The Repose of St John the Evangelist and Apostle

Anthony Alcock
I have copied this text from the edition of E.A. Wallis Bdge Coptic Apocrypha in the
Dialect of Upper Egypt !ondon" #$#%" &here it can 'e fond on pp. (# )(*. It is part of B+
+s ,r.-.*/. It consists largely of John0s address to his 'rothers and prayers spoken 'y
John" the action 'eing confined to the 'reaking of 'read" the digging of a pit and John0s
lying do&n in it. The final paragraph makes it clear that John" apart from 0a sandal and
some fresh earth0" disappears from the pit" giving the &riter of the text the opportnity to
1ote John .#2... 3nlike Enoch 45en. (" .67 and Eli8ah 4. 9g. ." ##7" John seems to have
'ecome a 0missing person0.
I have not sed Bdge0s translation" 't made my o&n instead. The English version that
follo&s each printed page of the :optic text is a translation of &hat is on that page. I have
added almost all the 5reek &ords in 'rackets and some of the :optic &ords" and these I
hope &ill 'e of se to those familiar &ith 5reek and those &ishing to improve their
kno&ledge of :optic.
!ike Syriac" another vernaclar langage of the region that srvived the onslaght of
5reek" :optic ses 'et&een (; and #<; 5reek &ords and is a'le to alternate" if it &ants
to" 'et&een 5reek to :optic" so for example one finds the 5reek &ord and the :optic &ord
sed for the same phenomenon2 rg and qwnt 0anger0 . 5reek fond its &ay into
Egyptian initially 'ecase it &as the langage of the dominant class from the late 6th cent.
B: on&ards 4as &ith =rench in ##th)#6th cent. England7 and later" &ith the advent of
:hristianity" it a'sor'ed &ords like yuc and pnema" &hich &ere o'viosly considered to
'e essentially 0:hristian0 terms. 5reek &ords are treated in different &ays in different
dialects2 the principal sothern dialect kno&n as Sahidic" in &hich this text is &ritten" can
sometimes &rite them in sch a &ay that they are difficlt to recogni>e" &hereas other
1
dialects
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are sally more scrplos &ith them and" in the case of ver's" even go as far as
sing a :optic ver' 4r) 0to do07 to signal that the 5reek &ord is attached to the :optic prefix"
the part that sally contains information a'ot tense and s'8ect 4non or pronon7. In
neither case" ho&ever" can a 5reek ver' fnction like a :optic ver' in terms of &hat it does
&ith the o'8ect or the rich variety of adver's and prepositions that :optic ver' is a'le to
deploy to modify meaning. It &ill 'e noticed that the 5reek &ords do not have the same
morphological properties in :optic as they do in 5reek" and this is hardly srprising since
the t&o langages are 1ite different from each other. :optic adapts lexical nits and fits
them into its o&n lingistic frame&ork. This is called 'y some scholars :opto)5reek" a
designation that is pro'a'ly meant to point ot that 5reek morphology cannot 'e
accommodated 'y :optic. I kno& of only one instance of a 5reek present participle form in
a :optic text" &here :optic &old normally se a constrction kno&n as the
0circmstantial0.
.
B+ ,r. -.*/ is in a vellm 'ook of %- leaves" data'le to $$< A?. The other texts in the
volme are a discorse on +anichaean heretics and t&o texts on the Blessed @irgin. The
'ook &as copied 'y a &oman &ho &rote a prayer on folio .*'2 0Alease" my fathers and my
'rothers" everyone &ho &ill read in this chapter of the 'ook" pray for yor 5od)loving
sister &ho loves agape and offering02 her name has 'een erased. An Ethiopic version of the
text has also 'een preserved in B+ ,r. -/%" so it is reasona'le to conclde that there mst
also have 'een an Ara'ic text" the normal transmission of texts 'eing :optic to Ara'ic to
Ethiopic.
