The Apocalypse of Peter is an early Christian katabasis told from the perspective of Peter, Jesus's lead apostle according to tradition. The text depicts the fates of the damned, listing in gruesome detail the consequences of their sins. This macabre account was thought to have instructive value in warning believers of the repercussions of unrepentance, doubt, and false theology.
Unfortunately, no complete manuscripts of the book exists, and the extant ones have diverged significantly — partly due to later scribes disagreeing with its Universalist messages. Hence, this page includes several manuscripts, ordered by length.
| white | the consenus text |
| yellow | reconstructive efforts and clarifications |
| pink | my commentary |
The Second Coming of Christ and Resurrection of the Dead who died because of their sins, for that they kept not the commandment of God their creator.
And he pondered thereon, that he might perceive the mystery of the Son of God, the merciful and lover of mercy.
Original translation by M.R. James, 1924, now in the public domain.