Greetings, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. The other day, while I was working, I decided to listen to the Gospel of Nicodemus. Here’s a free PDF of the text. The Gospel Of Nicodemus.pdf I wanted to share a summary of each chapter, but I think it’s best for everyone to read the entire book for themselves. The Gospel of Nicodemus, also known in parts of its textual tradition as the Acts of Pilate, presents an expanded narrative surrounding the trial, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. The latter portion of the work goes beyond the events witnessed on Earth and presents an account of Christ’s descent into the realm of the dead, the liberation of the righteous who were held there, and their entrance into Paradise. Throughout the Gospel, testimony plays an important role. Witness after witness is brought forward concerning Jesus’ works, his death, his resurrection, and eventually what occurred within the unseen realm after his death.
Chapter I — Jesus Is Brought Before Pilate
The Gospel begins with Annas, Caiaphas, Summas, Datam, Gamaliel, Judas, Levi, Nephthalim, Alexander, Jairus, and other Jewish leaders bringing accusations against Jesus before Pontius Pilate. They accuse Jesus of being born through fornication, practicing sorcery, violating the Sabbath, and claiming to be the Son of God and a king. Pilate questions what they mean by saying Jesus is a king, and the accusers insist that Jesus himself has made such claims. Pilate initially tells them to judge Jesus according to their own law, but they answer that they are not permitted to put anyone to death.
When Jesus is summoned, something unusual occurs. The messenger sent to bring him treats Jesus with great respect. He spreads his cloak before him and asks Jesus to walk upon it. The Jewish authorities become angry and accuse the messenger of honoring Jesus improperly. The messenger explains that when he had previously been in Jerusalem, he saw the Hebrew children honoring Jesus and crying out praises as Jesus entered the city.
Pilate then attempts an experiment. He instructs the standards held by his standard-bearers to be firmly held as Jesus enters. Nevertheless, when Jesus comes into the hall, the standards bow toward him. The authorities accuse the standard-bearers of deliberately lowering them, so Pilate replaces them with stronger men chosen by the accusers themselves. Yet when Jesus enters again, the standards once more bow before him. From the very beginning of the Gospel, therefore, the narrative establishes a contrast between those accusing Jesus and signs that appear to testify to an authority they do not recognize.
Chapter II — Pilate Questions Jesus About His Kingship
Pilate begins questioning Jesus personally. The central issue is whether Jesus considers himself the King of the Jews. Jesus asks whether Pilate is asking this question from his own understanding or because others have told him these things. Pilate responds that he is not a Jew and explains that Jesus’ own nation and chief priests have delivered him for judgment.
Jesus then explains the nature of his kingdom. His kingdom is not presented as an earthly political kingdom defended through ordinary military power. He explains that if his kingdom belonged to this world, his servants would fight to prevent him from being delivered to the Jews. Pilate recognizes from Jesus’ answer that he is nevertheless acknowledging kingship in some sense.
Jesus explains that he came into the world to bear witness to truth and that those who belong to truth hear his voice. Pilate responds with the famous question concerning the nature of truth. After questioning Jesus, Pilate does not find sufficient grounds for condemning him. The conflict therefore becomes increasingly clear: Jesus is accused of earthly sedition, yet his own explanation points toward a kingdom whose nature exceeds earthly political authority.
Chapter III — Pilate Declares Jesus Innocent
Pilate returns to the accusers and announces that he finds no fault in Jesus. Rather than accepting this judgment, the accusers intensify their claims. They insist that Jesus has stirred up the people throughout the region, beginning from Galilee and continuing to Jerusalem.
Pilate becomes increasingly troubled by their persistence. He asks whether Jesus is a Galilean and learns of his connection with Herod’s jurisdiction. Yet the accusations continue to center upon Jesus’ teachings, authority, and influence among the people.
