Search the Scriptures Live

False books, "apocrypha," were written by heretics who signed the names of apostles to give them credibility. But some apocrypha were not heretical. They contained stories about the youth of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. Is there anything wrong with reading those stories?

Who created the apocrypha and why? Why did the Fathers oppose Christians reading them? In this lesson, we will look at the rise of apocryphal writings and discuss why they were created. We will read excerpts from them to illustrate why they were rejected by the Church.

Although general consensus for the NT canon was reached around AD 400, many surprising variations continued. Complete uniformity did not exist for hundreds of years. Revelation was in, then out, then in. Why? Ethiopia has a unique canonical tradition we will also explore.

What were the main factors considered for including books in the Christian canon, which books were easily accepted, and which books faced opposition? Who decided ultimately which books the New Testament would contain? The answer is not what you think!

Certain controversies arose during the second century that created problems for the writings of the Apostle John. Some actively lobbied to keep the Gospel out of the New Testament. What was their motivation, what accusations did they raise and who came to John's defense?