REFERENCES TO THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS, FORMERLY
CALLED THE ACTS OF PONTIUS PILATE.
[Although this Gospel is, by some among the learned, supposed to have
been really written by Nicodemus, who became a disciple of Jesus Christ,
and conversed with him; others conjecture that it was a forgery towards
the close of the third century by some zealous believer, who, observing
that there had been appeals made by the Christians of the former age,
to the acts of Pilate, but that such acts could not be produced,
imagined it would be of service to Christianity to fabricate and publish
this Gospel; as it would both confirm the Christians under persecution,
and convince the Heathens of the truth of the Christian religion. The
Rev. Jeremiah Jones says, that such pious frauds were very common among
Christians even in the first three centuries; and that a forgery of this
nature, with the view above-mentioned, seems natural and probable. The
same author, in noticing that Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History,
charges the Pagans with having forged and published a book, called "The
Acts of Pilate," takes occasion to observe that the internal evidence of
this Gospel shows it was not the work of any Heathen, but that if in the
latter end of the third century we find it in use among Christians (as
it was then certainly in some churches), and about the same time find a
forgery of the Heathens under the same title, it seems exceedingly
probable that some Christians, at that time, should publish such a piece
as this, in order partly to confront the spurious one of the Pagans, and
partly to support those appeals which had been made by former Christians
to the Acts of Pilate; and Mr. Jones says, he thinks so more particularly
as we have innumerable instances of forgeries by the faithful in the
primitive ages, grounded on less plausible reasons. Whether it be
canonical or not, it is of very great antiquity, and is appealed to by
several of the ancient Christians. The present translation is made from
the Gospel, published by Grynaeus in the Orthodoxographa, vol. i, tom,
ii, p. 613.]
Notwithstanding the diversity of opinions here alluded to, the majority
of the learned believe that the internal evidence of the authenticity of
this Gospel is manifested in the correct details of that period of
Christ's life on which it treats, while it far excels the canonical
Evangelists narrative of the trial of our Saviour before Pilate, with
more minute particulars of persons, evidence, circumstance, &c.
THE EPISTLES OF
JESUS CHRIST & ABGARUS KING OF EDESSA.
CHAPTER I.
A copy of a letter written by King Abgarus to Jesus;
and sent to him by Ananius, his footman, to Jerusalem,
5 inviting him to Edessa.
ABGARUS, king of Edessa, to
Jesus the good Saviour, who
appears at Jerusalem, greeting.
2 I have been informed concerning
you and your cures, which are
performed without the use of
medicines and herbs.
3 For it is reported, that you
cause the blind to see, the lame to
walk, do both cleanse lepers, and
cast out unclean spirits and devils,
and restore them to health who have
been long diseased; and raiseth up
the dead;