The chapter develops the growing tension between Pilate’s reluctance to condemn Jesus and the determination of his opponents to obtain judgment against him. The narrative is deliberately building a record in which Jesus’ condemnation does not arise because Pilate independently discovers a crime worthy of death. Instead, Pilate repeatedly questions the accusations and expresses uncertainty concerning the case being presented before him.
Chapter IV — Witnesses Begin Speaking for Jesus
As the proceedings continue, individuals begin coming forward who challenge the accusations against Jesus. Nicodemus becomes an important voice. He reminds the assembly that their own law requires proper examination before a person is condemned. His intervention shifts attention toward the works Jesus has performed and whether those works truly justify the accusations being made against him.
Nicodemus speaks concerning the extraordinary signs associated with Jesus and challenges the authorities to consider whether such works could be accomplished if God were not somehow working through him. The opposition rejects this reasoning and continues attempting to discredit Jesus and those who defend him.
The importance of Chapter IV lies in the Gospel’s growing emphasis upon testimony. The reader is not simply being told what to believe about Jesus. The narrative begins assembling witnesses. This pattern will continue throughout the Gospel and eventually become central to its account of the resurrection and the world of the dead.
Chapter V — Those Healed by Jesus Testify
Chapter V introduces people who claim personally to have experienced Jesus’ healing power. Their testimonies challenge the accusation that Jesus is merely an evil worker of sorcery. One person describes being afflicted for many years before encountering Jesus and receiving healing. Others testify concerning blindness, infirmity, and different physical afflictions from which they were restored.
The chapter also recalls the raising of Lazarus. Witnesses testify that Lazarus had been dead and that Jesus restored him to life. This testimony becomes especially significant later in the Gospel because Lazarus’ resurrection is eventually discussed from the perspective of the powers of the realm of death itself.
The chapter establishes a recurring pattern: people whose lives and bodies were restored by Jesus become witnesses concerning him. His earthly ministry is characterized by restoration, healing, release from affliction, and even victory over physical death. These earthly works anticipate the much greater confrontation with death described later in the Gospel.
Chapter VI — Further Testimony Concerning Jesus
The controversy continues as additional testimony is presented. Questions concerning Jesus’ birth and identity become important because his opponents attempt to discredit him through accusations concerning his origins. Individuals familiar with the circumstances surrounding his family and birth challenge some of these accusations.
The narrative therefore expands beyond the question of individual miracles. Jesus’ identity itself is being investigated. Different groups interpret him in radically different ways. His opponents see deception, illegitimacy, and danger, while others see evidence of divine favor and extraordinary power.
This uncertainty concerning Jesus’ identity becomes one of the driving questions of the Gospel. The earthly proceedings cannot fully resolve it. The answer gradually emerges through the accumulation of testimony and reaches its greatest expression only after Jesus has died and the narrative moves into the spiritual realm.
Chapter VII — Pilate’s Wife Is Troubled Because of Jesus
The proceedings are interrupted by a message from Pilate’s wife. She warns Pilate not to involve himself with the righteous man Jesus because she has suffered greatly in a dream because of him. Pilate takes the warning seriously and confronts Jesus’ accusers with it.
The authorities attempt to dismiss the warning by connecting it with their accusation that Jesus possesses magical or deceptive powers. Nevertheless, the warning adds another layer to Pilate’s hesitation. He is already unable to find sufficient fault in Jesus, witnesses have testified concerning Jesus’ works, and now his own household has been disturbed by a warning concerning the man standing before him.
The chapter contributes to the growing sense that events surrounding Jesus cannot be understood merely as an ordinary criminal proceeding. Something greater is unfolding, although the people participating in the trial do not yet fully understand what it is.
Chapter VIII — The Crucifixion and the Signs Surrounding Jesus’ Death
The narrative moves toward Jesus’ condemnation and crucifixion. Jesus is delivered to be crucified, and the Gospel describes the events surrounding his death. Extraordinary signs accompany the crucifixion, including darkness and disturbances that cause fear among those witnessing what is happening.
