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FORBIDDEN GOSPELS AND EPISTLES - VOLUME 4 - NICODEMUS
FORBIDDEN GOSPELS AND EPISTLES - VOLUME 4 - NICODEMUS ARCHBISHOP WAKE THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS
FORMERLY CALLED THE ACTS OF PONTIUS PILATE.
The Gospel of NICODEMUS the disciple
concerning the Sufferings and Resurrection
of our Master and Saviour JESUS CHRIST.
CHAPTER I.
1 Christ accused to Pilate by the Jews
of healing on the Sabbath.
9 Summoned before Pilate by a messenger
who does him honour.
20 Worshipped by the standards bowing down to him.
ANNAS and Caiphas and
Summas and Datam Gamaliel
Judas Levi Nepthalim Alexander
Cyrus and other Jews went
to Pilate about Jesus accusing
him with many bad crimes.
2 And said We are assured that
Jesus is the son of Joseph the
carpenter and born of Mary and
that he declares himself the Son of
God and a king; and not only so
but attempts the dissolution of the
Sabbath and the laws of our
fathers.
3 Pilate replied What is it
which he declares? and what is it
which he attempts dissolving?
4 The Jews told him We have
a law which forbids doing cures
on the Sabbath day; but he cures
both the lame and the deaf those
afflicted with the palsy the blind
the lepers and demoniacs on that
day by wicked methods.
5 Pilate replied How can he
do this by wicked methods? They
answered He is a conjurer and
casts out devils by the prince of
the devils; and so all things
become subject to him.
6 Then said Pilate Casting out
devils seems not to be the work of
an unclean spirit but to proceed
from the power of God.
7 The Jews replied to Pilate
We entreat your highness to summon
him to appear before your tribunal
and hear him yourself.
8 Then Pilate called a messenger
and said to him By what means
will Christ be brought hither?
9 Then went the messenger
forth and knowing Christ
worshipped him; and having spread
the cloak which he had in his hand
upon the ground he said Lord
walk upon this and go in for the
governor calls thee.
10 When the Jews perceived
what the messenger had done
they exclaimed (against him) to
Pilate and said Why did you not
give him his summons by a beadle
and not by a messenger?--For the
messenger when he saw him
worshipped him and spread the
cloak which he had in his hand
upon the ground before him and
said to him Lord the governor
calls thee.
11 Then Pilate called the
messenger and said Why hast thou
done thus?
12 The messenger replied When
thou sentest me from Jerusalem to
Alexander I saw Jesus sitting in
a mean figure upon a she-ass and
the children of the Hebrews cried
out Hosannah holding boughs of
trees in their hands.
13 Others spread their garments
in the way and said Save us thou
who art in heaven; blessed is he
who cometh in the name of the
Lord.
14 Then the Jews cried out
against the messenger and said
The children of the Hebrews made
their acclamations in the Hebrew
language; and how couldst thou
who art a Greek understand the
Hebrew?
15 The messenger answered
them and said I asked one of the
Jews and said What is this which
the children do cry out in the
Hebrew language?
16 And he explained it to me
saying they cry out Hosannah
which being interpreted is O
Lord save me; or O Lord save.
17 Pilate then said to them
Why do you yourselves testify to
the words spoken by the children
namely by your silence? In what
has the messenger done amiss?
And they were silent.
18 Then the governor said unto
the messenger Go forth and
endeavour by any means to bring
him in.
19 But the messenger went forth
and did as before; and said Lord
come in for the governor calleth
thee.
20 And as Jesus was going in
by the ensigns who carried the
standards the tops of them bowed
down and worshipped Jesus.
21 Whereupon the Jews exclaimed
more vehemently against the ensigns.
22 But Pilate said to the Jews
I know it is not pleasing to you
that the tops of the standards did
of themselves bow and worship
Jesus; but why do ye exclaim
against the ensigns as if they had
bowed and worshipped?
23 They replied to Pilate
We saw the ensigns themselves
bowing and worshipping Jesus.
24 Then the governor called the
ensigns and said unto them Why
did you do thus?
25 The ensigns said to Pilate
We are all Pagans and worship
the gods in temples; and how
should we think anything about
worshipping him? We only held
the standards in our hands
and they bowed themselves and
worshipped him.
26 Then said Pilate to the rulers
of the synagogue Do ye yourselves
choose some strong men and let
them hold the standards and we
shall see whether they will then
bend of themselves.
27 So the elders of the Jews
sought out twelve of the most
strong and able old men and made
them hold the standards and they
stood in the presence of the governor.
28 Then Pilate said to the
messenger Take Jesus out and by
some means bring him in again.
And Jesus and the messenger went
out of the hall.
