Chapter 1

Premium narration

It came to pass that, as I, Paul, was going up unto Jerusalem to meet the apostles, I came upon a mountain — even the mountain of Jericho — to go up unto Jerusalem above.

And I encountered a small child upon the way; and he saluted me, saying: Whither goest thou, Paul, the blessed of God, the apostle of God, set apart from his mother's womb? Tarry not; for thou shalt go up unto Jerusalem unto thy fellow-apostles. They are awaiting thee. Thou shalt see thy brethren.

Then I said: Who art thou, child?

He answered, and said unto me: I am the Holy Spirit which abideth with thee. Come thou with me. I shall lead thee up unto the heavens, that thou mayest behold the orders thereof.

And he laid his hand upon me; and we were caught up unto the third heaven. And in the third heaven I beheld a great angel; and the angel said: Whither goest thou, O Paul?

And I said: Unto the heaven from which I came forth.

And the angel said: Pass on. The Spirit shall be thy guide.

And we ascended unto the fourth heaven. And I beheld there an angel of judgment; and before him stood a soul lately departed from the body. And the soul was being judged. The angel said unto her: Whence comest thou? And she said: From the body. And he said: What didst thou in the body? Recite thy deeds.

And the soul began to speak; but the angel said: Speak not falsely; for thy works testify against thee. And the soul was put to silence. And she was sent back unto the cycle of birth, that she might bear another body and learn what she had not learned.

And we ascended unto the fifth heaven. And there I beheld a great angel, with an iron rod in his hand, beating the souls and driving them up unto the place of judgment. And the Spirit said unto me: This is the angel of the way. None ascendeth save by his rod. He scourgeth the slothful; he draweth on the willing.