Most importantly for the later chapters, graves are opened and the bodies of certain saints arise. At this stage the Gospel does not yet explain fully what has happened to them. That mystery is deliberately left unresolved until Joseph of Arimathaea later identifies individuals who have returned from the dead.
Jesus’ death therefore becomes the great dividing point of the narrative. Until now, the Gospel has concentrated on earthly accusations, witnesses, miracles, and judgment. After the crucifixion, attention increasingly turns toward resurrection and ultimately toward events occurring beyond ordinary mortal perception.
Chapter IX — Joseph of Arimathaea Buries Jesus
Joseph of Arimathaea becomes central to the story. He asks for Jesus’ body and places it in a tomb. Joseph therefore becomes an important witness to the reality of Jesus’ physical death and burial.
Joseph’s actions anger those opposed to Jesus, and Joseph himself becomes the object of their hostility. He is confined under guard. The authorities believe they have successfully secured him, but something occurs that they cannot explain.
Joseph’s imprisonment creates a smaller version of the larger spiritual pattern that will later unfold. A righteous person is confined behind a barrier that appears impossible to escape. Yet divine intervention will enter that confinement and bring him out.
Chapter X — Reports of the Resurrection Spread
Reports concerning Jesus being alive begin circulating. The authorities investigate what has happened, and testimony concerning the empty tomb and resurrection creates increasing confusion.
The guards and other witnesses become important because the authorities must now explain how a man whose death and burial had been witnessed is reportedly alive. Attempts are made to control or challenge the testimony, but the number of unusual events continues growing.
The central question has shifted. Earlier the question was whether Jesus deserved death. Now the question is whether death actually succeeded in holding him.
Chapter XI — Jesus Delivers Joseph From Confinement
Joseph eventually explains what happened while he was imprisoned. While he was praying, the place was surrounded by extraordinary light, and Jesus appeared to him alive. Joseph initially believed he might be seeing a spirit, but Jesus reassured him and showed him evidence establishing his identity. Jesus takes Joseph by the hand and leads him from his confinement. Joseph is shown the tomb and eventually returned safely to his own home.
This scene becomes especially important when the later descent into the realm of the dead is considered. Joseph experiences confinement, supernatural light, the appearance of Jesus, being taken by the hand, and deliverance. Later Adam will experience a remarkably similar pattern on a much greater spiritual scale: Christ enters the darkness of the dead, takes Adam by the hand, and leads him from captivity.
Chapter XII — Charinus and Lenthius Are Found Alive
Joseph reveals that Jesus’ resurrection is not the only extraordinary event. He tells the authorities that others who had previously died have also risen. Among them are two sons of Simeon, later identified as Charinus and Lenthius. Their deaths and burials were known, yet their tombs are now open and the men are alive. They are found in Arimathaea engaged in prayer. Strangely, however, they do not freely converse with other people.
The authorities bring them to Jerusalem and ask them to reveal what happened after their deaths and how they were raised. The men tremble and initially respond with great caution. Eventually they ask for writing materials so that each can separately record what he witnessed. With this chapter the Gospel crosses from testimony concerning resurrection into testimony concerning the realm experienced by the dead themselves.
Chapter XIII — A Great Light Appears Among the Dead
Charinus and Lenthius begin their testimony. They describe themselves as being with their fathers in the depths of the realm of the dead, surrounded by profound darkness. They are not unconscious. Adam, the patriarchs, prophets, Simeon, John the Baptist, and others retain identity, memory, communication, and awareness. Suddenly a magnificent light appears. It is described with the brilliance of the sun, golden in appearance and accompanied by a purple-colored light that illuminates the place.
