COPTIC NARRATIVES OF THE MINISTRY AND THE PASSION
There is a large mass of fragments in Coptic (Sahidic), some relating to the Ministry of our Lord and others to his Passion, which demand some notice here.
The largest collections of them (I pass over earlier publications such as those of Zoega and Dulaurier) are in Forbes Robinson's Coptic Apocryphal Gospels, E. Revillout's Apocryphes Coptes, I (Patrologia Orientalis II. 2), P. Lacau's Fragments d’ Apocryphes Coptes (Mémoires de l'Institut Francais d’Archéologie Orientale du Caire, 1904).
The fragments relating to the Life of Christ before the Passion are none of them attributed definitely to any author. They are mostly in homiletic form: the writer addresses his readers or congregation from time to time, directly, and not seldom he makes definite mention of the Gospels.
In one passage which Forbes Robinson humorously makes to serve as a motto to his volume, we read, 'But some one will say to me, Art thou then adding a supplement to the Gospels? Let that beloved one listen attentively and . . .', the fragment ends. Whatever his defence or explanation may have been, he certainly does add a great many supplements to the Gospels. It seems likely (judging from the analogy of other Coptic documents) that he personated, if not an apostle, a disciple of the apostles. The names of Evodius of Antioch and Gamaliel are found attached to similar writings. It would be quite in order for such a person to postulate the existence of the canonical Gospels, and to profess to offer information which was not contained in them.
It is conceivable that some of the narrative matter in these fragments may be taken from earlier books; but the fragments themselves cannot, I think, be earlier in date than the fifth century.
They will not be translated here in full: but a list, and a brief description of their contents, shall be given.
1. Robinson, p. 162. Birth and childhood of John Baptist. Birth of Christ. His star in the form of a wheel, its figure like a cross, letters on it: This is Jesus the Son of God. The wise men see it and come to Herod.
2. Robinson, p. 163. The Feast at Cana. The wine has failed; the parents of the bridegroom complain to Mary, who is their sister, and ask her to approach Christ. She does so. He orders that the water-pots be filled. We (the servants) hasted and filled them.
This, then, belongs to a narrative written by an eyewitness.
3. Revillout no. 1.
Herod accuses Philip to Tiberius.
Tiberius orders him to confiscate all Philip's goods.
Herod does so: Philip knows not the reason.
4. Revillout no. 2. Robinson, p. 168.
