An index of Christian gospel texts.

Discussion about the New Testament, apocrypha, gnostics, church fathers, Christian origins, historical Jesus or otherwise, etc.
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Ben C. Smith
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An index of Christian gospel texts.

Post by Ben C. Smith »

This index of Christian gospel texts is a companion piece to my index of Christian epistolary texts.

Annoyed recently at having to search for and open up 3 or 4 separate web pages just to access a polytonic Unicode Greek text, an English translation, a handful of cross references, and an image of a single fragmentary apocryphal gospel known to us only as a scrap of papyrus, I decided to make a few texts as easily accessible as I could for future reference. I have lots of hardcopy reference materials with polytonic Greek transcriptions, English translations, cross references, and (occasionally) images, but I cannot copy and paste hardcopy materials into a forum post. (And it turns out that polytonic Unicode Greek transcriptions apparently do not even exist online for many of the more obscure fragmentary gospels.) One therefore finds oneself typing polytonic Greek by hand in one of various ways (I most frequently use TypeGreek myself, mainly because it uses the Beta Code to which I am already accustomed). There are also gospel texts known only through patristic quotations; English translations of these quotations are fairly easy to come by online, but they can often be difficult to find in the original Greek (especially in polytonic Unicode) or Latin.

Each Christian gospel text that I add will constitute its own new thread in order to facilitate focused discussion and the collection of additional resources as needed. This thread will serve as the index. The project will hopefully be ongoing as I am able to find the time to assemble more materials (and type more Greek text into a web interface by hand). What I have so far:
More ought to be on the way in due time.

I ought to make clear that not all of the fragmentary gospels (particularly the very short ones) are necessarily actually gospels. Some may be homilitic or didactic texts, or even catenae, employing gospel details. There is no way to be absolutely certain.