Adam recognizes the light as the announcement of everlasting light and deliverance. Isaiah recalls his prophecy concerning those dwelling in darkness and the shadow of death seeing a great light. Simeon testifies concerning the infant Jesus whom he had held in the Temple. John the Baptist then appears among them and identifies himself as the one who prepared the way of Jesus among the living. His ministry as forerunner now continues among the dead. He announces that the Son of God is coming to visit them. The entire realm begins anticipating the arrival of Christ.
Chapter XIV — Seth, Michael, and the Tree of Mercy
Adam asks his son Seth to recount an ancient event. While Adam was sick, he had sent Seth toward the gates of Paradise to seek the oil of the Tree of Mercy for healing. At the gates Seth encountered Michael the Archangel. Michael explained that the requested oil could not yet be given. Instead, he foretold a future restoration connected with the coming of Christ. Christ would come to Earth, raise Adam’s human body and the bodies of the dead, and bring mercy to those who believe.
The prophecy culminates with the promise that Adam will ultimately be introduced into Paradise and brought to the Tree of Mercy. This chapter is important because it establishes that the dark realm in which Adam presently waits is not Paradise. Paradise exists beyond his present condition. Adam’s story has not yet been completed. The restoration promised through Michael requires Christ’s coming, victory over death, resurrection, and Adam’s eventual return to Paradise.
Chapter XV — Satan Warns the Prince of Hell About Jesus
The perspective suddenly changes from the righteous dead to the powers associated with death and Hell. Satan speaks with the Prince of Hell concerning Jesus of Nazareth. Satan initially expects Jesus’ death to result in Jesus entering their domain. Yet the Prince of Hell becomes alarmed when he realizes this is the same Jesus who demonstrated authority over sickness, demons, and death during his earthly ministry.
The resurrection of Lazarus becomes especially important. The Prince of Hell remembers being unable to retain Lazarus when Jesus commanded him to return to life. This causes him to recognize that Jesus possesses an authority unlike that of ordinary mortals. He warns Satan that bringing Jesus into their realm could result in disaster. Rather than becoming another prisoner, Jesus may release those already held there and conduct them toward everlasting life. Satan’s expected victory through the crucifixion therefore begins to appear as a terrible miscalculation.
Chapter XVI — The King of Glory Comes to the Gates
While Satan and the Prince of Hell are speaking, an overwhelming voice like thunder commands the gates to open so that the King of Glory may enter. The powers within attempt to resist. The gates are ordered shut and strengthened with bars. Meanwhile, the saints recognize what is happening and call for the gates to be opened. David and Isaiah recognize the fulfillment of the sacred words associated with broken gates, shattered bars, liberation of prisoners, and light coming to those dwelling in darkness.
The question is asked: Who is the King of Glory? The answer identifies him as the Lord strong and mighty, powerful in battle. Christ is approaching not as another helpless dead man but as a conquering king entering the territory of death itself. The gates cannot permanently resist him. Christ enters, and places that had previously remained in darkness are illuminated by his presence. Fetters that could not previously be broken are shattered. The deliverance has begun.
Chapter XVII — Christ Conquers Death
The powers of Death are terrified by the brightness accompanying Christ. They cannot understand how someone who has truly died can enter their realm without displaying the corruption and helplessness associated with ordinary death. They recognize the paradox before them: Jesus has died and lain in the grave, yet he has entered their realm alive and possessing authority. Christ releases captives who had been held in chains and restores liberty to those imprisoned. His light illuminates those dwelling in darkness.
The powers below begin realizing the magnitude of Satan’s error. Jesus’ crucifixion did not deliver him helplessly into their hands. His death provided the means by which he entered their realm as conqueror. The chapter culminates with the King of Glory trampling upon Death, overcoming the authority of the Prince of Hell, and taking Adam with him. The one whom death expected to possess has instead begun emptying death’s prison.