Transcription conventions of texts have changed some&hat since Bdge p'lished these
texts. Words or morphological nits that appear in Bdge as separate items no& largely
appear as one &ord. So" for example in the title" 0&ords0 sch M 40of07 and xN 40in7 are no&
sally attached to the &ord that follo&s them. The do&n&ard diagonal stroke at the top
right hand of a &ord in Bdge0s text pro'a'ly indicates the end of the &ord. The line a'ove
certain consonants " often kno&n as a sperlinear stroke" pro'a'ly represents an
nstressed vo&el sond to 'e made 'efore the consonant. The style of the script is sally
1
For example, in the text known as Zostrianos in Nag Hammadi Codex VIII we find (10,13 a form s!"h as
rvantazescai#
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In a %th "ent# text from the &illage of 'ellis in the (akhla )asis, to *e p!*lished in &ol#$ of the Copti" non+
literar, from those ex"a&ations# -he pro&isional in&entor, n!m*er of the text is ./012 MpFplq prokoptwn 3he did
not stop ad&an"ing3
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kno&n as the :optic 3ncial" &hich may have developed in Egypt a'ot the .nd cent. A?.
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:optic letters sed here are2 Bsh" fBf" x=h jB8" qBky and +Bti and I hope they &ill 'e of
se to those &ho &old like to kno& &hat the &ords might have sonded like.
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1# Ca&allo Grmmata lexandrna Jahrbuch der sterreichischen Byzantinistik $%, 14562 $3+6%#
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The repose (npausij) of Saint (gioj 7 John the Evangelist 4eaggelst!j7 and
Apostle 4p"stoloj7 of :hrist. In a peace 4e#rn!7 of 5od 4pnoute7 . Amen.
Blessed 4ma$rioj7 John &as in Ephess &ith the 'rothers 4nesnhu7 " re8oicing
4eftelhl7 in the !ord 4joeis7. ,n the !ord0s day 4$uri$!7 all the 'rothers &ere gathered
together.4fol. 2a col. 27 John 'egan 4%rces&ai7 to speak &ith them" saying2 0+y 'rothers"
and fello& heirs 4$l!r"nomoj7 and partakers 4summ'tocoj7 of :hrist ,r !ord.
9no& 4eime7 that the !ord has given (+) yo strength from him. Co& many great
thing and miracles and acts of grace 4crisma7 he has done for yo. And yo kno& &hat
the teachings and gidelines" the ease and the service 4dia$ona7" the grace and the gifts
4d(re7" and all the other things that yo see &ith 4fol. 2b col. 17 yor eyes 4bal7" given
to 'y or master 4sax7. Ce did not appear to yo in the eyes 4bal7 of the 'ody 4s)ma7. Dor
did yo hear him &ith the ears (maaje7 of the 'ody 4s)ma7" 't he reveals himself to yo in
the prightness of yor heart 4xht7 in a vision 4*rama7 in holy things. Strengthen
yorselves 4tajrethutN7 therefore in him" remem'ering
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him at all times 4ouoei nim7 and remem'ering also the mystery 4mustrion7 and
fello&ship 4$oin(na7 that has happened 4fol.2b col. 27 to yo. The !ord has completed
them all.
Do& therefore" 'rothers" he 'egs yo from his o&n part and calls pon
4para$alen7 yo" &anting yo not grieve 4lupen7 him or scorn him or conspire against
4+pi,oule-ein7 against him. =or he kno&s the scorn 4sw7 that comes from yo.
Ce also kno&s the disgrace 4tqaeio7 and the conspiring 4+pi,oul7 and the
pnishment 4$"lasij7 &ith &hich yo pnish 4$ol.ein7 him. When 4*tan7 yo 4fol.3a
col. 17 o'ey his holy commands 4+ntol7" he &ill have mercy 4na7 on yo. ?o not let the
good 4ga&"j7 5od grieve 4lupen7 'ecase of yo" the mercifl" the compassionate" the
stainless 4attwlM7" the n'lemished" the nattaina'le" the ni1e" the immta'le" the
gileless" the angerless 4atqwnt7. The name 4ran7 &hich is over every name" it is kno&n.
!et him re8oice 4e/ranein7 &ith yo" as yo condct yor lives 4polite-es&ai7 &ell for
him. !et him re8oice &ith yo" as yo live in 8oy and prity. 4fol. 3a col. 27 !et him repose
in yor hearts" as yo 'ehave 4nastr0/es&ai7 &ith seemliness 4mNt)semn"j7. !et him 'e
&ithot care" as yo live in self)restraint 4+g$ratea7. !et him 'e 8oyfl" as yo commne
4$oin(nen7 &ith the good and the promises. !et him live delicately 4tru/1n7" as yo love
him. !et him smile" as yo are gentle.
