: Say
to this people, Till when do you sin, and add to your sin, and provoke
to anger the God who made you, saying that you are children to
Abraham,2529
| 2529 Syr., of the living
God. | but doing the
works of Satan, going on in speaking against God, boasting only in your
addressing of God, but poor on account of the substance of
sin? Know, ye sons of men, that the whole creation has been made
subject to God; but the human race alone, by sinning, provokes God to
anger. For often the great light, the sun, has come before God,
saying against men: Lord God Almighty, how long dost Thou endure
all the sin of men? Command me, and I will burn them up.
And there came a voice to him: My long-suffering endures them
all, that they may repent; but if not, they shall come to me, and I
will judge them. And often also the moon and the stars have come
before God, saying: Lord God Almighty, Thou hast given us the
dominion of the night, and we no longer cover the thefts, and
adulteries, and blood-sheddings of men; command us, and we shall do
marvels against them. And there came a voice: My
long-suffering bears with them, that they may turn to me; but if not,
they shall come to me, and I will judge them. And in like manner
also the sea cried out, saying: Lord God Almighty, the sons of
men have profaned Thy holy name; command me, and I shall rise up and
cover the earth, and wipe out from it2530
the sons of men. And there came a voice, saying: My
long-suffering bears with them, that they may repent; but if not, they
shall come to me, and I will judge them. You see, ye sons of men,
that the whole creation has been made subject to God, but the human
race alone sins before God. On account of all these things, bless
God without ceasing, and yet more when the sun is setting. For at
this hour all the angels come to God to adore Him, and they bring
before Him the works of men, of each what he has done from morning even
to evening, whether good or evil. And one angel goes rejoicing on
account of man when he behaves well, and another goes with a sad
countenance. All the angels at the appointed hour meet for the
worship of God, to bring each day’s works of men. But do ye
men bless God without ceasing. Whenever, therefore, at the
appointed hour the angels of pious men come, rejoicing and singing
psalms, they meet for the worship of the Lord; and, behold, the Spirit
of God says to them: Whence do ye come rejoicing?
And they answered and said: We are here from the pious men, who
in all piety spend their life, fearing the name of God. Command
them, Lord, to abide even to the end in Thy righteousness. And
there came to them a voice: I have both kept and will keep them
void of offence in my kingdom. And when it came to pass that they
went away, there came other angels with a cheerful countenance, shining
like the sun. And behold a voice to them: Whence have ye
come? And they answered and said: We have come from those
who have held themselves aloof from the world and the things in the
world for Thy holy name’s sake, who in deserts, and mountains,
and caves, and the dens of the earth, in beds on the ground,
and in fastings, spend their life.2531
Command us to be with them. And there came a voice: Go with
them in peace, guarding them. Moreover, when they went away,
behold, there came other angels to worship before God, mourning and
weeping. And the Spirit went forth to meet them, and there came a
voice to them: Whence have ye come? And they answered and
said: We have come from those who have been called by Thy name,
and are slaves to the matter of sin.2532
| 2532 i.e., to sinful
matter—ὕλη—the source of the
σῶμα in the
Gnostic doctrine. | Why,
then, is it necessary to minister unto them? And there came a
voice to them: Do not cease to minister unto them; perhaps they
will turn; but if not, they shall come to me, and I will judge
them. Know, sons of men, that all that is done by you day by day,
the angels write in the heavens. Do you therefore cease not to
bless God.