Chapter XVIII — Satan’s Plan Is Reversed
The Prince of Hell turns angrily against Satan. He accuses Satan of bringing destruction upon their dominion by arranging the death of Jesus. Christ’s presence has filled their darkness with divine brightness. Their prisons have been broken, captives released, and those who once groaned without hope now rejoice. The Prince of Hell interprets the event through the story of Adam. Humanity’s loss began with the forbidden tree and the loss of Paradise. Now the wood of Christ’s cross has become the instrument through which Satan’s earlier victory is reversed. The chapter presents the crucifixion as a great reversal. Satan believed the cross would destroy Jesus. Instead, the cross becomes the means through which the power of death is broken. Christ then commands that Satan himself be placed under the dominion of Hell in place of Adam and Adam’s righteous descendants, who now belong to Christ. The captor becomes captive while the captives are liberated.
Chapter XIX — Christ Takes Adam by the Hand
Christ calls the saints to himself. The righteous gather beneath the hand of God, and Christ personally takes Adam by the hand. This is one of the central images of the entire Gospel. Adam, representing humanity’s ancient fall and exile, is not merely told that freedom is available. Christ reaches toward him, takes hold of him, and leads him out. Adam falls before Christ in gratitude, praising God for bringing his soul from the grave and delivering him from the pit. The saints likewise praise Christ as Redeemer and acknowledge that he descended to deliver them from Hell and death. Christ marks Adam and the saints with the sign of the cross. Then the Gospel explicitly says that Christ ascends from Hell, holding Adam by the right hand, while the saints follow him. The prophets praise God during the ascent. What began as a gathering of souls sitting in darkness has become a procession of liberated saints following Christ upward.
Chapter XX — Michael Leads the Saints Into Paradise
After the ascent, Christ delivers Adam into the care of Michael the Archangel. Michael then leads Adam and the company of saints into Paradise, which the Gospel describes as filled with mercy and glory. Inside Paradise they encounter two ancient men whom they did not previously see among the dead. These men identify themselves as Enoch and Elijah. Enoch explains that he was translated by the word of God, while Elijah was taken by a fiery chariot. They therefore did not experience the same route through death as Adam and the other saints.
Another man then appears carrying the sign of the cross. He identifies himself as the thief who was crucified beside Jesus. He explains that after acknowledging Jesus and asking to be remembered in his kingdom, Jesus promised that he would be with him that day in Paradise. The thief says Jesus gave him the sign of the cross and instructed him to go to Paradise. When the angel guarding Paradise saw the sign and heard that Jesus had sent him, the gates were opened and the thief was admitted. The guardian instructed him to wait because Adam and his righteous descendants would soon arrive. The promise is now fulfilled. Adam, the saints, Enoch, Elijah, and the repentant thief are brought together within Paradise. The movement that began in darkness has reached its destination: captivity has become liberty, darkness has become light, and exile has become entrance into Paradise.
Chapter XXI — The Witnesses Complete Their Testimony
Charinus and Lenthius now explain that what they have revealed represents only those mysteries they were permitted to disclose. According to their testimony, Michael had forbidden them from revealing certain other mysteries. Michael had instructed them to return to Jerusalem, remain in prayer, and initially refrain from ordinary conversation. This explains why they were found alive but unwilling to speak freely. They also reveal that many others had risen from the dead at the time of Christ’s resurrection. Charinus and Lenthius say they had been permitted only a limited period—three days—to remain among the living. During this time they were to celebrate Passover, visit their relatives, bear testimony concerning Christ, and receive baptism in the Jordan. After completing their testimony, the two men hand over their separately written accounts. The writings are compared and are described as agreeing perfectly.
Then something extraordinary occurs. Charinus and Lenthius are changed into exceedingly white forms and disappear from sight. Their mission among the living has ended. The authorities are deeply disturbed by what they have witnessed. Joseph and Nicodemus eventually bring the record of these events to Pilate, who records the proceedings. Thus the Gospel presents the testimony concerning Christ’s descent among the dead as something transmitted through witnesses who experienced the realm themselves, temporarily returned, recorded what they had been permitted to reveal, and then departed.
