Christian Apocrypha and Early Christian Literature

 

Archive Notes

A wide range of texts -- some showing Gnostic tendancy or influence -- survived within the Christian tradition outside of the New Testiment canon. This section of the library offers a large collection of these documents. Note that texts discovered in the Nag Hammadi collection are listed in the Nag Hammadi Library section, and are not included here.  Texts of a primarily Gnostic character are cataloged in the Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments section of the Library

Although this is a fairly comprehensive catalog of texts, several additional documents not presented here can be found at the Wesley Center Online Noncanonical Homepage or in the collection of the early Christian writings at New Advent -- both are excellent resources.

Apocryphal Acts

• The Acts of Andrew
  
• The Acts and Martyrdom of Andrew
  
• The Acts of Andrew and Matthew
  
• The Acts of Barnabas
  
• The Acts of John
  
• The Acts of John the Theologian
  
• The Acts and Martyrdom of Matthew
  
• The Martyrdom of Matthew
  
• The Acts of Paul
  
• The Acts of Peter
  
• The Acts of Peter and Andrew
  
• The Acts of Peter and Paul
  
• The Acts of Philip
  
• The Acts of Thomas
  
• The Consummation of Thomas
  

 

Apocalyptic Texts

• The Revelation of John the Theologian
  
• The Revelation (or Vision) of Paul (from the Ante-Nicene Fathers)
  -- Note that a separate (and entirely different) text of this name is found in the Nag Hammadi Library.
  
• The Apocalypse of Peter (from the Ante-Nicene Fathers)
  The Apocalypse of Peter (another translation, from The Apocryphal New Testament)
  -- Note that a separate (and entirely different) text of this name is found in the Nag Hammadi Library.
  
• The Revelation of Stephen
  
• The Apocalypse of Thomas
  
• The Apocalypse of the Virgin

 

Apocryphal Gospels

• The Infancy Gospel of Thomas: Greek Text A
  
• The Infancy Gospel of Thomas: Greek Text B
  
• The Infancy Gospel of Thomas: Latin Text
  
• The Infancy Gospels of Jesus
  
• An Arabic Infancy Gospel
  
• The Gospel of James
  
• The Gospel of the Nativity of Mary
  
• The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
  
• The Gospel of Nicodemos (The Acts of Pilate)
  
• The Gospel of Bartholomew
  
• The Gospel of Peter
  
• The Gospel of the Lord by Marcion
  
• The Secret Gospel of Mark
  

 

Other Early Christian Writings

• Didache
• The Shepherd of Hermas
• Teaching of Addaeus the Apostle