Category: Pick 1908 - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

The Apocalypse of Peter

6/27/2022

6/27/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Fourteen: Appendix. Remains of the Apocalypse of Peter." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 115-125.

An apocalypse of Peter is mentioned as a disputed work by the Muratorian Fragment and Clement of Alexandria (Pick 1908, 115). The work was subsequently identified as known but spurious in one way or another. It was not considered authoritative (Pick 1908, 116). A fragment was discovered, representing possibly about half of the work, in 1892 (Pick 1908, 117).

Pick provides an English version of the text (Pick 1908, 118ff). The descriptions of punishment are rather harsher and more detailed than those we find in the canonical Scriptures. They are also largely tied to behavior rather than belief on Christ.

Non-Canonical Quotations Alleged of Jesus

6/24/2022

6/24/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Thirteen: Scattered Sayings." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 65-115.

In this, by far the longest chapter in Pick's book, we have a list of non-canonical sayings attributed to Jesus, arranged in alphabetical order by source, each with a clear citation of the source. Most of the statements are quite plausible and consistent with the picture of Jesus found in the canonical writings. These may well come from sources of the sayings and life of Jesus. A few are less plausible. These tend to have commentary attached by Pick.

Variant Readings or Different Statements?

6/23/2022

6/23/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Twelve: Some Manuscript Readings." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 60-64.

In this chapter, Pick records some variant readings for manuscripts where they differ from the main recognized text. Most of the statements are thoroughly orthodox in nature. However, one, which receives some commentary, based on Luke 6:4, suggests that a breaking of the Sabbath with knowledge of the law, the consequences, and the need is fine (Pick 1908, 61-62). I don't comment further on these readings as the apparatus of critical New Testament editions will contain these and more variants.

Coptic Gospel Fragments

6/22/2022

6/22/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Eleven: Four Coptic Gospel Fragments." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 53-59.

Pick provides an English version of four fragments from the fourth or fifth century, thought to be a portion of the gospel of the Ebionites (Pick 1908, 53-54). The numerous ellipses and bracketed words suggest the damaged condition of the first fragment. The contents mostly refer to the final exaltation of Christ, though possibly set in words of Jesus to his disciples before his arrest. The second fragment, only one "mutilated" leave, has rather fewer questionable readings (Pick 1908, 55-56). Here Jesus recounts a number of his miracles to his discioples, explaining that the demonstrate his greatness. The third fragment, consisting of 32 pages, had not yet been published at the time of Pick's writing (Pick 1908, 56). It consists of a discourse of Jesus with disciples, as an epistle from the apostles. Harnack dates it to about 150-180 (Pick 1908, 57). Pick provides an English version of the small portion which had been published. Here Jesus sends the women as witnesses of his resurrection to the apostles, who refuse to believe several times. Then he appears to the apostles himself (Pick 1908, 57-58). The fourth fragment is a version of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Pick 1908, 58-59). Here it is a mule being beaten. Jesus intervenes and heals the mule so the owner can go his way.

The Gospel of Peter

6/21/2022

6/21/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Ten: Remains of the Gospel of Peter." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 40-52.

Pick observes that a so-called gospel of Peter was known, based on references by Origen, Theodoret, and Eusebius (Pick 1908, 40). The references suggest that the work was known to people from Nazareth and that it suggests the brothers "of Jesus were sons of Joseph by a former wife, whom he married before Mary" (Pick 1908, 40). Serapion considered the work to be heretical in nature (Pick 1908, 41). A fragmentary copy of the gospel of Peter, along with a part of the Revelation of Peter and part of the book of Enoch was discovered in 1886 and published in 1892 (Pick 1908, 42). Pick considers it a derivative work, dependent on the Synoptic Gospels, and probably written between 110 and 130 (Pick 1908, 43).

