Apocryphal Literature Archives

Were Later Versions of Christianity Radically Different than Earlier Ones? Reflecting on Recent Scholarly Claims

March 30, 2023

I think it’s fair to say that the last decade has witnessed a bit of a resurgence of academic interest in early Christianity.

By “early Christianity,” I don’t mean the Christianity represented by the major figures in the fourth and fifth centuries when the church had risen to power—e.g., Athanasius, Constantine, Augustine. Rather, I am referring to the time period immediately after the apostles, mainly the second and third centuries, when Christianity was still in its infancy, struggling to find its way in a hostile Roman world.

Recent books covering this critical time period (and sometimes more periods) include Rodney Stark, The Triumph of Christianity (2011), Larry Hurtado, Destroyer of the gods (2016), my own Christianity at the Crossroads (2017), Bart Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), and James Edwards, From Christ to Christianity (2021).

So, why all the interest? I think scholars are realizing afresh something that we have always known, namely that the validity of the later (and fuller) version of Christianity is dependent, at least somewhat, upon whether its core features can be traced back to the earlier stages of Christianity.

And if this cannot be done, if it can be shown that there is a radical gap between the two, then we might conclude that the Christianity that arose to dominance is not the “real” Christianity after all. Rather, it is just a man-made construction—born of politics or power or just random chance—that is out of sync with the earlier (and more authentic) version.

Then we might conclude that this earlier (more authentic) version of the faith has been suppressed and forgotten for all these generations. And then we might wish there were scholars brave enough to recover that lost version of the faith for us, restoring it to its proper place.

Well, if someone has such a wish, it can be realized in the latest volume, After Jesus Before Christianity: A Historical Exploration of the First Two Centuries of Jesus Movements (HarperOne, 2021). It is authored by Erin Vearncombe, Brandon Scott, and Hal Taussig—all writing on behalf of the Westar Institute (effectively the umbrella organization for the well-known Jesus Seminar).

A Bold Thesis

If the foreword by Sue Monk Kidd is any indication, the thesis of this volume certainly does not lack in boldness: [Read more…]

How Did We Get Our Bible? My Interview on the NT Canon at the Ligonier Conference

June 14, 2022

This past March I spoke at the Ligonier National Conference. My plenary address was on “The Truth about Marriage” (you can watch here), and I also did an enjoyable sit-down interview on the subject of the origins of the New Testament canon. You can watch below!

Looking for Brief and Accessible Books on the Origins of the Biblical Canon? Here are Two Good Ones

March 28, 2022

Whenever I speak on the origins of the New Testament canon, I am regularly asked about whether there are brief, accessible books on the subject—the kind that could be given to lay folks in the church. Unfortunately, my books on canon usually don’t qualify (e.g., Canon Revisited clocks in at over 300 pages).

For years, I have been asked to write a shorter version, but just haven’t had the time. Thankfully, others have stepped in to fill that gap. Let me mention two wonderful little books that have just come out in the last few years.

Just this year, Chuck Hill, professor emeritus of New Testament at RTS Orlando, has released, Who Chose the Books of the New Testament? (Lexham, 2022). This little volume is part of the Questions for Restless Minds series edited by D.A. Carson.

In 81 short pages, this book covers a lot of ground. It deals with the Walter Bauer-inspired idea that the canon is merely the result of politics and power, as well as the popular evangelical approach which argues that we can solve the canon problem merely by adopting so-called “criteria of canonicity.”

Instead of either of these approaches, this volume advocates a self-authenticating model of canon where these books, in some sense, imposed themselves on the church because of their distinctive qualities. Then, Chuck shows how the historical data supports this idea that the books were received naturally and early within the burgeoning Christian movement.

The other volume is A Christian’s Pocket Guide to How We Got the Bible (Christian Focus, 2018), by Greg Lanier, Associate Professor of New Testament at RTS Orlando.

In just 107 pages, this little volume also packs a punch. It approaches the origins of the canon in a very similar way as Chuck Hill above, but this volume offers two distinctives. For one, it also covers the OT canon—a subject which is quite complex and always needs attention.

And second, it also covers the issue of textual transmission. In other words, Lanier asks not only whether we have the right books, but also whether we have the right words. For those looking for a brief introduction to the issue of textual reliability, this is a good place to start.

Both of these little volumes are excellent pathways into the world of the biblical canon. If you are looking for something short and to the point—for yourself or for a friend—then you will want to get a hold of each of them.

Jesus in the Canonical and Apocryphal Gospels: Simon Gathercole to Give Harold O.J. Brown Lectures at @RTSCharlotte

March 14, 2022

For our annual Harold O.J. Brown Lectures at RTS Charlotte, we are pleased to Welcome Dr. Simon Gathercole, professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Cambridge University.

On March 22, 11AM-2PM, Dr. Gathercole will be giving two lectures (with a provided lunch in between) on the theme of “Jesus in Canonical and Apocryphal Gospels.”

Certainly this lecture will be of great interest to all who want to understand what makes our gospels unique as opposed to the variety of apocryphal gospels in existence. I am particularly interested in this topic myself as I did my Ph.D. research on an apocryphal gospel fragment, P.Oxy. 840 (see my book, The Gospel of the Savior).

Dr. Gathercole’s first degree was in Classics and Theology in Cambridge, after which he pursued doctoral research under the supervision of James D.G. Dunn in Durham. He also studied for short periods at the University of Tübingen and the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York. He previously taught in the University of Aberdeen (2000-2007). He was editor of the Journal for the Study of the New Testament for a number of years and is now a co-editor of the journal Early Christianity.

His main academic interest is the interpretation of the New Testament. Having begun as a classicist and also worked in the field of early Judaism, he is particularly fascinated by the connections between the New Testament and the literature contemporaneous with it. His principal theological interests are christology, and the doctrine of the atonement.

Dr. Gathercole has published numerous book, most recently The Apocryphal Gospels (Penguin Classics, 2022).

Dr. Harold O.J. Brown, after whom the lectures are named, served as John R. Richardson Professor of Theology and Philosophy at the Charlotte campus from 1998 to 2007. Dr. Brown was a leading evangelical voice in the pro-life movement immediately after Roe v. Wade, co-founding the Christian Action Council (now Care Net) with former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop in the 70s. Dr. Brown was a widely respected evangelical scholar during his professional life, writing books, essays and articles in the areas of culture, science, theology and politics.

Past lecturers include Carl Trueman, Rosaria Butterfield, Michael Horton, Russell Moore, Oliver Crisp, Mark Dever, Derek Thomas, Al Mohler, Mark Noll, and George Marsden. In 2020, RTS Charlotte hosted Phil Ryken for our lectures.

If you are interested in joining us for this special event, please register here. Hope to see you there!

My Six-Part @Ligonier Video Series on The New Testament Canon

February 17, 2022

Since next month I will be speaking at the Ligonier National Conference in Orlando, FL, I thought I might highlight a video series I did for Ligonier a few years ago. It is a six-part video series (available here in either digital or DVD format) on the origins, authority, and development of the NT Canon.

One of the most common questions I am asked is whether I have introductory, lay-level material on the origins of the NT canon that people can use in their churches. For small group Bible studies or Sunday School classes, most people simply won’t read Canon Revisited or any of my other books.

So, my hope is that this video series will meet a need for churches looking to do something on the canon but not knowing where to turn.

If you want an overview, here is a short video where I introduce the series and provide a quick summary of why we can trust the NT canon: [Read more…]