Acts of John 32–65

John, then, learning this and moved by these words, ordered the old women to be brought into the theatre. And when they had all been brought into the middle, some on pallets and others lying in a stupor, and the city had run together and there was great silence, John opened his mouth and began to say: "Men of Ephesus, learn first why I am staying in your city, and what is this great confidence of mine toward you, so that it has become manifest to all of you in this common assembly. I have been sent on a mission that is not of men, nor on a vain journey; nor am I a merchant making bargains or exchanges; but I am turning all of you, who are held fast by unbelief and sold to shameful desires. Jesus Christ, whom I preach, being compassionate and kind, wishes through me to rescue you from error; by his power I will also refute the unbelief of your general, by raising up these who lie before us, whom you all see, in what state and in what diseases they are. And this is not possible for me now … [33] … they will be done away with by healings. But I wished first to sow this in your ears: to care for your souls, for which reason I have come to you; not to expect that this time is an age, for it is a balance; nor to lay up treasures on earth, where all things wither; nor to think, when children are born to you, that you may rest on them; nor for their sakes to try to rob and to defraud. [34] Do not grieve, you poor, if you do not have the means to serve your pleasures; for those who have them, when they fall sick, call you blessed. Nor should you rich rejoice in having more money; for in acquiring it you procure for yourselves a grief inseparable from it when you lose it; and again, while you have it, you fear that someone may attack you for its sake.

… And you who are puffed up with bodily beauty and lift your gaze high, you will see the end of the promise at the tomb. And you who delight in adultery, know that both law and nature … and before these, conscience. And you, the woman who commits adultery, … , you do not know where you will end. And you who do not share with those in need, but having money store it up, … when you are released from this body and need some mercy, burning in fire, you will have no one to pity you. And you, the wrathful and the furious, know that you live like the irrational animals. And you, the drunkard and the quarrelsome, learn that you go out of your senses, serving a shameful and filthy desire.

And you who delight in gold and ivory and take pleasure in precious stones, when night comes, do you see what you love? And you who are overcome by soft clothing, and then depart this life, will these things be of use to you there, where you are going? Let the murderer know that the punishment he deserves is laid up for him doubly after his release from here. Likewise the poisoner, the sorcerer, the robber, the defrauder, the man who sleeps with males, the thief, and all who belong to such a band: with your works leading you, you will come to unquenchable fire and utmost darkness and the abyss of punishments and eternal threats. Therefore, men of Ephesus, turn yourselves, knowing this too, that kings, rulers, tyrants, boasters, and those who have triumphed in wars depart naked from here and are in anguish, living amid eternal evils." And having said this, John healed all the diseases by the power of God. [37] And the brothers from Miletus said to John: "We have stayed a long time in Ephesus; if you think fit, let us go to Smyrna too; for we hear already that the great deeds of God have reached there too." And Andronicus said to them: "When the teacher wishes, then let us go." And John said: "Let us first go into the temple of Artemis; for perhaps when we are seen there too, the servants of the Lord will be found." [Other recension: And after three days John showed himself to the Ephesians, and began to teach them. And some were persuaded by what he said, but others went away sneering.]

Now two days later was the birthday of the idol's temple. So John, while all were dressed in white, alone put on black and went up into the temple; and they seized him and tried to kill him. But John said: "You are mad, men, to lay hands on me, the servant of the only God." And going up on a high pedestal he said to them:

"Men of Ephesus, you are in danger of having the nature of the sea: every river that flows into it and every spring that runs down, the rain and the successive waves and the rocky torrents, are made salt together by the bitterness in it. So you too have remained unchanged to this day toward true piety, being corrupted in your ancient religious rites. How many wonders have you seen through me, healings of diseases? And still you are blinded in your hearts and cannot recover your sight. What then is it, men of Ephesus? I have dared now to come up even into this idol temple of yours; I will prove you to be utterly godless and dead in human reasoning. See, I stand here. You all say that you have Artemis as a goddess: pray to her that I alone may die; or I alone, if you cannot do this, will call upon my own God and, because of your unbelief, put you all to death."

