"For I know that also after his resurrection he was in the flesh, and
I believe that he is so now. And when he came to those that were with
Peter, he said to them: Lay hold, handle me, and see that I am
{332}
not an incorporeal spirit. And immediately they touched him and
believed, being convinced by his flesh and spirit." Jerome, it will be
remembered, found this in the Gospel according to the Hebrews used by
the Nazarenes, which he translated,(1) from which we have seen that
Justin in all probability derived other particulars differing from the
Canonical Gospels, and with which we shall constantly meet, in a similar
way, in examining Justin's quotations. Origen also found it in a work
called the "Doctrine of Peter" [--Greek--],(2) which must have been akin to
the "Preaching of Peter" [--Greek--].(3) Hilgenfeld suggests that, in the
absence of more certain information, there is no more probable source
from which Justin may have derived his statement than the Gospel
according to Peter, or the Gospel according to the Hebrews, which is
known to have contained so much in the same spirit.(4)
It may well be expected that, at least in touching such serious matters
as the Crucifixion and last words of Jesus, Justin must adhere with care
to authentic records, and not fall into the faults of loose quotation
from memory, free handling of texts, and careless omissions and
additions, by which those who maintain the identity of the Memoirs
with the Canonical Gospels seek to explain the systematic variations of
Justin's quotations from the text of the latter. It will, however, be
found that here also marked discrepancies occur. Justin says, after
referring to numerous prophecies regarding the treatment of Christ: "And
again, when he says: 'They spake with their lips, they wagged the head,
saying: Let him
{333}
deliver himself.' That all these things happened to the Christ from the
Jews, you can ascertain. For when he was being crucified they shot out
the lips, and wagged their heads, saying: 'Let him who raised the dead
deliver himself.'"(1) And in another place, referring to the same Psalm
(xxii.) as a prediction of what was to happen to Jesus, Justin says:
"For they who saw him crucified also wagged their heads, each one of
them, and distorted [--Greek--] their lips, and sneeringly and in scornful
irony repeated among themselves those words which are also written in
the Memoirs of his Apostles: He declared himself the Son of God; (let
him) come down, let him walk about; let God save him."(2) In both
of these passages Justin directly appeals to written authority. The
[--Greek--] may leave the source of the first uncertain,(3) but the second
is distinctly stated to contain the actual words "written in the Memoirs
of his Apostles," and it seems reasonable to suppose that the former
passage is also derived from them. It is scarcely necessary to add that
both differ very materially from the Canonical Gospels.(4) The taunt
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account