Transcript
A (0:02)
Hello, everyone. This is father Andrew. In 2021, at the end of our Holy Week and Pascha episode, which was titled the Lord of Spirits Goes to Hell, I read a short excerpt from the Harrowing of Hell section of a text variously referred to as the Gospel of Nicodemus or the Acts of Pilate. This text is generally regarded as an apocryphal New Testament text. What does that mean? It reflects traditions surrounding events of the New Testament that are not actually included in Scripture. So this isn't a text from the Bible and we don't treat it that way. But one of the distinctions from the ancient church that we have mentioned many times on the podcast is between three categories of books read in church, Books read at Home, and books not to be read. The first category is Scripture Books read in Church. The last category, Books not to be Read, is heretical texts that are harmful to one's salvation. This text, the Gospel of Nicodemus, is that second category, Books to be read at home. A number of orthodox liturgical texts make use of this text, giving it an honored place within our tradition of worship.
A (1:26)
After I read that excerpt, we received a lot of positive feedback, as this was many people's first encounter with this amazing piece of writing that seems to have taken its present form in the 4th or 5th century. Because of that feedback, I wanted to read for you the Harrowing of Hell in its entirety as found in the Gospel of Nicodemus. We begin with St. Joseph of Arimathea speaking to Annas and Caiaphas, two high priests of the temple during the time of Jesus.
A (2:19)
And Joseph arose and said unto Annas and Caiaphas, truly and of right, do ye marvel, because ye have heard that Jesus hath been seen alive after death, and that he hath ascended into heaven. Nevertheless, it is more marvellous that he rose not alone from the dead, but did raise up alive many other dead out of their sepulchres. And they have been seen of many in Jerusalem. And now hearken unto me, for we all know the blessed Simeon, the high priest, which received the child Jesus in his hands in the temple. And this Simeon had two sons, brothers in blood. And we all were at their falling asleep, and at their burial. Go therefore, and look upon their sepulchres, for they are open because they have risen. And behold, they are in the city of Arimathea, dwelling together in prayer. And indeed men hear them crying out, yet they speak with no man, but are silent as dead men. But come, let us go unto them, and with all honour and gentleness bring them unto us. And if we adjure them, perchance they will tell us concerning the mystery of their rising again.
A (3:31)
When they heard these things, they all rejoiced. And Annas and Caiaphas, Nicodemus and Joseph and Gamaliel went, and found them not in their sepulchre, but they went unto the city of Arimathea, and found them there kneeling on their knees and giving themselves unto prayer. And they kissed them. And with all reverence and in the fear of God, they brought them to Jerusalem, into the synagogue, and they shut the doors and took the law of the Lord and put it into their hands and adjured them by the Lord God and the God of Israel, which spake unto our fathers by the prophets, saying, believe ye that it is Jesus which raised you from the dead. Tell us how ye have arisen from the dead.