The New Testament was not a fixed collection from the beginning but was formed through centuries of debate, with many early Christian groups producing alternative gospels and scriptures that were eventually excluded from the canon. Early Christianity was far more diverse than commonly understood, with groups like the Nazarans, Ebionites, and various Gnostic communities creating their own versions of Jesus's teachings. The orthodox position eventually prevailed, and the 27 books we recognize today were formally listed by Athanasius in 367 CE, while many other texts—such as the Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary, and Gospel of Peter—were lost, destroyed, or forgotten over time.
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The Secrets Truth About Lost Scriptures Excluded From The New TestamentAdded:
Hey everyone, welcome back to Bible History Journey. I'm really glad you're here. What if I told you the Bible you read today almost looked completely different? Not just slightly different, but filled with books you've probably never even heard of. Books that were once believed to be sacred. Books written by people claiming to know Jesus personally.
books that didn't make it into the New Testament. So, the real question is, what happened to them? Let's uncover the secret truth about lost scriptures excluded from the New Testament.
Millions of people around the world read the New Testament. Some out of faith, others out of curiosity.
But very few stop and ask. What exactly is this collection of books? Where did it come from? Who chose what to include and what to leave out? Because here's the truth.
The New Testament didn't just appear overnight after Jesus died. It took years, decades, even centuries. There were long debates, disagreements, even conflicts. And one big reason, there weren't just four gospels. There were many. Early Christians were writing all kinds of texts, stories about Jesus, letters, teachings, even visions about the end of the world.
Some of these books claimed to be written by the apostles themselves. But here's where it gets interesting. They didn't all agree not just on small things like how to run a church or when to baptize someone. No, these debates were much deeper. They were asking questions like, "How many gods are there? Did the true God really create the world? Was Jesus fully human or fully divine or both?
Did his death actually bring salvation or not? Some even questioned whether he died at all? And then there was another big question. What about Judaism?
Should Christians still follow it?
Should they become Jews first?
Are the Jewish scriptures part of the Christian faith or something completely separate? Today, most Christians would say the answers seem obvious. One God, creator of everything. Jesus is both divine and human. His death brings salvation.
But those answers only feel obvious because one side eventually won.
In the early centuries, there were many different versions of Christianity, different beliefs, different teachings.
But over time, one group became dominant. They were called orthodox, meaning the right belief. And everything else was labeled heresy, false, rejected.
But here's something most people don't realize. The winners didn't just win the argument. They also rewrote the history.
So later generations believed that these orthodox beliefs had always been the majority from the very beginning. So what happened to the other books? The ones that didn't make it, most were lost, some were destroyed, others were forgotten, and many survived only because their opponents quoted them just to prove they were wrong. But at one point in history, these lost scriptures were actually sacred to real people.
They were read, respected, believed.
Those believers were convinced they were following the true teachings of Jesus.
Over time, more and more writings appeared. Gospels, acts, letters, revelations.
Some may have come from the original apostles, but many others were written later. Sometimes even pretending to be from them. Yes, forgery existed even back then, and it didn't stop there. It continued for centuries.
Some of these hidden texts were only discovered recently, buried in the sand, hidden in caves like the famous discoveries near Nag Hamadi in Egypt.
Among them were gospels attributed to people like Peter, Mary Magdalene, and even Thomas. So, how did we end up with the 27 books we have today? That process took a long time, hundreds of years. It wasn't until around the year 367 CE that a church leader named Athanasius listed the exact 27 books we now call the New Testament. And even then not everyone agreed. Some books were debated. Should Revelation be included?
Yes, it was. What about the Apocalypse of Peter? No, it wasn't. The Book of Hebrews. It made it. The Epistle of Barnabas left out. So the canon, the official collection of scripture was shaped through centuries of debate, belief, and power. Now let's go back to the main question. How many books didn't make it? The answer is simple. A lot.
There were many gospels beyond Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Some became popular for a time like the infancy gospel of Thomas which tells stories of Jesus as a child performing miracles or the protospospel of James which focuses on the birth of Mary and the early story leading to Jesus. Others were completely lost and only rediscovered in modern times like the Gospel of Thomas a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus.
Some of them feel familiar, others are very different, reflecting beliefs known as gnosticism. There's even a gospel attributed to Peter where the resurrection is described in a dramatic way. Jesus emerging from the tomb towering like a giant. In total, scholars have identified many early non-cononical gospels, at least 15 major ones from the earliest centuries. Each one offering a different perspective, a different voice, a different understanding of Jesus. And that's what makes this story so powerful. Early Christianity wasn't just one unified belief system. It was diverse, complex, full of competing ideas. Which means the New Testament we have today is the result of that struggle. A collection chosen from many, preserved while others were left behind. So next time you open the Bible, remember this. It's not just a book. It's the outcome of history, debate, and decisions made long ago. And behind it, there's a whole world of lost scriptures waiting to be discovered.