But they, who had long had experience of him and had seen the dead raised, cried out: "Do not destroy us in this way, we beg you, John; we know that you can." And John said to them: "If then you do not wish to die, let your religion be refuted, and that in which you are refuted, so that you too may depart from your ancient error. For now above all, either you will turn through my God, or I myself will die through your goddess; for I will pray before you, beseeching my God that you may receive mercy."

And having said this, he prayed thus: "O God, who are God above all so-called gods; who until today have been set at naught in the city of the Ephesians; who put it into my mind to come to this place, which I never had in mind; who have refuted every form of worship by turning men to you; at whose name every idol flees, and every demon and every unclean power; and now, as the demon here flees at your name, he who deceives so great a crowd, show your mercy in this place, for they have been led astray."

And as John was saying this, suddenly the altar of Artemis split into many pieces, and all the offerings in the temple suddenly fell to the ground, and what seemed … to it was shattered, and likewise more than seven of the images; and half of the temple fell down, so that the priest too, when the pillar came down, was killed at one blow. So the crowd of the Ephesians cried out: "One is the God of John, one is the God who has mercy on us, [Other recension: So when all were gathered at the feast of the abominable Artemis and were performing the sacrifices (for her temple, which had been overthrown by John while we were in exile, these men had built again), John stood at their feast on a high place and taught the crowds to depart from the abominable sacrifice. But they would not bear to hear him, saying: "Who brought you here, magician? Do you wish to overthrow this temple too, which we built with great toil, as you did before?" And John said to them: "Not only is your temple left desolate, but you and your children will be given over to utter destruction, unless you acknowledge the God who truly is, our Lord Jesus Christ." Filled with anger, they pulled him down and dragged him off, beating him mercilessly. And the apostle of Christ, lying on the ground, prayed, saying: "Lord Jesus Christ, may the temple of the abominable Artemis fall; and put uprightness into the hearts of this people, to know you the true God and him whom you sent, your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world." And at once there was an earthquake and fearful thunder, and the temple of Artemis was overturned from top to bottom, and all the idols were shattered, and a multitude of the people died of fear. And the rest, seeing what had happened, said: "Woe to us! How long shall we provoke God, who bears with our wickedness? Lest in our unbelief he give us and our city over to utter destruction." And coming all with one accord …] for you alone are God; now we have turned, seeing your wonders; have mercy on us, O God, as you will, and rescue us from our great error." And some of them lay on their faces entreating, others bent their knees and begged, others tore their garments and wept, and others tried to flee.

And John, stretching out his hands and lifted up in soul, said to the Lord: "Glory to you, my Jesus, the only God of truth, for you win your servants back by various arts." And having said this, … [44] … to the crowd: "… we have seen that our gods were set up in vain; we have seen the great and shameful mockery in them. But allow us, we beg you, when we come to your house, to be helped without hindrance. Receive us who have come to a loss."

And John said to them: "Men, believe that for your sakes I have remained in the city of the Ephesians, though I was eager to go to Smyrna and the other cities, so that the servants of Christ there too may turn to him. But since I was not yet fully at rest about you, I have remained, praying to my God, and I begged him to leave Ephesus only when I had strengthened you; and since I see that this has come about and is still more coming about, I will not leave you until I have weaned you like children from the nurse's milk and set you on a firm rock."

