Acts of Philip

First Thousand Years of Greek · First Thousand Years of Greek · 168 sections

94.2
94 It came to pass when the Saviour divided the apostles and each went forth according to his lot, that it fell to Philip to go to the country of the Greeks: and he thought it hard, and wept. And Mariamne his sister (it was she that made ready the bread and salt at the breaking of bread, but Martha was she that ministered to the multitudes and laboured much) seeing it, went to Jesus and said: Lord, seest thou not how my brother is vexed?
95.1
95 And he said: I know, thou chosen among women; but go with him and encourage him, for I know that he is a wrathful and rash man, and if we let him go alone he will bring many retributions on men. But lo, I will send Bartholomew and John to suffer hardships in the same city, because of the much wickedness of them that dwell there; for they worship the viper, the mother of snakes. And do thou change thy woman’s aspect and go with Philip. And to Philip he said: Why art thou fearful? for I am always with thee.
96.1
96 So they all set out for the land of the Ophiani; and when they came to the wilderness of dragons, lo, a great leopard came out of a wood on the hill, and ran and cast himself at their feet and spoke with human voice: I worship you, servants of the divine greatness and apostles of the onlybegotten Son of God; command me to speak perfectly.
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97 And Philip said: In the name of Jesus Christ, speak. And the leopard took perfect speech and said: Hear me Philip, groomsman of the divine word. Last night I passed through the flocks of goats over against the mount of the she-dragon, the mother of snakes, and seized a kid; and when I went into the wood to eat, after I had wounded it, it took a human voice and wept like a little child, saying to me: O leopard, put off thy fierce heart and the beastlike part of thy nature, and put on mildness, for the apostles of the divine greatness are about to pass through this desert, to accomplish perfectly the promise of the glory of the only-begotten Son of God. At these words of the kid I was perplexed, and gradually my heart was changed, and my fierceness turned to mildness, and I did not eat it. And as I listened to its words, I lifted up my eyes and saw you coming, and knew that ye were the servants of the good God. So I left the kid and came to worship you. And now I beseech thee to give me liberty to go with thee everywhere and put off my beastlike nature.
98.1
98 And Philip said: Where is the kid? And he said: It is cast down under the oak opposite. Philip said to Bartholomew: Let us go and see him that was smitten, healed, and healing the smiter. And at Philip’s bidding the leopard guided them to where the kid lay.
99.1
99 Philip and Bartholomew said: Now know we of a truth that there is none that surpasseth thy compassion, O Jesu, lover of man; for thou preventest us and dost convince us by these creatures to believe more and earnestly fulfil our trust. Now therefore, Lord Jesu Christ, come and grant life and breath and secure footing (existence?) to these creatures, that they may forsake their nature of beast and cattle and come unto tameness, and no longer eat flesh, nor the kid the food of cattle; but that men’s hearts may be given them, and they may follow us wherever we go, and eat what we eat, to thy glory, and speak after the manner of men, glorifying thy name.
100.1
100 And in that hour the leopard and kid rose up and lifted up their forefeet and said: We glorify and bless thee that hast visited and remembered us in this desert, and changed our beastlike and wild nature into tameness, and granted us the divine word, and put in us a tongue and sense to speak and praise thy name, for great is thy glory.
101.1
101 And they fell and worshipped Philip and Bartholomew and Mariamne; and all set out together, praising God.
102.1
IX. Of the dragon that was slain.
102.2
102 They journeyed five days, and one morning after the midnight prayers a sudden wind arose, great and dark (misty), and out of it ran a great smoky (misty) dragon, with a black back, and a belly like coals of brass in sparkles of fire, and a body over 100 cubits long, and a multitude of snakes and their young followed it, and the desert quaked for a long distance.
103.1
103 And Philip said: Now is the time to remember the Lord’s words: Fear nothing, neither persecution, nor the serpents of that land, nor the dark dragon. Let us stand fast and his power will fail; and pray and sprinkle the air from the cup and the smoke will scatter.
