The Merton gospel.

[Ben C. Smith]

Merton Gospel

Information

Sources: Papyrus Merton 51 (century III).
The Merton Gospel is probably long enough to assume that it belongs to a gospel text of some kind, but absolute certainty cannot be had.
Index to other gospel texts.

Text and Translation

Papyrus Merton 51	Papyrus Merton 51
Recto 1 [καὶ πᾶς ὁ λα]ὸ̣ς καὶ οἱ τελ̣ῶ̣[ναι] 2 [ἀκούσαντες ἐδικ]α̣ίωσαν τὸν θ(εὸ)ν 3 [ὁμολογοῦντες τὰς] ἁμαρτίας ἑαυτῶν. 4 [οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι ο]ῦκ εβαπτίσαντο 5 [ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου· τὴν δὲ βου]λ̣ὴ̣ν τοῦ θ(εο)ῦ 6 [καὶ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θ(εο)]ῦ ἠθέτησαν. 7 [.... ὡσαύτως ὁ θ(εὸ)ς αὐτοὺς] ἀ̣θετεῖ· 8 [ἠρῶτα δὲ αὐτὸν Φαρισαῖος μ]ετ' αὐτο[ῦ] 9 [φαγεῖν....]	Recto 1 [And the whole peo]ple and the tax collec[tors,] 2 [having heard,] pronounced G(o)d [right]eous, 3 [confessing] their own sins. 4 [But the Pharisees were n]ot baptized 5 [by John; and the coun]cil of G(o)d 6 [and the command of G(o)]d they set aside. 7 [.... Likewise G(o)d] sets [them] aside. 8 [But a Pharisee asked him [to eat] 9 [w]ith hi[m....]
Verso 1 [.... ὁ γὰρ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ] 2 [πονη]ρ̣ο̣ῦ̣ προφέ̣ρ[ων καρπὸν πονηρὸν προ-] 3 [ἐ]φερεν ὡς ἐκ π[ονηροῦ πονηρὸν δένδ-] 4 ρον. καὶ ὅτε ἀποσ[τέλλετε ἐκ τοῦ ἀγα-] 5 θοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆ̣[ς καρδίας ἀγαθὰ οὐκ] 6 ἀπόλλυτ[αι ὁ ἀγαθὸς καρπὸς] 7 [αὐ]τῆς. οὐκ ἄρ[α ἐμὲ καλεῖτε κ(ύρι)ε, κ(ύρι)ε,] 8 [καὶ] οὐ ποιεῖτε [ἃ λέγω, οὐδὲ τοῦ ἀνθ-] 9 [ρώπ]ου λέγ[οντος ἀκούετε....]	Verso 1 [.... For the evil man,] bring[ing] forth 2 [from ev]il, brough[t] forth [evil fruit] 3 like [an evil tree] from e[vil.] 4 And, when [you] s[end] off [good things] 5 [from the good] treasure of th[e heart,] 6 [í]ts [good fruit] is [not] destroy[ed.] 7 No[w do] not [call me L(or)d, L(or)d,] 8 [and] not do [the things I say, nor hear] 9 [the man who] say[s....]

Notes and Quotes

Context and Textual Parallels

Papyrus Merton 51 Recto, unbroken text and translation: [καὶ πᾶς ὁ λα]ὸ̣ς καὶ οἱ τελ̣ῶ̣[ναι ἀκούσαντες ἐδικ]α̣ίωσαν τὸν θ(εὸ)ν [ὁμολογοῦντες τὰς] ἁμαρτίας ἑαυτῶν. [οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι ο]ῦκ εβαπτίσαντο [ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου· τὴν δὲ βου]λ̣ὴ̣ν τοῦ θ(εο)ῦ [καὶ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θ(εο)]ῦ ἠθέτησαν. [.... ὡσαύτως ὁ θ(εὸ)ς αὐτοὺς] ἀ̣θετεῖ· [ἠρῶτα δὲ αὐτὸν Φαρισαῖος μ]ετ' αὐτο[ῦ φαγεῖν....] / [And the whole peo]ple and the tax collec[tors, having heard,] pronounced G(o)d [right]eous, [confessing] their own sins. [But the Pharisees were n]ot baptized [by John; and the coun]cil of G(o)d [and the command of G(o)]d they set aside. [.... Likewise G(o)d] sets [them] aside. [But a Pharisee asked him [to eat w]ith hi[m....]
Papyrus Merton 51 Recto, translation by Ehrman and Plese: . . . and when all the people and the tax collectors heard, they declared God righteous, confessing their own sins. But the Pharisees were not baptized by John, and they rejected the counsel of God and the commandment of God. So too God rejects them. But a Pharisee asked him to eat with him. . . .
Matthew 3.7 (Pharisees and John).
Mark 7.9 (setting aside the commandment of God).
Luke 7.30 (setting aside the will of God).
Luke 14.1 (eating with a Pharisee).

Papyrus Merton 51 Verso, unbroken text and translation: [.... ὁ γὰρ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ πονη]ρ̣ο̣ῦ̣ προφέ̣ρ[ων καρπὸν πονηρὸν προἐ]φερεν ὡς ἐκ π[ονηροῦ πονηρὸν δένδ]ρον. καὶ ὅτε ἀποσ[τέλλετε ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆ̣[ς καρδίας ἀγαθὰ οὐκ] ἀπόλλυτ[αι ὁ ἀγαθὸς καρπὸς αὐ]τῆς. οὐκ ἄρ[α ἐμὲ καλεῖτε κ(ύρι)ε, κ(ύρι)ε, καὶ] οὐ ποιεῖτε [ἃ λέγω, οὐδὲ τοῦ ἀνθρώπ]ου λέγ[οντος ἀκούετε....] / [.... For the evil man,] bring[ing] forth [from ev]il, brough[t] forth [evil fruit] like [an evil tree] from e[vil.] And, when [you] s[end] off [good things from the good] treasure of th[e heart, i]ts [good fruit] is [not] destroy[ed.] No[w do] not [call me L(or)d, L(or)d, and] not do [the things I say, nor hear the man who] say[s....]
Papyrus Merton 51 Verso, translation by Ehrman and Plese: For the evil man, bringing forth from [his] evil, brought forth evil fruit, as an evil tree brings forth (evil fruit) from evil. And when you send forth good things from the good treasure of the heart, its good fruit is not destroyed. Now you do not call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things I say, nor listen to a prophet who speaks. . . .
Matthew 7.15-20; 12.33-35 = Luke 6.43-45 (good and evil fruit, treasure). This passage is present in Marcion, as well.
Matthew 7.21 = Luke 6.46 ("Lord, Lord").

Works Consulted and Links

B. R. Rees, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Greek Papyri in the Collection of Wilfred Merton, number 51.
Bart Ehrman and Zlatko Plese, The Apocryphal Gospels: Texts and Translations.
Ovadyah, Papyrus Merton 51 and Luke.
TextExcavation: Papyrus Merton 51.
Biblical Criticism & History Forum: Other Gospel Texts.