Attestation

Luke 1.1-4 (NASB): 1 Ἐπειδήπερ πολλοὶ ἐπεχείρησαν ἀνατάξασθαι διήγησιν περὶ τῶν πεπληροφορημένων ἐν ἡμῖν πραγμάτων, 2 καθὼς παρέδοσαν ἡμῖν οἱ ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ λόγου, 3 ἔδοξε κἀμοὶ παρηκολουθηκότι ἄνωθεν πᾶσιν ἀκριβῶς καθεξῆς σοι γράψαι, κράτιστε Θεόφιλε, 4 ἵνα ἐπιγνῷς περὶ ὧν κατηχήθης λόγων τὴν ἀσφάλειαν. / 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
John 20.30-31: 30 Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐνώπιον τῶν μαθητῶν [αὐτοῦ], ἃ οὐκ ἔστιν γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ· 31 ταῦτα δὲ γέγραπται ἵνα πιστεύ[σ]ητε ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἵνα πιστεύοντες ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. / 30 Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Origin, Homilies on Luke 1 (prologue): Ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ πάλαι λαῷ πολλοὶ προφητείαν ἐπηγγέλλοντο, ἀλλὰ τούτων τινὲς μὲν ἦσαν ψευδοπροφῆται, τινὲς δὲ ἀληθῶς προφῆται, καὶ ἦν χάρισμα τῷ λαῷ διάκρισις πνευμάτων, ἀφ' οὗ ἐκρίνετο ὅ τε ἀληθὴς προφήτης καὶ ὁ ψευδώνυμος· οὕτω καὶ νῦν ἐν τῇ καινῇ διαθήκῃ τὰ εὐαγγέλια «πολλοὶ» ἠθέλησαν γράψαι, ἀλλ' «οἱ δόκιμοι τραπεζῖται» οὐ πάντα ἐνέκριναν, ἀλλά τινα αὐτῶν ἐξελέξαντο. Τάχα δὲ καὶ τὸ «ἐπεχείρησαν» λεληθυῖαν ἔχει κατηγορίαν τῶν χωρὶς χαρίσματος ἐλθόντων ἐπὶ τὴν ἀναγραφὴν τῶν εὐαγγελίων. Ματθαῖος γὰρ οὐκ «ἐπεχείρησεν», ἀλλ' ἔγραψεν ἀπὸ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ὁμοίως καὶ Μᾶρκος καὶ Ἰωάννης, παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ Λουκᾶς. Τὸ μέντοι ἐπιγεγραμμένον κατὰ Αἰγυπτίους εὐαγγέλιον καὶ τὸ ἐπιγεγραμμένον τῶν Δώδεκα εὐαγγέλιον οἱ συγγράψαντες «ἐπεχείρησαν»· Ἤδη δὲ ἐτόλμησε καὶ Βασιλείδης γράψαι κατὰ Βασιλείδην εὐαγγέλιον. «Πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν ἐπεχείρησαν»· φέρεται γὰρ καὶ τὸ κατὰ Θωμᾶν εὐαγγέλιον καὶ τὸ κατὰ Ματθίαν καὶ ἄλλα πλείονα. Ταῦτά ἐστι τῶν ἐπιχειρησάντων· τὰ δὲ τέσσαρα μόνα προκρίνει ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησία. / Just as formerly among the people many engaged in prophecy, but some of them were false prophets, and others were true prophets, and among the people there was the gift of discerning spirits, through which some among the prophets were received as true, others rejected as false, so now also in the New Testament many have taken in hand to write gospels, but not all have been received by the approved moneychangers, but only certain ones of them have been selected. That which he says about having taken in hand holds a latent accusation of those who hurried to write gospels without the gifting of the holy spirit. For Matthew did not take in hand to write, but wrote full of the holy spirit, and likewise Mark and John, like Luke himself. Those who took in hand to write wrote one which is written according to the Egyptians, another according to the twelve. Basilides also dared to write a gospel and to entitle it by his own name. Many have taken in hand to write. I know a certain gospel which is called according to Thomas, and one according to Matthias, and many others. But in all these, which were taken in hand, we approve nothing else except that which the church of God approves, that is, four gospels only.
Jerome, Prologue of the Four Gospels: Plures fuisse qui evangelia scripserunt, et Lucas evangelista testatur, dicens: Quoniam quidem multi conati sunt ordinare narrationem rerum, quae in nobis completae sunt, sicut tradiderunt nobis, qui ab initio ipsi viderunt sermonem, et ministraverunt ei; et perseverantia usque ad praesens tempus monimenta declarant, quae a diversis auctoribus edita, diversarum haereseon fuere principia, ut est illud iuxta Aegyptios, et Thomam, et Matthiam, et Bartholomaeum, duodecim quoque apostolorum, et Basilidis atque Apellis, ac reliquorum, quos enumerare longissimum est; cum hoc tantum in praesentiarum necesse sit dicere, exstitisse quosdam, qui sine spiritu et gratia dei conati sunt magis ordinare narrationem, quam historiae texere veritatem. quibus iure potest illud propheticum coaptari: Vae qui prophetant de corde suo, qui ambulant post spiritum suum, qui dicunt: Haec dicit dominus; et dominus non misit eos. de quibus et salvator in evangelio Ioannis loquitur: Omnes qui ante me venerunt fures fuerunt et latrones. qui venerunt, non qui missi sunt. ipse enim ait: Veniebant, et ego non mittebam eos. in venientibus praesumptio temeritatis; in missis obsequium servitutis est. ecclesia autem, quae supra petram domini voce fundata est, quam introduxit rex in cubiculum suum, et ad quam per foramen descensionis occultae misit manum suam, similis damulae hinnuloque cervorum, quatuor flumina paradisi instar eructans, quatuor et angulos et annulos habet, per quos quasi arca testamenti et custos legis domini, lignis immobilibus vehitur. / There have been many who wrote gospels as Luke the evangelist testifies, saying: Inasmuch as many have endeavored to set in order the narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. Those of the documents that are even now extant, being published by a variety of authors, were the origins of a variety of heresies; examples are the gospel of the Egyptians, of Thomas, of Matthias, of Bartholomew, even of the twelve apostles, of Basilides and of Apelles, and of all the others whom it would take too long to list, since for present purposes it need only be remarked that certain people, lacking the spirit and grace of God, have endeavored more to set the narrative in order than to expound historical truth. To such as these one may fittingly apply the prophecy: Woe to those who prophesy from their own heart, who follow their own desire, who say: Thus says the Lord, and the Lord has not sent them. Of these even the savior speaks in the gospel of John: All who came before me were thieves and robbers. Who came, not who were sent. For he himself said: They came, yet I was not sending them. Those who come display rash presumption, those who are sent true obedience. Now the church which has been set upon the rock by the voice of the Lord, whom the king has led to his bedchamber and toward whom he secretly stretched out his hand through the opening, is like a little fallow deer, a young stag; like paradise it is the source of four rivers, and it has four corners and four rings by means of which it is carried by moveable poles as was the ark of the testament, the receptacle for the law of the Lord.

