Apocryphon of James

The Saviour's farewell discourse — parables of the date palm and the grain of wheat, exhortation to seek the kingdom, the ascent of James and Peter, and the dispersion of the twelve.

1Become ye lovers of the Father; flee from hatred. Hate dissimulation and the desire for vainglory. Hate stiff-necked stubbornness, and condemn it.

2Become ye lovers of life. Behold the kingdom: I have given you a sign that ye should approach it. Be ye ready, that ye may be admitted; for the kingdom belongeth unto them that have put themselves to death.

3Become ye seekers after death, like the dead which seek for life. For that which they seek is revealed to them. And what is there for them to be concerned about?

4When ye turn yourselves unto death, it shall make known to you election. Verily, I say unto you, none of them which are afraid of death shall be saved.

5Become ye, therefore, seekers after rest. And when ye have found it, ye shall not desire any other. He that hath found rest hath found a treasure that no man can take from him.

6Hearken unto a parable. There was a man who had a great wealth of dates upon a tree. He gathered the fruit; he ate his fill; he kept the rest for the season of need. Yet was he not the owner of the tree, but only of its fruit. So is the kingdom of the Father.

7And again, hearken unto a parable. Like a grain of wheat is the word of the kingdom: when one casteth it upon the earth, it sprouteth, and putteth forth a stalk, and beareth fruit thirty, sixty, an hundredfold.

8Whosoever hearkeneth and beareth fruit, his is the kingdom. He that beareth not is cast forth, and is consumed in the fire.

9Be ye, then, full of the Spirit, but lacking in reason. For reason belongeth unto the soul; it is, in turn, of the nature of soul.

10And as for me, I shall ascend unto the place from which I came. When ye were eager to leave with me, I bade you depart. None of you wept, nor mourned. Now I shall go alone.

11Then said Peter unto Him: Three things hast Thou said unto us, and the meaning is hidden. Tell us yet again, that we may live.

12And the Saviour said: I shall not be with you very much longer. The day cometh when I shall be taken from you. Therefore stretch out your hands; that I may bless you while I am yet with you.

13And we stretched out our hands; and He blessed us. And He filled us with the Spirit.

14Then He said: Be on your guard against the flesh, and on the watch against the spirit which is in error. Stand fast in the truth which I have taught you. Forget not what ye have heard.

15And after this, He commanded us, saying: I shall ascend unto the place from which I came. Ye shall remain. Yet a little while; and the kingdom shall come for you. Take heed; and watch. Be ye not slothful.

16When the Saviour said these things, He departed. And we knelt down — I and Peter — and we gave thanks. And we sent our hearts up unto heaven.

17We heard with our ears, and saw with our eyes, the noise of wars, and a trumpet-blast, and a great commotion.

18And when we had passed beyond that place, we sent our minds up still further. And we saw with our eyes, and heard with our ears, hymns and angelic praises, and angelic rejoicing. And heavenly majesties were singing praises; and we ourselves rejoiced.

19After this, we wished to send our spirits up to the Majesty. After we had ascended, we were not permitted to behold or to hear anything. The other disciples called us; and they questioned us, saying: What heard ye from the Master? And what hath He said unto you? And whither hath He gone?

20We answered them: He hath ascended. He hath given us a pledge. He hath promised us all life, and revealed to us children that come after us. He hath bidden us to love them, even as we should be saved for their sake.

21And when they had heard this, they believed in the revelation; but they were displeased about them that were to be born. So, that I might not give them cause to stumble, I sent each one of them unto a different place. But I myself went up unto Jerusalem, praying that I might obtain a portion among the beloved that shall be made manifest.

22And I pray that the beginning may come from thee, even from thee, beloved. For thus shall I be saved, since they shall be enlightened through me — by my faith, and through another that is better than mine. For I would that mine be the lesser.

23Strive earnestly, therefore, to make thyself like them; and pray that thou mayest obtain a portion with them.

24For beyond what I have said, the Saviour did not disclose unto us a revelation on their behalf — them, that is, that He hath said. We proclaim a portion with them that received the message; that is, those for whom the Lord made His children.

25Amen.