TheEpistlesofJesusChristandAbgarusKingofEdessa
ThefirstwriterwhomakesanymentionoftheEpistlesthatpassedbetweenJesusChristandAbgarus,is Eusebius,BishopofCaesarea,inPalestine,whoflourishedintheearlypartofthefourthcenturyFortheir genuineness,heappealstothepublicregistersandrecordsoftheCityofEdessainMesopotamia,where Abgarusreigned,affirmsthathefoundthemwritten,intheSyriaclanguageHepublishedaGreek translationofthem,inhisEcclesiasticalHistory.Thelearnedworldhavebeenmuchdividedonthissubject; but,notwithstandingthattheeruditeGrabe,withArchbishopCave,DrParker,andotherdivines,has strenuouslycontendedfortheiradmissionintothecanonofScripture,theyaredeemedapocryphalTheRev JeremiahJonesobserves,thatthecommonpeopleinEnglandhavethisEpistleintheirhouses,inmany places,fixedinaframe,withthepictureofChristbeforeit;andthattheygenerally,withmuchhonestyand devotion,regarditasthewordofGod,andthegenuineEpistleofChrist.
CHAPTER1
AcopyofaletterwrittenbyKingAbgarustoJesus,andsenttohimbyAnanias,hisfootman,toJerusalem, invitinghimtoEdessa.
1Abgarus,kingofEdessa,toJesusthegoodSaviour,whoappearsatJerusalem,greeting 2Ihavebeeninformedconcerningyouandyourcures,whichareperformedwithouttheuseofmedicines andherbs
3Foritisreported,thatyoucausetheblindtosee,thelametowalk,dobothcleanselepers,andcastout uncleanspiritsanddevils,andrestorethemtohealthwhohavebeenlongdiseased,andraisestupthedead; 4AllwhichwhenIheard,Iwaspersuadedofoneofthesetwo,viz:eitherthatyouareGodhimself descendedfromheaven,whodothesethings,orthesonofGod.
5OnthisaccountthereforeIhavewrotetoyou,earnestlytodesireyouwouldtakethetroubleofajourney hither,andcureadiseasewhichIamunder
6ForIheartheJewsridiculeyou,andintendyoumischief.
7Mycityisindeedsmall,butneat,andlargeenoughforusboth
CHAPTER2
TheanswerofJesusbyAnaniasthefootmantoAbgarustheking,3decliningtovisitEdessa.
1Abgarus,youarehappy,forasmuchasyouhavebelievedonme,whomyehavenotseen.
2Foritiswrittenconcerningme,thatthosewhohaveseenmeshouldnotbelieveonme,thattheywhohave notseenmightbelieveandlive
3Astothatpartofyourletter,whichrelatestomygivingyouavisit,Imustinformyou,thatImustfulfilall theendsofmymissioninthiscountry,andafterthatbereceivedupagaintohimwhosentme
4ButaftermyascensionIwillsendoneofmydisciples,whowillcureyourdisease,andgivelifetoyou, andallthatarewithyou.