Easy answer: No, there are no inspired books that were left out of the Bible, otherwise it would not be Christianity! Classical Christianity is based on the teachings of the 66 books of the Christian Bible. Other books that skeptics have said were “left out” teach something completely different than what we get in our Bible!
Let’s look at some of these books:
The Apocrypha:
The word apocrypha means hidden or doubtful. These books do contain some valuable historical information useful in understanding the intertestimental period (c. 250-60 BC), but have never been considered inspired writings. They were later included in the Latin Vulgate in part to defend some of the teachings of the Catholic Church (such as purgatory). The Catholic Bible today contains eleven of them in their deuterocanonical (secondary canon) section.
Why Protestants Say “No”
The Apocrypha…
- does not claim to be inspired by God
- was not written by prophets of God (1 Mac. 9:27)
- was not confirmed by supernatural acts of God (Heb. 2:3-4)
- was not accepted by the people of God (Judaism) and they were never included in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
- does not always tell the truth of God, for example: On praying for the dead (2 Mac. 12:46); on working for salvation (Tobit 12:9)
- was not accepted by Jesus the Son of God (Lk. 24:27)
- was not accepted by the Apostles (who never quoted it)
- was not accepted by the early Church and was never part of the Protestant New Testament
- was rejected by the great Catholic translator Jerome
- was not written during period of the prophets of God
- contain some absurdities and inconsistencies with the accepted Biblical Canon
A few examples of Apocryphal books:
- The Wisdom of Solomon (c. 30 B.C.)
- Tobit (c. 200 B.C.)
- Judith (c. 150 B.C.)
- 1 and 2 Maccabees (c. 110-70 B.C.)
- Baruch (c. 150-50 B.C.)—Baruch 1-5
- Bel and the Dragon (c. 100 B.C.)—Daniel 14
- *Prayer of Manasseh (c. 200-100 B.C.)
*Not in Catholic Bible
Gnostic gospels:
Gnosis means knowledge. Gnosticism came out of Greek philosophy and held a belief that one could gain “secret knowledge” of God through certain practices. There was an attempt to assimilate it with early Christianity. It fostered the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation (being set free) comes through special knowledge. There are some variations in gnostic beliefs and there are over 300 of these writing from antiquity.
N.T. Wright explains what Gnosticism is and why it is still a problem today:
Reasons for rejecting these Non-Canonical New Testament Books:
In addition to the same reasons listed above for the Apocrypha, Christians reject these books because…
- Gnostic literature, and so called gospels, were written well into the second through forth centuries AD/CE by authors who were not primary eyewitnesses of the events, and who falsely took the names of many of the apostles and disciples, for example the gospels of Thomas, James, Phillip, and even Mary
- The early Church leaders unanimously rejected them
- Gnostic writings have no basis in primary evidence, cross-references to other Scripture, or confirmation from the first and second century Churches, and the dating of the book is the key for recognizing legitimate historical literature
- Gnostic literature contains absurdities and inconsistencies with the early beliefs of the apostles and disciples of Jesus
- Gnostic literature does not reflect a first century Palestinian Jesus but rather an esoteric or Hellenistic Jesus
- The Gnostic gospels contain false doctrines and heresies (Gnosticism, Ascetisicm, Docetism, Modalism, etc.) that are inconsistent with the doctrinal essentials of classical Christianity
- The Gnostic heretic Marcion, c. AD 140, was the first to promote these Gnostic writings in the Christian community because he was anti-Jewish and rejected all books written by Jews
- The books of the Christian Bible today are the same ones used by the earliest disciples of Christ and therefore any other so called “missing” book would not be part of the classical Christian faith anyway
A few examples of Gnostic books:
- Gospel of Thomas
- Gospel of Peter
- Gospel of Mary
- Protevangelium of James
- Gospel of the Egyptians
- Gospel of Philip
- Gospel of the Ebionites
- And some 300 more….
The Bible tells us that God’s Word will always stand, and that His purpose will be accomplished. In my view, the God of the Bible would never let us canonize books that do not represent who He is and what He wants us to know. Based on all the cumulative evidence, at some point, we have to get down on our knees and confess that God is in control and that Jesus is the only way to eternal life based on the truths found in the Bible, the Word of God.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. -Isaiah 40:8
“Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’ -Isaiah 46:9-10
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. –Hebrews 4:12
Going Deeper:
Watch this presentation by Dr. Craig Evans that debunks the idea that Gnostic gospels are “missing books” of the Bible. “Fabricating Jesus. From the Gnostic Gospels to the Dead Sea Scrolls,”
He has also written a book on the topic: “Fabricating Jesus, How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospel.”
J. Warner Wallace has also written extensively on the topic of the “Gnostic gospels.” He has several articles that take the reader into the details of some of the specific Gnostic gospels so that you can see why they do not belong in our New Testament Canon. Go to his website: Cold Case Christianity at coldcasechristianity.com to browse the various topics. Check out this specific article for an overview:
Do the Non-Canonical Gospels Challenge the Historicity of the New Testament? Article by J. Warner Wallace
Reflection:
- Summarize, in your own words, the reasons for rejecting the so-called “lost books” of the Bible.
- Prayer Focus—Pray that barriers to the truth would be broken down so that everyone would have confidence in God’s Word.
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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.
Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.
Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.
Teri Dugan
TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com
1 Peter 3:15
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