The Apocrypha: Part 4 – What's NOT the Apocrypha: Gnostic Gospels and Other Writings

Welcome back to our journey through biblical history! We've been exploring the differences between Catholic and Protestant Bibles, and you might be wondering: "What about all those other books I keep hearing about? The Gospel of Mary? The Gospel of Judas? Aren't those part of the Apocrypha too?"

Here's where things get really interesting, and honestly, where a lot of confusion happens. Those writings you've heard about: the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, the Acts of John: they're not actually part of the Apocrypha at all. They're something completely different, with their own fascinating (and sometimes troubling) history.

The Big Mix-Up: Apocrypha vs. Gnostic Writings

Think of it this way: if the Apocrypha is like a collection of books that almost made it into the library, then Gnostic writings are like books that were never even considered for the library: because they came from a completely different publishing house with totally different ideas about what the story should be.

The Apocrypha consists of about 14-15 books written between 300 BC and 100 AD. These include books like Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, and 1 and 2 Maccabees. While Protestant churches don't include them in their Bibles, Catholic and Orthodox churches do, and they were written during or close to the biblical time period.

Gnostic writings, on the other hand, came much later: mostly in the 2nd century AD and beyond. They include texts like:

• The Gospel of Thomas

• The Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)

• The Gospel of Philip

• The Gospel of Judas

• The Acts of John

• The Secret Book of John

These aren't just "books that didn't make it": they represent an entirely different religious movement that claimed to offer secret knowledge about Jesus and Christianity.

Why Gnostic Writings Are NOT Biblical Canon

Timeline Issues

The biggest red flag? These books were written way too late. The Gospel of Thomas, for example, was written around 140 AD: that's over 100 years after Jesus' death and resurrection. By that time, all the apostles were long gone. Anyone claiming to have secret conversations with Jesus would be making it up.

It's like someone today claiming they have a lost diary of George Washington. Even if it sounded authentic, we'd be pretty skeptical about a diary that surfaced 200+ years after his death, right?

False Authorship

Here's another major problem: these books lie about who wrote them. The Gospel of Mary claims to be written by Mary Magdalene, but scholars agree it was actually written by someone else much later who just used her name to make their writing seem more credible.

This practice was called "pseudepigraphy": fancy word for forgery. Early Christians knew this and rejected these writings partly for this reason alone.

The Gnostic Problem: A Different Jesus Entirely

But the timeline and authorship issues aren't even the biggest problems. The real issue is that these writings teach a completely different version of Christianity: one that contradicts everything the New Testament teaches about Jesus.

A Spirit-Only Jesus

Gnostic writings typically taught that Jesus wasn't really human: he just appeared to be human. They believed matter was evil, so God couldn't possibly have a physical body. This contradicts John 1:14, which clearly states "the Word became flesh."

Secret Knowledge for the Elite

Gnostics believed salvation came through secret, mystical knowledge (gnosis) that only special people could understand. This is the opposite of the New Testament message that salvation is available to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).

A Different God

Many Gnostic texts taught that the God of the Old Testament was actually an evil or lesser god, and that Jesus came to reveal the "true" God. This completely undermines the unity of Scripture and God's character throughout the Bible.

Real Historical Context: Why These Matter

So why do people still talk about these writings today? Why do they keep showing up in documentaries and bestselling novels?

Archaeological Discoveries

Many of these texts were lost for centuries until archaeological discoveries in the 19th and 20th centuries brought them back into public view. The most famous discovery was at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945, where a collection of Gnostic texts was found.

Modern Interest in "Hidden Truth"

Our culture loves the idea of hidden knowledge and conspiracy theories. The idea that there's some "real" story about Jesus that the church has been covering up for centuries appeals to people who are naturally suspicious of authority.

Scholarly Study

These texts do have value for understanding the religious landscape of the early centuries after Christ. They help us see what kinds of false teachings the early church was dealing with and why certain biblical books emphasize particular truths about Jesus.

Discussion Questions for Your Group

Let's dig deeper together:

The Real Story vs. The Sensational Story

Here's what's interesting: while Gnostic writings often get hyped up as "lost gospels" that reveal shocking truths about Christianity, when you actually read them, they're pretty... weird. And not in a good way.

The Gospel of Thomas, for instance, contains sayings like Jesus turning clay birds into real birds as a child, or mysterious pronouncements that don't really make much sense. The Gospel of Judas portrays Judas as a hero following secret instructions from Jesus: completely contradicting the New Testament's clear teaching about his betrayal.

Compare this to the consistent, historically grounded, and life-giving message of the actual Gospels, and the difference is striking.

Standing on Solid Ground

As we continue our study of biblical history, it's important to remember that the early church didn't just randomly decide which books to include in the Bible. They had solid criteria:

• Apostolic authorship or connection - Was it written by an apostle or someone closely connected to the apostles?

• Historical accuracy - Did it align with known facts about Jesus and early Christianity?

• Theological consistency - Did it agree with the core truths about Jesus that were already established?

• Church recognition - Was it widely accepted and used by Christian communities?

The Gnostic writings failed on all these counts, which is why they were rejected: not because of some conspiracy, but because they simply weren't authentic Christian documents.

Moving Forward in Truth

Understanding what's NOT the Apocrypha helps us appreciate what IS authentic Scripture. It also helps us respond thoughtfully when people bring up these alternative writings in conversation.

The goal isn't to dismiss honest questions or curiosity about early Christian history. Instead, we want to provide clear, accurate information that helps people understand why the church made the decisions it did, and why we can trust the Bible we have today.

Next week, we'll wrap up our series by looking at practical ways to engage with people who have questions about biblical authority and how to share the truth with confidence and love.

Remember, studying these historical questions doesn't weaken our faith: it strengthens it by showing us the solid foundation we're standing on. The more we understand the real story, the more we can appreciate the incredible gift we have in God's preserved Word.

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Ready to deepen your understanding of biblical truth and historical Christianity? Dr. Layne McDonald's coaching and mentorship programs equip believers to confidently navigate questions about faith, Scripture, and church history. Visit our leadership resources to learn more about transformational Christian growth.