29 And Pilate called the ensigns
who before had borne the standards
and swore to them that if they
had not borne the standards in
that manner when Jesus before
entered in he would cut off
their heads.
30 Then the governor commanded
Jesus to come in again.
31 And the messenger did as he
had done before and very much
entreated Jesus that he would go
upon his cloak and walk on it;
and he did walk upon it and went
in.
32 And when Jesus went in
the standards bowed themselves as
before and worshipped him.
CHAPTER II.
2 Is comppassionated by Pilate's wife
7 charged with being born in fornication.
12 Testimony to the betrothing of his parents.
15 Hatred of the Jews to him.
NOW when Pilate saw this he
was afraid and was about to
rise from his seat.
2 But while he thought to rise
his own wife who stood at a
distance sent to him saying Have
thou nothing to do with that just
man; for I have suffered much
concerning him in a vision this
night.
3 When the Jews heard this
they said to Pilate Did we not say
unto thee He is a conjuror? Behold
he hath caused thy wife to dream.
4 Pilate then calling Jesus said
thou hast heard what they testify
against thee and makest no answer?
5 Jesus replied If they had not
a power of speaking they could
not have spoke; but because every
one has the command of his own
tongue to speak both good and
bad let him look to it.
6 But the elders of the Jews
answered and said to Jesus What
shall we look to?
7 In the first place we know
this concerning thee that thou
wast born through fornication;
secondly that upon the account of
thy birth the infants were slain in
Bethlehem; thirdly that thy father
and mother Mary fled into Egypt
because they could not trust their
own people.
8 Some of the Jews who stood
by spake more favourably We
cannot say that he was born
through fornication; but we know
that his mother Mary was betrothed
to Joseph and so he was not born
through fornication.
9 Then said Pilate to the Jews
who affirmed him to be born
through fornication This your
account is not true seeing there was
a betrothment as they testify who
are of your own nation.
10 Annas and Caiphas spake to
Pilate All this multitude of people
is to be regarded who cry out
that he was born through fornication
and is a conjurer; but they who deny
him to be born through fornication
are his proselytes and disciples.
11 Pilate answered Annas and
Caiphas Who are the proselytes?
They answered They are those
who are the children of Pagans
and are not become Jews but
followers of him.
12 Then replied Eleazer and
Asterius and Antonius and James
Caras and Samuel Isaac and Phinees
Crispus and Agrippa Annas and Judas
We are not proselytes but children
of Jews and speak the truth
and were present when Mary was
betrothed.
13 Then Pilate addressing
himself to the twelve men who
spake this said to them I conjure
you by the life of Caesar that ye
faithfully declare whether he was
born through fornication and those
things be true which ye have related.
14 They answered Pilate We
have a law whereby we are forbid
to swear it being a sin: Let them
swear by the life of Caesar that it
is not as we have said and we will
be contented to be put to death.
15 Then said Annas and Caiphas
to Pilate Those twelve men will
not believe that we know him to be
basely born and to be a conjurer
although he pretends that he is
the Son of God and a king: which
we are so far from believing that
we tremble to hear.
16 Then Pilate commanded
every one to go out except the
twelve men who said he was not
born through fornication and
Jesus to withdraw to a distance
and said to them Why have the Jews
a mind to kill Jesus?
17 They answered him They
are angry because he wrought
cures on the sabbath day. Pilate
said Will they kill him for a
good work? They say unto him
Yes Sir.
CHAPTER III.
1 Is exonerated by Pilate.
11 Disputes with Pilate concerning truth.
THEN Pilate filled with anger
went out of the hall and said
to the Jews I call the whole
world to witness that I find no
fault in that man.
2 The Jews replied to Pilate
If he had not been a wicked person
we had not brought him before thee.
3 Pilate said to them Do ye take
him and try him by your law.
4 Then the Jews said It is not
lawful for us to put any one to
death.
5 Pilate said to the Jews The
command therefore thou shalt
not kill belongs to you but
not to me.
6 And he went again into the
hall and called Jesus by himself
and said to him Art thou the king
of the Jews?
7 And Jesus answering said
to Pilate Dost thou speak this
of thyself or did the Jews tell
it thee concerning me?
8 Pilate answering said to
Jesus Am I a Jew? The whole
nation and rulers of the Jews have
delivered thee up to me. What
hast thou done?
9 Jesus answering said My
kingdom is not of this world:
if my kingdom were of this world
then would my servants fight
and I should not have been
delivered to the Jews: but now
my kingdom is not from hence.
10 Pilate said Art thou a king
then? Jesus answered Thou sayest
that I am a king: to this end
was I born and for this end came
I into the world; and for this
purpose I came that I should bear
witness to the truth; and every
one who is of the truth heareth
my voice.
11 Pilate saith to him What is
truth?
12 Jesus said Truth is from
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