The Apocryphal Gospels
The Apocryphal Gospels

Author: Jens Schröter

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2021-11-19

Total Pages: 116

ISBN-13: 1666706728

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The New Testament contains four accounts of the life of Jesus. To some people in antiquity, four was too many. Disagreements in the Gospels over what Jesus said and did triggered debate between insiders and drew criticism from outsiders. To other people, four was not enough. As early as the first century, Christians wrote additional gospels, each with their own portrayal of Jesus and depictions of his relationships with his family, his followers, and his Father. While these gospels were not included in the New Testament canon, many continued to be important for Christian thought and practice; all these texts, moreover, are significant for the study of emergent Christianity. This short, accessible introduction draws on current scholarship on the various noncanonical (or apocryphal) gospels to present this fascinating literature to readers eager to learn more about their origins, contents, and meaning. The book begins with a discussion of the distinction between gospels that became canonical and those that came to be regarded as apocryphal. Then, the gospels are presented in chapters arranged according to Jesus' ministry: from Infancy Gospels to texts about Jesus' earthly career to his passion, resurrection, and postresurrection appearances. This book demonstrates how early Christians confronted crises in their communities through story, crafting new accounts of Jesus' life that expanded upon and sometimes challenged the Gospels that became canonical. The apocryphal gospels are not Scripture, but they are no less valuable for understanding Christianity in its formative centuries and beyond.

A Story of Jesus' Life
A Story of Jesus' Life

Author: Thomas W. Hudgins

Publisher: Energion Publications

Published: 2024-04-02

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 163199882X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Besides the four canonical gospels, early Christians wrote a number of accounts of various parts of Jesus' life. These accounts have been available to scholars for some time, but now in this accessible story, built from these accounts, any reader can get a picture of Jesus as depicted in these extracanonical writings. This book does not aim to provide a translated text of the gospels; there are other references for that purpose. What it does is gather the stories together and provide a readable, connected narrative referenced to these sources so that readers can became acquainted with the nature of these works and get a context for understanding discussions relating to this material. This will provide an opportunity for students of the gospels to compare the value and validity of the four canonical gospels and these additional stories. It can be a good introduction to looking at the four gospels to develop a clear picture of who Jesus is. The authors are both experts in the languages used and well-acquainted with the historical and narrative elements needed to paint this picture. This book is intended for the serious student of the Bible and of New Testament times but it can benefit those without an advanced background in biblical studies. It is thoroughly referenced to the documents, however, to provide students with the material needed for academic study.

The Hidden Life of Jesus
The Hidden Life of Jesus

Author: Antonio Pinero

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781498238595

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The discovery of the so-called Nag Hammadi Library rocked the world. Among the texts discovered in 1945 were some Gospels that modern eyes had never seen. Since then, studies regarding the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth have made significant advances. As this new light was cast on one of history's most influential figures (if not the most influential), a dark cloud of doubt moved in almost simultaneously. Had the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John reflected the real Jesus, or was this new attention on the ""hidden"" Gospels about to unveil the ""hidden life"" of the Revealer? The canonical Gospels say very little about the early years of Jesus' life. In fact, Mark and John say nothing. The so-called apocryphal Gospels, on the other hand, say a whole lot. After an analysis of the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke (Part 1), the information found in the so-called apocryphal Gospels is synthesized in story form (Part 2). What should we think of this hidden life? In the end, the reader must decide. But this hidden life is hidden no longer. Of course, that all depends on whether the events they describe actually happened. ""Antonio Pinero's colloquial retelling of legends about Jesus' birth and childhood is taken not only from the New Testament but, more particularly, from a synthesis of many apocryphal gospels. The book is a fascinating introduction to Jesus' career prior to his ministry and is aimed at readers unfamiliar with these 'hidden' years. Editorial chapters provide helpful introductory material. --J. Keith Elliott, Emeritus Professor, The University of Leeds, UK; Editor of A Synopsis of Apocryphal Nativity and Infancy Narratives ""Professor Antonio Pinero deserves to be better known in English-speaking New Testament scholarly circles. In this volume, Professor Pinero plays to his strengths by bringing together discussion of both the canonical Gospels and the non-canonical early Christian gospels. There is plenty here to agree with, as well as a number of things to disagree with, regarding Professor Pinero's various historical and theological assessments, but all readers will benefit from being able to have access to such illuminating and challenging discussion in one compact volume."" --Stanley E. Porter, President, Dean, and Professor of New Testament, Roy A. Hope Chair in Christian Worldview, McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Antonio Pinero is Chair and Professor Emeritus of Greek Philology at the Complutense University of Madrid. He is an internationally-renowned New Testament scholar, specializing in the language and literature of early Christianity. In 2007, Antonio won the I Finis Terrae Award for his book Los cristianos derrotados.