If we go back in the early centuries of Christianity, there were groups of believers who still held tightly to their Jewish roots. These were Jewish Christians and many of them preferred one gospel above all others.
The Gospel of Matthew.
Why? Because Matthew emphasizes something very important. Keeping the Jewish law down to every detail. It presents Jesus in a deeply Jewish way.
But here's where it gets interesting.
One group known as the Nazarans created their own version of Matthew. It wasn't in Greek like the New Testament we have today. It was translated into Aramaic, the language Jesus himself spoke. This version likely appeared near the end of the first century or the beginning of the second. For them, this wasn't just another text. It was scripture. But over time, something changed. This gospel slowly disappeared.
Why? Partly because fewer Christians could read Aramaic anymore, and partly because its strong Jewish focus started to make people uncomfortable, it began to feel suspicious. So eventually, the Gospel of the Nazarans was lost.
Today we only know it through small quotations preserved by early church writers like Jerome. But those fragments tell us something powerful. This gospel included stories of Jesus baptism, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection.
But there's one surprising detail. It likely did not include the birth story of Jesus. No nativity, no virgin birth.
Because many Jewish Christians believe something different that Jesus was fully human, chosen by God because of his righteousness. And even today, scholars still debate, was this just a translation of Matthew or was it a completely separate gospel based on early oral traditions?
Now, let's look at another group, the Ebianites. The Ebianites were also Jewish Christians living across the Mediterranean world from the 2nd to the 4th century. They believed in one God very strongly. So strongly that they rejected the idea that Jesus was divine.
But at the same time they still believed Jesus was the Messiah. And more than that they believed his death replaced all sacrifices.
Because of this they even changed how they lived including their diet. They avoided meat, choosing a vegetarian lifestyle. And just like the Nazarans, they had their own gospel. It was called the Gospel of the Ebianites.
Unfortunately, the full book is gone.
But we do have pieces of it preserved by one of their critics, a church writer named Epiphanius of Salamus.
From these fragments, we can see something fascinating. This gospel wasn't entirely new. It was actually a blend, a harmony of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For example, at Jesus baptism, instead of one voice from heaven, there are three, each saying something slightly different, combining the words from all three gospels. And there's another small but revealing detail. In the New Testament, John the Baptist eats locusts and wild honey. But in this gospel, that one word is changed.
Instead of locusts, he eats pancakes.
Why? Because the Ebianites didn't eat meat. Even their scriptures reflected their beliefs. This gospel was probably written sometime in the early 2nd century after the original gospels were already known. Now, there's one more gospel we need to explore. The gospel according to the Hebrews. This one was used mainly in Alexandria, Egypt.
a major center of early Christian thought. Writers like Clement of Alexandria, Origin, and again Jerome all mention it. But like the others, this gospel didn't survive in full. Only fragments remain. It was written in Greek and it told key parts of Jesus story. His baptism, his temptation, his resurrection. But here's the key difference.
These weren't copied from the New Testament. They were alternative versions passed down through oral tradition before being written down.
This gospel also shows strong Jewish influence. For example, it highlights the importance of James, the brother of Jesus who led the early church in Jerusalem. But at the same time, some of its teachings sound different, almost gnostic, which suggests something important that this community may have been open to other ideas spreading at the time. And like the others, it contained many teachings of Jesus, especially ethical ones, some simple, some profound, and some highly legendary.
So what does all of this mean? It means that early Christianity was far more diverse than most people imagine.
Different groups, different beliefs, different gospels. And the New Testament we have today, it's just one part of that story. The part that survived. But these lost gospels, they remind us of something deeper. that the early followers of Jesus were still searching, still questioning, still trying to understand who he really was. Now, let's look at another gospel that almost disappeared completely. The Gospel of the Egyptians.
We don't have the full book today. In fact, the only reason we even know it existed is because an early church writer, Clement of Alexandria, quoted parts of it. and what he preserves is fascinating.
Much of this gospel centers on conversations between Jesus and a woman named Salom. Yes, the same Salom mentioned in the New Testament as one of the women who discovered the empty tomb.
But here she plays a much bigger role.
She asks questions and Jesus responds with deep mysterious teachings.
These teachings carry a strong message.
They warn against the desires of the flesh and even speak against marriage and having children. In this gospel, spiritual life is seen as something higher, something that goes beyond physical existence.
One saying even suggests that true understanding comes when people overcome the shameful garment, possibly referring to the human body itself.
And when that happens, everything becomes one again. No more division, not even between male and female.
