The Acts of Paul (beyond Thecla) 9

1FRAGMENTS: SCENES OF FAREWELL

2(Paul speaking) . . . . thanksgiving (?)

3The grace of the Lord will walk with me until I have fulfilled all the dispensations which shall come upon me with patience. But they were sorrowful, and fasted. And Cleobius was in the Spirit and said unto them: Brethren, (the Lord) will suffer Paul to fulfil every dispensation and thereafter will suffer him to go up (to Jerusalem). But thereafter shall be . . . . in much instruction and knowledge and sowing of the word, so that men shall envy him, and so he shall depart out of this world. But when Paul and the brethren heard this, they lifted up their voices, saying:

4Next page, first extant line , ‘beheld’. Second , ‘shall say'. Third , But the Spirit came upon Myrte so that she said unto them: Brethren . . . . and look upon this sign, that ye . . . . For Paul the servant of the Lord shall save many in Rome, so that of them shall be no number, and he will manifest himself more than all the faithful. Thereafter shall . . . . of the Lord Jesus Christ come . . . . a great grace is . . . . at Rome. And this is the manner wherein the Spirit spake unto Myrte. And every one took the bread, and they were in joy, according to the custom of the fast, through . . . . and the psalms of David and . . . . he rejoiced.

5On the next page the only significant words are ‘to Rome’; ‘the brethren’; ‘grieved’; ‘took the bread ’; ‘praised the Lord’; ‘were very sorrowful'.

6The next has ends of lines: ‘the Lord’; ‘risen’; ‘Jesus’; ‘Paul said to him’. The last is ‘he (or they) greeted’.

7Two more pages have nothing of moment. The next is concerned with the Martyrdom.