The Acts of Peter provides a number of entertaining accounts of the mis sionary adventures of the leader of the apostles, including several of his sermons and a number of his miracles. Much of the narrative concerns a series of contests between Peter and his nemesis, the Satanically inspired sorcerer Simon Magus, who presents himself as the true representative of God on earth. The same Simon is elsewhere portrayed as the first Gnostic and arch-heretic (see, e.g., the Epistle of the Apostles, above), although here there is less attention paid to his theology than to his claims of divine superiority.1 These claims are completely refuted by Peter, who through the
power of God is able to make dogs and newborn infants speak and to restore smoked tunas and dead people back to life.
The contests reach a climax when Simon uses his powers to fly like a bird over the temples and hills of Rome; Peter responds by calling upon God to smite him in mid-air. When Simon crashes to the ground, the crowds, convinced of Peter’s superior power, rush to the scene to stone Simon and leave him for dead (chaps. 32–33).
The account ends with Peter’s arrest and execution, in which, at his own request, he is crucified upside down; hanging on the cross, he explains to those nearby the symbolic reasons for his request, utters a long prayer, and then dies—only to appear to one of his followers afterwards to upbraid him for providing him with such a lavish burial (chaps. 36–40).
In many ways, the bulk of the Acts of Peter—that is, the miracle contests between Peter and Simon Magus—reflects the traditions that also lie behind the “Pseudo-Clementine” literature, including the Homilies of Clement (see below). The Acts of Peter itself appears to have been in circulation some time before the end of the second century.
1For the importance of Simon Magus as an opponent of proto-orthodox heresy-hunters, see Ehrman,
Lost Christianities, 165–67.
Translation by J. K. Elliott, Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993) 401–10; 416–26; used with permission.
. . . After a few days there was a
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great commotion in the congrega tion, for some said that they had seen things done by a man named Simon, who was at Aricia. They also added, “He claims to be the great power of God, doing nothing without God. Is he then Christ? We, however, believe in him whom Paul has preached to us. For through him we saw the dead raised and some healed from various diseases. This power seeks conflicts, we know. For it is no small disturbance that has come upon us. Perhaps he has already come to Rome. For yesterday he was invited with great acclamation to do so, being told, ‘You are God in Italy, you are the savior of the Romans; hasten to Rome as quickly as possible.’ And Simon ad dressed the people and said with a shrill voice, ‘On the following day about the seventh hour you shall see me fly over the gate of the city in the same form in which I now speak to you.’ Wherefore, brethren, if you agree, let us go and dil igently await the end of the matter.” And they all went out and came to the gate. About the seventh hour there suddenly appeared afar off a dust-cloud in the sky, looking like smoke shining with a glare of fire. And when it reached the gate it suddenly disappeared. Then he appeared standing in the midst of the people. They all worshipped him and knew that it was he whom they had seen the day before. And the brethren were exceedingly dis turbed, especially as Paul was not at Rome, nor Timothy and Barnabas, whom Paul had sent to Macedonia, nor anyone who could strengthen us (sic) in the faith, especially the neophytes. As Simon’s au thority grew more and more, some of those among whom he worked in their daily conversations called Paul a sorcerer and a deceiver and all of the great mul titude which had been confirmed in the faith were led astray, excepting the presbyter Narcissus, and two women in the hospice of the Bithynians, and four others who could not leave their house; and day and night they entreated the Lord either that Paul might return as soon as possible or that someone else might come to care for his servants, whom the devil by his wickedness had perverted.
