Course: ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
Intstructor: Prof. Rod Remin
The apocryphal acts of the Apostles comprise mostly fictitious stories celebrating the "heroic adventures of the Apostles and their companions".[1] The texts are dated most likely in the 2nd-3rd centuries. "There are interconnecting textual and thematic links between several of the Acts" which has led to questions regarding why the books were written.[2] It is hypothesized that the books may have been for entertainment, for faith instruction, or written as a historical record.[3] Most of the Apocryphal Acts were written by heterodox groups "in order to propagate their doctrines." The texts were later revised and used for devout reading. "They contain much valuable information on early Christian life, prayer, and moral views."[4] It is demonstrable fact that that "these texts do not directly relate to the words and deeds of the apostles in the first century".[5] The Apocryphal Acts represent a wide array of books supposedly giving account of the twelve apostles as they went about preaching and performing miracles in various regions.
The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles (AA) are considered by some to have been used primarily as a supplement to Luke the evangelist's 'Book of Acts'. Such works cannot be regarded "as an attempt to displace the canonical Acts" because they are clearly of a literary genre not akin in form to the canonical Acts, but rather more similar to contemporary novels of the period.[6] The various AA "derive from different periods and different environments, and they are sharply contrasted in their theological standpoint and in their devotional ideals."[7]
For example, from the apocryphal 'Acts of Paul' the following excerpt might have served as a source of edification:
And among the many Paul also was brought in fetters. Those who were imprisoned with him looked at him, so that the emperor observed that he was the leader of the soldiers. And he said to him, "Man of the great king, now my prisoner, what induced you to come secretly into the Roman empire and to enlist soldiers in my territory?" But Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, said in the presence of all, "Caesar, we enlist soldiers not only in your territory but in all lands of the earth. For thus we are commanded to exclude none who wishes to fight for my king. If it seems good to you, serve him, for neither riches nor the splendors of this life will save you; but if you become his subject and beseech him you shall be saved. For in one day he will destroy the world."
Having heard this Nero commanded all the prisoners to be burned with fire, but Paul to be beheaded according to the law of the Romans. But Paul was not silent and communicated the word to Longus the prefect and Cestus the centurion. And Nero, being instigated by the evil one, raged in Rome and had many Christians executed without trial, so that the Romans stood before the palace and cried, "It is enough, Caesar; these people are ours. You destroy the strength of the Romans." Being thus convinced, he desisted and commanded that no Christian was to be touched till his case had been investigated. [Acts of Paul, ch. III][8]
The only unity to be noted amongst the AA is that they can all be understood as "… 'narratives coming from the people, for the people', which made use of a variety of stylistic devices drawn from Hellenistic literature."[9] The relationship of the AA to the canonical Acts can only be understood in light of a clear perception of the character of the authentic Lucan text.[10]
Luke belonged to a tradition of ancient historiography, and so aspired to be understood as a historian [in the ancient understanding of that role], … as well as a preacher demonstrating the theme of divine judgement in history, which was regarded as the accomplishment of the divine plan of salvation.[11] Acts is the work of a theologian who, without writing a doctrinal treatise, nevertheless deals with definite theological questions in his presentation of history.[12]
Luke has two primary concerns of a theological nature particular to his time and context, "the expectation of an imminent end, [that being the return of the Lord], and the mission to the gentiles unimpeded by Jewish law"[13]; Luke addresses these, but with a practical end in mind, the Book of Acts was a work of edification addressed to the young Church; it was to aid in the mission of evangelism… Luke writes as both an historian and an evangelist using the historian's tools to attain the goal of propagating the Gospel.
