Herein we continued, from part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, a series regarding paranormal entities in text generally termed the Apocrypha, Deutero Canonical, Pseudepigrapha, Gnostic Texts, etc. (see my article on the Apocrypha here). The quotations are of those sections within the text that refer to Angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Devil, Satan, demons, serpent and dragon. The point is not to elucidate these references but to provide relevant partial quotations and citations.
Angels in the apocryphal texts the Acts of John, Paul & Andrew.
Acts of John – 150-200 AD
76 John asked of him [Callimachus] about his entry into the sepulcher…And he answered him…I saw a beautiful youth covering her with his mantle, and from his eyes sparks of light came forth unto her eyes…I recognize that he was an Angel of God.
104 God unchangeable, God invincible, God higher than all authority and all power, and elder and mightier than all Angels and creatures that are named, and all aeons.
114 And as I come unto thee, let the fire go backward, let the darkness be overcome, let the gulf be without strength, let the furnace die out, let Gehenna be quenched. Let Angels follow, let devils fear, let rulers be broken, Iet powers fall; let the places of the right hand stand fast, let them of the left hand not remain. Let the devil be muzzled, let Satan be derided, let his wrath be burned out, let his madness be stilled, let his vengeance be ashamed, let his assault be in pain, let his children be smitten and all his roots plucked up.
XIV Then the blessed John gathered together the fragments of the gems, and holding them in his hands, lifted up his eyes to heaven and said: Lord Jesus Christ…recover thou them, Lord, now by the hands of thine Angels, that by their value the work of mercy may be fulfilled [almsgiving was aforementioned].
XVII While the apostle was thus speaking, behold there was brought to him by his mother, who was a widow, a young man who thirty days before had first married a wife. And the people which were waiting upon the burial came with the widowed mother and cast themselves at the apostle’s feet all together with groans, weeping, and mourning, and besought him that in the name of his God, as he had done with Drusiana, so he would raise up this young man also…[the] youth Stacteus, who for love of thy flesh hast quickly lost thy soul…arose and worshipped the apostle, and began to reproach his disciples, saying: I beheld your Angels weeping, and the Angels of Satan rejoicing at your overthrow. For now in a little time ye have lost the kingdom that was prepared for you, and the dwelling places builded of shining stones, full of joy, of feasting and delights, full of everlasting life and eternal light: and have gotten yourselves places of darkness, full of dragons, of roaring flames, of torments, and punishments unsurpassable, of pains and anguish, fear and horrible trembling.
Acts of Paul – 150-200 AD
3 And he saw Paul coming, a man little of stature, thin-haired upon the head, crooked in the legs, of good state of body, with eyebrows joining, and nose somewhat hooked, full of grace: for sometimes he appeared like a man, and sometimes he had the face of an Angel.
5 Blessed are they that have the fear of God, for they shall become Angels of God.
6 Blessed are they that for love of God have departed from the fashion of this world, for they shall judge Angels, and shall be blessed at the right hand of the Father.
M.R. James’ The Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924 AD) contains The Acts of Paul which notes, “Copt., p. 38 of the MS,” section III of which states:
But an Angel of the Lord had said unto him in the night: Paul, thou hast to-day a great conflict against thy body, but God, the Father of his Son Jesus Christ, will protect thee.
M.R. James also notes “The page of the Coptic MS. on which the correspondence begins is fragmentary at the beginning” states:
I:14-15 Christ came not down (is not come, Copt.) in the flesh, neither was born of Mary, and that the world is not of God, but of the Angels.
III:5 …our Lord Jesus Christ was born of Mary WHICH IS of the seed of David ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, the Holy Ghost being sent forth from heaven from the Father unto her BY THE ANGEL GABRIEL.
M.R. James also notes, “This I found in an old book, entitled the third to the Corinthians, though it is not in the Canon” and includes a section titled VIII Nicephorus which notes:
…by God’s power, with Angels to escort them and enlighten the gloom of night.
Acts of Andrew – 150-200 AD
9 A bright Angel touched their swords and they all fell down, and Andrew and his company passed by while they worshipped him. And the Angel departed in a great light.
10 At Perinthus he found a ship going to Macedonia, and an Angel told him to go on board. As he preached the captain and the rest heard and were converted, and Andrew glorified God for making himself known on the sea.
11 The young people saw Andrew’s face like that of an Angel.
18 An Angel was seen to descend and strengthen the apostle.
23 She cried to God for help and an Angel came, and the youth fell dead. After that, she raised him, and all the city ran to the sight.
28 The woman said [to “An old man, Nicolaus”]: “Depart, old man, depart: thou art an Angel of God, touch me not nor approach me, for I see in thee a great mystery.”
38 There also is it written, that when this same Maximilla and Iphidamia were gone together to hear the apostle Andrew, a beautiful child, who, Leucius would have us understand, was either God or at least an Angel.
In the next segment, we will consider the Book of Thomas the Contender and the Apocalypse of Paul.