These things" my 'rothers" I say to yo 'ecase I hasten to&ards the matter &hich is
'efore me" &hose flfilment &ill 'e mine 4fol. 3b col. 1) throgh the !ord. =or &hat else
&ill I say to yo" as yo have the pledge 4+n0curon7 of yor 5od" yo have the garantee
of the kingdom" yo have his implaca'le 4at)paraites&ai7 presence 4parousa7
6
. If
4ewpe7 henceforth yo do not sin" the things &hich yo have done in ignorance" he &ill
forgive yo them. Bt if
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-he 7e"ond Coming
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after kno&ing him yo contine 4fol. 3b col. 27 in these same things" they &ill 'e
acconted to yo and yo &ill 'e handed 4paradid"nai7 to the fire 4kwx7.0
And &hen had said this" he prayed as follo&s2 0Jess is the one &ho plaited the
cro&n 4klom7 &ith yor o&n plaiting. The
(
one &ho created the cro&n of all the saints and
these many plants &hich transformed into people" yors is the flo&er 4xrhre7 &hich does
not &ither at all. The one &ho so&ed in yo his &ords" &ho alone cares for 4fol. 4a col. 17
his servants. The physician of or 'ody 4s)ma7 cres them all in vain. ,r sole 'enefactor.
The one &ithot arrogance 4mNtjasixht7. The mercifl &ho loves everyone. Sole savior
4s(tr7 and 8st 4d$aioj7 one &ho is every&here and has 'een forever" 5od :hrist Jess.
Eo are the one &ho protects 4s$ep.ein7 everyone &ho hopes 4+lp.ein7 in yo &ith yor
gifts 4d(re7 4fol. 4a col. 27 and charity" kno&ing every trick 4t0cn!7 and a'se 4+
p!rea7 of the enemy &ho opposes s at all times.0
And after St John the Evangelist had said this" he took 'read 4oeik7 and gave thanks
4!xmot7 ths" saying2 0What is the 'lessing" &hat is the coming forth of the &ord or &hat
is the thanks 4ecaristea7 that &e shall name over this 'read as &e 'reak it if not yo
yorself" !ord :hrist F 4fol. 4b col. 17 We give glory 4eoou7 to yor coming forth from the
gate. We give glory to yor resrrection 4nstasij7 from the dead" this a'ot &hich yo
instrcted s. We give glory to yo the &ay" &e give glory to yo the
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-his is a set of in&o"ation *eginning with 3)3, whi"h I ha&e not translated#
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seed 4qrooq7" the Word 4l"goj7" the salt" the tre stone"
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the sacred treasre 4axo
etouaab7" the plogh" the net" the greatness 4mNtnoq7" the one &ho is called 0son of man
for or sake that he may save the 4fol. 4b col. 27 hman race 4g0noj70. We give glory to
yo" the trth 4me7" repose 4Mton7" glory" po&er" command 4+ntol7" freedom of speech
4parr!sa7"
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freedom" or place of refge 4maNpwt7. =or yo are the !ord" the fondation
4sNte7 of immortality and the spring 4p!g7 of indestrcti'ility and the strength of the
aeons 423n7 yor name having 'een prononced over all these things so that &e too may
call pon 4+pi$alen7 yo throgh them.
=or &e kno& yor invisi'le greatness" 4fol. 5a col. 17 this &hich &e cannot no&
see. If yo prify s s" then &e &ill see in the 'ody 4s)ma7 itself" this &hich yo have
re8venated in old age.0 When he 'roke the 'read" he prayed over each of the 'rothers that
they might 'e &orthy of the grace 4crij7 of 5od. Similarly 44moi)j7" he too" the holy
John" &hen had tasted the 'read" John spoke2 0+ay there 'e a share 4m5rij7 for me too of
yor peace 4e#rn!7" 4fol. 5a col. 27 my 'eloved.0 Then he said to Ayrrhs
*
2 0Take &ith yo
t&o 'rothers that have 'askets and handles and follo& me.0
Ayrrhs did not ignore this at all" 't 4ll7 performed &hat he &as ordered to 'y
John the Theologos" the servant of 5od. When the 'lessed 4ma$rioj7 John came forth
from his hose" he &ent otside the city gate 4p"lij" pul7 and said that most 4fol. 5b
col. 17 of those follo&ing him shold go and they left him. When he reached the 'rial
place 4ma Mxaau7 'elonging to one of the 'rothers" he said to the yong men2 0?ig 4ike7 in
this place" my sons. 0 They dg do&n.
