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I recently saw a used copy of the NT Apocrypha for $9 American at a used book store recently-it was published around 1897 I think. What is the consensus on it? I don't think anyone considers them canonical, but don't a lot of traditions come from them? Were some heretical i.e. gnostic?
Is it worthwhile reading?

MK

During the early Christian centuries most Greek and Latin Church Fathers, such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, and Cyprian (none of whom knew any Hebrew), quoted passages from the Greek text of apocryphal / deuterocanonical books as "Scripture," "divine Scripture," "inspired," and the like. In this period only an occasional Father made an effort to learn the limits of the apocrypha. (Taken from the RSV)

Here's a link to look at http://ic.net/~erasmus/RAZ110.HTM

buying info: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...03/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-9846792-9006517

[ 06-08-2002: Message edited by: Odo ]

Michael,

While unfamiliar with the book you name the problem with many modern books is that they lump books that while left out of the Bible form part of the Tradition of the Church, like the Protoevangelion, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Didache, The Epistle of Polycarp to the Phillipians, the Seven Epistles of St. Ignatius, the First Epistle of St. Clement to the Corinthians with obvious heretical and apocryphal writings condemned by the Church like The Gospel of Thomas, the various Infancy Gospels, and other Gnostic works.

The former are part of tradition and one can gain much insight from reading them. The latter while tainted with heresy can also be of value in that by reading them and comparing them with the Canonical Gospels one can see the heresy apparent in them and learn to recognize these same heresies present in so many modern theologians and scholars.

In Christ,
Lance

Dear Michael,

I have a book like that that lists only the "orthodox" New Testament Apocrypha, although most books today combine the orthodox with the gnostic etc. as Lance said.

There is a "Noncanonical homepage" you might like to search out that lists the orthodox books separately, just by way of a guide.

In the first centuries of the Church, these books were read either as scripture in the churches or else as pious reading.

The Celtic Church considered, at one time, the Shepherd of Hermas and the Apostles Creed as canonical NT books - they are orthodox apocrypha today.

The Birth of Mary and the Gospel of Nicodemus are excellent orthodox apocryphal texts, as is the narrative about St Joseph the Carpenter, the Martyrdom of St Andrew and of St John the Divine.

As a matter of fact, our liturgy takes a lot from these apocryphal books to celebrate the feasts in honour of these Saints.

It also appears that the New Testament sometimes assumes one is conversant with the apocryphal texts.

For example, in the First Chapter of John, there is the story of Nathaniel under the sycamore tree when Christ tells him that he saw him underneath it and Nathaniel or Bartholomew responds so positively to Christ.

According to the apocryphal NT books, Nathaniel was deathly ill as a child. It so happened that the Mother of God was nearby with Her Child and when She saw Nathaniel's mother cry for her baby, the Theotokos immediately told her to place little Nathaniel on the little bed of Her Son that was under a sycamore tree.

When he was laid on Christ's swaddling clothes, Nathaniel immediately recovered.

Only Nathaniel and his mother and their unexpected two Guests knew about this incident.

When Christ told Nathaniel about it, Nathaniel recognized in Christ the Child by Whose miraculous power his life was saved.

Alex