Date of composition

• Late 100s or early 200s.
• We know a little about the author. Tertullian (d. 220) tells the story: "As for those who would [appeal to] the falsely written Acts of Paul . . . let them know that the presbyter in Asia who produced this document . . . was removed from his office after he had been convicted and had confessed that he had done it out of love for Paul." (De Baptismo 17).

Type of Apocrypha (heretical or in error (made up))

• Error and no heretical ideas.

Length

• 22 double-spaced pages from different sources.
• We do not have the complete writing.

Summary

• It tells of Paul traveling to many places and having many adventures, including a man going blind who wanted to kill Paul, Paul healing and raising many people from the dead, Paul being taken to the arena in Ephesus but the wild animals set on him refused to touch him [I Corinthians 15:32] and, finally, the beheading of Paul.

Noteworthy from the book

1. Includes a letter to Paul from the Corinthians and a letter from Paul to the Corinthians, known as 3 Corinthians. For more information on this writing, go back to the contents page and see "3 Corinthians" under "Other Letters."
2. While Paul was in prison in Ephesus, two women came to him at night to be baptized. Angels apparently opened the prison doors, and Paul went with the women to the coast, where he baptized them. He then returned to the prison without anyone knowing he had left.
3. Upon being beheaded, milk came out of Paul's body.
4. Peter is not mentioned in this telling of Paul's death. (See Acts of the Apostles Peter and Paul)