Mar Narsai and the Spirit Epicleses in the Acts of Thomas

The Acts of Thomas contains two unique epicleses of the Holy Spirit in chapters 27 and 50. The aim of the present contribution is to study the transmission and reception of some key concepts of these epicleses in the liturgical homilies of Mar Narsai, the renowned East Syrian poet-theologian. It is argued that Narsai's use of 'Come-phrases', so distinctive for the epicleses under consideration, suggests that he had first-hand knowledge of the Acts. A close comparison between the third- and fifth-century texts shows both continuity and discontinuity. The latter is mainly caused by the shaping of orthodoxy.