These ideas sound very different from what most people hear today, and they reflect something known as gnostic thinking, a belief that the physical world is a kind of trap and that salvation comes through hidden knowledge. Now, here's another question.
Why was it called the gospel of the Egyptians?
Some believe it was to distinguish it from another gospel used in Egypt, the Gospel according to the Hebrews. Others think the name came from outsiders simply because it was widely used in Egypt. Either way, this gospel likely existed as early as the second century.
The Gospel of Thomas, the most shocking discoveries in modern history.
Before 1945, no one had ever seen it. People only knew its name. Then something unexpected happened in a place called Nagamadi. In Egypt, local farmers digging in the ground accidentally uncovered a sealed jar. Inside 13 ancient books. These texts became known as the Nag Hamadi Library. And among them was the Gospel of Thomas. This gospel is completely different from the ones in the New Testament. No miracles, no stories, no crucifixion, just sayings.
114 of them. According to the text, these are the secret teachings of Jesus.
And it makes a bold claim. Whoever understands these words will have eternal life. Some of the sayings feel familiar like the blind leading the blind or the parable of the mustard seed. But others are very different.
They suggest that humans are spiritual beings trapped in physical bodies and that salvation comes not through faith alone but through knowledge, hidden knowledge.
In this view, Jesus is not just a savior. He's a teacher revealing secrets that help people escape this world.
Some scholars even believe certain sayings in this gospel might go back to Jesus himself.
But the book as a whole, it was probably written in the early 2n century.
Now, here's another mystery.
A gospel that no one even knew existed until the 1900s. It's called Papyrus Edggerton 2, also known as the unknown gospel. It was discovered among ancient papyrie purchased by the British Museum dating back to around 150 CE. But here's the strange part. No ancient writer ever mentions it. Not once. What survives are just fragments. But those fragments tell us something important. They include a debate between Jesus and Jewish leaders, a healing of a leper, a discussion about paying taxes to Caesar, and a miracle near the Jordan River. Some of these stories sound familiar, others completely unique. So scholars ask, "Where did these stories come from? Were they copied from the known gospels, remembered and retold differently, or passed down through oral tradition?" The answer is still unknown. And finally, we come to one of the most dramatic lost gospels of all. The Gospel of Peter.
This text was once used as scripture in parts of the early church, but later it was rejected. Church leaders believed it contained false teachings, and so it was set aside. For centuries, it disappeared until a fragment was discovered in a tomb in Egypt. What it describes is unforgettable. It tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, but with some surprising differences. During the crucifixion, Jesus is described as completely silent, as if he felt no pain. And then comes the resurrection scene, unlike anything in the New Testament. The tomb opens. Two enormous angels appear, their heads reaching the sky. Between them, Jesus emerges and he is even taller, his head rising beyond the heavens. Behind them, a cross follows. Then a voice from heaven asks, "Have you preached to those who are sleeping?" And the cross answers, "Yes."
It's a powerful, almost surreal image.
And just as the story continues, it suddenly stops mid-sentence.
But I, Simon Peter, and Andrew, my brother, and that's it. The rest is gone.
The Gospel of Mary. This gospel as well doesn't fully survive. What we have are fragments pieces in Greek and a larger but still incomplete version in Coptic.
But even in fragments, its message is clear. In this gospel, Mary Magdalene is not just a follower. She stands out. She is respected, honored, even elevated. At one moment, something surprising is said that Jesus loved her more than the others. And more than that, he shares with her something deeply personal, a vision, a revelation, something the other apostles did not receive. The story unfolds in two parts. First Jesus appears after his resurrection. He teaches all the apostles, speaks about sin, gives them a final blessing and sends them out to preach. Then he leaves and they are afraid, uncertain. But Mary steps forward. She calms them, encourages them, reminds them of what Jesus said. And then Peter asks her, "Tell us what he told you." What follows is a vision, but part of it is missing, lost.
Still, we know enough. In her vision, Jesus explains something profound. How the human soul rises, passing through powers that try to hold it back until it finally reaches rest. But not everyone believes her. Andrew questions her.
Peter doubts her until Levi speaks up and reminds them that Jesus trusted her, that he chose her. And with that, they go out to preach.
Another mysterious text is the Gospel of Philillip. This one stayed hidden for centuries until it was discovered in the Nagamadi library, but it's not a story, not a narrative. It's a collection of reflections, fragments of thought, teachings that feel symbolic and at times difficult to understand. But one theme stands out clearly. There are two kinds of people. Those who understand and those who don't. Some knowledge is open to everyone. But some is hidden, reserved for those on the inside. This gospel even suggests that many people misunderstand key beliefs like the virgin birth or the resurrection not as literal events but as symbols of deeper truths.
