The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Volume 4, Nicodemus

In Short

Translated by Archbishop Wake, The Gospel of Nicodemus offers an early Christian expansion of the Passion narrative. Framed around the trial before Pontius Pilate, the text combines testimony from those healed by Jesus with a dramatic account of his burial and resurrection. Its most striking feature is a detailed, imaginative depiction of Christ descending into hell, smashing its gates, and rescuing the righteous dead. It has survived across centuries as a fascinating historical artifact, showcasing how early believers embellished sacred history to defend their faith and explain the mechanics of salvation.

The Story

The narrative opens with prominent Jewish leaders bringing Jesus before Pontius Pilate, alleging that he heals on the Sabbath through sorcery and claims royal authority. When Jesus enters the hall, the Roman imperial banners miraculously bow before him. Intrigued and unsettled, Pilate questions Jesus directly, prompting famous exchanges on the nature of truth and kingdom. Despite opposition from the accusers, several individuals step forward to testify to miraculous cures, including a man paralyzed for thirty-eight years, a formerly blind man, and the centurion whose servant was healed. Nicodemus also intervenes, arguing that if Jesus works by divine power, his deeds will endure.

Despite Pilate finding no fault in Jesus and attempting to release him instead of the murderer Barabbas, the crowd demands his execution. Pilate famously washes his hands of the blood, passes sentence, and orders Jesus to be crucified alongside two thieves, Dimas and Gestas. On the cross, Gestas mocks Jesus, while Dimas repents and is promised a place in Paradise. Following Jesus's death, Joseph of Arimathea buries the body in his own rock-hewn tomb. Enraged by his actions, the authorities imprison Joseph in a windowless, sealed room, but he mysteriously vanishes.

Reports soon multiply that the tomb is empty and the Roman guards were paralyzed with fear by an angelic presence. Witnesses arrive from Galilee reporting that they saw the risen Jesus teaching his disciples on Mount Olivet before ascending to heaven. The authorities search for Jesus without success, but they track down Joseph of Arimathea at his home. Reconciled with the leaders, Joseph returns to Jerusalem and reveals a remarkable secret: Jesus did not rise alone, but raised others from their graves, including the two deceased sons of the high priest Simeon.

The narrative then shifts to the written testimony of these resuscitated sons, Charinus and Lenthius. They describe how the patriarchs and prophets in the dark underworld—including Adam, Seth, Isaiah, and John the Baptist—rejoiced as a divine light heralded Christ's arrival. A heated argument breaks out between Satan and the Prince of Hell, who fears Christ's power after the resurrection of Lazarus. Christ arrives like thunder, shatters the iron bars, tramples Death, and binds Satan. Taking Adam and the saints by the hand, he leads them into Paradise, where they encounter the repentant thief carrying his cross.

Confronted with these testimonies and their own scriptures, the religious leaders examine their sacred books and publicly acknowledge that the prophecies match these events, while Pilate records the official proceedings in his hall.

How It Unfolds

Accusations before Pilate Jewish leaders bring Jesus to the Roman tribunal, charging him with Sabbath violations and sorcery, but the Roman standard banners miraculously bow down to worship him as he enters.

Witnesses for the defense Nicodemus and numerous individuals who were cured of blindness, paralysis, and palsy step forward to defend Jesus's divine authority, leaving Pilate deeply conflicted.

Condemnation and crucifixion Yielding to public pressure, Pilate washes his hands of the execution and sentences Jesus to be crucified at Golgotha between the thieves Dimas and Gestas.

Imprisonment of Joseph After Joseph of Arimathea buries Jesus, angry authorities lock him in a sealed, windowless room, but God miraculously delivers him from confinement.

Reports of the resurrection Soldiers confirm the empty tomb, while travelers from Galilee testify under oath that they witnessed Jesus ascending to heaven from Mount Olivet.

The harrowing of hell Resurrected witnesses reveal how Christ shattered the gates of the underworld, defeated Satan, and led Adam and the ancient saints into Paradise.

Final admission of scriptures Pilate convenes the elders in the temple, where they examine their ancient scriptures and confess that Jesus's life and resurrection fulfill historic prophecy.

The People

• Pontius Pilate – The Roman governor who acts as a conflicted judge. He seeks to release Jesus, moved by his wife's warning dream and the testimony of miracles, but ultimately succumbs to political pressure, washing his hands to claim innocence.
• Jesus – The accused healer and teacher who maintains a calm, authoritative presence throughout his trial, speaking directly of truth and his heavenly kingdom before enduring crucifixion and conquering the underworld.
• Nicodemus – A courageous Jewish leader and disciple who steps forward at great personal risk during the trial to defend Jesus against accusations of sorcery, later aligning his fate entirely with Christ.
• Joseph of Arimathea – A wealthy, righteous man who boldly petitions Pilate for Jesus's body, provides a new rock tomb, and faces imprisonment by angry authorities, only to be miraculously freed.
• Satan and the Prince of Hell – The personified leaders of the underworld who argue anxiously over Christ's pending arrival, realizing too late that crucifying him has destroyed their dominion over death.
• Dimas – The penitent thief crucified on Christ's right who defends Jesus against mockers, receives the promise of Paradise, and becomes the first to enter the heavenly gates bearing his cross.

In Its Own Voice

"I find not any one fault in Jesus." — Pilate addresses the crowd, asserting the innocence of the accused after hearing the initial charges against him.

"The God whom you have hanged upon the cross, is able to deliver me out of your hands." — Joseph of Arimathea answers his captors, expressing complete faith in divine protection before his miraculous escape from prison.

"Lift up your gates, O ye princes; and be ye lift up, O everlasting gates, and the King of Glory shall come in." — A thunderous voice echoes at the entrance of the underworld, signaling Christ's victorious arrival to liberate the dead.

What It's Really About

At its heart, the book is an early apologetic text designed to defend the legitimacy of early Christianity against contemporary accusations. By converting the trial into a formal legal proceeding complete with sworn witnesses, it refutes claims that Jesus worked by dark arts or that his followers stole his body. Beyond legal defense, the work explores the cosmic scope of salvation. The dramatic descent into hell addresses a deep theological question of its time: what becomes of the righteous ancestors who lived before Christ? By depicting Adam, Isaiah, and John the Baptist welcoming their deliverer, the text asserts that Christ's victory over death applies retroactively to all human history, reframing a local Roman execution into a universe-shattering triumph.

Why Read It Today

This text will deeply interest readers fascinated by early Christian history, ancient apocrypha, and the evolution of religious folklore. It offers a fascinating look into the creative literary imagination of the early centuries, bridging the gap between canonical gospel narratives and later medieval traditions surrounding the "Harrowing of Hell."

Reading the text feels like stepping into a dramatic courtroom trial that suddenly expands into a grand, epic fantasy. The prose, translated in classical early-modern English, carries an archaic, biblical cadence marked by numbered verses, legalistic dialogues, and vivid, theatrical descriptions.

Modern readers should be prepared for its historical limitations. The narrative reflects the sharp polemical tensions of the early centuries, framing conflicts with repetitive arguments and stark moral divisions. Additionally, the verse-by-verse structure can feel choppy, and the courtroom testimonies repeat familiar gospel miracles. Yet, what lingers is the sheer imaginative force of the underworld scenes—the thunderous knocking at hell's gates, the panicked squabbling of demons, and the triumphant procession of ancient saints into Paradise.