So John stayed with them, receiving them … [A kinsman of the priest, having laid the body] at the gate, came in, and, with longing for his own soul, taking care of himself first, he considered this within himself: "It is better for me to care for the living than for my dead kinsman; for I know that if I turn to the Lord and save my own soul, John will not refuse to raise the dead man too." And John, rising from his place, went to where he was, the kinsman of the priest, who had been thinking these things; and taking him by the hand he said: "Did you come to me with these thoughts, child?" And he, seized with trembling and awe, said: "Yes, lord," and threw himself at his feet. And John said: "Our Lord is Jesus Christ, who will show his power in your dead kinsman by raising him." [47] And raising the young man up and taking his hand he said: "It is no great thing for a man who has control of great mysteries to busy himself still with small things. Or what great thing is it to free bodies from diseases?" And still holding the young man by the hand he said: "I tell you, child, go and raise the dead man yourself, saying nothing but only this: 'John the servant of God says to you: Arise.'" And the young man went to his kinsman, and saying only this, with a great crowd present, came in bringing him alive … [Other recension: … the other ran to John, saying within himself: "Surely, if I believe and save my own soul, John will not refuse to raise my dead brother." And when he came near to John, John said to him: "Is this what you are thinking, child? Truly, you have made a good resolve." And fear and trembling seized him, because the apostle of Christ had told him his thoughts so plainly. Then John took him by the hand and went up to where the body of the dead man was, with a great crowd around; and taking hold of his hand he said: "Arise, you who sleep, in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene." And at once the priest rose up sound. And as the crowd marvelled and cried out, "Great is the God of John!", John took them and, having instructed them, baptized them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.] And John, seeing the man who had been raised, said: "Now that you have risen, you are not truly living, nor are you a partaker and heir of the true life. Will you become his, by whose name and power you arose? Believe now, and you will live for all ages." And he believed in the Lord Jesus at once, and from then on he kept close to John.

On the next day, having seen in a dream that he should walk three miles outside the gates, John did not neglect it, but rising at dawn set out on the road with the brothers. And a certain countryman, being admonished by his own father not to take to himself the wife of his fellow-worker, while he threatened to slaughter him, — the young man, not bearing his father's admonition, kicked him and left him speechless. And John, seeing what had happened, said to the Lord: "Lord, was it for this that you commanded me to come out here today?"

And the young man, seeing the suddenness of the death and expecting to be arrested, drew the sickle that was in his belt and ran at full speed toward his own farmhouse; and John, meeting [Other recension: … of the Holy Spirit, with a much larger crowd. And we stayed for years in the surrounding regions, baptizing and appointing priests and healing every disease and every sickness, all believing from sea to sea; and after this we returned to Ephesus glorifying God. Then after some days, by divine revelation, John went out to a certain village to visit the brothers. And there was there a young countryman, often admonished by his own father not to take his fellow-worker's wife; and moved by the envy of the devil, the youth, not bearing his father's admonition, kicked him and suddenly laid him on the ground dead. Seeing this, John said: "Lord, was it for this that you called me here today?" And the young man, seeing his father's untimely death, …] him, said: "Stand, most shameless demon, and tell me where you are rushing, carrying a sickle that thirsts for blood." And the young man, troubled, let the iron fall to the ground and said to him: "I have done a wretched and inhuman deed, and knowing it, I resolved to do a still more violent and crueller evil to myself: to die once for all. For since my father was always admonishing me to live a chaste and honourable life without adultery, I could not bear his reproof, and I kicked him and killed him; and seeing what had happened I was hurrying to the woman on whose account I have become my father's murderer, intending to kill her and her husband, and myself last of all, since I could not bear to be seen by the woman's husband while I underwent the penalty of death."

And John said to him: "So that I may not give room to the one in you who wishes to laugh and mock, by withdrawing and overlooking you in your danger, come with me and show me where your father lies. And if I raise him for you, will you give up the woman who has become so dangerous to you?" And the young man said: "If you raise my father alive for me, and I see him whole and speaking in this life, I will give her up for the future." And as he was saying this, they came to the place where the old man lay dead, and many passers-by were standing at the place. And John said to the youth: "Wretch, did you not spare even your father's old age?" And he, weeping and tearing his hair, said that he repented of it; and the servant of the Lord John said: "You who showed me today … [Other recension: … to him: "Stand, demon, and tell me why you are running." And the boy, trembling and weeping, told John: "I, wretch that I am, have become my father's murderer; and see, in my great distress I am about to kill the woman with whom I committed adultery, and myself. But if you can do anything, help us, disciple of Christ. If you raise this man, I will turn away from evil for the future."]