The Apocryphal Jesus
The Apocryphal Jesus

Author: J. K. Elliott

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2008-07-10

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0191609269

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This accessible selection of the most important and significant of the remarkable and often bizarre apocryphal stories surrounding the life of Jesus and the Early Church has established a reputation as an invaluable introduction to the genre of Christian apocryphal literature. J. K. Elliott clearly explains the scholarly importance of the genre and introduces each section of texts with reference to biblical texts and later church history. Stories found in this selection include Jesus' birth in a cave, his childhood escapades, his secret sayings, and his descent to the underworld; the torments in Hell; Saint Paul baptizing a lion; the death of Pontius Pilate and Saint Peter being crucified upside down. These all come from early Christian legends which did not get into the Bible, yet have had a profound influence on art, literature, and theology from the second century through the Middle Ages and even modern times. Some of the stories included here, especially those involving the Virgin Mary, have affected matters of doctrine; others have influenced the church's teaching on the after life, whilst from the apocryphal Acts there are some of the best examples of accounts of the lives of Christianity's earliest saints.

The Apocryphal Gospels
The Apocryphal Gospels

Author: Charles River Charles River Editors

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-01-24

Total Pages: 78

ISBN-13: 9781542733465

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

*Includes pictures *Includes excerpts from the apocrypha *Includes a list of the apocrypha, online resources, and a bibliography for further reading Between 50 and 90 CE, the various writings that comprise the New Testament were written, including the Four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of Paul, and other letters to more general communities of the early Church. But what is recognized as the 26 books of the New Testament today, in literally hundreds of English translations, actually took several more centuries to be determined as "canonical" by the Church. In fact, it was not until a synod in Rome in 382 that the Church in the West formally adopted a list of the canonical books of the New Testament. For the intervening three centuries, there was much discussion among different writers over the many manuscripts circulating among the early Christian communities. Many of the manuscripts were anonymously authored by members of early heretical groups of Christians who shaped supposedly inspired writings to provide support for their doctrinal positions. Many more had the veneer of inspired texts because they were attributed to one of the Twelve Apostles or Mary, the mother of Jesus; they claimed to offer details of Jesus' life not covered in depth in the Four Gospels (such as his infancy and childhood), or the activities of the named apostle, or doctrinal teachings. The process of determining the Canon of the New Testament was a long one. It involved numerous scholars directed by the teachings of the Church sifting through numerous manuscripts with various attributed authorships. The 29 that made it into the canon were those that passed muster in terms of apostolic authorship and conformity to orthodox Church teaching. Most of those that did not make it in failed on those two accounts. Others were not included because they were judged not to have been written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Whatever the reason they were excluded, the writings that comprise the New Testament Apocrypha, while not inspired Scripture, do show something of the context in which the early Church developed its doctrines and its writings. Even today, not every branch of the Christian church agrees on which writings should be regarded as "canonical" and which are "apocryphal," even though some apocryphal texts often have noticeable links with books regarded as "canonical." Regardless, the New Testament Apocrypha refers to texts written by early Christians that were not included in the Bible used by the main branches of Christianity today. These texts vary in subject matter, with some being accounts of Jesus, others being about the nature of God, and still others being accounts and teachings of Jesus' apostles. What makes them fascinating is not just the history behind why they are considered non-canonical, but what they tell us about the early Church and early Christianity. Moreover, they offer insight into what sources were used to write them, and whether they shared the same sources as the texts that comprise the Bible today. Given their historical and religious importance, there is still a fierce debate over the authenticity of many of these texts. The Apocryphal Gospels: The History of the New Testament Apocrypha Not Included in the Bible looks at some of the famous texts that were kept out of the Bible. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the apocryphal books like never before.