Acts of Peter

Acts of Peter 20:1

When Peter had entered, he saw one of the old women deprived of her eyesight, whom her daughter led by the hand and conducted into the house of Marcellus. And Peter said to her, “Come here, mother; from this day Jesus gives you his right hand; through him we have a light which no man can approach unto, which darkness cannot cover. Through me he says to thee, Open the eyes, be seeing and walk alone.” And the widow noticed at once how Peter put his hand upon her. When Peter came into the dining-room he saw that the gospel was read. And closing it he said, “Men, ye who believe on Christ and hope in him, you shall know how the holy writing of our Lord must be explained. What we have written down according to his grace, though it may seem to you ever so little, yet what it contains is comprehensive (enough) to be understood by humanity. It is necessary that we first know God’s will or his goodness, since deceit was once spread and many thousands of men were drawn in perdition, wherefore the Lord was moved by compassion to show himself in another form and to appear in the image of man, whom neither the Jews nor we can view in a worthy manner. For each of us saw (him) as his capacity permitted to see (him). Now, however, I will explain to you that which has been read to you. And our Lord wished to let me see his majesty on the holy mountain; but when I with the sons of Zebedee saw his brightness, I fell at his feet as dead, closed my eyes and heard his voice in a manner which I cannot describe; I imagined I had been deprived of my eyesight by his splendor. I recovered a little and said within me, Perhaps the Lord has brought me hither to deprive me of my eyesight. And I said, If such be thy will, O Lord, I shall not contradict. And he took me by the hand and lifted me up. And when I arose, I saw him again as one whom I could not comprehend. How the merciful God, most beloved brethren, has borne our infirmities and took upon him our transgressions, as the prophet says: ‘He bears our griefs; and has sorrows for us; yet we did esteem him stricken and afflicted.’ Whereas ‘he is in the Father and the Father in him’; in him also is the fulness of all majesty, who has shown us all his benefits. He ate and drank on our account, though he was neither hungry nor thirsty; he suffered and bore revilings for us, he died and rose for us. He also defended and strengthened me through his greatness when I sinned; he will also comfort you, that you love him, this Great and Small One, this Beautiful and Ugly One, this Young Man and Old Man, appearing in time, yet utterly invisible in eternity; whom a human hand has not grasped, but is now held by his servants; whom flesh has not seen and now sees; who has not been heard, but is known now, the word which is heard, and now he has suffered as ourselves; never chastised, but now chastised; who was before the world and is now perceived in time, great beginning of all dominion and delivered to the princes; glorious, but low among us; homely looking, yet attractive. This Jesus you have, brethren, (as) the door, the light, the way, the bread, the water, the life, the resurrection, the recreation, the pearl, the treasure, the seed, the satiety, the grain of mustard seed, the vine, the plow, the grace, the faith, the word: he is everything, and there is none greater than he; to him be praise in all eternity. Amen.”