20:1 - The first day of the week comes Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the tomb, and sees the stone taken away from the tomb.
Dionysius Extant Fragments Part I
"The first day of the week," says he, "came Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre."[150]
20:11 - But Mary stood without at the tomb weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the tomb,
Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book V
And when He was risen from the dead, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, then to Cleopas in the way, and after that to us His disciples, who had fled away for fear of the Jews, but privately were very inquisitive about Him.[117]
20:17 - Jesus says unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Epistle of Ignatius to the Tarsians
And that He Himself is not God over all, and the Father, but His Son, He [shows when He] says, "I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God."[18]Irenaeus Against Heresies Book V
and on His rising again the third day, He said to Mary, who was the first to see and to worship Him, "Touch Me not, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to the disciples, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and unto your Father."[266]Tertullian Against Praxeas
How blind, to be sure, is the man who fails to perceive that by the name of Christ some other God is implied, if he ascribes to the Father this name of Christ! For if Christ is God the Father, when He says, "I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God,"[402]A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity
Or when he considers the passage: "I go to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God? "[203]The Second Epistle of Clement Concerning Virginity
Is He not a rule, such as may not be set aside, an example, and a pattern to all the tribes of men? And not only so; but also, when our Lord was risen from the place of the dead, and Mary came to the place of sepulture, she ran and fell at the feet of our Lord and worshipped Him, and would have taken hold of Him. But He said to her: "Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father."[69]Origen Commentary on John Book VI
required after His mighty deeds a purification which could only be given Him by His Father alone; and this is why He forbids Mary to touch Him, saying,[169]Origen Commentary on John Book X
and it belongs to the resurrection when Jesus appears and says, "Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father,"[115]
20:19 - Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and says unto them, Peace be unto you.
Clement of Alexandria The Instructor Book II
Let contentiousness in words, for the sake of a useless triumph, be banished; for our aim is to be free from perturbation. Such is the meaning of the phrase,[147]The Passing of Mary Latin I
Nor is it to be wondered at that He should do such things, who went into the virgin and came out of her though her womb was closed; who, though the gates were shut, went in to His disciples;[22]Polycrates of Ephesus
Those who in our own times have revived the observance of the Jewish Sabbath, show us how much may be said on their side,[3]
20:20 - And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the LORD.
Irenaeus Against Heresies Book V
then afterwards rising in the flesh, so that He even showed the print of the nails to His disciples,[268]
20:21 - Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father has sent me, even so send I you.
Cyprian Epistle LXXII
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith, unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained."[10]Cyprian Epistle LXXV
Whose soever sins ye remit, they shall be remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they shall be retained."[25]Cyprian Treatise I On the Unity of the Church
And although to all the apostles, after His resurrection, He gives an equal power, and says, "As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you: Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they shall be remitted unto him; and whose soever sins ye retain, they shall be retained; "[13]
20:22 - And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and says unto them, Receive all of you the Holy Spirit:
Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus
And as He was the servant of God, so is He the Son of God, and Lord of the universe. And as He was spit upon ignominiously, so also did He breathe the Holy Spirit into His disciples.[110]Five Books in Reply to Marcion
Sprinkled, by speaking.[227]Origen de Principiis Book I
Our Saviour also, after the resurrection, when old things had already passed away, and all things had become new, Himself a new man, and the first-born from the dead, His apostles also being renewed by faith in His resurrection, says, "Receive the Holy Spirit; "[83]Origen Against Celsus Book VII
and of those who, among their other instructions, teach us that words, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost,"[131]Cyprian Epistle LXXIV
And again, in the Gospel, when Christ breathed on the apostles alone, saying, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them, and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained."[29]A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity
And the Lord said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins ye remit, they shall be remitted; and whose ye retain, they shall be retained."[244]A Treatise on Re-Baptism by an Anonymous Writer
Moreover, our Lord after His resurrection, when He had breathed upon His apostles, and had said to them, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost,"[11]The Epistle of Pope Urban First
Whose soever sins ye remit, are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."[10]Origen Commentary on Matthew Book XII
etc; but in the Gospel of John the Saviour having given the Holy Spirit unto the disciples by breathing upon them said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit,"[75]
20:23 - Whomsoever sins all of you remit, they are remitted unto them; and whomsoever sins all of you retain, they are retained.
Tertullian On Modesty
Hence the power of loosing and of binding committed to Peter had nothing to do with the capital sins of believers; and if the Lord had given him a precept that he must grant pardon to a brother sinning against him even "seventy times sevenfold," of course He would have commanded him to "bind"-that is, to "retain"[283]Seventh Council of Carthage Under Cyprian
said: Since sins are not remitted[76]
20:24 - But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
Irenaeus Against Heresies Book I
and the ten apostles to whom the Lord appeared after His resurrection,-Thomas[241]
20:25 - The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book V
After eight days let there be another feast observed with honour, the eighth day itself, on which He gave me Thomas, who was hard of belief, full assurance, by showing me the print of the nails, and the wound made in His side by the spear.[157]
20:26 - And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus
and entered without impediment through closed doors.[112]Origen Against Celsus Book II
And in the Gospels[156]
20:27 - Then says he to Thomas, Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans
And He says to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger into the print of the nails, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side; "[23]Tertullian A Treatise on the Soul
true and real also was the touch of the then believing Thomas.[130]Origen Against Celsus Book II
"Jesus accordingly, having called Thomas, said, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing."[151]Hippolytus Dogmatical and Historical Fragments
For He, having risen, and being desirous to show that that same (body) had been raised which had also died, when His disciples were in doubt, called Thomas to Him, and said, "Reach hither; handle me, and see: for a spirit hath not bone and flesh, as ye see me have."[457]Cyprian Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews
Jesus saith unto him, Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed."[166]
20:28 - And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.
Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans
and immediately they believed that He was Christ. Wherefore Thomas also says to Him, "My Lord, and my God."[24]Tertullian An Answer to the Jews
No king, with Him, finds greater favour, no barbarian lesser joy; no dignities or pedigrees enjoy distinctions of merit; to all He is equal, to all King, to all Judge, to all "God and Lord."[100]A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity
And, "My Lord and my God."[278]
20:29 - Jesus says unto him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Clement of Alexandria Stromata Book II
Now the followers of Basilides regard faith as natural, as they also refer it to choice, [representing it] as finding ideas by intellectual comprehension without demonstration; while the followers of Valentinus assign faith to us, the simple, but will have it that knowledge springs up in their own selves (who are saved by nature) through the advantage of a germ of superior excellence, saying that it is as far removed from faith as[24]Tertullian On the Resurrection of the Flesh
" Well, be it so; only let the same hope flow on from them to us! For if to them who saw, and therefore believed, such fruit then accrued to the operations of the flesh and the soul, how much more to us! For more "blessed," says Christ, "are they who have not seen, and yet have believed; "[228]
20:31 - But these are written, that all of you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing all of you might have life through his name.
Irenaeus Against Heresies Book III
The Gospel, therefore, knew no other son of man but Him who was of Mary, who also suffered; and no Christ who flew away from Jesus before the passion; but Him who was born it knew as Jesus Christ the Son of God, and that this same suffered and rose again, as John, the disciple of the Lord, verities, saying: "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have eternal life in His name,"[287]Tertullian Against Praxeas
as the Father to the Father, and as God to God? Or as the Son to the Father, and as the Word to God? Wherefore also does this Gospel, at its very termination, intimate that these things were ever written, if it be not, to use its own words, "that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? "[357]