The Prayer of the Apostle Paul
Home > Gnostics > The Prayer of the Apostle Paul The Prayer of the Apostle Paul At a Glance Treatise Genre: (5/5) ***** Reliability of Dating: (5/5) ***** Length of Text: Greek Original Language: Ancient Translations: Modern Translations: Estimated Range of Dating: 150-300 A.D. Chronological List of Early Christian Writings Discuss this text on the Early Writings forum. Text The Prayer of the Apostle Paul Offsite Links Interlinear Translation French Translation Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia: Prayer of the Apostle Paul The Flyleaf of NHC I: The Prayer of the Apostle Paul Gospel of Thomas Commentary, Saying 17 The facsimile edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices Nag Hammadi Library in English Books Bentley Layton, The Gnostic Scriptures: A New Translation With Annotations and Introductions (Doubleday 1987) Marvin Meyer, ed., The Nag Hammadi Scriptures (HarperOne 2009) Birger A. Pearson, Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions And Literature (Fortress Press 2007) Recommended Books for the Study of Early Christian Writings Information on the Prayer of the Apostle Paul Birger A. Pearson writes, "This short prayer, inscribed on both sides of the front flyleaf of the codex, consists of three parts. In the first part (A, 1-14) the petitioner addresses the preexistent Father, through Jesus Christ, and prays for his return to the place whence he came. In the second part (A, 15-25) he prays for bodily health and spiritual illumination, and invokes the authority of 'the evangelist,' presumably Paul, the 'preacher of the Gospel.' In the third part (A,25-B,2) he prays for what no angelic eye has seen, no ruler ears have heard, and what has not entered the human heart (compare 1 Corinthians 2:9). The prayer concludes with a doxology (B,2-5). The title that is appended to the tractate, 'prayer of Paul the apostle,' is given in Greek, the original language of the prayer as a whole." (Ancient Gnosticism, p. 173) On the allusions to phrases found in other literature, Madaleine Scopello comments, "The second part of the Prayer of the Apostle Paul invokes the divine as 'you who exist and preexisted.' These titles, with a philosophical flavor, appear quite often in Valentinian as well as Sethian Gnostic literature in reference to the highest God. The formula 'the name exalted above every name' derives from Philippians 2:9, as Dieter Mueller notes, the author of the Prayer shows a clear knowledge of the Psalms and the Pauline epistles. We concur with this line of interpretation, especially concerning the five titles given to Jesus Christ: Lord of lords, King of eternal realms (or aeons, ages), Son of Humanity, Spirit, Advocate (or Paraclete) of truth. The title 'Lord of lords' is also present in 1 Timothy 6:15 and Revelation 17:14; 19:16, each time in connection with the title 'King of kings,' 'King of the ages' appears as a title in Tobit 13:6-10, 1 Timothy 1:17, and Revelation 15:3. Although 'Son of Humanity' is very frequent in the New Testament and early Christian literature, 'Advocate of truth' seems to come from John 15:26 (cf. also, for 'Paraclete,' John 14:26; 16:7; 1 John 2:1)." (The Nag Hammadi Scriptures, p. 16) Bentley Layton makes some observations regarding the Valentinian claim to the apostle Paul: "Valentinian teachers claimed the apostle Paul as their theological ancestor, patron, and source of authority, maintaining that Valentinus had been instructed by a certain Theudas, who himself was said to have been a pupil of Paul. ... While authors of classic gnostic scripture wrote their revelations as pseudepigraphy, attributed to venerated religious heroes of the past or to spiritual beings (Adam, Seth, the spiritual Seth, John the apostle, Barbelo), Valentinian teachers almost always spoke on the authority of their school tradition. This 'apostolic tradition' (PtF 33.7.9, GPh 74:16f) or academic genealogy has an exact parallel in secular philosophical schools (and indeed in Jewish rabbinical traditions), whose leaders strengthened their own personal authority by producing lists of academic predecessors going back to some venerated teacher of the past, such as Socrates." (A Prayer of Paul the Apostle, p. 303) Some Contemporary Texts Paraphrase of Shem (150-250 A.D.) Fifth and Sixth Books of Esra (150-250 A.D.) Authoritative Teaching (150-300 A.D.) Coptic Apocalypse of Paul (150-300 A.D.) Prayer of the Apostle Paul (150-300 A.D.) Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth (150-300 A.D.) Melchizedek (150-300 A.D.) Preaching of Paul (150-350 A.D.) Epistle to the Laodiceans (150-350 A.D.) Go to the Chronological List of all Early Christian Writings Please buy the CD to support the site, view it without ads, and get bonus stuff! Early Christian Writings is copyright © Peter Kirby <E-Mail&gt. Follow @mrpeterkirby MLA Style Kirby, Peter. "The Prayer of the Apostle Paul." Early Christian Writings. <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/prayerpaul.html>. Gospels Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Letters of Paul Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Letter to the Hebrews General Letters James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation Gospels Gospel of Thomas Egerton Gospel Gospel of Peter Oxyrhynchus 840 Gospel of Mary Epistula Apostolorum Infancy Gospel of James Infancy Gospel of Thomas Acts of Pilate Diatessaron Gospel Fragments Oxyrhynchus 1224 Fayyum Fragment Gospel of the Egyptians Gospel of the Hebrews Gospel of the Ebionites Gospel of the Nazoreans Traditions of Matthias Dura-Europos Gospel Harmony Apostolic Acts Preaching of Peter Acts of Peter Acts of John Acts of Paul Acts of Andrew Acts of Peter and the Twelve Book of Thomas the Contender Acts of Thomas Martyrologies Martyrdom of Polycarp Fifth and Sixth Books of Esra Acts of Carpus, Papylus, and Agathonice Letter from Vienna and Lyons Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs Acts of Apollonius Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas Didache Apocalypse of Peter Didascalia Dialogues with Jesus Sophia of Jesus Christ Secret James Gospel of Mary Dialogue of the Savior Gospel of the Savior Books of Jeu Pistis Sophia Apocalypses 2nd Apocalypse of James Coptic Apocalypse of Paul 1st Apocalypse of James Coptic Apocalypse of Peter Acts Acts of Peter and the Twelve Book of Thomas the Contender Letter of Peter to Philip More Nag Hammadi Apocryphon of John Gospel of Truth Treatise on the Resurrection Gospel of Philip Trimorphic Protennoia Authoritative Teaching Discourse on the Eighth and the Ninth Melchizedek Quoted Authors Basilides Naassene Fragments Valentinus Marcion Epiphanes Ophite Diagrams Gospel of Judas More Quoted Authors Ptolemy Isidore Theodotus Heracleon Apelles Julius Cassianus Apostolic Fathers Didache Epistle of Barnabas First Clement Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch Polycarp to the Philippians Second Clement Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus Martyrdom of Polycarp Apologists Aristides Justin Martyr Tatian Minucius Felix Athenagoras of Athens Theophilus of Antioch Quoted Authors Papias Quadratus Aristo of Pella Claudius Apollinaris Melito of Sardis Hegesippus Dionysius of Corinth Rhodon Theophilus of Caesarea More Quoted Authors Bardesanes Maximus of Jerusalem Polycrates of Ephesus Victor I Pantaenus Anonymous Anti-Montanist Serapion of Antioch Apollonius Caius Irenaeus of Lyons Hippolytus of Rome Clement of Alexandria Tertullian Origen Pagan and Jewish Mara bar Serapion Josephus Pliny the Younger Suetonius Tacitus Fronto Lucian of Samosata Marcus Aurelius Galen Celsus Talmud Philostratus Jewish/Christian The Twelve Patriarchs Non-Pagan Sibyllines Odes of Solomon Book of Elchasai Ascension of Isaiah Hypothesized Sources Passion Narrative Sayings Gospel Q Signs Gospel Anti-Marcionite Prologues Muratorian Canon Kerygmata Petrou Inscription of Abercias |