"The Lost Books of the Bible"

[Gara3987]

I’ve just recently finished reading for the first time the books that are in the Catholic Bible that are not oncluded in the Protestant Bible. I enjoyed them very much, especially 1st and 2nd Maccabees (I’m a history buff) , Wisdom, and Sirach…

Oh, you are looking at the Apocryphal books. Be careful, some of them are Gnostic writings and are Pseudepigraphic.

By the Title of your post, I though you were referring to the lost books.

                             **Old Testament:****1**Book of the wars of the Lord, **2**Book of the just, **3**The parables and poems of Solomon, **4**Book of the words of the days of Solomon, **5**Book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel, **6**Book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda, **7**Book of Nathan the prophet , **8**Book of Samuel the seer, **9**Book of Ahias the Silonite, **10**Book of Addo the seer, **11**Books of Semeias the prophet, **12**Book of the kings of Juda and Israel, **13**Book of the kings of Israel and Juda, **14**Book of kings, **15**Words of the kings of Israel, **16**Words of Jehu the son of Hanani, **17**History of Ozias by Isaias the son of Amos, the prophet, **18**Words of Hozai, **19**Books of the Medes, and of the Persians, **20**Book of the days of the priesthood of John, **21**The descriptions of Jeremias the prophet, **22**The memoirs and commentaries of Nehemias, **23-27**The five books by Jason of Cyrene, **New Testament:****28**The Former Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, **29**The Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans, **30**The Prophecy of Enoch.

Maius pax Christi semper esse tecum.

 

[PJM]

=LayingHands;8568007]I don’t understand why the persuit of knowledge could be such a threat to anyone…Jesus said to prove all things to yourself and this implies to continue to gather knowledge of real Religion. If all this is such a problem, what do you say of the Book of the Science of GOD, which is 5,000 years old? Certainly, all gospel, scripture and religious knowledge was destroyed and or confiscated during the destruction of Alexandria, when all the religious colleges were over run by the first Christians? This book relayed by GOD over 5,000 years ago, is the Bhagavad gita AS IT IS. If there is any scripture which should be read by everyone, this is the only one. In it GOD explains who we are, why we are and how to worship him for liberation and salvation from this material nature existence and return to him, after this death…

The degree of “threat” is directly proportional to the depth and knowledge of ones faith. Read carefully and fully what I shared and you’ll see that I am not against learning others views ONCE you have become secure in the Single truth.

One shall never find that truth reading propaganda designed to prevent them from doing so. Without also having seen the truth with support of it as a comparison.

God Bless and THANK YOU!

Pat

 

[simspt]

I’ve just recently finished reading for the first time the books that are in the Catholic Bible that are not oncluded in the Protestant Bible. I enjoyed them very much, especially 1st and 2nd Maccabees (I’m a history buff) , Wisdom, and Sirach.

Surprisingly, I had no problem accepting them as inspired and that they should have been included in all Bibles. From what I’ve read, until around the 19th century even Protestant Bibles included them, although in a a separated section noting that even though they are not inspired they are of value historically and in teaching.

Anyway, a few days ago, while browsing the Christian section of my favorite used book store, I found a book titled "the lost books of the Bible. I bought it and find the books I’ve read so far to be facinating. Some of them contradict the Gospels in certain things, such a Jesus being born in a cave just outside of Bethlehem, but for the most part they closely parallel the Gospels.

The big difference between the gospels and these lost books were the additions of events that are not contained in the Bible-accounts of Mary allowing others to hold Baby Jesus or washing in the bath water Mary use to bathe Jesus and being healed-Epistles attributed toBarabas, Nicodemus, and others.

Even though these books were eventually rejected as canonical, in many of the editor’s introductions to each book the editor states specific names of early Church Fathers that quote from these lost books. John 21:25 also says that Jesus did many other things that if all were told," I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.

