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NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
you as much as we are able, and you have given us your gifts without measure saying, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’5 We pray, therefore, being afraid of our sins. And we ask you not for riches or gold or silver or possessions or any of those things that come from earth and go into the earth again; but we beg of you and entreat that in your holy name you raise this woman lying here by your power, to your glory and to an awakening of faith in those who stand by.”
54
And he said to the young man, after sealing him, “Go and take her hand and say to her, ‘With iron I killed you with my hands, and with my hands I raise you because of faith in Jesus.’ ” And the young man went and stood by her, saying, “I have believed in you, O Christ Jesus.” And looking upon Judas Thomas the apostle, he said to him, “Pray for me, that my Lord, upon whom I call, may come to my help.” And laying his hand on her hand he said, “Come, Lord Jesus Christ, give her life and me the reality of your faith.” And he drew her by the hand, and she sprang up and sat looking at the great multitude stand ing around. And she also saw the apostle standing opposite her, and leaving her couch she sprang up and fell at his feet and took hold of his garments, saying, “I pray, Lord, where is your companion who has not left me to remain in that fearful and grievous place, but has given me up to you, saying, ‘Take this one, that she may be made perfect, and thereafter be brought into her own place.’?”
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And the apostle said to her, “Tell us where you have been.” And she answered, “Do you, who were with me, to whom also I was entrusted, wish to hear?” And she commenced thus:
“An ugly-looking man, entirely black, re ceived me; and his clothing was exceed ingly filthy. And he took me to a place where there were many chasms, and a great stench and most hateful vapour were given forth thence. And he made me look into each chasm, and in the first I saw blazing fire, and fiery wheels run ning, and souls were hung upon these wheels, dashing against each other. And there was crying and great lamentation and no Saviour was there. And that man said to me, ‘These souls are akin to you, and in the days of reckoning they were delivered to punishment and destruction. And then others are brought in their stead; in like manner all these are again succeeded by others. These are they who perverted the intercourse of man and wife.’ And again I looked down, and saw infants heaped upon each other, strug gling and lying upon each other. And he said to me, ‘These are their children, and for this they are placed here for a testi mony against them.’
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“And he brought me to another chasm, and as I looked into it I saw mud and worms spouting forth, and souls wallowing there; and I heard a great gnashing of teeth come from them. And that man said to me, ‘These are the souls of women who left their husbands and committed adultery with others, and they have been brought to this torment.’ And he showed me another chasm, and look ing into it I saw souls hung up, some by the tongue, some by the hair, some by the hands, others by the feet, head down ward, and reeking with smoke and sul phur. Concerning these the man who ac companied me said the following: ‘The souls hung up by the tongue are slander
5
Matt 7:7.