In this final article in our series, we will briefly examine various disputed and apocryphal books that arose in early Christianity. Some were books that did not receive immediate acceptance but are now in our New Testament. Others are orthodox writings that were rejected as Scripture, while others were heretical works written by fringe sects.

Canonical Books

Although such a fact may be surprising for some Christians, the following New Testament books did not receive the widespread acceptance that they now receive today for a variety of reasons including questions of authorship and dating.

  1. James: A variety of dates have been proposed, leading to questions as to its authorship, though some early Christians such as Clement and Origen accepted its traditional authorship and canonicity.
  2. Jude: Its short length and its use of the non-canonical Book of Enoch1 raised questions by some, but it was accepted by men such as Clement and Origen and is listed in the Muratorian Fragment.
  3. 2 Peter: Multiple false books were falsely attributed to Peter in the 2nd century. Still many church fathers including Clement, Justin Martyr, and Origen accepted it.
  4. 2/3 John: Their small size made circulation difficult in some cases, raising questions of authorship. Nonetheless, they are listed by Clement, Origen, the Muratorian Fragment, and others.
  5. Revelation: This is the most controversial of the New Testament books. It was initially accepted, but serious questions were raised in the 3rd century. These questions began when a church father acknowledged a rumor that the book was a forgery and was written by a John other than the apostle, even though he did not believe it. Although many 2nd century church fathers had accepted it, the rumor took off until they were finally resolved for good in the 4th century.

Rejected Books

A variety of books were written by early Christians that were not accepted as canonical. This does not mean that these books are heretical and should be avoided. Their authors never claimed that their works were Scripture. In fact, much of their theology is orthodox, but are still fallible and contain various errors.

  1. The Shepherd of Hermas: This was the most popular of the non-canonical books and was written around 150 AD. It is an apocalyptic book about an angelic messenger with the appearance of a shepherd giving visions to Hermas. The book has no claims of apostolicity or canonicity and was not accepted as such by any early Christians.
  2. The Epistle of Barnabas: This book was also very popular with early Christians and was written around 130 AD. (This Barnabas was someone other than the apostle.) It had an orthodox view of the Old Testament and explained how it ultimately points forward to Jesus.
  3. The Didache: This book has a variety of exhortations for Christians and never claims authority. It instead refers to Matthew and other New Testament books as the basis for how Christians should live.

Heretical Books

Although there are many early heretical Christians works, the following gospels have been gaining notoriety in recent years in an attempt to prove that other gospels other than the four that we read today were and continue to be suppressed by the church. When examining their content, it becomes immediately clear why orthodox Christians have continued to reject them throughout history. The ideas promoted in these books belong to the sect now known as Gnostic Christianity. Although attributed to apostles, these books were not truly written by them.

  1. The Gospel of Thomas: According to this book, written in the 2nd century, the God of the Old Testament is evil because he created the physical world, leading to this sect’s rejection of the Old Testament. Man’s central problem is not sin, but that his spark of divinity is trapped in a physical body. Jesus is a divine being who came to bring enlightenment on this. Additionally, at the conclusion of the book, it states that women are unable to enter heaven, so God must make them men in order for them to do so.
  2. The Gospel of Peter: In all four Gospels, the event of the resurrection is never narrated. The story jumps from his burial to those who see him risen. This 2nd century gospel attempts to fill in the gaps. In it, Jesus comes out of the tombs as a giant, accompanied by his cross, which talks. Similar to Thomas’ gospel, Jesus teaches that the physical world is ultimately an illusion.
  3. The Gospel of Judas: This is another 2nd century gospel that paints a very different picture of Judas’ role in Jesus’ death. In it, Judas is the hero who helps Jesus get crucified to fulfill his mission.

Conclusion

Knowing the theology of how we can know we have God’s Word and looking at the history of what books were accepted and rejected, God’s providence in giving his Word to his people is clear. God’s divine message for his covenant people were given in the New Testament books by the apostles whom God commissioned to spread it. Hearing God’s voice in these books, Christians throughout the centuries have accepted what is Scripture and have rejected what is not. Just as the original readers were confident in the message that they received, so we can be confident in what God is saying to us today over two millennia later.

Note: Those who are interested in exploring this topic in more depth should read Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books by Dr. Michael Kruger, whose book and attendant class served as the basis for this series. Although written with seminary students in mind, it remains an accessible resource for the layperson.

  1. “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (14b-15). This is taken from Enoch 1:9.