While they were grieving and fast
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ing God was already preparing Pe ter at Jerusalem for the future. After the twelve years had passed, according to the direction of the Lord to Peter, Christ showed to him the following vision, say ing, “Peter, Simon, whom you expelled from Judaea after having exposed him as a magician, has forestalled you at Rome. And in short, all who believed in me he has perverted by the cunning and power of Satan, whose agent he proves to be. But do not delay. Go tomorrow to Cae sarea, and there you will find a ship ready to sail to Italy. And within a few days I will show you my grace which is bound less.” Instructed by this vision, Peter did not delay to mention it to the brethren and said, “I must go up to Rome to sub due the enemy and opponent of the Lord and of our brethren.” And he went down to Caesarea and at once boarded the ship, which was ready to sail, without having obtained for himself any provisions. But the steersman, named Theon, looked at Peter and said, “What we have belongs to you. For what grace is it for us in receiving a man like ourselves in difficult circumstances, without sharing with him what we have? Let us have a safe jour ney.” Peter thanked him for his offer. And he fasted in the ship, being dejected, and yet again comforted because God re garded him as a servant worthy of his service. A few days later the captain got up at meal time and asked Peter to eat with him, saying to him, “Whoever you are, I hardly know you. You are either a137
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God or a man. But as far as I can see, I think that you are a servant of God. As I was steering my ship in the middle of the night I fell asleep. It seemed to me as if a human voice from heaven said to me, “Theon, Theon!” Twice it called me by name and said to me, ‘Amongst all the passengers treat Peter in the most hon orable way. For, with his help, you and the rest will escape safe from an unex pected incident.’ ” Peter, however, think ing that God wished to show his provi dence to all those who were in the ship, began at once to speak to Theon of the great deeds of God, and how the Lord had chosen him among the apostles and for what cause he was sailing to Italy. Daily he spoke to him the word of God. After they had become better acquainted Peter found out that Theon was one with him in the faith and a worthy servant. When the ship was detained by the calm of the Adriatic Sea, Theon remarked on the calm to Peter and said, “If you think me worthy to be baptized with the sign of the Lord, you have the chance now.” All the others in the ship were in a drunken stupor. Peter let himself down by a rope and baptized Theon in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He came up out of the water rejoicing with great joy. Peter also had become more cheerful because God had deemed Theon worthy of his name. And it happened that in the same place where Theon was baptized, a young man, radi ant in splendor, appeared and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And both Peter and Theon immediately went up and entered the cabin; and Peter took bread and gave thanks to the Lord, who had deemed him worthy of his holy ser vice, and because a young man had ap peared to them saying, “Peace be with you.” Peter said, “Most excellent and the only Holy One, for you appeared to us, O God Jesus Christ. In your name I have
spoken, and he was signed with your holy sign. Therefore also I give to him, in your name, your eucharist, that he may for ever be your servant, perfect and without blemish.” When they were eating and re joicing in the Lord, suddenly a moderate wind, not a violent one, arose at the prow of the ship and lasted six days and six nights till they came to Puteoli.
Having landed at Puteoli, Theon
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left the ship and went to the inn where he usually stayed, to make prepa rations for the reception of Peter. The inn- keeper’s name was Ariston, a God- fearing man, and to him he went for the sake of the Name. And when he had come to the inn and found Ariston, Theon said to him, “God, who counted you wor thy to serve him, has also made known to me his grace through his holy servant Peter, who has just arrived with me from Judaea, being bidden by our Lord to go to Italy.” When Ariston heard this, he fell upon Theon’s neck, embraced him and asked him to bring him to the ship and show Peter to him. For Ariston said, “Since Paul has gone to Spain there was not one of the brethren who could strengthen me. Besides, a certain Jew named Simon has invaded the city. By means of his magical sayings and his wickedness he has completely perverted the entire fraternity, so that I have fled from Rome hoping for the arrival of Pe ter. For Paul had spoken of him, and I saw many things in a vision. Now I be lieve in my Lord, that he will again es tablish his ministry, that all deception be extinguished from his servants. For our Lord Jesus Christ is faithful, and he can renew our thoughts.” When Theon heard this from the weeping Ariston, his con fidence was restored, and he was even more strengthened in his faith, knowing that he believed in the living God. When they came to the ship, Peter saw themand, filled with the Spirit, he smiled, so that Ariston fell upon his face to the feet of Peter and said, “Brother and Lord, who makes known the sacred mysteries and teaches the right way, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ, our God, through you he has shown us his coming. All whom Paul entrusted to us we have lost through the power of Satan. But now I trust in the Lord, who sent his messenger and told you to hasten to us, that he has deemed us worthy to see his great and wonderful deeds done by your hands. I therefore beg you, come quickly to the city. For I left the brethren who had stumbled, whom I saw fall into the snares of the devil, and fled here saying to them, ‘Brethren, stand firm in the faith; for it is to be that within the next two months the mercy of our Lord will bring you his servant.’ I saw a vision of Paul speaking to me and saying, ‘Ariston, flee from the city.’ Having heard this, I believed with out wavering, departed from the city in the Lord, and though the flesh which I bear is weak, yet I came here, stood daily by the shore, and asked the sailors, ‘Has Peter come with you?’ And now that the grace of the Lord abounds, I beseech you to go up to Rome without delay, lest the teaching of the wicked man increases still more.” When Ariston had spoken amidst tears Peter gave him his hand and lifted him up from the ground, and said with tears and sighs, “He who tempts the world by his angels forestalled us; but he who has the power to deliver his servants from all temptation will destroy his de ceits and put them under the feet of those who believe in Christ, whom we preach.” And when they entered by the gate Theon entreated Peter and said, “During the long sea voyage you never refreshed yourself on the ship, and now will you go from the ship on such a rough road? No, stay, refresh yourself and then go. From here to Rome the road is rocky, and
I fear you might hurt yourself with the shaking.” But Peter answered and said to them, “But what would have happened if about my neck and that of the enemy of the Lord a millstone were hanged (as my Lord said to us, if any one should offend one of the brethren2), and we be drowned
in the depths of the sea? Not only would it be a millstone, but what is worse, I the opponent of this persecutor of his ser vants would die far away from those who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.” In no way could Theon persuade him to remain a day longer. Whereupon Theon gave everything that was in the ship to be sold at a fair price, and followed Peter to Rome, and accompanied Ariston to the house of the presbyter Narcissus.
Soon it became known among the
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scattered brethren of the city that Peter had come to Rome on account of Simon, to prove that he was a seducer and persecutor of the good. And the whole multitude came together to see the apostle of the Lord, confirming the con gregation in Christ. When they gathered on the first day of the week to meet Peter he began to speak with a loud voice, “You people who are here, hoping in Christ, you who suffered a brief temptation, learn why God sent his Son into the world, or why he begot him by the virgin Mary, if it were not to dispense some mercy or means of salvation. For he meant to annul every offence and every ignorance and every activity of the devil, his instigations and powers, by means of which he once had the upper hand, before our God shone forth in the world. Since with their many and manifold weak nesses they fell to death by their igno rance, Almighty God had compassion139
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and sent his Son into the world, and I was with him. And I walked on the water and survive as a witness; I confess I was there when he was at work in the world performing signs and wonders. Dearest brethren, I denied our Lord Jesus Christ, not once, but thrice; for those who en snared me were wicked gods, just as the prophet of the Lord said. But the Lord did not lay it to my charge; he turned to me and had mercy on the weakness of my flesh, so that I wept bitterly; and I mourned for my little faith, having been deceived by the devil, and disobeyed the word of my Lord. And now I tell you, men and brethren, who are convened in the name of Jesus Christ, Satan the de ceiver sends his arrows upon you too, to make you leave the way. But do not be disloyal, brethren, nor fail in your mind, but strengthen yourselves, stand fast, and doubt not. For if Satan has subverted me, whom the Lord esteemed so highly, so that I denied the light of my hope, caus ing me to fall and persuading me to flee as if I believed in a man, what do you think will happen to you, who have just become converted? Do you imagine that he will not subvert you to make you en emies of the Kingdom of God and to bring you by the worst error into perdi tion? For every one whom he deprives of the hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is a child of perdition for all eternity. Repent, therefore, brethren whom the Lord has chosen, and be firmly established in the Almighty Lord, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom no one has ever seen nor can see except he who believes in him. Understand whence the temptation has come for you. For I came not only for the sake of convincing you with words that he whom I preach is the Christ, but by reason of miraculous deeds and powers I exhort you by faith in Jesus Christ. Let no one wait for another savior besides him who was despised and whom
the Jews reviled, this crucified Nazarene, who died and rose again on the third day.”