Epistle of the Apostles 50–51
Pseudonymous: Anonymous; the author writes in the name of the eleven apostles (and Cephas). The ascription is a literary device.
Source: Schmidt-Wajnberg 1919 (German translation of the Ethiopic by I. Wajnberg, with Coptic readings in parentheses (TU 43, 1919); OCR from the Internet Archive).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Route 3: the Epistle survives complete only in Ethiopic (with a Coptic fragment of chapters 1-12 and a Latin fragment); none is a site language. The source in hand is the German translation of the Ethiopic by Wajnberg (with Coptic readings in parentheses), TU 43, 1919, translated here by Claude with a note; the German is never shown.
Chapter 50
50Schmidt-Wajnberg 1919, Cap. 50 (Guerrier 61)
Translated by Claude from I. Wajnberg (Ethiopic), C. Schmidt (Coptic)'s German translation (1919) of the Ethiopic and Coptic; neither is shown
"Those who hate such things, who love me, and who rebuke those who do not fulfil my commandments, will be hated, persecuted, despised, and mocked. People will say what is not true, on purpose; they will band together against those who love me. But these will rebuke them, so that they may be saved. And those whom they rebuke, chastise, and warn will hate them, push them aside, and despise them, and will keep away from those who wish them well. But those who endure such things will be like the martyrs with the Father, for they were zealous for righteousness, and not with the zeal of corruption." And we asked him: "O Lord, will such things happen among us?" And he answered us: "Do not fear; it will not be in many, but in few." We said to him: "Tell us, then, in what way it will happen." And he said to us: "Another teaching and a confusion will arise; and, seeking their own exaltation, they will put forward a useless teaching. And there will be in it a deadly offence, and they will teach it and turn those who believe in me away from my commandment and remove them from eternal life. But woe to those who falsify this my word and my commandment, and to those who listen to them, who turn away from the life of the teaching and remove themselves from the commandment of life. They will fall, together with them, under the eternal judgment."
Matt 5:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 10:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 24:11 (allusion, medium confidence) · Rom 16:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gal 1:7 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ foretells that those who rebuke sinners will be hated and counted with the martyrs, and pronounces woe on false teachers who falsify his word and on those who follow them.
- Parallels: Matt 5:11; Matt 10:22; Matt 24:4–5, 11; Rom 16:17–18; Gal 1:6–9.
Topics: Heresy, Persecution, Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Ep. Apos. 50 (Schmidt-Wajnberg 1919, Cap. 50 (Guerrier 61); trans. Sophia Scriptura from the German of I. Wajnberg (Ethiopic), C. Schmidt (Coptic), 1919, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/epistula-apostolorum/50/#p-50). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-epistula-apostolorum-50) · Report an error
Translation: Route 3: translated by Claude from I. Wajnberg's German translation of the Ethiopic, with Coptic readings in parentheses (C. Schmidt, TU 43, 1919); the German is not shown. No public-domain English exists; re-read against the German.
Chapter 51
51Schmidt-Wajnberg 1919, Cap. 51 (Guerrier 62)
Translated by Claude from I. Wajnberg (Ethiopic), C. Schmidt (Coptic)'s German translation (1919) of the Ethiopic and Coptic; neither is shown
When he had said this and ended the conversation with us, he said to us again: "See, on the third day and at the third hour he who sent me will come, so that I may go away with him." And as he was saying this, there was thunder and lightning and an earthquake, and the heavens were torn open, and a bright cloud appeared which bore him up. And there sounded the voices of many angels, rejoicing and praising and saying: "Gather us, O priest, to the light of glory." And when they had drawn near to the firmament, we heard his voice: "Go in peace."
Acts 1:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 28:2 (echo, medium confidence) · Heb 8:1 (echo, medium confidence) · Mark 5:34 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ announces his departure, and amid thunder and earthquake a bright cloud carries him up while angels praise him, and his voice bids the apostles go in peace.
- The colophon of the Ethiopic manuscript that follows in the German ("In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ the book of the covenant is ended … may he preserve his servant Absalom") is a scribe's note, not part of the work, and is not translated.
- Parallels: Acts 1:9; Matt 28:2–3; Heb 8:1 (the high priest); Mark 5:34.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Ep. Apos. 51 (Schmidt-Wajnberg 1919, Cap. 51 (Guerrier 62); trans. Sophia Scriptura from the German of I. Wajnberg (Ethiopic), C. Schmidt (Coptic), 1919, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/epistula-apostolorum/50/#p-51). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-epistula-apostolorum-51) · Report an error
Translation: Route 3: translated by Claude from I. Wajnberg's German translation of the Ethiopic, with Coptic readings in parentheses (C. Schmidt, TU 43, 1919); the German is not shown. No public-domain English exists; re-read against the German.