Last edited by Ben C. Smith on Thu Aug 10, 2017 1:07 pm, edited 19 times in total.
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Re: An index of Christian gospel texts.

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JW:
Great work Ben. Thanks.


Joseph

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Ben C. Smith
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Re: An index of Christian gospel texts.

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JoeWallack wrote:JW:
Great work Ben. Thanks.
You are quite welcome. Currently working on one of your personal favorites: Fayyum.
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Re: An index of Christian gospel texts.

Post by Kunigunde Kreuzerin »

JoeWallack wrote:JW:
Great work Ben. Thanks.
Very helpful Ben. Thanks.
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Re: An index of Christian gospel texts.

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Kunigunde Kreuzerin wrote:
JoeWallack wrote:JW:
Great work Ben. Thanks.
Very helpful Ben. Thanks.
Happy to help. Cheers.
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Re: An index of Christian gospel texts.

Post by perseusomega9 »

I don't know, I think this series needs more Carrier ;)
The metric to judge if one is a good exegete: the way he/she deals with Barabbas.

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Re: An index of Christian gospel texts.

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perseusomega9 wrote:I don't know, I think this series needs more Carrier ;)
:facepalm: :lol:
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Re: An index of Christian gospel texts.

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Another example of the inherent bias in this endeavors is the manner in which the gospel (cited with a specific order anomalous to this early gospel and AGAINST the synoptics) is not referenced in this "comprehensive list" - ie the Epistle of the Apostles. As always evidence which suggests our situation is dire and hopeless with respect to "figuring out" the situation in early Christianity is unconsciously suppressed. Whatever says "give up, give up this is a narcissistic vanity project designed to convince that absolute knowledge IS POSSIBLE" is pushed to the side. So I continue to say "give up, give up" by submitting the unconsciously suppressed evidence ...
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Re: An index of Christian gospel texts.

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The cited evidence of a non-canonical gospel older than the canonical texts (probably 'according to the Twelve) and which contradicts the synoptic order:
We, John, Thomas, Peter, Andrew, James, Philip, Batholomew, Matthew, Nathanael, Judas Zelotes, and Cephas, write unto the churches of the east and the west, of the north and the south, the declaring and imparting unto you that which concerneth our Lord Jesus Christ: we do write according as we have seen and heard and touched him, after that he was risen from the dead: and how that he revealed unto us things mighty and wonderful and true.

This know we: that our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ is God the Son of God, who was sent of God the Lord of the whole world, the maker and creator of it, who is named by all names, and high above all powers, Lord of lords, King of kings, Ruler of rulers, the heavenly one, that sitteth above the cherubim and seraphim at the right hand of the throne of the Father: who by his word made the heavens, and formed the earth and that which is in it, and set bounds to the sea that it should not pass: the deeps also and fountains, that they should spring forth and flow over the earth: the day and the night, the sun and the moon, did he establish, and the stars in the heaven: that did separate the light from the darkness: that called forth hell, and in the twinkling of an eye ordained the rain of the winter, the snow (cloud), the hail, and the ice, and the days in their several seasons: that maketh the earth to quake and again establisheth it: that created man in his own image, after his likeness, and by the fathers of old and the prophets is it declared (or, and spake in parables with the fathers of old and the prophets in verity), of whom the apostles preached, and whom the disciples did touch. In God, the Lord, the Son of God, do we believe,

