New Testament Apocrypha

-return to blog- • -return to wiki-

Books that are not canonical.

They indicate what was attractive to the ordinary people of the day. An element of the romantic seemed necessary to supplement the body of received spiritual truth. Vivid and imaginative apocryphal books and apocalypses provided escapism.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Old Testament and New Testament Apocrypha by R. K. Harrison, Page 94.)

Varieties of Apocrypha

"Infancy" gospels tried to pass as historical fact for Jesus' childhood, adolescence, and early manhood, but they were obvious fantasy. The Gospel of Thomas, for example, has 5-year-old Jesus accused of breaking the Sabbath by making sparrows of clay beside a stream. When Joseph investigates, Jesus claps his hands, and the clay birds come to life and fly away. Attempts to fill in the "hidden years" of Christ's life had no foundation whatsoever in the traditions of the Gospels.

Many writings sought to supplement Christian teaching by proclaiming ideas that were outside the scope of New Testament doctrine. "Passion gospels" embellished the canonical accounts of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. Writings on the last state of unbelievers went far beyond anything stated in the New Testament. In notable instances, Gnostics deliberately propagated heretical teachings from some apostolic figure. The Gospel of Thomas is an example of an attempt to gain wide currency and acceptance through attribution to Jesus.

There are some apocryphal Acts purported to be accounts of apostolic achievements. They are the source of much tradition such as Peter's being crucified upside-down and Thomas's mission to India. The traditions are questionable as a whole because the writings contain clearly unorthodox material. Later ones were miracle stories written to entertain, not teach.

Apocryphal epistles are generally pseudonymous and were written either by Jews relating to the Old Testament (Letter of Jeremiah) or people focusing on New Testament figures and places.

Other apocryphal books are apocalyptic, supplemented by material such as the Apostolic Constitutions and Canons. These include the Gnostic compositions found at Nag Hammadi, which include the purported teachings of Christ and "secret" instructions compiled by Gnostic writers and a few apocryphal compositions.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Old Testament and New Testament Apocrypha by R. K. Harrison, Page 89-93.)

History

The earliest catalog of New Testament writings, the Muratorian Canon, was not compiled until A.D. 200, a considerable period of time elapsed before an official church statement could appear on what was apocryphal. In the meantime, a large assortment of materials purporting to be orthodox appeared.

The earliest work was the Acts of John, which is dated A.D. 150. The major Acts (John, Paul, Peter, Andrew, Thomas) were probably written during the 2nd and 3rd centuries. These gave rise to other Acts that were primarily miracle stories, written to entertain.

The Gospel of Thomas was recovered around 1945 from Nag Hammadi (Chenoboskion) near the Nile River.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Old Testament and New Testament Apocrypha by R. K. Harrison, Page 89-91.)

Rejection or Acceptance of New Testament Books

Due to their heretical nature, the church consistently reacted against such books, sometimes even demanding they be burned (Nicene Council of 787).

Comparative studies show the New Testament apocryphal writings preserve at best a series of debased traditions about the Founder and teachings of early Christianity. At worst, the narratives are entirely devoid of historical value and in some respects totally alien to New Testament spirituality. Even where they seem to support a tradition current in some part of the early church, the evidence is inferior to what can often be had from other sources. The compositions are often so trivial and inconsequential that it is difficult to account for their survival. Some indeed became lost and are now only known through quotations in larger works.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Old Testament and New Testament Apocrypha by R. K. Harrison, Page 91,93.)

Some branches of the Syriac church do not include 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude, or Revelation.

Principal Apocrypha Gospels

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Old Testament and New Testament Apocrypha by R. K. Harrison, Page 90-91.)

Apocryphal Acts

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Old Testament and New Testament Apocrypha by R. K. Harrison, Page 91-92.)

Apocryphal Epistles

Liberal scholars consider 2 Peter and Jude to be apocryphal.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Old Testament and New Testament Apocrypha by R. K. Harrison, Page 93.)