Apocalypse of Paul (Visio Pauli)
Home > Apocrypha > Apocalypse of Paul Apocalypse of Paul (Visio Pauli) At a Glance Treatise Genre: (5/5) ***** Reliability of Dating: (5/5) ***** Length of Text: Greek Original Language: Ancient Translations: Modern Translations: English Estimated Range of Dating: 250-400 A.D. Chronological List of Early Christian Writings Discuss this text on the Early Writings forum. Text Roberts-Donaldson Translation: Revelation of Paul M. R. James Translation: Apocalypse of Paul Offsite Links Trowbridge: Apocalypse of Paul Visio Pauli Medieval Apocalyptic: Apocalypse of Paul Fordham University: Apocalypse of Paul Zondervan Encyclopedia: Apocalypse of Paul A First Evaluation of the "Arabic Version of the Apocalypse of Paul" The Legacy of 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 in the Apocalypse of Paul The Apocryphal New Testament The Wise, the Simple, the Pachomian Koinonia and the Apocalypse of Paul The Apocalypse of Paul: previous history and afterlife Books Wilhelm Schneemelcher, New Testament Apocrypha, Vol.
2, pp. 712-748 Recommended Books for the Study of Early Christian Writings Information on the Apocalypse of Paul Hugo Duensing, as revised by Aurelio de Santos Otero, writes concerning the citations of this text (New Testament Apocrypha, vol. 2., pp. 712-713): In his Nomocanon (VII 9) Barhebraeus introduces a quotation from Origen according to which the Apocalypse of Paul, with other apocalypses and also other early Christian writings enumerated there, was accepted by the Church. If this quotation is not altered, with Zahn, to read Peter instead of Paul, and so is accepted as genuine as it stands, then one might also assume acquaintance at least with the material of our apocalypse in his Homil.
in Psalmos (ed. Lommatzsch XII. 233), where he gives a description of the destiny of souls after death which is closely related with chs. 13ff. of the Apocalypse of Paul. That he cannot in any case have had our recension before him follows not only on grounds of content but also from Sozomen (Hist. eccl. VII 19, ed. Bidez-Hansen, GCS 50, 1960, 331) who says of the Apocalypse of Paul that none of the ancients knew it; rather it was allegedly found under the emperor of the time, by which he alludes to the story of its discovery which it contains, but after inquiry from an ancient presbyter in Tarsus it turned out to be a fraud. If Origen knew a document of the same title, it could not have beenthe apocalypse in the form in which we now have it.
We find a more reliable witness to its existence in Augustine (In Ioh. tract. 98.8, ed. R. Willems, CChrSL 36, 1954, 581), who says that some have concocted an Apocalypse of Paul which the true church does not accept. And when in the Enchiridion (112-113, CChrSL 46, 109f.) he discusses the idea of the relaxation of the lot of the damned souls on the day of the Lord, he will have drawn that from our document; for at almost the same time (around 402) Prudentius produces this conception in his Cathemerinon (V. 125ff., ed. J. Bergman, CSEl 61, 1926, 30). In the Decretum Gelasianum the Apocalypse of Paul appears among the apocryphal books which are not accepted (ed. v. Dobschtz, TU 38.4, 1912, 12).
Later testimonies only evidence continued knowledge of this apocryphon and the eventual exstension of its influence. The internal evidence may be taken to suggest a late fourth century date (New Testament Apocrypha, vol. 2, p. 713): in 2 Cor. 12 Paul tells of being caught up into Paradise and this gave someone who was familiar with the apocalyptic tradition the opportunity of putting in Paul's mouth what he himself knew or thought about the next world. He gets over the difficulty that Paul had described what he heard as unutterable by distinguishing between some things which Paul could not tell and others which he was permitted to relate (cf. ch. 21). The introductory report of the discovery of these important revelations serves to explain how it happened that they were not made public earlier, possibly even in the time of Paul himself.