In the process of determining the Biblical canon, a large number of works were excluded from the New Testament. These New Testament Apocrypha are generally not accepted by Christians, though the Ethiopian Orthodox Church recognizes Jubilees, Book of Enoch, the Shepherd of Hermas, 1 Clement, Acts of Paul , and some uniquely Ethiopian books.
Books which are not objectively known to have existed in antiquity, such as the Gospel of Barnabas or the Book of Mormon, are usually not considered part of the Apocrypha.
Non-canonical ancient books
Many of the books in this list are not preserved in their entirety, surviving only in fragments, short quotes, or not at all beyond mention of their title in preserved works.
Apocryphal Gospels
These books are generally considered to be of Gnostic origin.
Another group of "gospels" was considered heretical or fraudulent.
Quoted by orthodox authors
Many of the books noted below, while often quoted by orthodox authors and not considered particularly heretical in content, were nonetheless not considered canonical.
Other ancient books
See Also
External Links
Some of the most complete collections and resources on New Testament Apocrypha can be found at:
Last updated: 05-07-2005 11:18:58
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04