And I was in the Holy Spirit, and an angel says to
me: Come, follow me, that I may show thee the place of the just,
where they go after their end. And I went along with the angel,
and he brought me up into the heavens under the firmament; and I
perceived and saw powers great and dreadful, full of wrath, and through
the mouth of them a flame of fire coming out, and clothed in garments
of fire. And I asked the angel: Who are these? And he
said to me: These are they who are sent away to the souls of the
sinners in the hour of necessity; for they have not believed that there
is judgment and retribution. And I looked up into the heaven, and
saw angels, whose faces shone like the sun, girded with golden girdles,
having in their hands prizes, on which the name of the Lord was
inscribed, full of all meekness and compassion. And I asked the
angel: Who are these? And he answered and said to me:
These are they who are sent forth in the day of the resurrection to
bring the souls of the righteous,2533
who
intrepidly walk according to God.2534
And
I said to the angel: I wish to see the souls of the righteous and
of the sinners, how they go out of the world. And the angel said
to me: Look to the earth. And I looked, and saw the whole
world as nothing disappearing before me. And I said to the
angel: Is this the greatness of men? And he said to
me: Yes; for thus every unjust man disappears. And I
looked, and saw a cloud of fire wrapped over all the world; and I
said: What is this, my lord? And he said to me: This
is the unrighteousness mingled with the destruction of the
sinners. And I wept, and said to the angel: I wished to see
the departures of the righteous and of the sinners, in what manner they
go out of the world. And the angel says to me: Paul, look
down, and see what thou hast asked. And I looked, and saw one of
the sons of men falling near death. And the angel says to
me: This is a righteous man, and, behold, all his works stand
beside him in the hour of his necessity.2535
And there were beside him good
angels, and along with them also evil angels. And the evil angels
indeed found no place in him, but the good took possession of2536
the soul of the righteous man, and said
to it: Take note of the body whence thou art coming out; for it
is necessary for thee again to return to it in the day of the
resurrection, that thou mayst receive what God hath promised to the
righteous. And the good angels who had received the soul of the
righteous man, saluted it, as being well known to them. And it
went with them; and the Spirit came forth to meet them, saying:
Come, soul, enter into the place of the resurrection, which God hath
prepared for His righteous ones. And the angel said to me:
Look down to the earth, and behold the soul of the impious, how it goes
forth from its tabernacle, which has provoked God to anger, saying, Let
us eat and drink;2537
for who is it
that has gone down to Hades, and come up and announced that there is
judgment and retribution? And take heed, and see all his works
which he has done standing before him. And the evil angels came
and the good. The good therefore found no place of rest in it,
but the evil took possession of it, saying: O wretched soul, pay
heed to thy flesh; take note of that whence thou art coming forth, for
thou must return into thy flesh in the day of the resurrection, that
thou mayst receive the recompense of thy sins. And when it had
gone forth from its tabernacle, the angel who had lived along with it
ran up to it, saying to it: O wretched soul, whither goest
thou? I am he who each day wrote down thy sins. Thou hast
destroyed the time of repentance; be exceedingly ashamed. And
when it came, all the angels saw it, and cried out with one voice,
saying: Woe to thee, wretched soul! what excuse hast thou come to
give to God? And the angel of that soul said: Weep for it,
all of you, along with me. And the angel came up, and worshipped
the Lord, saying: Lord, behold the soul which has dwelt in
wickedness in its time, and in its temporary life; do to it according
to Thy decision. And there came a voice to that soul,
saying: Where is the fruit of thy righteousness? And it was
silent,2538
not being
able to give an answer. And again there came a voice to it:
He who has shown mercy will have mercy shown to him;2539
he who has not shown mercy will not have
mercy shown to him. Let this soul be delivered to the merciless
angel Temeluch, and let it be cast into outer darkness, where there is
weeping and gnashing of teeth. And there was a voice as of tens
of thousands, saying: Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and righteous
is Thy judgment.2540
And moreover
I saw, and, behold, another soul was led by an angel; and it wept,
saying: Have mercy upon me, O righteous Judge, and deliver me
from the hand of this angel, because he is dreadful and
merciless. And a voice came to it, saying: Thou wast
altogether merciless, and for this reason thou hast been delivered up
to such an angel. Confess thy sins which thou hast done in the
world. And that soul said: I have not sinned, O righteous
Judge. And the Lord said to that soul: Verily thou seemest
as if thou wert in the world, and wert hiding thy deeds from men.