What are you’re thoughts on these books? While not being “inspired” books, could they,in fact, record some of the other things Jesus did? Are they worth reading? Could they be used to bring a more complete picture of who Jesus was and what He did or are they fiction like today’s authors write historical fiction?

Here is a list of the books in “the Lost Books of the Bible” .

-Mary
-The Protevangelion
-1st Infancy
-2nd Infancy
-Christ & Abgarus
-Nicodemus
-The Apostle’s Creed
-Laodiceans
-Paul & Seneca
-Paul & Thecla
-1st Clement
-2nd Clement
-Barnabus
-The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians
-Magnesians
-Trallians
-Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans
-Philadelphians
-Smyrnaeans
-Epistle of Polycarp tohthe Philippians
-1st Hermas–Visions
-2nd Hermas–Commands
-3rd Hermas–Similitudes
-Letters of Herod and Pilate
-the lost gosple according to Peter

• the lost gosple accourding to Thomas.

I haven’t read all of them yet but what are your thoughts of the importance of these books and their usefulness?

Here is a link to a good bibliography website for future study. see the section on NT and early christian writings.
moses.creighton.edu/harmless/bibliographies_for_theology/Index.htm

 

[LayingHands]

The degree of “threat” is directly proportional to the depth and knowledge of ones faith. Read carefully and fully what I shared and you’ll see that I am not against learning others views ONCE you have become secure in the Single truth.

One shall never find that truth reading propaganda designed to prevent them from doing so. Without also having seen the truth with support of it as a comparison.

God Bless and THANK YOU!

Pat

Dear Pat,
I have re-read your post and reading the Bible and the Outcast Gospels, cover to cover is something I accomplished many times over…I am certain I know the Absolute Supreme Truth and I am very secure in all the knowledge GOD has placed before me…you may consider it all possible propaganda, however, I believe there is a better reason to remind oneself, that REAL TRUTH during the First Christian Councils, as controlled by MAN, could be manipulated due to the king’s ego and church power over life and death for heresy, and man’s greed and desire for total control by threat of death, to all humanity…In one of the Outcast Gospels, Jesus Christ is asked what should be done, if he should fall…Jesus said “Go to my brother, James”…alas, we see how it may be questionable to decide why christian history may need to be thoroughly studied by all humanity. In this, I have decided to keep all my thoughts, prayers and devotional services, offered to GOD, in the name of GOD alone…and follow his instructions to contact him directly, therefore, bypassing all demigods, avatars and GOD’s Representatives…GOD is the Cause of ALL Causes, and he says he decides all issues through them…in this too, I feel secure as there was never any question…Jesus always deferred to his Father, GOD!

May GOD bless you too!

 

[stokemeister]

But to get back to the OP thread…I highly recommend “Pre-Nicean New Testament” by Robert Price…he gives a history of how the canon was formed with a different slant than what conservative history would say. It’s a different approach…and to me is much more compelling than the “sanitary sacred story” we have been taught…another good book is by Bart Erhman…“Lost Scriptures”…companion to “Lost Christianities”…early writings used a scripture by early Christians and variant understndings of various Christian groups who eventulayy were absorbed into “orhotdox/catholic” Christianity…or who faded into obscurity.

I second these recommendations. Erhman can come across as having a bone to pick with his Protestant upbringing but his scholarship is of a good quality.

In general I have the deepest gratitude, respect and honor to those who wrote, preserved, perpetuated and translated the scriptures throughout the centuries. I do believe their selection of the canon was inspired. While I believe they were inspired I do not believe they were infallible. I find the discoveries of the Nag Hammadi and the Dead Sea Scrolls to incredible treasures of our age. I find them to be both incredible testimonies to the accuracy and inspiration of the modern canon but I also think they clearly show that there were other books that were viewed to be authoritative in the first and second centuries and that the selection of the canon was indeed a debate. Therefore, I think there is incredible value in studying these writing and “proving all things,” as another forum member responded. I believe an honest seeker of truth cannot dismiss them lightly.