The Gospel of Peter is an ancient text that was discovered in the late 19th century. It is an account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that shows some similarities to the canonical gospels but also contains additional details and variations.
The Gospel of Peter is considered a non-canonical gospel, meaning it was not included in the New Testament when the canon was formally established by the early church. While the authorship is attributed to the apostle Peter, most scholars believe it was written in the 2nd century, after Peter’s death.
The text was likely compiled by an unknown Christian community, drawing from the four canonical gospels as well as oral traditions and legends about Jesus. Only fragments of the original text in Greek have survived, though there are translations into other ancient languages.
Discovery and Dating of the Gospel of Peter
The Gospel of Peter was entirely lost to history until fragments of the text were rediscovered in 1886-87 by French archaeologists excavating a Christian burial site in Akhmim, Egypt. The fragments, written in Greek on papyrus, represent about 60% of the original gospel. Based on the handwriting style and other factors, most scholars date the Gospel of Peter to the mid-2nd century, around 150-200 AD.
The Gospel of Peter appears to borrow from the canonical gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John, which is why it is dated after them. The text also seems to assume a familiarity with the narrative of Jesus’ death and resurrection, meaning it was likely composed after the traditional gospels began circulating. However, because the Gospel of Peter has some gnostic elements, it is thought to have been written before the emergence of full-blown gnosticism in the late 2nd century.
Contents of the Gospel of Peter
Unlike the four canonical gospels, which cover the life of Jesus from his baptism to the resurrection, the Gospel of Peter focuses narrowly on Jesus’ trial, death, and resurrection. It retells these narratives with some new and differing details.
The Gospel of Peter contains the following passages:
– The Trial of Jesus: Jesus is condemned by Herod Antipas rather than Pontius Pilate.
– Details of the Crucifixion: The Gospel of Peter includes additional legends about the crucifixion, such as the cross miraculously floating out of the tomb after the resurrection.
– The Burial of Jesus: Joseph of Arimathea asks for Jesus’ body from Herod, not Pilate. The details of the entombment are expanded.
– The Resurrection: A vivid account of the resurrection is provided. A voice rings out from heaven as Jesus exits the tomb.
– The Reaction of the Guards and Jews: The Jewish elders and guards react with fear rather than creating a cover story as in Matthew’s gospel.
– Appearances of the Risen Jesus: Fragmentary verses recount Jesus appearing to the disciples.
So while the Gospel of Peter overlaps with the canonical accounts in many ways, it also takes creative license to expand, adapt, and embellish the traditional story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Additional Details and Embellishments
Some of the additional or altered details found in the Gospel of Peter include:
– Herod Antipas, not Pontius Pilate, orders the crucifixion
– Jesus is silent before Herod, offering no defense
– Jesus feels no pain during the crucifixion
– The crucifixion takes place on the eve of Passover, not the day after
– Jesus’ last words are “My power, my power, why have you forsaken me?” rather than “It is finished.”
– A crowd of Jews, not Roman soldiers, keeps watch on the tomb
– The guards see three men come down from heaven and two of them enter the tomb
– A giant cross emerges from the tomb after the resurrection
– A voice rings out from heaven, and the heavens open when Jesus exits the tomb
– The Jewish elders, not the Roman guards, react in fear to the resurrection
– The disciples grieve heavily after the crucifixion before Jesus appears to them
– Jesus appears first to Peter, not Mary Magdalene
So while keeping the basic Passion narrative intact, the author of the Gospel of Peter dramatizes and enhances the story with fantastical, imaginative details. This indicates that an expanded oral tradition about Jesus had developed in some Christian communities.
Theological Portrait of Jesus
The Gospel of Peter reflects an evolving perspective on the identity and importance of Jesus compared to the earliest Christians. Some key elements of its theological portrait include:
– Physical elements such as the cross and the tomb are glorified and take on supernatural traits.
– Jesus is passive, calm, and silent throughout the crucifixion, showing his divine nature.
– The Gospel claims Herod, not Pilate, condemned Jesus, absolving the Romans and placing blame fully on the Jews.
– Jesus is portrayed as proclaiming his power and status as the Son of God in his final words.
– The resurrection is magnified as a dazzling, supernatural event accompanied by signs and wonders.
– Jesus’ resurrection appearances reinforce his post-crucifixion glorification and exaltation.
– The Gospel lacks the sayings and teachings of Jesus found in the canonical gospels. The focus is on his divine identity.
So the Gospel of Peter emphasizes Jesus’ divinity, authority, and the supernatural drama around his death and resurrection. He is a more ethereal, divine figure than in earlier gospels.
Differing Perspectives on the Jews
One major difference between the Gospel of Peter and the New Testament gospels is its attitude towards the Jews in relation to Jesus’ death.