Knowest thou not that whensoever any one dies, his deeds run before
him, whether they are good or evil? And when it heard this, it
was silent. And I heard the Judge saying: Let the angel
come, having in his hands the record of thy sins. And the Judge
says to the angel: I say to thee the angel, Disclose all.
Say what he has done five years before his death. By myself I
swear to thee, that in the first period of his life there was
forgetfulness of all his former sins. And the angel answered and
said: Lord, command the souls to stand beside their angels; and
that same hour they stood beside them. And the lord of that soul
said: Take note of these souls, and whether thou hast in any way
sinned against them. And it answered and said: Lord, a year
has not been completed since I killed the one and lived with the
other. And not only this, but I also wronged it. And the
Lord said to it: Knowest thou not that he who wrongs any one in
the world is kept, as soon as he dies, in the place until he whom he
has wronged come, and both shall be judged before me, and each receive
according to his works? And I heard a voice saying: Let
this soul be delivered to the angel Tartaruch, and guarded till the
great day of judgment. And I heard a voice as of tens of
thousands saying: Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and righteous Thy
judgment.
And the angel says to me: Hast thou seen all
these things? And I answered: Yes my lord. And again
he said to me: Come, follow me, and I shall show thee the place
of the righteous. And I followed him, and he set me before the
doors of the city. And I saw a golden gate, and two golden
pillars before it, and two golden plates upon it full of
inscriptions. And the angel said to me: Blessed is he who
shall enter into these doors; because not every one goeth in, but only
those who have single-mindedness, and guiltlessness, and a pure
heart.2541
And I asked
the angel: For what purpose have the inscriptions been graven on
these plates? And he said to me: These are the names of the
righteous, and of those who serve God. And I said to him:
Is it so that their names have been inscribed in heaven itself while
they are yet alive? And the angel said to me:…2542
| 2542 The hiatus is thus
filled up in the Syriac: Yes, not only are their names written,
but their works from day to day: the angel their minister brings
tidings of their works every day from morning to morning; they are
known to God by their hearts and their works. And after they are
recorded, if there happen to them a matter of sin or deficiency, it is
purified by chastisement according to their sin, that there be not unto
them any defect in their strivings. | of the angels, such as serve Him well are
acknowledged by God. And straightway the gate was opened, and
there came forth a hoary-headed man to meet us; and he said to
me: Welcome, Paul, beloved of God! and, with a joyful
countenance, he kissed me with tears. And I said to him:
Father, why weepest thou? And he said to me: Because God
hath prepared many good things for men, and they do not His will in
order that they may enjoy them. And I asked the angel: My
lord, who is this? And he said to me: This is Enoch, the
witness of the last day.2543
And the
angel says to me: See that whatever I show thee in this place
thou do not announce, except what I tell thee. And he set me
upon2544
the river whose source springs up in the
circle of heaven; and it is this river which encircleth the whole
earth. And he says to me: This river is Ocean. And
there was then a great light. And I said: My lord, what is
this? And he said to me: This is the land of the
meek. Knowest thou not that it is written, Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth?2545
The
souls of the righteous, therefore, are kept in this place. And I
said to the angel: When, then, will they be made manifest?
And he said to me: When the Judge shall come in the day of the
resurrection, and sit down. Then, accordingly, shall he command,
and shall reveal the earth, and it shall be lighted up; and the saints
shall appear in it, and shall delight themselves in the good2546
| 2546 Or, the good
things. | that have been reserved from the
foundation of the world. And there were by the bank of the river,
trees planted, full of different fruits. And I looked towards the
rising of the sun, and I saw there trees of great size full of fruits;
and that land was more brilliant than silver and gold; and there were
vines growing on those date-palms, and myriads of shoots, and myriads
of clusters on each branch. And I said to the archangel:
What is this, my lord? And he says to me: This is the Acherusian
lake, and within it the city of God. All are not permitted to
enter into it, except whosoever shall repent of his sins; and as soon
as he shall repent, and alter his life, he is delivered to Michael, and
they cast him into the Acherusian lake, and then he brings him in the
city of God, near the righteous. And I wondered and blessed God
at all that I saw. And the angel said to me: Follow me,
that I may bring thee into the city of God, and into its light.