Pick continues with an English version of the gospel of Peter (Pick 1908, 43ff). The narrative depicts those surrounding the death of Christ as cruel, not wanting his legs broken so that he would suffer more (ch. 4). They were also taken by surprise by the darkness and feared the Sabbath had started, then were relieved to check the time when the sun shone again (ch. 5-6). The priests and Pharisees are moved to repentance by finding that Jesus was dead (ch. 7-8). Many people were witnesses to the resurrection, which included signs such as the lifting of a cross to heaven and a decision that it was best not to speak of the details of the actions (ch. 11). Pick concludes the chapter wit ha list of 29 pieces of special information given, all different from the Synoptic accounts (Pick 1908, 51-52).

Gospel Fragments and Isolated Sayings of Jesus

6/20/2022

6/20/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Nine: The Oxyrhynchus-finds." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 31-40.

Here Pick gathers two different gospel fragments, discovered in 1903 and 1905, published in 1904 and 1908 respectively, as well as a collection of sayings discovered in 1897 and 1903 (Pick 1908, 31). The dates emphasize the current nature of scholarshiop in Pick's book, itself published in 1908. These were all recent finds. The gospel fragments Pick takes to be Egyptian, before 150 A.D. In the first, Jesus speaks of his provision for his disciples. When they ask him when they will see him, Jesus says that they should not be ashamed and that they have hidden the key of knowledge (Pick 1908, 32).

The second Gospel fragment is longer than the first, but still relatively brief. In this narrative Jesus and his disciples are walking in the temple's place of purification but are defiled. Jesus confronts the Pharisees and accuses them of washing in defiled waters and being unclean, compared to himself and the disciples, who have been washed "in the waters of eternal life" (Pick 1908, 33).

The Logia are a collection of seven sayings from one source and six from another. They appear to be relatively self-contained statements (Pick 1908, 34ff). The logia are difficult to interpret but tend to endorse a law-based view of life in which the true believer is dedicated to particular forms of outward and inward piety.

A Primitive Non-Canonical Gospel Fragment

6/17/2022

6/17/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Eight: The Fayûm Fragment." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 30-31.

Pick notes that this fragment may well be the "oldest fragment of a non-canonical gospel" discovered (Pick 1908, 30). It is parallel to Mark 14:26-30. Pick considers that it could be an abbreviated version of Mark or of something else. In it, Jesus says that he will be stricken and everyone scattered, and that Peter would betray him (Pick 1908, 31).

The Gospel of Eve

6/16/2022

6/16/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Seven: The Gospel of Eve." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 29-30.

The "Gospel of Eve" comes from the Ophites, a group descended from Valentinianism. Two passages are preserved by Epiphanius (Pick 1908, 29). In the first, the figure we must assume is either Satan or Christ appears with Even, describing how he is she and that he plants himself and her as seed which will be plucked up. In the second, there is a description of the twelve seasons and fruits of the tree of life, recast as a symbol of menstruation (Pick 1908, 30).

Matthias

6/14/2022

6/14/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Five: Matthias - Traditions." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 24-27.

Three works are connected with Matthias, the replacement apostle selected in Acts chapter one. They are "a gospel mentioned only by Origen (and Eusebius), παραδόσεις Ματθίου, quoted by Clement of Alexandria, and finally λόγοι ἀπόκρυφοι, private instructions of Jesus given to the apostle, to which Basilides referred according to the Philosophumena" (Pick 1908, 24). Hippolytus, in the Philosophoumena, speaks of the material as Aristotelian deception and heresy. Clement of Alexandria speaks of the heretics claiming to promote the views of Matthias (Pick 1908, 25). He provides a few brief quotations which suggest a pietism resulting in persuasion of others through good works. It is by obedience that the Christian is justified (Pick 1908, 26).

The Gospel of Thomas

6/13/2022

6/13/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Four: The Gospel of Thomas." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 22-24.

Pick observes that there is an extant work known as a gospel of Thomas in 19 chapters, dealing with the youth of Jesus. He does not know if this is part of the same work described in early Christianity (Pick 1908, 22). Eusebius mentions it as heretical. Cyril considers it an heretecul and harmful work of Manichaean origin (Pick 1908, 23). Hippolytus makes a brief quotation which says true godly happiness is found as a secret possession of young children and nowhere else (Pick 1908, 24). These very brief references shed little light on the document or whether it may be the same as the one now circulating under that name.

