There are four books in the Christian Bible called the Gospels. These canonical texts tell the story of the life of Jesus. Most of these stories are well known, and virtually every Christian knows the main facts from the Savior's life. However, far fewer people can at least remember (let alone tell what they are talking about) at least one Gospel that did not make it into the Bible. However, they do exist.
1. The Gospel of the Ebionites
Early Christianity was rife with numerous sects. Many of them have existed for several hundred years at the most. The Ebionites were one such sect that existed from the second to fourth centuries AD. They adhered to many Jewish customs and traditions, even after most Christians did not. They also disagreed with fundamental aspects of broader Christian philosophy.
It is noteworthy that most Christians considered God to be a part of the Holy Trinity, which the Ebionites completely rejected. Instead, they argued that Jesus was not God, but only the messiah. This would be consistent with Jewish customs, but not Christianity. Unsurprisingly, the Ebionite gospel was rejected when the Bible was written. It was considered too close to Judaism and outdated in terms of philosophy.
2. Gospel of the Nazarenes
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The Nazarenes were another early sect of Christianity. They were named after Nazareth, the birthplace of Jesus. Scholars believe the Nazarene Gospel was written in the second century, like many of the Gospels on this list. Like the Ebionites, the Nazarenes also observed Jewish customs and laws. Their gospel also emphasized the Jewish background of Jesus. Curiously, this Gospel was written in the Aramaic language that Jesus spoke.
When the Bible was compiled, this gospel was rejected for many reasons similar to those of the Ebionites. In addition, at that time, few people still read or spoke Aramaic. Greek became the official language of Christianity. Today, only small portions of this Gospel have survived, translated into other languages.
3. The Gospel of Philip
The Gospel of Philip states that it was composed by one of Jesus' followers. But it differs significantly in style and content. Most of the Gospel focuses on the story of the life of Jesus, but it is more like a sermon or a treatise. It contains many of the familiar concepts and Christian rituals (eg baptism), but the author refers to them as allegories rather than real rituals. All in all, this is one of the hardest and most difficult to understand gospels on this list.
This book was likely rejected for several reasons. First, her philosophy is very different from what most Christians are used to. Also, some of the statements in this manuscript do not even sound like Christianity, but rather like other religions of the ancient world (for example, Manichaeism).
4. Gospel of Truth
The gospel of truth was probably written in the second century, possibly by an ancient Christian philosopher named Valentine. The title of the book suggests that it was written to correct ideas in other gospels. However, like the Gospel of Philip, this book is not the true gospel. It does not contain a description of Jesus' life or details of his deeds. Instead, it reads like a sermon or a theological text.
This gospel was rejected because of its content. Most of its text is difficult to understand, but it is clearly very different from the canonical gospel. It was criticized by the most ancient Christian writers for its inconsistencies, and the gospel of truth was quickly declared heretical. It is curious that today its text is available almost in full.
5. Gospel of the Savior
This was one of the most recently discovered gospels. In 1997, American scientists examined the archives of the Berlin Museum. Among a pile of ancient manuscripts, they apparently found fragments from a never-before-unknown gospel. Most of the text was damaged, but there was enough left to understand what a complete book was. Like the canonical Gospels, this book tells the story of Jesus, except for various details.
The Gospel of the Savior, in which most of the texts are damaged.
In this text, Jesus does much of the same thing as in the Bible, but at different times and in different places. For example, his well-known phrase “if you were pleased to carry this cup past Me” is pronounced in a dream, and not in a garden. The Gospel of the Savior was probably written in the second century, but there is almost no historical record of it.
6. Gospel of childhood according to Thomas
This Gospel is often confused with the more famous Gospel of Thomas (which will be mentioned later). In fact, it is not clear who and when wrote the "Gospel of Thomas' childhood" (this text has nothing to do with the Gospel of Thomas). This gospel fills in the gaps left in the four canonical gospels and focuses on the childhood years of Jesus. Most of the book remained intact and its texts can be read today.
Gospel of childhood from Thomas - an apocryphal text containing stories about the miracles performed by Jesus Christ in childhood.
7. Gospel of Peter
This gospel states that it was written by Peter, a close friend of Jesus and his disciple. However, it is not. First, it was written at least a century after Peter lived. It also uses all four canonical Gospels as sources. The text was discovered in an Egyptian tomb in the 19th century.
The Gospel of Peter - one of the New Testament apocrypha. It existed in the first centuries of Christianity, but was rejected by the church.
Scholars speculate that this gospel was popular for a time, but was later rejected by the church. Many of the teachings in the text are allegedly outdated and heretical. For example, it is argued that Jesus did not suffer on the cross; like most of the gospels on this list, only an incomplete text has survived.
8. Gospel of Thomas
This book was probably written in the first or second century AD, but it has been lost for most of history. It was rediscovered in 1945 by peasants in Egypt. Since then, it has been a favorite topic of many researchers. The Gospel of Thomas is different from other Gospels. Instead of telling a story about Jesus or even looking like a sermon, it contains His sayings.
The Gospel of Thomas is the most famous Gospel not included in the Bible.
Moreover, most of these sayings do not appear in the Bible. Some of them are cryptic and even contradict the statements contained in the official Gospels. Moreover, some chapters even describe Jesus as a god, but not a man. Scholars believe this was one of the main reasons the book was rejected.
9. Gospel of Mary Magdalene
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene was one of the most important and controversial gospels ever discovered. A German scientist bought it in Cairo in the 19th century from an antique collector. Until then, no one knew that it existed. The reason this gospel is such an important discovery has to do with its content. Like many of the Gospels, it tells the story of the life of Jesus, and it also focuses on his closest followers.
However, instead of focusing on the 12 disciples that most Christians know about, this Gospel tells about Mary Magdalene. Instead of portraying her as a simple, repentant woman, she is presented as a philosopher and leader. This suggests that in early Christianity, women played a more significant role than previously thought.
10. Gospel of Judas
The Gospel of Judas is the most controversial gospel ever discovered. The text was probably written in the fourth century and then was lost until the 20th century. Although most of the Gospels are named after one of Jesus' followers or disciples, this book is named after one of his antagonists. In the New Testament Gospels, Judas is presented as the man who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Since then, he has been portrayed as the epitome of betrayal and the worst friend a person can have.
The Gospel of Judas - The Most Controversial Gospel
When this gospel was first discovered, it turned out that it portrayed Jesus in a negative light. He turned out to be a dark and menacing figure instead of playing the main character. Even more remarkable, Judas, the main villain in the Bible, becomes the protagonist of the story. The text says it was all part of Jesus' plan, and Judas was actually a hero. In fact, many of the passages in this book challenge the foundations of the Christian faith.