When you say “even more improbable” do you refer to the (seemingly obvious) mythologizing of this woman, or to her interaction with Jesus? And what of these “supposed teachings” of Peter? Is this some gnostic gospel you refer to, or do you think Peter did no actual teaching? In which case…well, the NT wouldn’t be worth much, would it (and of course I know that not to be true).
I do not know if there is so much a mythologizing of "Justa’ as there may have been an attempt to take some of the Gospel narrative people and give them a further development within their own personal lives. Was ‘Justa’ the name of the woman in the Gospel? Was she a proselyte of the Jewish nation, and did her husband leave her because of her faith?
Who can know?
We do know that Zaccheus later became bishop of Ceasarea on the west coast of then Palestine (Israel). This was the region in which the apostle Peter was teaching and preaching within the context of the Clementine homilies. We do know that Peter ordained Clement as the second bishop of Rome (or third bishop). The story of Clement, his twin brothers (if he had twin brothers), his mother and father all being reunited would be a marvelous story if it was true.
As far as the teachings of the apostle Peter within the Clementine Homilies, there are indicators that this was written before Origen (231 AD) because Origen quotes from another version of the Clementine Homilies called “Recognitions”. It appears that certain “conversations” were deliberately left out of Recognitions that were kept in the Clementine Homilies, namely the discussion of the Unbegotten God, and the only-begotten Son.
What I find interesting is that the apostle Peter supposedly quotes a verse from the Torah that is quoted in the gospels, but not according to the version in the gospels.
Peter quoting, Deuteronomy 4:"
Thou shalt fear the Lord, thy God, and him only shalt thou serve"
The gospel version,
"Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve"
There are other distinctives in the teachings of apostle Peter which seem to have a definite Jewish Christian element.
There is a scene where the apostle Peter ordains an individual to be bishop of a particular city or region. At the same time he ordains
12 presbyters, and some deacons. The fact that he ordains 12 presbyters confirms the early structure of the church as related by Bishop Ignatius in his epistles and also by the Apostolic Constitutions. That is, the bishop represents in liturgical structure the High Priest of the Levites, while the presbyters (apostles) represent the Sandhedrin who are the scriptural authorities to the Bishop.
I wanted to say something about an individual of whom you read some disturbing things.
Having spoken to this person by phone and written several times by e-mail she never mentioned the things you mentioned. She was willing to speak with me at the time because of my association with a certain organization at the time. This was 10 years ago.
She is either a paranoid schizophrenic with a brilliant mind, or someone who is a plant to be as a magnet to flush out people who are dangerously suspicious of governments. I also spoke with her pastor, which she gave me permission to speak with. There is a slight possibility that she is for real in her explanation of ‘alters’. She is no longer someone who can be contacted.
Regardless, may God watch over her soul, it is so important to fix our eyes on our Lord Jesus Christ and not to delve into the dark secrets of Satan as mentioned in the book of Revelations.
God’s peace be with you
micah