The Gospel of the Egyptians

6/10/2022

6/10/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Three: The Gospel of the Egyptians." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 19-22.

Epiphanius and Hippolytus both make mention of the Gospel of the Egyptians. They consider it to be full of arcane statements and to teach that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one person, not three, and that learning about the soul is obscure (Pick 1908, 19). A hallmark teaching, as referenced by Clement of Alexandria, is that death is a normal part of life, suggesting that celibacy is the good way to prevent death (Pick 1908, 20). The teaching is presented through conversations between Salome and Jesus. The coming of the Lord, further, can be predicted because it will be when there is no longer male or female, but when people speak the truth to one another. This citation is in 2 Clement 12:2, 4, 5 (Pick 1908, 21). The view, as represented by Clement of Alexandria (Stromata III, 9, 63), is that the Gospel of the Egyptians held women to be responsible for the primary evils of lust, generation, and death.

June 09th, 2022

6/9/2022

6/9/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Two: The Gospel of the Ebionites." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 14-18.

Pick notes that all we know of the Gospel of the Ebionites is reported by Epiphanius. They accepted only Matthew's Gospel in its alleged Hebrew version (Pick 1908, 14-15). Epiphanius speaks briefly of the assertion that John and Acts were also translated into Hebrew and kept in a treasury (Pick 1908, 15). Epiphanius cites a number of passages, which give the impression that this work is a truncated version of Matthew. The pericopes cited seem non-controversial, but may add some details. For instance, at the baptism of Jesus, this Ebionite version shows John falling at the feet of Jesus to ask for baptism (Pick 1908, 17). There is also a summary of the narrative of Jesus calling apostles, in which Jesus specifies that his purpose is to call exactly twelve. The Ebionites denied that Jesus was human, citing his reference to all who believe as his family, thus placing himself in the realm of divine spirit (Pick 1908, 18). They denied his being begotten by God, rather affirming a creation like that of the angels. Little evidence remains, and Pick found nothing outside of Epiphanius' work on heresies, chapter 30.

The Gospel according to the Hebrews

6/8/2022

6/8/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter One: The Gospel according to the Hebrews." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 1-14.

The Gospel according to the Hebrews was known in the patristic period to have been written by the Ebionites, who rejected Paul and all else which seemed to depart from the Law. Pick here cites Irenaeus and Eusebius (Pick 1908, 1-2). The remains are quiet fragmentary in nature, preserved in brief quotes, mostly commenting on Matthew's Gospel. The work is quoted fairly significantly by Jerome. This gospel apparently quoted the Old Testament not through the mediation of the Septuagint, but by using a Hebrew text (Pick 1908, 3). References to the Holy Spirit are made in the feminine gender, consistent with Hebrew vocabulary and not with Greek, which uses a neuter. This leads to some idea that the Holy Spirit is a mother figure (Pick 1908, 4). Other notes are based on places where the Gospel of the Hebrews narrates the same situation as does Matthew's Gospel, but differs in some details such as a place name or the identity of a person used in an episode. Of some interest is an account of Jesus' post-resurrection appearance to his half brother James, in which he encourages him to eat and drink (Pick 1908, 11-12). The episode is not found in the canonical gospels but is hinted at in 1 Corinthians 15:7. The story was later used by a number of Christian authors. Papias notes that the woman accused of adultery (John 7:53-8:11) appears in the Gospel of the Hebrews (Pick 1908, 13).

Jesus certainly said things that were not included in the Gospels . . .

6/7/2022

6/7/22
Scholarly Reflections

Pick, Bernhard. "Preface" Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908

Pick observes that studies of non-canonical sayings attributed to Jesus have been published numerous times throughout history. This collection includes items which are considered authentic by some scholars but not by others, leaving the decision up to the reader (Pick 1908, x-xi). The book itself is divided into 14 chapters, with material presented in English without significant commentary.