Gospel of Bartholomew

After the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, Bartholomew came to the Lord and questioned him, saying: Lord, reveal to me the mysteries of the heavens.

Jesus answered and said to him: If I do not put off the body of flesh, I shall not be able to tell them to you.

Before the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, the apostles said: Let us question the Lord. Lord, reveal to us the wonders.

And Jesus said to them: If I do not put off the body of flesh, I cannot tell them to you.

But when he was buried and risen again, they all dared not question him, because it was not possible to look upon him, for the fullness of his Godhead was now visible in him.

At that time, before the Lord Jesus Christ suffered, all the disciples were gathered together, questioning him and saying: Lord, show us the mystery of the heavens.

But Jesus answered and said to them: If I do not put off the body of flesh, I cannot tell you.

But after he had suffered and risen again, all the apostles, looking upon him, dared not question him, because his face was not as it had been before, but showed forth the fullness of his power.

Bartholomew therefore drew near to the Lord and said: I have something to say to you, Lord.

And Jesus said to him: I know what you are about to say. Say what you will, and I will answer you.

And Bartholomew said: Lord, when you went to be hanged upon the cross, I followed you at a distance and saw you hung upon the cross, and the angels coming down from heaven and worshipping you. And when darkness came over the land, I looked and saw that you had vanished from the cross, and I heard only a voice rising from the regions under the earth, and a great wailing and gnashing of teeth that came on suddenly. Tell me, Lord, where did you go from the cross?

And Jesus answered and said to him: Blessed are you, Bartholomew my beloved, because you saw this mystery. Now I will tell you everything you ask me.

For when I vanished from the cross, I went down into Hades to bring up Adam and all those who were with him, in answer to the prayer of Michael the archangel.

Then Bartholomew said: Lord, what was the voice that was heard?

Jesus said to him: Hades said to Beliar: I perceive that a God is coming here. And the angels cried out to the powers, saying: Lift your gates, you princes, lift the everlasting doors, for behold the King of glory comes down.

Hades said: Who is this King of glory, that comes down from heaven to us?

And when I had descended five hundred steps, Hades was troubled and said: I hear the breath of the Most High, and I cannot endure it. He comes with a great fragrance and I cannot bear it.

But the devil answered and said: Do not yield, Hades, but be strong, for God himself has not descended upon the earth.

But when I had descended yet another five hundred steps, the angels and the powers cried out: Seize hold, lift the doors, for behold the King of glory comes down. And Hades said: Woe to me, for I hear the breath of God.

And Beliar said to Hades: Look carefully at who it is that comes, for this man seems to me to be Elijah, or Enoch, or one of the prophets. But Hades answered Death and said: The six thousand years are not yet complete. And where do these come from, Beliar? For the reckoning of that number is in my hands.

And the devil said to Hades: Why do you frighten me, Hades? It is a prophet, and he has made himself like God. This prophet we will seize and bring here to join those who imagine they will ascend into heaven.

And Hades said: Which of the prophets is it? Tell me. Is it Enoch, the scribe of righteousness? But God has not allowed him to come down upon the earth before the end of the six thousand years. Or do you say it is Elijah, the avenger? But he does not come down before the end either. What am I to do, since this destruction comes from God? Surely our end is at hand, for I hold the count of the years in my hands.

And Beliar said to Hades: Do not be troubled. Secure your gates and strengthen your bars. Consider — God does not come down upon the earth.

Hades said to him: These are no good words I hear from you. My belly is torn and my inward parts are in pain. It cannot be otherwise — God is coming here. Alas, where shall I flee from the face of the power of the great King? Let me withdraw into myself, for I was formed before you.

Then I entered in and scourged him and bound him with chains that cannot be loosed, and brought out from there all the patriarchs, and came again to the cross.

Bartholomew said to him: I saw you again hanging upon the cross, and all the dead arising and worshipping you, and then returning to their tombs. Tell me, Lord, who was the one the angels bore up in their hands, that man of very great stature? And what did you say to him that made him sigh so deeply?

Jesus answered and said to him: It was Adam, the first-formed, for whose sake I came down from heaven to earth. And I said to him: I was hung upon the cross for you and for your children's sake. And when he heard this, he groaned and said: So was your good pleasure, O Lord.

Again Bartholomew said: Lord, I saw the angels ascending before Adam and singing praises.

But one of the angels, who was very great, greater than all the rest, would not ascend with them. He held in his hand a sword of fire, and his gaze was fixed on you alone.

All the other angels pleaded with him to go up with them, but he would not. But when you commanded him to go up, I saw a flame of fire pour out from his hands and reach all the way to the city of Jerusalem.

And Jesus said to him: Blessed are you, Bartholomew my beloved, because you saw these mysteries. This was one of the angels of vengeance who stand before my Father's throne, and it was this angel my Father sent to me.

And for this reason he would not ascend, because he desired to destroy all the powers of the world. But when I commanded him to ascend, a flame went out from his hand and tore the veil of the temple in two, as a witness to the children of Israel of my passion, because they crucified me. And the flame you saw issuing from his hands struck the house of the synagogue of the Jews, as a testimony to me, in the place where they crucified me.

When he had said this, he said to the apostles: Wait for me here, for today a sacrifice is being offered in paradise.

Bartholomew answered and said to Jesus: Lord, what is the sacrifice that is offered in paradise? And Jesus said: These are the souls of the righteous who today have departed from the body and are going to paradise, and unless I am present they cannot enter in.

Bartholomew said: Lord, how many souls depart out of the world each day? Jesus said to him: Thirty thousand.

Bartholomew said to him: Lord, when you were with us teaching the word, did you also receive the sacrifices in paradise? Jesus answered and said to him: Truly I tell you, my beloved, that I both taught the word among you and at the same time sat continually with my Father and received the sacrifices in paradise every day.

Bartholomew answered and said to him: Lord, if thirty thousand souls depart out of the world every day, how many of them are found righteous?