Gospel of Nicodemus

Relationship to the Bible

The Gospel of Nicodemus is not a book of the Bible. It is not included in the Protestant canon of sixty-six books (the books the church has recognized as the Word of God), nor in the canons of the Catholic Church or the Orthodox Church. The book takes its name from Nicodemus, who appears in the Gospel of John. In the Bible, Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night and asks about being born again (John 3:1-21), defends Jesus before the council (John 7:50-52), and brings myrrh and aloes for Jesus' burial (John 19:39). This apocryphal book (a religious writing outside the canon) claims to have been written by him, but scholars do not accept this claim.

Contents

The surviving manuscripts differ, but the work generally consists of three parts.

• The trial before Pilate: An extended account of Pontius Pilate interrogating Jesus. Nicodemus and people whom Jesus had healed come forward as witnesses; among them, the woman with the issue of blood appears under the name Bernice (Veronica in Latin).
• Testimony to the resurrection: Joseph of Arimathea is imprisoned and then miraculously released, and a number of people testify to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
• The descent into Hades: Found mainly in the Latin manuscripts, this section describes how Christ, after his death, descended into Hades (the place where the dead dwell), broke the power of Satan, and led out Adam and the other righteous figures of the Old Testament.

Background

Many scholars hold that the text in its surviving form was compiled in Greek around the fourth century. The second-century church father Justin Martyr referred to records left by Pilate, but whether these were the same document as this book is unclear. The title "Gospel of Nicodemus" is known to have come into wide use in medieval Latin manuscripts.

Interpretation and Debate

The book was never accepted as a basis for doctrine. Nevertheless, it is known to have had a significant influence on the literature, drama, and art of the medieval Western church. It frequently gives names to figures who are unnamed in the Gospels; a well-known example is the tradition that calls the soldier who pierced Jesus' side "Longinus." The tradition identifying the woman with the issue of blood as Veronica is also connected with this book. These names and stories are not found in the biblical text but are later traditions.

The belief that Christ descended into Hades was present in the church before this book was written. The clause also appears in the older text of the Apostles' Creed, and passages cited in its support include 1 Peter 3:19, 1 Peter 4:6, and Ephesians 4:8-10. The meaning of the clause, however, is understood differently in different traditions.

• Catholic Church: The version of the Apostles' Creed used by the Catholic Church in Korea includes the phrase "descended to the realm of the dead."
• Reformed tradition: The Heidelberg Catechism interprets the clause as referring to the hellish anguish Christ endured on the cross.
• Korean Protestantism: The translation of the Apostles' Creed widely used in Korean Protestant churches does not include the clause.