Herein we continue, from part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, considering Demons within texts generally termed the Apocrypha, Deutero Canonical, Pseudepigrapha, Gnostic Texts, etc. (see my article on the Apocrypha here). The fuller complete result consists of quotations 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. See my section on Angels in general and in apocryphal texts here. See my section on Cherubim and Seraphim in general and in apocryphal texts here and Satan in apocryphal texts here.
Demons in Acts of Andrew, Acts of Thomas, Acts of Andrew, Acts of John, Book of Thomas the Contender and Letter of Clement of Alexandria on Secret Mark.
The Acts of Andrew – 150-200 AD
6 Andrew …said: ‘If you believe in Christ you shall be freed.’ They cried: ‘We will.’ He thanked God and commanded the demons to appear; they came in the form of dogs…Then he bade the demons go into dry and barren places and hurt no man till the last day.
Acts of Thomas – 200-225 AD
47-50 Thy name is named in the book of life, and with thy brother whom thou hast received in our kingdom. And the King [as ambassador] sealed it because of the evil ones, even the children of the Babylonians and the tyrannous demons of Labyrinthus (Sarbug, Syr.).
Book of Thomas the Contender – 150-225 AD
Woe to you who love intimacy with womankind and polluted intercourse with them! Woe to you in the grip of the powers of your body, for they will afflict you! Woe to you in the grip of the forces of the evil demons!
Acts of Andrew – 150-200 AD
5 The son of Cratinus (Gratinus) of Sinope bathed in the women’s bath and was seized by a demon. Cratinus wrote to Andrew for help: he himself had a fever and his wife dropsy.
6 After this he went to Nicaea where were seven devils living among the tombs by the wayside, who at noon stoned passersby and had killed many…He thanked God and commanded the demons to appear; they came in the form of dogs…Then he bade the demons go into dry and barren places and hurt no man till the last day.
7 At the gate of Nicomedia he met a dead man borne on a bier, and his old father supported by slaves, hardly able to walk, and his old mother with hair torn, bewailing. ‘How has it happened ?’ he asked. ‘He was alone in his chamber and seven dogs rushed on him and killed him.’ Andrew sighed and said: ‘This is an ambush of the demons I banished from Nicaea.’
14 A citizen had a son possessed by an unclean spirit and asked for his cure. The demon, foreseeing that he would be cast out, took the son aside into a chamber and made him hang himself.
23 Lesbius’ wife went to the bath with the steward, and as they bathed an ugly demon came and killed them both. Andrew heard and said: ‘It is the judgement of God for their usage of Trophima.’
Acts of John – 150-200 AD
98 There are of the right hand and the left, powers also, authorities, lordships and demons, workings, threatenings, wraths, devils, Satan, and the lower root whence the nature of the things that come into being proceeded.
Letter of Clement of Alexandria on Secret Mark – 70-255 AD
…the foul demons are always devising destruction for the race of men, Carpocrates, instructed by them and using deceitful arts, so enslaved a certain presbyter of the church in Alexandria that he got from him a copy of the secret Gospel, which he both interpreted according to his blasphemous and carnal doctrine and, moreover, polluted, mixing with the spotless and holy words utterly shameless lies. From this mixture is drawn off the teaching of the Carpocratians.
In the next segment, we will consider Preaching of Peter, Origen and Sibylline Oracles.
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