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3-r!e3 here means 3pre"io!s32 phrase also o""!rs in the apo"r,phal Sapientia Salomonis 5,4
5
8 fairl, "ommon term in Copti" texts that seems largel, to mean the a*ilit, to speak one3s mind freel,# For a
thoro!gh treatment of the word in the "lassi"al and Christian world "f# 1i!seppe 7"arpat Parrhesia greca-
parrhesia christiana (14/%, re&# $001
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Co!ld this the same person mentioned in 8"ts $0,% 9
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Bt he John the Theologos kept
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ordering them2 0?ig do&n deep 4$al)j7.0 And he kept
saying2 0?ig deeper.0 As they &ere digging" he kept saying this 4fol. 5b col. 27 and rging
4protr0pein7 them" edifying them" preparing them" persading 4pe&ein7 them to&ards the
kingdom of heaven.
Ce kept praying over each of them. When the yong men stopped digging the place
4t"poj7 in &hich they &ere digging" having done their 8o' &ell 4$al)j7" as he &anted" &e
kne& nothing. Then he ndressed himself and thre& his clothes 4xoite7 do&n into the
4fol. 6a col. 17 place that had 'een dg like a place spread ot. Ce stood &ith only a
do'le)fringed
#<
tnic 4thn7 pon him. Ce spread ot 4pwr ebol7 his hands and prayed
4lhl7 as follo&s2
5od is the one &ho chose 4swt!7 me for him" for an apostleship to the heathens 46
&noj7" yo having sent
##
me to the inha'ited &orld 4o#$oum0n!7. The one &ho appeared to
the prophets 4pro/t!j7 and his apostles 4p"stoloj7. The one 4fol. 6a col. 27 &ho has
never stopped doing good from the 'eginning 4$ata,ol7 of the &orld 4$"smoj7" saving
all those na'le 4to save themselves7. The one &ho cased himself to 'e kno&n 'y all
creatres 4.)on7 &ith and &ithot reason 4logi$"j7 " they 'eing ministered to 4dia$one7n7
'y his forethoght 4pronoa7. The one &ho cased or sol to 'e gentle 48meroj7" having
made it mild4xrok7 &hen it &as &ild and fierce 4%grioj7. The one &ho gave it to himself to
lagh at his enemies. The one &ho revealed it himself &hen it &as dead" he having
legislated 4nomos7 4fol. 6b col. 17 for it to consider in the pit of la&lessness 4noma7. The
one &ho made it victorios over its enemies &hen it fled to him. The one &ho gave it his
hand and saved it from hell. The one &ho did not let it 'ehave according to the &orld
4polite-es&ai9 $"smoj7. The one &ho instrcted it against its enemies. The one &ho
cased
4
Copti" !ses the Imperfe"t here in an 3iterati&e3 sense#
10
In Cr!m Dict. 645a this passage is "ited with the 1reek word that means 3with a do!*le fringe3#
11
-he lang!age of the pra,er2 3rd person is !sed to des"ri*e the :!alities and properties of 1od and $nd
person to des"ri*e the a"tions of 1od with respe"t to ;ohn#
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his kno&ledge to shine in every place. The son of 5od" the Savior" the !ord" the
commander 4txij7 of all that is in the air" the gardian 4prefxarex7 of all that is on
earth" 4fol. 6b col. 277the grace 4crij7 and 8oy of all that 'elongs to him. Receive to
yorself the sol 4yuc7 of John" &ho is yors" the sol 4yuc7 that yo allo&ed to kno&
yo. =or yo are the one &ho has protected me so far" I not having defiled myself at all
4*l(j) &ith a &oman.