[Other recension: And when John said to him: "Did you not spare your father's grey hairs, nor pity them, wretch?" … looking up] to heaven: … to come to this place, you who knew that this was going to happen, from whom none of the deeds of life can be hidden, who grant me every cure and healing by your will: now too grant the old man to us alive, seeing that his murderer has become his own judge; and spare him, you alone, Lord, though he did not spare the father who counselled him for the best."

And having said this he went up to the old man and said: "My Lord will not grow weary of extending his kind mercy and his unhaughty compassion even to you. Rise, then, and give glory to God for the work that has been done before your eyes." And the old man said: "I arise, lord." And he arose. And sitting up he said: "I had been released from a most terrible life, and from bearing the many terrible insults of my son and his want of natural affection; for what purpose have you called me back, man of the living God?" … "If you rise for the same things, it were better for you to be dead; but rise for better things." And taking him he led him into the city, preaching to him the grace of God, so that the old man believed before he entered the gate.

And the young man, seeing the unexpected raising of his father and his own salvation, took the sickle and cut off his private parts, and running into the house where he kept the adulteress, threw them in her face, saying: "Because of you I became the murderer of my father and of you two and of myself. You have what is like these and the cause. For God has had mercy on me to know his power." [Other recension: … looking up and groaning, he said: "Lord, this work is yours alone." And taking the dead man's hand he said: "In the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God, arise." And at once he arose. And the boy, seeing his father's unhoped-for return to life and his own salvation, took the sickle and cut off his private parts; and running into the house he threw them in the face of his adulteress, saying: "Because of you I became the murderer of my father and of us two; and see, you have the cause of these things. But God has had mercy on me, to know him through his servant"]

And he went back and reported to John, in the presence of the brothers, what he had done. And John said to him: "Young man, he who put it into your mind to kill your father and to become the adulterer of another man's wife, he also made you do this, as though it were a righteous deed, to remove the unseasonable parts. But you ought to have destroyed not the places, but the thought that showed itself angry through those members; for it is not the organs that are harmful to man, but the unseen springs through which every shameful motion is stirred and comes out into the open. Having repented, then, child, of such a fault, and having learned the arts of Satan, you have God to help you in everything that your soul requires." And the young man kept quiet and persevered, repenting of his former sins so that he might obtain forgiveness from the goodness of God; and he did not leave John. [55] So while these things were being done by him in the city of the Ephesians, the Smyrnaeans sent envoys to him, saying: "We hear [Other recension: Hearing this, John was grieved and said to him: "Wretch, the demon who suggested to you to murder your father himself suggested this to you too. For you ought to have done away not with their places but with the thought, by your prayer; for it is not the organs that are harmful, but the mind that consents to sin. Repent, then, of the lawless daring you have committed." And the boy, groaning and trembling, besought the apostle of Christ, having received pardon for his sins. And the apostle of Christ took him and brought him into the city, and instructed him and baptized him together with …] … that the God whom you preach is without envy and has commanded you not to linger in one place. Since, then, you are the herald of such a God, come to Smyrna and to the other cities, so that through you we may come to know your God, and knowing him may have our hopes in him." [56] … his thought, he said to him: "It would be better for you too, child, to watch a partridge dusting itself, and not to be defiled by shameful and profane deeds. For he who awaits the conversion and repentance of all brought you here for this reason; since I have no need of a partridge dusting itself; for the partridge is your soul."

Hearing this, the old man, seeing that nothing in his heart had escaped notice, all of which the apostle of Christ had told him, fell on his face to the ground and cried out, saying: "Now I know that God dwells in you, blessed John; and blessed is he who has not tempted God in you; for he who tempts you tempts the one who cannot be tempted." And he begged him to pray for him; and having instructed him and given him rules, he sent him away to his house, glorifying the God who is over all. [58] And when a considerable time had passed, and none of the brothers had ever been grieved by John, they were grieved then, when he said: "Brothers, it is now time for me to go back to Ephesus; for I have an agreement with those who live there, lest they become slack, having for a long time no one to strengthen them. But all of you must keep your mind on God, who does not forsake us." And hearing this from him the brothers mourned, because they were being separated from him. And John said: "Even if I am separated from you, yet Christ is with you always; and if you love him purely, you will have unfailing fellowship with him; for being loved, he loves those who love him."

