Definition and Background

• The non-canonical gospels (also called apocryphal gospels) are ancient texts falsely attributed to Jesus or His apostles.
• The term “apocrypha” means “hidden” in Greek, referring to secretive teachings, often influenced by Gnosticism.
• These gospels were written mainly in the 2nd–4th centuries and were never recognized by the historic Church as part of the inspired New Testament.
• Luke 1:1–4 (NIV): "Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught."

How the Church Recognized the True Gospels

• The early Church used strict criteria to determine which writings were inspired and authoritative:
• Apostolic Authorship: The book must have been written by an apostle or a close companion of one.
• Doctrinal Consistency: Its teachings must align with the known apostolic faith.
• Widespread Liturgical Use: It must have been read publicly in churches over a long period.
• Early Date: It must be traceable to the first century, during or near the lifetimes of the apostles.

Most apocryphal gospels failed all of these criteria.

Major Apocryphal Gospels and Reasons for Their Rejection

[i]The Gospel of Thomas

• Discovered: 1945 in Nag Hammadi (Coptic version); originally written around 140 AD.

Content:

• 114 sayings are attributed to Jesus.
• No narrative of His life, death, or resurrection.
• Focus on hidden knowledge (Gnostic salvation).

Doctrinal Errors:

• Salvation comes through secret knowledge, not faith.
• Rejection of corporate worship (Saying 14).
• Denial of bodily resurrection (Saying 71).
• Degradation of women (Saying 114).

Church Verdict:

• Lacks apostolic authority.
• Contains Gnostic heresies.
• Patriarch Photius (9th century) condemned it as "devoid of apostolic grace and full of folly" (Bibliotheca, Codex 114).

[ii] The Gospel of Barnabas

• First manuscript: Italian version, dated to the 1700s.
• Likely authored by a convert to Islam in the 15th–16th century.

Content:

• Denies Christ’s divinity.
• Claims Judas was crucified in Jesus’ place.
• Prophesies the coming of Muhammad.

[iii] Historical Errors:

• Nazareth is described as a coastal city (Chapter 20).
• Mentions Annas, Caiaphas, and Pilate together during Jesus’ birth (Chapter 3).
• Refers to the Jubilee year of 1300 AD (Chapter 82).

Church Verdict:

• Written long after the apostles.
• Inaccurate and contradicts both Christianity and some aspects of Islam.
• Rejected by all churches and even by several Muslim scholars.

The Gospel of Judas

• Date: Written in the second century; discovered in Egypt (1970), published in 2006.

Content:

• Presents Judas as the only disciple with "true knowledge".
• Jesus is portrayed as a Gnostic teacher.
• Includes cosmological myths like "Barbelo".
• No crucifixion, no resurrection.

Church Verdict:

• Rejected by Irenaeus around 180 AD as heretical.
• Denounced as “a Gnostic delusion with no connection to Christianity.”

The Gospel of Peter

• Date: Mid-2nd century.
• Discovery: Found in Akhmim, Egypt in 1886.
• Falsely attributed to the Apostle Peter.

Content:

• [iv] Docetic views (Jesus only “seemed” to suffer).
• Mythological additions like a talking cross.

Church Verdict:

• Rejected by Bishop Serapion of Antioch (ca. 190 AD).
• Cited in Eusebius' Church History (6.12.2) as unorthodox.
• Later condemned in the Gelasian Decree (5th century).

Other Notable Non-Canonical Gospels

Infancy Gospels:

• [v] Examples: Gospel of James, Gospel of the Infancy.
• Focus on mythical childhood stories of Mary and Jesus.
• Rejected for being fanciful and not apostolic.

Gospel of Mary:

• Teaches secret revelations.
• Undermines apostolic authority.

Gospel of Philip:

• Contains vague Gnostic allusions to Mary Magdalene.
• Offers non-Christian views of sacraments and salvation.

Gospel of the Hebrews:

• Used by Jewish-Christian sects.
• Modified version of Matthew.
• Not widely accepted or preserved.

Reasons These Gospels Were Rejected

No Apostolic Connection:

• Authors were neither eyewitnesses nor companions of apostles.

Late Composition:

• Often written 100–300 years after Christ.

Doctrinal Heresy:

• Promote Gnosticism, deny key doctrines like resurrection and incarnation.

Not Used in Worship:

• Never accepted by the early church communities in liturgy.

Filled with Errors:

• Contradict geography, history, and established facts.

Historical and Theological Value

• Apocryphal gospels help scholars understand early heretical movements, not Jesus' true teachings.
• Irenaeus (Against Heresies 1.31) wrote, "They are worthless for learning the truth about Jesus."

The True Gospel

• The only authentic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Why?

• Written in the first century by apostles or their close associates.
• Consistent with apostolic tradition.
• Universally accepted and used in church worship.
• 2 Peter 1:16 (NIV): "For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty."

Conclusion

• Apocryphal gospels like those of Thomas, Barnabas, Judas, and Peter are heretical, late, and doctrinally corrupt.
• The early Church rightly rejected them based on firm historical and theological grounds.
• Irenaeus warned that such writings are "poisons that distort the truth".
• The canonical four Gospels remain the only true testimony of Jesus Christ, accepted universally by the early Church and preserved to this day.

[i] https://st-takla.org/Full-Free-Coptic-Books/FreeCopticBooks-002-Holy-Arabic-Bible-Dictionary/01_A/A_052.html in Arabic

[ii] The Gospel of Barnabas: Its True Value by William F. Campbell

[iii] https://www.answering-islam.org/authors/campbell/barnabas.html

[iv] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docetism

[v] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_James