And its light was greater than the light of the world, and greater than
gold, and walls encircled it. And the length and the breadth of
it were a hundred stadia. And I saw twelve gates, exceedingly
ornamented, leading into the city; and four rivers encircled it,
flowing with milk, and honey, and oil, and wine. And I said to
the angel: My lord, what are these rivers? And he said to
me: These are the righteous who, when in the world, did not make
use of these things, but humbled themselves for the sake of God; and
here they receive a recompense ten thousand fold.
And I, going into the city, saw a very lofty tree
before the doors of the city, having no fruit, and a few men under it;
and they wept exceedingly, and the trees bent down to them. And
I, seeing them, wept, and asked the angel: Who are these, that
they have not turned to go into the city? And he said to
me: Yes, the root of all evils is vainglory. And I
said: And these trees, why have they thus humbled
themselves? And the angel answered and said to me: For this
reason the trees are not fruit-bearing, because they have not withheld
themselves from vaunting. And I asked the angel: My lord,
for what reason have they been put aside before the doors of the
city? And he answered and said to me: On account of the
great goodness of God, since by this way Christ is going to come into
the city, and that those who go along with Him may plead for these men,
and that they may be brought in along with them. And I was going
along, guided by the angel, and he set me upon the river. And I
saw there all the prophets; and they came and saluted me, saying:
Welcome, Paul, beloved of God. And I said to the angel: My
lord, who are these? And he said to me: These are all the
prophets, and these are the songs of all the prophecies,2547
| 2547 Syr., This is the
place of the prophets. A very slight change in the Greek text
would give this reading. | and of whoever hath grieved his soul,
not doing its will, for God’s sake. Having departed, then,
he comes here, and the prophets salute him. And the angel brought
me to the south of the city, where the river of milk is. And I
saw there all the infants that King Herod slew for the Lord’s
name’s sake. And the angel took me again to the east of the
city, and I saw there Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. And I asked the
angel: My lord, what place is this? And he said to
me: Every one who is hospitable to men comes hither when he comes
out of the world, and they salute him as a friend of God on account of
his love to strangers. And again he took me away to another
place, and I saw there a river like oil on the north of the city, and I
saw people there rejoicing and singing praises. And I
asked: Who are these, my lord? And he said to me:
These are they who have given themselves up to God; for they are
brought into this city. And I looked, and saw in the midst of the
city an altar, great and very lofty; and there was one standing near
the altar, whose face shone like the sun, and he had in his hands a
psaltery and a harp, and he sung the Alleluia delightfully, and his
voice filled all the city. And all with one consent accompanied
him, so that the city was shaken by their shouting. And I asked
the angel: Who is this that singeth delightfully, whom all
accompany? And he said to me: This is the prophet David;
this is the heavenly Jerusalem. When, therefore, Christ shall
come in His second appearing, David himself goes forth with all the
saints. For as it is in the heavens, so also upon earth:
for it is not permitted without David to offer sacrifice even in the
day of the sacrifice of the precious body and blood of Christ; but it
is necessary for David to sing the Alleluia. And I asked the
angel: My lord, what is the meaning of Alleluia? It is
called in Hebrew, thebel, marematha—speech to God who founded all things:
let us glorify Him in the same. So that every one who sings the
Alleluia glorifies God.
When these things, therefore, had been thus said
to me by the angel, he led me outside of the city, and the Acherusian
lake, and the good land, and set me upon the river of the ocean that
supports the firmament of the heaven, and said to me: Knowest
thou where I am going? And I said: No, my lord. And
he said to me: Follow me, that I may show thee where the souls of
the impious and the sinners are. And he took me to the setting of
the sun, and where the beginning of the heaven had been founded
upon the river of the ocean. And I saw beyond the river, and
there was no light there, but darkness, and grief, and groaning; and I
saw a bubbling river, and a great multitude both of men and women who
had been cast into it, some up to the knees, others up to the navel,
and many even up to the crown of the head. And I asked: Who
are these? And he said to me: These are they who lived
unrepenting in fornications and adulteries. And I saw at the
south-west of the river another river, where there flowed a river of
fire, and there was there a multitude of many souls. And I asked
the angel: Who are these, my lord? And he said to me:
These are the thieves, and slanderers, and flatterers, who did not set
up God as their help, but hoped in the vanity of their riches.