104.1
104 So they took the cup and prayed: Thou that sheddest dew on all pyres and bridlest darkness, putting a bit into the dragon’s mouth, bringing to nought his anger, turning back the wickedness of the enemy and plunging him into his own fire, shutting his doors and stopping the exits and buffeting his pride: come and be with us in this desert, for we run by thy will and at thy bidding.
105.1
105 And he said: Now stand and raise your hands, with the cup you hold, and sprinkle the air in the form of the cross.
106.1
106 And there was as a flash of lightning which blinded the dragon and its brood; and they were withered up; and the rays of the sun entered the holes and broke the eggs. But the apostles closed their eyes, unable to face the lightning, and remained unhurt.
107.2
Out of the Travels of Philip the Apostle: from the fifteenth Act to the end, wherein is the Martyrdom.
107.3
107 (Introductory.) In the days of Trajan, after the Martyrdom of Simon, son of Clopas, bishop of Jerusalem, successor to James, Philip the apostle was preaching through all the cities of Lydia and Asia.
108.1
108 And he came to the city Ophioryme (Snakestreet), which is called Hierapolis of Asia, and was received by Stachys, a believer. And with him were Bartholomew, one of the Seventy, and his sister Mariamne, and their disciples. And they assembled at Stachys’ house.
109.1
109 And Mariamne sat and listened to Philip discoursing.
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110-112 He spoke of the snares of the dragon, who has no shape in creation, and is recognized and shunned by beasts and birds.
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113 For the men of the place worshipped the snake and had images of it; and called Hierapolis Ophioryme. And many were converted.
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114 And Nicanora the proconsul’s wife believed; she was diseased, especially in her eyes, and had been healed. She now came in a silver litter.
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115 And Mariamne said in Hebrew Alikaman, ikasame, marmari, mastranan, achaman, which means: O daughter of the father, my lady, who wast given as a pledge to the serpent, Christ is come to thee (and much more).
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116 And Nicanora said: I am a Hebrew, speak to me in my fathers’ tongue. I heard of your preaching and was healed.
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117 And they prayed for her.
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118 But her tyrant husband came and said: How is this? who has healed you?
119.1
119 And she said: Depart from me, and lead a chaste and sober life.
120.1
120 And he dragged her by the hair and threatened to kill her. And the apostles were arrested,
121.1
121 and scourged and dragged to the temple,
122.1
122 and shut up in it (with the leopard and the kid. These are omitted in the principal text, but constantly occur in another recension: rightly, of course).
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123 The people and priests came and demanded vengeance on the sorcerers.
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124 The proconsul was afraid of his wife, for he had been almost blinded by a wonderful light when he looked through the window at her when praying.
125.1
125 They stripped and searched the apostles for charms, and pierced Philip’s ankles and thighs and hung him head downward, and Bartholomew they hung naked by the hair.
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126 And they smiled on each other, as not being tormented. But Mariamne on being stripped became like an ark of glass full of light and fire, and every one ran away.
127.1
127 And Philip and Bartholomew talked in Hebrew, and Philip said: Shall we call down fire from heaven?
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128 And now John arrived, and asked what was happening, and the people told him.
129.1
129 And he was taken to the place. Philip said to Bartholomew in Hebrew: Here is John the son of Barěga (or, he that is in Barek), that is (or, where is) the living water. And John said: The mystery of him that hanged between the heaven and the earth be with you.
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130 Then John addressed the people, warning them against the serpent. Inter alia: When all matter was wrought and spread out throughout the system of heaven, the works of God entreated God that they might see his glory: and when they saw it, their desire became gall and bitterness, and the earth became the storehouse of that which went astray, and the result and the superfluity of the creation was gathered together and became like an egg: and the serpent was born.
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131 The people said: We took you for a fellow citizen, but you are in league with these men. The priests are going to wring out your blood and mix it with wine and give it to the Viper. When they came to take John their hands were paralysed. John said to Philip: Let us not render evil for evil. Philip said: I shall endure it no longer.
132.1
132 The three others dissuaded him; but he said: Abalo, arimouni, douthael, tharseleën, nachaoth, aeidounaph, teleteloein, which is (after many invocations descriptive of God); let the deep open and swallow these men: yea, Sabaoth.
