Apocrypha, New Testament/Christian

This term refers to a range of literature (such as apocalypses, gospels, epistles and acts) that were mostly written after the books that form part of the New Testament (i.e. from the second century CE onwards). They offer interesting insights into how Christianity developed and splintered during the second century CE. Most of the works are attempts to embellish the original New Testament material, providing extra information where there were clear gaps in the market.

The Infancy gospels of James and Thomas are classic examples of this, since they cover the childhoods of Jesus and of the Virgin Mary. Many second century gospels cover the period after the Resurrection of Jesus, especially the Gnostic Texts. Some writers, such as those who produced 3 Corinthians or the Epistle to Laodicea, spotted excuses in the New Testament itself to produce extra material. For example, 1 Corinthians 5.9 refers to another letter of Paul to the Corinthians and Colossians 4.16 mentions a letter to the Laodiceans. The Apocalypse of Peter appears to be a grislier version of the book of Revelation.

However, that's not to say that this wider field of later Christian literature contained nothing of value. Some of the earlier material may be compared to unauthorised biographies of Jesus and the apostles. In other words, they may contain grains of truth but are generally to be taken with a large pinch of salt. Especially valued were four teaching documents; the Epistle of Barnabas, the Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles), the Shepherd of Hermas and the first letter of Clement. Most biblical scholars believe that these particular documents were written fairly early, in the late first and early second centuries CE. Therefore, these four works were sometimes floated as possible candidates for inclusion in the New Testament canon. Eventually, however, they were left out of the mainstream canon because people didn't think they were written by the apostles or with their approval. Certain other works, such as the Egerton Gospel and gospel fragments found at a rubbish dump in Oxyrhynchus (Egypt) may be even earlier again. They may even be among the other accounts of the life of Jesus that the gospel writer Luke mentioned (Luke 1.1-3) and therefore be of some historical value.