Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IX/The Diatessaron of Tatian/The Diatessaron/Section LIV

Section LIV.

[1] And while they talked together, the evening of that day arrived which was the First-day; and the doors were shut where the disciples were, because of the fear of the [2] Jews; and Jesus came and stood among them, and said unto them, Peace be with you:&#160; I am he; fear not.&#160; But they were agitated, and became afraid, and supposed that they [3] saw a spirit.&#160; Jesus said unto them, Why are ye agitated? and why do thoughts rise [4] [Arabic, p. 205] in your hearts?&#160; See my hands and my feet, that I am he:&#160; feel me, and know that a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me having that.&#160; [5] And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his feet and his side. &#160; [6] And they were until this time unbelieving, from their joy and their wonder.&#160; He [7] said unto them, Have ye anything here to eat?&#160; And they gave him a portion of broiled fish and of honey. &#160; And he took it, and ate before them.

[8] And he said unto them, These are the sayings which I spake unto you, while I was with you, that everything must be fulfilled, which is written in the law of [9] Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me.&#160; Then opened he their [10] heart, that they might understand the scriptures; and he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it is necessary that the Messiah suffer, and rise from among the [11] dead on the third day; and that repentance unto the forgiveness of sins be preached [12] in his name among all the peoples; and the beginning shall be from Jerusalem.&#160; And [13] ye shall be witnesses of that.&#160; And I send unto you the promise of my Father.&#160; And [14] when the disciples heard that, they were glad.&#160; And Jesus said unto them again, [15] Peace be with you:&#160; as my Father hath sent me, I also send you.&#160; And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit:&#160; [16] and if ye forgive sins to any man, they shall be forgiven him; and if ye retain them against any man, they shall be retained.

[17] But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Thama, was not there with the disciples [18] when Jesus came.&#160; The disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen our Lord.&#160; But he said unto them, If I do not see in his hands the places of the nails, and put on them my fingers, and pass my hand over his side, I will not believe.

[19] And after eight days, on the next First-day, the disciples were assembled again within, and Thomas with them.&#160; And Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood [20] [Arabic, p. 206] in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be with you.&#160; And he said to Thomas, Bring hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and bring hither [21] thy hand, and spread it on my side:&#160; and be not unbelieving, but believing.&#160; Thomas [22] answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.&#160; Jesus said unto him, Now since thou hast seen me, thou hast believed:&#160; blessed are they that have not seen me, and have believed.

[23] And many other signs did Jesus before his disciples, and they are they which [24] are not written in this book:&#160; but these that are written also are that ye may believe in Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God; and that when ye have believed, ye may have in his name eternal life.

[25] And after that, Jesus shewed himself again to his disciples at the sea of Tiberias; [26] and he shewed himself unto them thus.&#160; And there were together Simon Cephas, and Thomas which was called Twin, and Nathanael who was of Cana of Galilee, [27] and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of the disciples.&#160; Simon Cephas said unto them, I go to catch fish.&#160; They said unto him, And we also come with thee.&#160; And they went forth, and went up into the boat; and in that night they caught nothing.&#160; [28] And when the morning arrived, Jesus stood on the shore of the sea:&#160; but the disciples [29] knew not that it was Jesus.&#160; And Jesus said unto them, Children, have ye anything [30] to eat?&#160; They said unto him, No.&#160; He said unto them, Cast your net from the right side of the boat, and ye shall find. &#160; And they threw, and they were not able [31] to draw the net for the abundance of the fish that were come into it.&#160; And that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Cephas, This is our Lord.&#160; And Simon, when he heard that it was our Lord, took his tunic, and girded it on his waist (for he was [32] naked), and cast himself into the sea to come to Jesus.&#160; But some others of the disciples came in the boat (and they were not far from the land, but about two [33] [Arabic, p. 207] hundred cubits), and drew that net of fish.&#160; And when they went up on the [34] land, they saw live coals laid, and fish laid thereon, and bread.&#160; And Jesus [35] said unto them, Bring of this fish which ye have now caught.&#160; Simon Cephas therefore went up, and dragged the net to the land, full of great fish, a hundred and fifty-three [36] fishes:&#160; and with all this weight that net was not rent.&#160; And Jesus said unto them, Come and sit down.&#160; And no man of the disciples dared to ask him who he was, for they knew that it was our Lord.&#160; But he did not appear to them in his own [37, 38] form.&#160; And Jesus came, and took bread and fish, and gave unto them.&#160; This is the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples, when he had risen from among the dead.

[39] And when they had breakfasted, Jesus said to Simon Cephas, Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me more than these?&#160; He said unto him, Yea, my Lord; thou [40] knowest that I love thee.&#160; Jesus said unto him, Feed for me my lambs.&#160; He said unto him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me?&#160; He said unto him, Yea, my Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.&#160; He said unto him, Feed for [41] me my sheep. &#160; He said unto him again the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me?&#160; And it grieved Cephas that he said unto him three times, Lovest thou me?&#160; He said unto him, My Lord, thou knowest everything; thou knowest that I [42] love thee.&#160; Jesus said unto him, Feed for me my sheep. &#160; Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast a child, thou didst gird thy waist for thyself, and go whither [Arabic, p. 208] thou wouldest:&#160; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch out thy hands, and another shall gird thy waist, and take thee whither thou wouldest not.&#160; [43] He said that to him to explain by what death he was to glorify God.&#160; And when he [44] had said that, he said unto him, Come after me.&#160; And Simon Cephas turned, and saw that disciple whom Jesus loved following him; he which at the supper leaned on [45] Jesus&#8217; breast, and said, My Lord, who is it that betrayeth thee?&#160; When therefore Cephas saw him, he said to Jesus, My Lord, and this man, what shall be in his [46] case? &#160; Jesus said unto him, If I will that this man remain until I come, what is [47] that to thee? follow thou me.&#160; And this word spread among the brethren, that that disciple should not die:&#160; but Jesus said not that he should not die; but, If I will that this man remain until I come, what is that to thee?

[48] This is the disciple which bare witness of that, and wrote it:&#160; and we know that his witness is true.