Acts of Peter

Acts of Peter 25:1

The prefect, however, wished to show (both) his patience, that he might not appear as acting unjustly. And the prefect summoned one of his slaves and thus spoke to Simon: “Take him, kill (him).” To Peter he said, “And do thou revive him.” And to the people the prefect said, “It is for you to decide which of these is accepted before God, he who kills, or he who revives.” And Simon whispered something into the ear of the slave, and without speaking aloud he brought it about that the slave became silent and died. But when the people began to murmur, one of the widows which had been cared for by Marcellus cried out, “Peter, servant of God, my son is dead, the only one which I had.” The people made room for her, and they brought her to Peter. And she fell down at his feet and said, “I had only one son; by the labor of his hands he provided for me; he lifted me up, he carried me. Now he is dead, who will give me a hand?” Peter said to her, “In the presence of these witnesses go and bring thy son, that they may be able to see and believe that he was raised up by the power of God; the other shall see it and perish.” And Peter said to the young men, “We need young men, especially such as shall believe.” And at once thirty young men offered themselves to carry the widow and to fetch her dead son. When the widow had recovered, the young men lifted her up. But she cried and said, “Behold (my) son, the servant of Christ has sent for thee,” and she tore her hair and scratched her face. And the young men which had come looked at the nose of the boy, whether he were really dead. When they perceived that he was dead, they comforted his mother and said, “If thou really believest in the God of Peter, we will lift him up and bring him to Peter that he may revive him and restore him to thee.”