And I said to him: What is the depth of this river? And he
said to me: Its depth has no measure, but it is
immeasurable. And I groaned and wept because of mankind.
And the angel said to me: Why weepest thou? Art thou more
merciful than God? for, being holy, God, repenting over men, waits for
their conversion and repentance; but they, deceived by their own will,
come here, and are eternally punished. And I looked into the
fiery river, and saw an old man dragged along by two, and they pulled
him in up to the knee. And the angel Temeluch coming, laid hold
of an iron with his hand, and with it drew up the entrails of that old
man through his mouth. And I asked the angel: My lord, who
is this that suffers this punishment? And he said to me:
This old man whom thou seest was a presbyter; and when he had eaten and
drunk, then he performed the service of God. And I saw there
another old man carried in haste by four angels; and they threw him
into the fiery river up to the girdle, and he was frightfully burnt by
the lightnings. And I said to the angel: Who is this, my
lord? And he said to me: This whom thou seest was a bishop,
and that name indeed he was well pleased to have; but in the goodness
of God he did not walk, righteous judgment he did not judge, the widow
and the orphan he did not pity, he was neither affectionate nor
hospitable;2548
but now he has
been recompensed according to his works. And I looked, and saw in
the middle of the river another man up to the navel, having his hands
all bloody, and worms were coming up through his mouth. And I
asked the angel: Who is this, my lord? And he said to
me: This whom thou seest was a deacon, who ate and drank, and
ministered to God. And I looked to another place where there was
a brazen wall in flames, and within it men and women eating up their
own tongues, dreadfully judged. And I asked the angel: Who
are these, my lord? And he said to me: These are they who
in the church speak against their neighbours, and do not attend to the
word of God. And I looked, and saw a bloody pit. And I
said: What is this pit? And he said to me: This is
the place where are cast the wizards, and sorcerers, and the
whoremongers, and the adulterers, and those that oppress widows and
orphans. And I saw in another place women wearing black, and led
away into a dark place. And I asked: Who are these, my
lord? And he said to me: These are they who did not listen
to their parents, but before their marriage defiled their
virginity. And I saw women wearing white robes, being blind, and
standing upon obelisks of fire; and an angel was mercilessly beating
them, saying: Now you know where you are; you did not attend when
the Scriptures were read to you. And the angel said to me:
These are they who corrupted themselves and killed their infants.
Their infants therefore came crying out: Avenge us of our
mothers. And they were given to an angel to be carried away into
a spacious place, but their parents into everlasting fire.
And the angel took me up from these torments, and
set me above a well, which had seven seals upon its mouth. And
the angel who was with me said to the angel at the well of that
place: Open the well, that Paul the beloved of God may see,
because there has been given to him authority to see the
torments. And the angel of the place said to me: Stand afar
off, until I open the seals. And when he had opened them, there
came forth a stench which it was impossible to bear. And having
come near the place, I saw that well filled with darkness and gloom,
and great narrowness of space in it. And the angel who was with
me said to me: This place of the well which thou seest is cast
off from the glory of God, and none of the angels is importunate in
behalf of them; and as many as have professed that the holy Mary is not
the mother of God, and that the Lord did not become man out of her, and
that the bread of the thanksgiving and the cup of blessing are not His
flesh and blood,2549
are cast into
this well: and as I said before no angel is importunate in their
behalf. And I saw towards the setting of the sun, where there is
weeping and gnashing of teeth, many men and women there
tormented. And I said to the angel: Who are these, my
lord? And he said to me: These are they who say that there
is no resurrection of the dead; and to them mercy never
comes.
