Acts of Sharbil, Who Was a Priest of Idols, and Was Converted to the Confession of Christianity in Christ.
In the fifteenth year of the Sovereign Ruler Trajan Cæsar, and in the third year of King Abgar the Seventh, which is the year 416 of the kingdom of Alexander king of the Greeks, and in the priesthood of Sharbil and Barsamya, Trajan Cæsar commanded the governors of the countries under his dominion that sacrifices and libations should be increased in all the cities of their administration, and that those who did not sacrifice should be seized and delivered over to stripes, and to the tearing of combs, and to bitter inflictions of all kinds of tortures, and should afterwards receive the punishment of the sword.
Now, when the command arrived at the town of Edessa of the Parthians, there was a great festival, on the eighth of Nisan, on the third day of the week: the whole city was gathered together by the great altar which was in the middle of the town, opposite the Record office, all the gods having been brought together, and decorated, and sitting in honour, both Nebu and Bel together with their fellows. And all the priests were offering incense of spices and libations, and an odour of sweetness was diffusing itself around, and sheep and oxen were being slaughtered, and the sound of the harp and the drum was heard in the whole town. And Sharbil was chief and ruler of all the priests; and he was honoured above all his fellows, and was clad in splendid and magnificent vestments; and a headband embossed with figures of gold was set upon his head; and at the bidding of his word everything that he ordered was done. And Abgar the king, son of the gods, was standing at the head of the people. And they obeyed Sharbil, because he drew nearer to all the gods than any of his fellows, and as being the one who according to that which he had heard from the gods returned an answer to every man.
And, while these things were being done by the command of the king, Barsamya, the bishop of the Christians, went up to Sharbil, he and Tiridath the elder and Shalula the deacon; and he said to Sharbil, the high priest: The King Christ, to whom belong heaven and earth, will demand an account at your hands of all these souls against whom you are sinning, and whom you are misleading, and turning away from the God of verity and of truth to idols that are made and deceitful, which are not able to do anything with their hands — moreover also you have no pity on your own soul, which is destitute of the true life of God; and you declare to this people that the dumb idols talk with you; and, as if you were listening to something from them, you put your ear near to one and another of them, and sayest to this people: The god Nebu bade me say to you, On account of your sacrifices and oblations I cause peace in this your country; and: Bel says, I cause great plenty in your land; and those who hear this from you do not discern that you are greatly deceiving them — because they have a mouth and speak not, and they have eyes and see not with them; it is ye who bear up them, and not they who bear up standest.}}—> you, as you suppose; and it is ye who set tables before them, and not they who feed you. And now be persuaded by me touching that which I say to you and advise you. If you be willing to hearken to me, abandon idols made, and worship God the Maker of all things, and His Son Jesus Christ. Do not, because He put on a body and became man and was stretched out on the cross of death, be ashamed of Him and refuse to worship Him: for, all these things which He endured — it was for the salvation of men and for their deliverance. For this One who put on a body is God, the Son of God, Son of the essence of His Father, and Son of the nature of Him who begot Him: for He is the adorable brightness of His Godhead, and is the glorious manifestation of His majesty, and together with His Father He existed from eternity and from everlasting, His arm, and His right hand, and His power, and His wisdom, and His strength, and the living Spirit which is from Him, the Expiator and Sanctifier of all His worshippers. These are the things which Palut taught us, with whom your venerable self was acquainted; and you know that Palut was the disciple of Addæus the apostle. Abgar the king also, who was older than this Abgar, who himself worships idols as well as you, he too believed in the King Christ, the Son of Him whom you call Lord of all the gods. For it is forbidden to Christians to worship anything that is made, and is a creature, and in its nature is not God: even as ye worship idols made by men, who themselves also are made and created. Be persuaded, therefore, by these things which I have said to you, which things are the belief of the Church: for I know that all this population are looking to you, and I am well assured that, if you be persuaded, many also will persuaded with you.
Sharbil said to him: Very acceptable to me are these your words which you have spoken before me; yea, exceedingly acceptable are they to me. But, as for me, I know that I am outcast from all these things, and there is no longer any remedy for me. And, now that hope is cut off from me, why weariest you yourself about a man dead and buried, for whose death there is no hope of resuscitation? For I am slain by paganism, and have become a dead man, the property of the Evil One: in sacrifices and libations of imposture have I consumed all the days of my life.