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133 It opened and the whole place was swallowed, about 7,000 men, save where the apostles were. And their voices came up, crying for mercy and saying: Lo, the cross enlighteneth us. And a voice was heard: I will have mercy on you in my cross of light.
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134 But Stachys and his house, and Nicanora, and 50 others, and 100 virgins remained safe.
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135 Jesus appeared and rebuked Philip.
136.1
136 But he defended himself.
137.1
137 And the Lord said: Since you have been unforgiving and wrathful, you shall indeed die in glory and be taken by angels to paradise, but shall remain outside it forty days, in fear of the flaming sword, and then I will send Michael and he shall let you in. And Bartholomew shall go to Lycaonia and be crucified there, and Mariamne’s body shall be laid up in the river Jordan. And I shall bring back those who have been swallowed up.
138.1
138 And he drew a cross in the air, reaching down into the abyss, and it was filled with light, and the cross was like a ladder. And Jesus called the people, and they all came up, save the proconsul and the Viper. And seeing the apostles they mourned and repented.
139.1
139 And Philip, still hanging, spoke to them and told them of his offence.
140.1
140 And some ran to take him down: but he refused and spoke to them. Be not grieved that I hang thus, for I bear the form (type) of the first man, who was brought upon earth head downwards, and again by the tree of the cross made alive from the death of his transgression. And now do I fulfil the precept. For the Lord said to me: Unless ye make that which is beneath to be above, and the left to be right (and the right left), ye shall not enter into my kingdom. Be like me in this: for all the world is turned the wrong way, and every soul that is in it.
141.1
141 Further he spoke to them of the incarnation,
142.1
142 and bade them loose Bartholomew, and told him and Mariamne of their destiny. Build a church in the place where I die, and let the leopard and kid be there, and let Nicanora look after them till they die, and then bury them at the church gate: and let your peace be in the house of Stachys: and he exhorted them to purity. Therefore our brother Peter fled from every place where a woman was: and further, he had offence given by reason of his own daughter. And he prayed the Lord, and she had a palsy of the side that she might not be led astray.
143.1
143 Bury me not in linen like the Lord, but in papyrus, and pray for me forty days. Where my blood is dropping a vine will grow, and ye shall use the wine of it for the cup: and partake of it on the third day.
144.1
144 And he prayed the Lord to receive him, and protect him against all enemies. Let not their dark air cover me, that I may pass the waters of fire and all the abyss. Clothe me in thy glorious robe and thy seal of light that ever shineth, until I have passed by all the rulers of the world and the evil dragon that opposeth us.
145.1
145 And he died.
146.1
146 And they buried him as he directed. And a heavenly voice said he had received the crown.
147.1
147 After three days the vine grew up. And they made the offering daily for forty days, and built the church and made Stachys bishop. And all the city believed.
148.1
148 And at the end of forty days the Saviour appeared in the form of Philip and told Bartholomew and Mariamne that he had entered paradise, and bade them go their ways. And Bartholomew went to Lycaonia and Mariamne to Jordan, and Stachys and the brethren abode where they were.
148a.2
Philip, at Jerusalem, had a vision of Jesus, who commanded him to go to the city of Carthage, which is in Azotus, and drive out the ruler of Satan, and preach the kingdom. He said: I know not Latin or Greek, and the people there do not know Aramaic. Jesus said: Did I not create Adam and give him speech? Go, and I will be with thee.
148a.3
He went to Samaria, thence to Caesarea, and to the harbour, and found a ship waiting for a wind. Asked to take Philip to Carthage, the captain said: Do not annoy me; we have waited twenty days: fetch your baggage and perhaps we shall get a wind, for you look like a servant of God. Philip: I have none; tell the passengers to come on board. Let us pray for a fair wind. Turning to the west he commanded the angel of peace who has charge of fair winds to send a wind to take him to Carthage in a single day.
148a.4
On board was a Jew, Ananias, who blasphemed (sotto voce, it seems) and said: May Adonai recompense thee, and the Christ on whom thou callest, who is become dust and lies in Jerusalem, while thou livest and leadest ignorant men astray by his name.