What Luke could offer his readers, particularly as a sequel to a Gospel, had to be a work of edification'.[14] Luke's Acts is a work of edification shaped by a definite theological conception and set in the form of a historical narrative.[15] The theme of the Lucan Acts could also be briefly described as 'the progress of the "Word of God" up to the end of the world'. This progress is God's work and he uses his witnesses to perform it.[16]
Using the example of Luke 1:8 - the account given of Peter and the apostles, then of Paul - Luke in this record "is not primarily interested in the journeys of the messengers, their miracles, etcetera, but in the march of the Gospel form Jerusalem to Rome. The account of this march is to inspire faith, trust and confidence and so point out to the readers the way to salvation."[17] The literary form and authorial intention of the AA differ significantly from those of the canonical Acts.[18] Like the Lucan Acts, the AA are also based on a clear theological position determined, however, "not by theological reflections, but rather by practical intentions."[19] For the authors of these works sexual continence was "an essential feature, or sometimes indeed the authentic content, of the Christian message."[20] The intended purpose and message of the AA's is unmistakably changed as compared with the canonical texts.[21]
"The AA do not intend to execute an explicit theological program", unlike the intended purpose of the canonical book; "the frustrated expectation of the End has obviously ceased to be a problem".[22] The AA appear to be predominantly oriented toward "entertainment and propagandist activity" which find their expression in the use of a different literary form from the canonical Acts.[23]
St. Luke wrote with the intention of answering definite concrete theological questions through his account of the history of the Christian mission, and uses this to forward his own work of edification and evangelism. He can do this because he is convinced of the continuity of God's action in the history of our salvation so the account of 'the progress of God's Word' gains theological relevance and can itself summon men to believe. It is useless to search the AA for such an interpretation of past history, which for St. Luke continues into the present through the work of evangelism."[24] For the AA there is concern with the missions of the Apostles in different regions, there is no concern regarding the "delay of the parousia", and "the problem of the connection with the people of the Old Covenant is no longer a burning one so that the distinctive axioms of Luke's theology of history are not to be found.[25]
Further, and perhaps even more significantly, in the AA the apostle with whom the story is concerned becomes so central a figure that the narrative ceases to be an account of the propagation of the Gospel at all. The AA are ultimately defined by the central character's life and actions.[26] Thus, from a literary standpoint, a different form of presentation for the story had to be adopted, so in the apocryphal texts it can be noted that "one 'work' succeeds another, and in conclusion there is the martyrdom or death of the apostle", something which Luke notably avoids making reflection upon, although he knew of the death of Paul for example.[27] The following excerpt from the 'Acts of Paul' serves to illustrate the point:
[Chapter V] And while they were speaking Nero sent a certain Parthenius and Pheretas to see whether Paul had al ready been beheaded. And they found him still alive. He summoned them beside him and said, "Believe in the living God who will raise me, as well as all those who believe in him, from the dead." But they said, "We will now go to Nero but when you have died and have been raised up we will believe in your God."
But when Longus and Cestus continued to ask about salvation he said to them, "In the early dawn come quickly to my grave and you will find two men at prayer, Titus and Luke; they will give you the seal in the Lord."
And turning toward the east, Paul lifted up his hands to heaven and prayed at length; and after having conversed in Hebrew with the fathers during prayer he bent his neck, without speaking any more. When the executioner cut off his head milk splashed on the tunic of the soldier. And the soldier and all who stood nearby were astonished at this sight and glorified God who had thus honored Paul. And they went away and reported everything to Caesar.[28]
Fundamentally, the core difference between the AA and the canonical Acts lies in the AA's focus upon the persons and activities of the Apostles "and not on the history of the Church as a new period in the divinely appointed history of salvation...[29]; The 'edificatory' trend of the AA must … be distinguished from Luke's intention to write a work for edification".[30] Miracles are common to both, but in Luke's work such events are secondary to the evangelist's theological goals. In the AA, however, "exaggerated, fantastic, and bizarre" stories follow one after another in order to effectively establish and promote the fame of the Apostles as miracle workers ('thaumaturgos' from θαῦμα), over and above giving record of the advance of the Kingdom of God.
The AA are "essentially different from the Lucan Acts in genre and literary form as much as in content and theology, and despite many borrowings of details and points of connection the apocryphal works cannot be put on a level with the Lucan works."[31] The AA, put simply, are early Christian works of entertainment.[32]
[1] C. H. Henkey, "Apocrypha of the New Testament", in New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. ii. NY: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1967. P. 410.
[2] Lapham, Fred. An Introduction to the NT Apocrypha. NY: T & T Clark International, 2003. P. 10-11.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Francois Bovon and E. Junod. Reading the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles. P. 162, from Semeia no 38 1986, p 161-171, 1986.
[6] Hennecke, Edgar. New Testament Apocrypha, Vol. II, Wilhelm Schneemelcher, ed., R. McL. Wilson, English translation editor. Philadelphia: the Westminster Press, 1965. p. 168.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ehrman, Bart D. Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make it into the New Testament. NY: Oxford University Press, 2003. P. 110.
[9] Hennecke, 169.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Hennecke, 170.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Hennecke, 170-171.
[14] Ibid. 171.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Hennecke, 171-172.
[18] Ibid. 172.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Hennecke, 172.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Ibid.
[23] Hennecke, 172-173.
[24] Ibid. 173.
[25] Ibid.
[26] ibid.
[27] Hennecke, 173.
[28] Ehrman, 111.
[29] Ibid.
[30] Hennecke, 173-174.
[31] Hennecke, 174.
[32] Ibid.