Having heard this, I wept bitterly; and looking up into
the firmament, I saw the heaven opened, and the archangel Gabriel
coming down with hosts of angels, who were going round about all the
torments. And they who were judged in the torments seeing them,
all cried out with one loud voice: Have mercy upon us, Gabriel,
who standest in the presence of God; for we heard that there was a
judgment: behold, we know it. And the archangel Gabriel
answered and said: As the Lord liveth, beside whom I stand, night
and day without ceasing I plead in behalf of the race of men; but they did not do
any good when in life, but spent the period of their life in
vanity. And now I shall weep, even I, along with the beloved
Paul; perhaps the good Lord may have compassion, and grant you
remission. And they assented with one voice: Have mercy
upon us, O Lord. And they fell down before God, and supplicated,
saying: Have mercy, O Lord, upon the sons of men whom Thou hast
made after Thine image. And the heaven was shaken like a leaf,
and I saw the four and twenty elders lying on their face; and I saw the
altar, and the throne, and the veil; and all of them entreated the
glory of God;2550
and I saw the Son
of God with glory and great power coming down to the earth.2551
And when the sound of the trumpet
took place, all who were in the torments cried out, saying: Have
mercy upon us Son of God; for to Thee has been given power over things
in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth. And
there came a voice saying: What good work have you done, that you
are asking for rest? For you have done as you wished, and have
not repented, but you have spent your life in profligacy. But now
for the sake of Gabriel, the angel of my righteousness and for the sake
of Paul my beloved, I give you a night and the day of the holy
Lord’s day, on which I rose from the dead, for rest. And
all who were in the torments cried out, saying: We bless Thee, O
Son of the living God; better for us is such rest than the life which
we lived when spending our time in the world.
And after these things the angel says to me:
Behold, thou hast seen all the torments: come, follow me, that I
may lead thee away to paradise, and that thou mayst change thy soul by
the sight of the righteous; for many desire to salute thee. And
he took me by an impulse of the Spirit, and brought me into
paradise. And he says to me: This is paradise, where Adam
and Eve transgressed. And I saw there a beautiful tree of great
size, on which the Holy Spirit rested; and from the root of it there
came forth all manner of most sweet-smelling water, parting into four
channels. And I said to the angel: My lord, what is this
tree, that there comes forth from it a great abundance of this water,
and where does it go? And he answered and said to me:
Before the heaven and the earth existed, He divided them into four
kingdoms and heads, of which the names are Phison, Gehon, Tigris,
Euphrates. And having again taken hold of me by the hand, he led
me near the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And he says
to me: This is the tree by means of which death came into the
world, and Adam took of the fruit of it from his wife, and ate; and
thereafter they were cast out hence. And he showed me another,
the tree of life, and said to me: This the cherubim and the
flaming sword guard. And when I was closely observing the tree,
and wondering, I saw a woman coming from afar off, and a multitude of
angels singing praises to her. And I asked the angel: Who
is this, my lord, who is in so great honour and beauty? And the
angel says to me: This is the holy Mary, the mother of the
Lord. And she came and saluted me, saying: Welcome, Paul,
beloved of God, and angels, and men; thou hast proclaimed the word of
God in the world, and established churches, and all bear testimony to
thee who have been saved by means of thee: for, having been
delivered from the deception of idols through thy teaching, they come
here.