And having said this and taken leave of them, leaving much money with the brothers for distribution, while all the brothers mourned and groaned, he set out for Ephesus. And there went with him from Ephesus Andronicus and Drusiana, and the households of Lycomedes and Cleobius; and there followed him also Aristobula, who had learned that her husband Tertullus had died on the way, and Aristippus with Xenophon, and the chaste harlot, and many others, whom he continually encouraged toward the Lord, and who no longer wished to be separated from him.

And when we had put up at a lonely inn on the first day, and were at a loss for a bed for John, we saw an amusing thing. There was one bed there, lying somewhere without coverings; on it we spread the cloaks we were carrying and begged him to lie down on it and rest, while all the rest of us slept on the floor. When he lay down, he was troubled by the bugs; and as they became more and more troublesome to him, when it was already the middle of the night, he said to them in the hearing of all of us: "I say to you, O bugs, be considerate, all of you together, and leave your home for this night and be quiet in one place, and keep away from the servants of God." And while we were laughing and still talking, John turned to sleep; and we, talking quietly, did not disturb him.

And as day was dawning I rose first, and with me Verus and Andronicus; and we see at the door of the room we had taken a great number of bugs standing. And as we were astonished at the great sight of them, and all the brothers had been roused because of them, John was still asleep. And when he woke we showed him what we had seen; and he, sitting up on the bed and looking at them, said: "Since you have been considerate and kept my rebuke, come back to your place." And when he had said this and got up from the bed, the bugs ran from the door to the bed and, climbing up its legs, disappeared into the joints. And John said again: "This creature, hearing the voice of a man, stayed by itself, keeping quiet and not transgressing; but we, hearing the voice of God, disobey his commandments and are careless. How long?"

After this we come to Ephesus; and the brothers there, having learned that John had arrived after a long time, ran together to the house of Andronicus, where he was lodging, taking hold of his feet, and putting his hands to their own faces they kissed them, as if they had touched his garments.

And while there was much love and surpassing joy among the brothers, a certain man, an emissary of Satan, fell in love with Drusiana, though he saw and knew that she was the wife of Andronicus. Most people said to him: "It is impossible for you to obtain this woman, since for a long time she has been separated even from her husband because of piety. Are you the only one who does not know that Andronicus, before he became what he is now, a God-fearing man, shut her up in a tomb, saying: 'Either I will have you as my wife, as I had you before, or you will die'? And she chose rather to die than to do that loathsome thing. If, then, she would not consent with her lord and husband to intercourse, because of piety, but even persuaded him to think as she did, will she consent with you, who wish to be her adulterer? Give up a madness that gives you no rest; give up an affair that you cannot bring to completion."

But though his intimate friends said these things to him, they did not persuade him; but with shamelessness he sent to her; and when Drusiana learned of the dishonour and insults from him, she spent her life in dejection. And after two days Drusiana took to her bed from her dejection and was in a fever, saying: "Would that I had never come back to my own native city, I who have become a stumbling-block to a man uninitiated in piety! For if he were someone struck by the word, he would not have come to such madness. But, Lord, since I have become the cause of a wound to an ignorant soul, release me from this bond and take me to yourself quickly." And in the presence of John, no one at all knowing of such a thing, Drusiana departed this life, not at all rejoicing, but grieving over that man's ruin of soul.

And Andronicus, grieving with a hidden grief, mourned in his soul, and wept openly too, so that John often silenced him and said to him: "Drusiana has departed from this unjust life to a better hope." And Andronicus answered him: "I am persuaded, John, and I do not doubt at all concerning faith in my God; but I hold to this above all, that she departed this life pure."