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NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
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While they were talking, the soul of Gad, his brother, de parted, and the king mourned for Gad exceedingly, because he loved him, and ordered him to be prepared for burial in a royal and costly robe. While this was going on, angels received the soul of Gad, the king’s brother, and took it up into heaven, showing him the places and man sions there, asking him, “In what place do you wish to dwell?” And when they came near the edifice of the apostle Tho mas, which he had erected for the king, Gad, upon beholding it, said to the an gels, “I entreat you, my lords, let me dwell in one of these lower chambers.” But they said to him, “In this building you cannot dwell.” And he said, “Why not?” They answered, “This palace is the one which that Christian has built for your brother.” But he said, “I entreat you, my lords, allow me to go to my brother to buy this palace from him. For my brother does not know what it is like, and he will sell it to me.”
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And the angels let the soul of Gad go. And as they were put ting on him the burial robe his soul came into him. And he said to those standing round him, “Call my brother to me, that I may beg of him a request.” Straightway they sent the good news to their king, saying, “Your brother has become alive again!” And the king arose and with a great multitude went to his brother. And coming in he went to the bed as if stu pefied, unable to speak to him. And his brother said, “I know and I am convinced, brother, that if anyone had asked of you the half of your kingdom, you would give it for my sake. Wherefore I entreat you to grant one favour, which I beg of you to do: that you sell to me that which I ask from you.” And the king answered and said, “And what is it that you wish
me to sell to you?” And he said, “Assure me by an oath that you will grant it to me.” And the king swore to him, “Whatever of my possession you ask, I will give you.” And he said to him, “Sell me the palace which you have in heaven.” And the king said, “A palace in heaven— where does this come to me from?” And he said, “It is the one that Christian built for you, the man who is now in prison, whom the merchant brought, having bought him from a certain Jesus. I mean that Hebrew slave whom you wished to punish, having suffered some deception from him, on account of whom I also was grieved and died, and now have come alive again.”
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Then the king heard and under stood his words about the eter nal benefits that were conferred upon him and destined for him, and said, “That palace I cannot sell you, but I pray to be permitted to enter into it and to dwell there, being deemed worthy to belong to its inhabitants. And if you really wish to buy such a palace, behold, the man is alive, and will build you a better one than that.” And immediately he sent and brought the apostle out of prison, and the merchant who had been shut up along with him, saying, “I entreat you; as a man entreating the servant of God; pray for me, and ask him, whose servant you are, to pardon me and to overlook what I have done to you or intended to do, and that I may become worthy to be an inhabitant of that house for which indeed I have done nothing, but which you, labouring alone, have built for me with the help of the grace of your God, and that I may also become a servant and serve this God, whom you preach.” His brother also fell down before the apostle and said, “I en treat you and supplicate before your God that I may become worthy of this service