While they were yet speaking to me, I gazed, and
saw other three men coming. And I asked the angel: Who are
these, my lord? And he said to me: These are Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, the righteous forefathers. And they came and
saluted me, saying: Welcome, Paul, beloved of God.…God did
not grieve us. But we know thee in the flesh, before thou camest
forth out of the world. And in succession they told me their
names from Abraham to Manasseh. And one of them, Joseph who was
sold in Egypt, says to me: Hear me, Paul, friend of God: I
did not requite my brethren who cursed me. For blessed is he who
is able to endure trial, because the Lord will give him in requital
sevenfold reward in the world to come.2552
And while he was yet speaking with
me, I saw another coming afar off, and the appearance of him was as the
appearance of an angel. And I asked the angel, saying: My
lord, who is this? And he said to me: This is Moses the
lawgiver, by whom God led forth the children of Israel out of the
slavery of Egypt. And when he came near me, he saluted me
weeping. And I said to him: Father, why weepest thou, being
righteous and meek?2553
And he
answered and said to me: I must weep for every man, because I
brought trouble upon a people that does not understand, and they have
not borne fruit; and I see the sheep of which I was shepherd scattered,
and the toil which I toiled for the children of Israel has been counted
for nothing; and they saw powers2554
and hosts in
the midst of them, and they did not understand; and I see the Gentiles
worshipping, and believing through thy word, and being converted, and
coming here, and out of my people that was so great not one has
understood. For, when the Jews hanged the Son of God upon the
cross, all the angels and archangels, and the righteous, and the whole
creation of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, lamented and
mourned with a great lamentation, but the impious and insensate Jews
did not understand; wherefore there has been prepared for them the fire
everlasting, and the worm that dies not.
While he was yet speaking, there came other three,
and saluted me, saying: Welcome, Paul, beloved of God, the boast
of the churches, and model of angels. And I asked: Who are
you? And the first said: I am Isaiah, whom Manasseh sawed
with a wood saw.2555
And the
second said: I am Jeremiah, whom the Jews stoned, but they
remained burnt up with everlasting fire. And the third
said: I am Ezekiel, whom the slayers of the Messiah pierced; all
these things have we endured, and we have not been able to turn the
stony heart of the Jews. And I threw myself on my face,
entreating the goodness of God, because He had had mercy upon me, and
had delivered me from the race of the Hebrews. And there came a
voice saying: Blessed art thou, Paul, beloved of God; and blessed
are those who through thee have believed in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, because for them has been prepared everlasting life.
While this voice was yet speaking, there came another,
crying: Blessed art thou, Paul. And I asked the
angel: Who is this, my lord? And he said to me: This
is Noah, who lived in the time of the deluge. And when we had
saluted each other, I asked him: Who art thou? And he said
to me: I am Noah, who in a hundred years built the ark, and
without putting off the coat which I wore, or shaving my head;
moreover, I practised continence, and did not come near my wife; and in
the hundred years my coat was not dirtied, and the hair of my head was
not diminished. And I ceased not to proclaim to men, Repent, for,
behold, a deluge is coming. And no one paid heed; but all derided
me, not refraining from their lawless deeds, until the water of the
deluge came and destroyed them all.
And looking away, I saw other two from afar
off. And I asked the angel: Who are these, my lord?
And he said to me: These are Enoch and Elias. And they came
and saluted me, saying: Welcome, Paul, beloved of God! And
I said to them: Who are you? And Elias the prophet answered
and said to me: I am Elias the prophet, who prayed to God, and He
caused that no rain should come down upon the earth for three years and
six months, on account of the unrighteousness of the sons of men.
For often, of a truth, even the angel besought God on account of the
rain; and I heard, Be patient until Elias my beloved shall pray, and I
send rain upon the earth.2556
| 2556 Here the
[Greek]ms. abruptly ends. The Syriac thus
continues:—And He gave not until I called upon Him again; then He
gave unto them. But blessed art thou, O Paul, that thy generation
and those thou teachest are the sons of the kingdom. And know
thou, O Paul, that every man who believes through thee hath a great
blessing, and a blessing is reserved for him. Then he departed
from me. And the angel who was with me led me forth, and said
unto me: Lo, unto thee is given this mystery and
revelation. As thou pleasest, make it known unto the sons of
men.—And then follow details of the depositing of the revelation
under the foundation of the house in Tarsus,—details which
Tischendorf says the translator of the Syriac did not find in his
original. [The close of the English translation of the Syriac
version is given in full by Tischendorf (pp. 68, 69). It varies
greatly from the above paragraph in the text, besides the addition of
the details which Tischendorf regards as spurious.—R.] |
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