Chapter XXII — The Final Investigation
The final chapter returns the narrative to Pilate and the religious authorities. Pilate gathers rulers, scribes, and teachers and requests that the sacred writings be examined concerning the expected coming of Christ. The chapter brings together the various forms of testimony that have accumulated throughout the Gospel: Jesus’ miracles, the witnesses who saw him alive after death, the ascension witnesses, the resurrection of Charinus and Lenthius, and their written testimony concerning what Jesus accomplished among the dead. The sacred book is searched, and the narrative returns to the ancient prophecy involving Adam, Seth, Michael, and the promised coming of Christ. A chronology is presented that the text interprets as pointing toward the appointed time of Christ’s appearance. The dimensions of the Ark are also given a symbolic interpretation connected with this chronology, and the body itself is described through the imagery of an ark or tabernacle.
The final conclusion of the Gospel concerns the identity of Jesus. The one who was originally brought before Pilate as an accused man, condemned, crucified, and buried is ultimately proclaimed within the narrative as Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Gospel therefore ends where its deepest question began: Who was the man standing before Pilate? The trial could not fully answer the question. The crucifixion appeared to answer it through death. The empty tomb challenged that answer. The resurrection witnesses challenged it further. The ascension opened the question toward heaven. And the testimony of Charinus and Lenthius carries the reader beneath the Earth, where even the powers of death are depicted as discovering that the crucified Jesus cannot be held.
The Complete Journey of the Gospel of Nicodemus
When the Gospel of Nicodemus is read from beginning to end, it forms one continuous movement from accusation to revelation.
Jesus first stands before human judges while people argue about who he is. Witnesses testify concerning his works, but opposition remains. Pilate repeatedly questions whether Jesus deserves condemnation. Nevertheless, Jesus is crucified and buried. For a moment, death appears to have given the final answer. But then the direction of the narrative reverses. The tomb is opened. Jesus appears alive. Joseph is miraculously delivered. Witnesses testify concerning the resurrection and ascension. Then two men who had actually died appear among the living and reveal what occurred beyond the grave. Their testimony opens an entirely different dimension of the story.
The righteous dead are conscious in darkness. Adam and the prophets wait. A magnificent light suddenly appears. Isaiah recognizes it. Simeon recognizes its meaning. John the Baptist announces that Christ is approaching. Meanwhile, Satan and the Prince of Hell discover that the crucifixion has produced something they did not expect. The King of Glory comes to the gates. The gates are commanded to open. Christ enters. Darkness becomes light. Fetters break. Prisons open. Death is overcome. The captives are liberated. Then comes the image at the heart of the story: Christ takes Adam by the hand. Adam rises. The saints gather. Christ ascends from the realm of the dead, and the saints follow him. Michael receives the liberated company and leads them into Paradise.
There they encounter Enoch and Elijah, who had been translated, and the repentant thief, who had already been admitted through the gates by the authority of Christ. Charinus and Lenthius then temporarily return among the living so that the story of what occurred among the dead can be told. They record their testimony, complete the purpose for which they returned, change into brilliant white forms, and disappear. The narrative therefore presents the death and resurrection of Christ as something much greater than the reopening of one tomb. Within the framework of the Gospel of Nicodemus, it is portrayed as a cosmic act of deliverance and restoration.
The movement of the story can be summarized as:
Trial → Condemnation → Crucifixion → Death → Descent → Darkness → Divine Light → Gates Opened → Captivity Broken → Adam Raised → Saints Gathered → Ascent → Paradise → Testimony.
The Gospel begins with human beings asking whether Jesus is truly a king. It ends after depicting him entering the kingdom of Death itself, breaking its captivity, taking humanity’s ancient father Adam by the hand, and leading the righteous toward Paradise. In that sense, the Gospel of Nicodemus presents its deepest answer to the question of Jesus’ identity not merely through what people say about him during his earthly trial, but through what happens when he crosses the boundary of death itself.