When I &anted to marry in my yoth" yo appeared to me and said2 0John" I need
4crea7 yo.0 Eo have preserved my 'ody 4o#$onomen s)ma7 from 'odily illness 4fol. 7a
col. 17. It is yo &ho stopped me many times &hen I &anted to marry. !ater yo spoke
&ith me at the third hor on the sea 4&lassa7 2 0John" if yo &ere not mine" I &old
leave yo and yo &old marry and 'ecome 'lind in yor t&o eyes and yo &old contine
to morn" 'egging me.0 The one &ho opened my heart in the third year" yo granted
4car.ein7 me other eyes that are not visi'le. The one &ho made 4fol. 7a col. 27looking at
or ogling &omen an a'omination to me. The one &ho resced me from transient illsion
4/antasa7 and kept me for eternal life. The one &ho made me stranger to the &icked
madness 4mana7 that is in the flesh and cased me to distant from 'itter death. Ce &ho
resced me from the second death" the 5ehenna of fire" having made me pre. The one
&ho sealed off the secret sickness of my sol 4yuc:7"4fol. 7b col. 17 yo stopped the secret
practices 4prxij7 or visi'le deed that &as 'eing done in the 'ody 4s)ma7 . The one &ho
resced me and cast me from that &hich &as destroying me. The one &ho prepared my &ay
to him in holiness. The one &ho left my thoghts a'ot him ndefiled. The one &ho
granted 4car.ein7 me
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his ndivided faith 4pstij7. The one &ho cased my thoghts and consels to 'e a'ndant
4fol.7b col. 27 to him. The one &ho gives to each according to his deeds. The one &ho has
pt it into my sol 4yuc7 not to let anyone into me except yorself" !ord. =or &hat &ill I
find precios prer than yo. Bt no& I have fond yo and flfilled the dispensation
4o#$onoma7 that yo have entrsted to me. +ake me therefore 4o;n7 &orthy that yo may
give me rest in yor holy repose 4npausij7 and grant me the perfection that is in yo"
&hich is 4fol. 8a col.17 sinlessness and the salvation that is indescri'a'le" nexamina'le
and intangi'le &hen I come to yo" !ord Jess :hrist. +ay the fire a'ate and darkness
recede 4nac(ren7 and the chaos diminish and the 'rning oven 'ecome po&erless and
5ehenna 'e extingished and all the angels follo& me and the demons 'e afraid.
And may the archons 4%rc(n7 'e destroyed and the po&ers 4d-namij7 of darkness
recede 4fol. 8a col. 27 and fall and the places 4t"poj7 remain pright. +ay the devil
4di,oloj7 'e shamed and 'e laghed at. +ay his anger 'e 1enched and his madness
s'side. +ay his honor 'e shamed and his anger 4rg7 'roght to nothing. +ay his
children 'e 'roght do&n and their roots exterminated.
5ive me the po&er 4+xousa7 to go and complete my &ay &ithot tro'le or
distr'ance" coming to yo" !ord" that I may receive the re&ards 4ga&"j7 of those &ho
have lived in prity.0 4fol 8b col. 17
When he had said these things" John the Theologos" looking at the places in &hich
he &ill give glory to 5od" he spread his arms and prayed" saying2 +y !ord 5od" yo are
&ith me.0 Ce then leaped do&n into the pit that had 'een dg" the place &here his clothes
had 'een laid ot.
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When he said to them" 0Aeace 4e#rn!7 and grace 4crij70" he left the 'rothers and they
&ent. 4fol. 8b col. 2 7 They came on the follo&ing day. Cim they did not find" 't only his
sandal 4sandlion7 and fresh earth in the place he had gone to. They then 4lopon7
recalled &hat the !ord had said to Aeter2 If I &ish him to stay ntil I come" &ho are yo F
=ollo& me.0
#.
And they gave glory to the !ord Jess :hrist for the miracle that had
happened t the 'lessed Apostle and Evangelist and Theologos 4fol. 9a col. 17 and holy
virgin 4pr&enoj7" Saint John" the 'eloved one of :hrist Jess and or 5od and Savior
4s(tr7 " this one of e1al glory &ith the =ather and the Coly Spirit 4pnema7" the one &ho
gives life to everything and is cons'stantial 4<moo-sioj7 &ith then" no& and at all times
for all the aeons 4i3n7 of aeons. Amen
1$
;ohn $12$$+$3
$0