148a.5
A wind came and filled the sail. The Jew rose to help to hoist the sail, and an angel bound him by the great toes and hung him head down on the top of the sail. The ship flew onward and the Jew cried out. Philip said: You shall not come down till you confess. He confessed his secret blasphemy. Philip: Dost thou now believe? Ananias confessed belief in a speech in which he enumerated Christ’s (God’s) mighty acts from creation to the deliverance of Susanna. Philip asked that he might be pardoned, and the angel brought him down. And the 495 men on the ship feared.
148a.6
They looked up and saw the pharos of Carthage, and said: Can this be true? O fools, said Ananias, did ye not see what befell me for unbelief? If he commands that city in Christ’s name, it will take all its inhabitants and go and stop in Egypt. The ship came into harbour. Philip dismissed the passengers, and stayed on board to confirm the captain.
148a.7
On the Sunday he went up to the city to drive out Satan, and as he entered the gates, signed himself with the cross. He saw a black man on a throne with two serpents about his loins, and eyes like coals of fire, and flame coming from his mouth; there was a smell of smoke, and black men in troops were on his right and left. When Philip crossed himself the ruler fell backward, and all his troops. Philip said: Fall, and rise not. The ruler said: Why curse me? I do not abide here, but my troops wander over the earth and come to me at the third hour of the day, but they do not touch a disciple of Jesus. Woe is me! whither can I go? In all the four quarters of the world his gospel is preached. I am completely overthrown.
148a.8
The whole city heard him, but saw him not. Philip bade him go, and he took his throne and his troops and flew away bewailing till they came to Babel, and he settled there. The whole city was in fear, and Philip bade them leave their idols and turn to God. They praised God, and Philip went back to the ship.
148a.9
On the Sabbath the Jews assembled in their synagogue and summoned Ananias, and asked if his adventures were true. He signed himself with the cross and said: It is true, and God forbid I should renounce Jesus the Christ. He then addressed them in a long and very abusive speech (modelled more or less on that of Stephen), enumerating all their wicked acts. Then arose Joshua, the son of Nun, and ye sought to kill him with deadly poison. Isaiah the prophet, and ye sawed him with a saw of boxwood. Ezekiel, and ye dragged him by his feet until his brains were dashed out. Habakkuk, and through your sins he went astray from his prophetic office. His face was like an angel. A priest arose and kicked him, and he died, and they buried him in the synagogue.
148a.10
Next day Philip in the ship prayed and asked that Ananias might be delivered from the Jews. God commanded the earth and it gave a passage like a water-pipe, and conveyed Ananias to the bottom of the sea, and a dolphin bore up the body. Philip saw it, and after reassuring the people, bade it take the body back till he should go and convict the murderers.
148a.11
Next day Philip went to the governor and got him to assemble all the Jews, and sit in judgement. Philip, to the Jews: Where is Ananias? They: Are we his keeper? Philip: Well are you called children of Cain, for, et;c. Tell me where he is, and I will ask pardon for you. Jews: We have said we do not know. Philip: Do not lie. Jews: If the spirit were in you, you would know that we do not lie. Philip: If he is found with you, what do you deserve? Jews: Death from God and Caesar. Philip: Swear to me. They swore they knew nothing.
148a.12
He looked and saw a man leading a sick ox to sell. He said to it: I command thee, go to the synagogue and call Ananias to rise and come and put these men to shame. The ox dragged his owner along and ran and called Ananias. He rose and laid hold of the ox with his right hand, and they came to Philip and prostrated themselves. Philip said: Whence comest thou? Ananias said: From the synagogue of these Jews, who murdered me for confessing Jesus: do me justice. Philip: The Lord has commanded us not to render evil for evil. The ox said: Order me and I will kill these men with my horns. Philip: Hurt no man, but go and serve thy master, and the Lord will heal thee. They went home in peace.
148a.13
The governor said: These Jews deserve death. Philip: i am not come to kill but to give life. The Jews’ mouths were closed.
148a.14
Ananias spoke to the Jews and Philip also: but they did not ask pardon; so they were cast out. Three thousand Gentiles and fifteen hundred Jews believed; the unbelievers left the city, and before sunset an angel slew forty of the Jewish priests for shedding innocent blood: and all who saw it confessed and worshipped.

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