The Acts of Peter; The Martyrdom of Peter (Bernhard Pick Translation)

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• published: 02 Aug 2014
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Taken from "The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas," by Bernhard Pick. This Book, like the other Apocryphal Acts, is thoroughly parabolic in nature. Simon Magus represents the false Church of the past 2,000 years, whereas Simon "Bar Jonah" represents the true church. Peter's virgin daughter, who is paralyzed on one side symbolizes the early "virgin" Church who is denied the spiritual level of the Scriptures, and is only able to operate on the natural (literal) level of the Scriptures. (Virginity is a term used to typify the Elect of God--that is to say that they are "undefiled" by the teachings of men--which is the "filthy intercourse with men" that is spoken of throughout the apocryphal Acts.) That she is capable of being whole, (i.e. operating on both the physical and spiritual levels,) but voluntarily goes back to her physical paralysis reflects the fact that early Christians who understood that the spiritual-level of the Scriptures was being reserved for a future generation, voluntarily operated on the lower-level before the world and before unbelievers--in order that they might not give what is holy to the dogs or cast God's pearls before the swine. (False Jews are the 'dogs,' false Christians are the 'swine.') Simon Peter (i.e. the Church built on the "Rock" of God's Word) faces down Simon Magus (i.e. the False Church of the past 2,000 years, which is founded upon deception, greed & witchcraft) in a variety of ways, none without its parabolic significance. That Simon's lower leg (i.e. the "shank") is broken in three places corresponds to Peter's three denials of Jesus, the three times he was found "asleep" at Gethsemene, the three times he is asked by Jesus of he loves him, the three times he saw the 'unclean food' come down from heaven, etc.; which are all symbolic of the failings of the Church during the 2,000 years (2 cock crows) that the teachings of the false Church, i.e. those of Simon Magus, predominate. If you follow along with these things in mind, you will recognize that all of the so-called "Leucian Acts" share these common themes and symbols. Simon Magus is understood as representing the False Church in the Acts of Peter, Aegeates represents the False Church in the Acts of Andrew, whereas Andrew represents True Christianity, etc. In the Acts of Paul, Nero Caesar holds roughly this function as well, as does Misdaeus in the Acts of Thomas.