The canonical gospels place the primary responsibility for Jesus’ crucifixion on the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate. But the Gospel of Peter shifts blame to the Jewish king Herod Antipas and the Jewish people.
Some key differences include:
– Only Jews, not Romans, guard the tomb of Jesus
– Herod, as a representative of the Jews, condemns and crucifies Jesus
– The Jewish elders react with remorse and guilt to Jesus’ resurrection
– The Gospel excludes Pilate’s role and any Roman involvement
– Jesus is generally silent before the Jews, while he converses with Pilate in the gospels
Scholars conclude that the Gospel of Peter reflects growing tensions between Christians and Jews in the late 1st and 2nd centuries AD. As Christianity spread in the Roman Empire, seeking to distance itself from Judaism, Jewish responsibility for Jesus’ crucifixion was emphasized.
The Gospel of Peter absorbed these anti-Jewish perspectives, portraying the Jews as disbelieving enemies of Jesus. This contrasts with the ambivalent, nuanced attitude towards the Jews found in the four canonical gospels.
Use of the Old Testament
Another distinctive feature of the Gospel of Peter is its creative interpretation and use of Old Testament passages compared to their application in the New Testament gospels:
– The tomb of Jesus hewn from rock alludes to Isaiah 22:16
– The giant emerging cross references Moses and the bronze serpent (Numbers 21:9)
– The light in the tomb draws from accounts of the Transfiguration
– The Gospel omits Old Testament support for Jesus’ Messiahship
So the Gospel of Peter mines the Hebrew scriptures for new foreshadowings of Jesus beyond those recognized by early Christians. However, it lacks traditional Messianic prophecies that established Jesus’ purposes.
The Gospel also adds additional attribution of prophecy to Old Testament figures. For instance, it claims King David and the prophet Isaiah directly predicted Jesus’ resurrection three days after his death.
Ultimately, the Gospel of Peter’s use of the Old Testament is creative and imaginative in applying additional meaning to the narratives around Jesus’ death and resurrection. But its interpretation differs from early Christian exegesis of the scriptures.
Docetic Undercurrents
Many scholars see strands of “docetism” in the Gospel of Peter that distinguish it theologically from the New Testament gospels. Docetism was an early Christian heresy that claimed Jesus only seemed to be human but was not in fact a real flesh-and-blood human being.
Some docetic elements in the Gospel of Peter include:
– Jesus is silent and unaffected by the crucifixion, not displaying human weakness
– The crucifixion is portrayed very clinically, lacking human passion
– Jesus feels no human pain and need for comfort from the Father
– The resurrection stresses Jesus’ divine power rather than bodily resurrection
– Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances highlight his glorified nature
So while the Gospel of Peter does not contain full docetic teaching, its unearthly portrayal of Jesus minimizes his humanity while emphasizing his divine impassibility and glorified state. This may reflect the theology of the community that produced the gospel.
Comparison with the Canonical Gospels
When examined alongside the four gospels that became part of the New Testament canon, the Gospel of Peter displays key similarities and differences:
Similarities to canonical gospels:
– Basis in the core story of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection
– Names figures like Herod, Joseph of Arimathea, Pilate, and the Jewish elders
– Mentions details like the purple robe and the sealed tomb
– Refers to Old Testament prophecies and figures
– Contains a resurrection account with Jesus appearing to the disciples
Key differences from canonical gospels:
– Changes or expands major narrative details
– Adds imaginative and extra-biblical elements
– Lacks sayings/teachings of Jesus
– Shifts blame for crucifixion from Romans to Jews
– Contains hints of docetic perspectives on Jesus
– Does not present Jesus as the Messiah fulfilling Old Testament prophecies
So while the Gospel of Peter shares the basic outline of a Passion narrative with the New Testament gospels, it takes liberties with events and includes distinctive theological perspectives that differ from early orthodox Christianity. This explains its exclusion from the biblical canon.
Later History of the Gospel of Peter
After its likely composition in the mid-2nd century, the Gospel of Peter circulated for several centuries among Christian groups on the fringes of the faith. Early church leaders were aware of the text but universally rejected it as heretical:
– Serapion, bishop of Antioch, banned the gospel from church reading around 200 AD
– Church historian Eusebius in the 300s AD labeled it a “fraud”
– Early lists of accepted/disputed texts all note the Gospel of Peter as spurious
Despite being condemned by proto-orthodox Christianity, the Gospel of Peter had some presence in ancient Syria and was mentioned in medieval texts. But it was entirely lost until recovered in Egypt in 1886-87.
Today, scholars value the Gospel of Peter for its insights into early Christian apocryphal literature and popular legends about Jesus that circulated outside the canonical gospels. While diverging from New Testament accounts, it illustrates the diversity of perspectives that existed in early Christianity.