1. that he is the word become flesh: (= Johannine prologue)

2. that of Mary the holy virgin he took a body, begotten of the Holy Ghost, (= infancy narratives and hence still 'the beginning of this gospel)

3. not of the will (lust) of the flesh, but by the will of God: (= Johannine prologue)

4. that he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem and made manifest, and grew up and came to ripe age, (= infancy narratives see above)

5. when also we beheld it (= Lukan prologue or 1 John)

6. This did our Lord Jesus Christ, who was sent by Joseph and Mary his mother to be taught. [And] when he that taught him said unto him: Say Alpha: then answered he and said: Tell thou me first what is Beta (= "Tell thou me first what is <Alpha and then will I tell thee what is> Beta. cf the Marcosian story quoted by Irenaeus and various infancy gospels so again reflective of the beginning of the text).

This thing which then came to pass is to true and of verity.

7. Thereafter was there a marriage in Cana of Galilee and they bade him with his mother and his brethren, and he changed water into wine. (= beginning of the Johannine gospel but apparently a controversial narrative owing to objectives raised by the so-called 'Alogoi' at the end of the second century)

8. He raised the dead,

9. he caused the lame to walk:

10. him whose hand was withered he caused to stretch it out,

11. and the woman which had suffered an issue of blood twelve years touched the hem of his garment and was healed in the same hour. And when we marvelled at the miracle which was done, he said: Who touched me? Then said we: Lord, the press of men hath touched thee. But he answered and said unto us: I perceive that a virtue is gone out of me. Straightway that woman came before him, and answered and said unto him: Lord, I touched thee. And he answered and said unto her: Go, thy faith hath made thee whole.

12. Thereafter he made the deaf to hear

13. and the blind to see;

14. out of them that were possessed he cast out the unclean spirits,

15. and cleansed the lepers.

16. The spirit which dwelt in a man, whereof the name was Legion, cried out against Jesus, saying: Before the time of our destruction is come, thou art come to drive us out. But the Lord Jesus rebuked him, saying: Go out of this man and do him no hurt. And he entered into the swine and drowned them in the water and they were choked.

17. Thereafter he did walk upon the sea, and the winds blew,

18. and he cried out against them (rebuked them), and the waves of the sea were made calm.

19. And when we his disciples had no money, we asked him: What shall we do because of the tax-gatherer? And he answered and told us: Let one of you cast an hook into the deep, and take out a fish, and he shall find therein a penny: that give unto the tax-gatherer for me and you.

20. And thereafter when we had no bread, but only five loaves and two fishes, he commanded the people to sit them down, and the number of them was five thousand, besides children and women. We did set pieces of bread before them, and they ate and were filled, and there remained over, and we filled twelve baskets full of the fragments, asking one another and saying: What mean these five loaves?

They are the symbol of our faith in the Lord of the Christians (in the great christendom), even in the Father, the Lord Almighty, and in Jesus Christ our redeemer, in the Holy Ghost the comforter, in the holy church, and in the remission of sins. These things did our Lord and Saviour reveal unto us and teach us. And we do even as he, that ye may become partakers in the grace of our Lord and in our ministry and our giving of thanks (glory), and think upon life eternal. Be ye steadfast and waver not in the knowledge and confidence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he will have mercy on you and save you everlastingly, world without end.
When something is desired the unconscious mind arranges evidence in such a way to make the conscious mind pursue the object of desire (think of the gambler relentlessly plopping coins in the slot machine convinced that a lucky streak will appear if he 'just hangs in there') ...
Last edited by Secret Alias on Fri Sep 25, 2015 6:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: An index of Christian gospel texts.

Post by Secret Alias »

This is probably a so-called 'gospel harmony' i.e. not a harmony at all but so-called by those who accept the originality of the gospel of four written in the name of John which contained synoptic material and which existed before the creation of canonical John (i.e. 'proto-John' stripped of offending canonical material).
“Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind.”
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote
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