It also speaks about sacred rituals, baptism, anointing, the eukarist and something called the bridal chamber. A concept that still sparks debate today.
Now, here's another different one called the Gospel of Truth. Despite its name, it doesn't tell the story of Jesus' life. Instead, it speaks about something else. Truth. It describes a world lost in confusion, in darkness, in ignorance.
And then Jesus appears not just as a teacher, but as the one who reveals truth. Through him. The confusion fades, the illusion breaks, and those who understand discover who they truly are.
Some believe this text was written by Valentinis, one of the most influential thinkers of his time. So, let's talk about one of the most recently discovered gospels, the Gospel of the Savior. This one is damaged, full of gaps, missing pieces, but what remains is powerful. It focuses on the final moments of Jesus, his last teachings, his prayer asking if the cup could pass from him. But here's the twist. This doesn't happen in the garden of Gethsemane. Instead, it happens in a vision. Jesus is taken to the throne room of God. And there he speaks directly to the father. And even more surprising, God answers. But the most striking moment comes at the end. Jesus turns and speaks to the cross. Oh cross, do not be afraid. I will mount you. I will be hung upon you. It's a deeply symbolic almost poetic moment. So let's go back even further to the childhood of Jesus. The infancy gospel of Thomas.
People have always wondered what was Jesus like as a child. This gospel tries to answer that. It begins when Jesus is just 5 years old. And what we see is surprising. He performs miracles, powerful ones. But sometimes they feel unpredictable.
At times he harms other children, then brings them back. He challenges teachers, outsmarts elders, even corrects his father's work in the workshop. It's a mix of wonder and mystery. stories that make you ask, were these meant to be taken seriously or simply to imagine what a divine child might be like? And finally, one last text, the Epistle of the Apostles.
Despite its name, it's not really a letter. It begins like one written by the apostles to believers, but quickly becomes something else, a conversation.
Jesus speaking to his disciples after the resurrection.
This kind of text was common among gnostic groups because it allowed them to claim that Jesus gave secret teachings. But this one is different. It actually argues against those ideas. It emphasizes something very clear that Jesus was real in the flesh. that his life, his death, his resurrection all truly happened and that his followers will also live in the flesh. So instead of promoting hidden knowledge, it defends what became known as orthodox belief and that's what makes it unique.
Now here's the thing. He are just some of the lost gospels. There are more texts like the secret gospel of Mark, the second treatise of the great Seth and many others. Each one adding another layer to the story. And maybe we'll explore them in another episode because the deeper you go into this history, the more you realize. The story of Christianity is far bigger than most people ever imagined. Thank you so much for watching. I truly appreciate your time. If this episode made you think or see things differently, drop a comment and let's talk about it. And don't forget to subscribe, like the video, and share it with someone who would find this interesting. We've got a lot more stories to uncover together. Shalom. God bless you.
What if Hey everyone, welcome back to Bible History Journey. I'm really glad you're here. What if I told you the Bible you read today almost looked completely different? Not just slightly different, but filled with books you've probably never even heard of. Books that were once believed to be sacred. Books written by people claiming to know Jesus personally.
books that didn't make it into the New Testament. So, the real question is, what happened to them? Let's uncover the secret truth about lost scriptures excluded from the New Testament.
Millions of people around the world read the New Testament. Some out of faith, others out of curiosity, but very few stop and ask, "What exactly is this collection of books? Where did it come from? Who chose what to include and what to leave out?" Because here's the truth. The New Testament didn't just appear overnight after Jesus died. It took years, decades, even centuries.
There were long debates, disagreements, even conflicts. And one big reason, there weren't just four gospels. There were many. Early Christians were writing all kinds of texts, stories about Jesus, letters, teachings, even visions about the end of the world. Some of these books claimed to be written by the apostles themselves. But here's where it gets interesting. They didn't all agree not just on small things like how to run a church or when to baptize someone. No, these debates were much deeper. They were asking questions like, "How many gods are there? Did the true God really create the world? Was Jesus fully human or fully divine or both? Did his death actually bring salvation or not?"
Some even questioned whether he died at all. And then there was another big question. What about Judaism?
Should Christians still follow it?
Should they become Jews first?
Are the Jewish scriptures part of the Christian faith or something completely separate? Today, most Christians would say the answers seem obvious. One God, creator of everything. Jesus is both divine and human. His death brings salvation.
But those answers only feel obvious because one side eventually won.
In the early centuries, there were many different versions of Christianity.
Different beliefs, different teachings.
But over time, one group became dominant. They were called orthodox, meaning the right belief. and everything else was labeled heresy, false, rejected.
But here's something most people don't realize. The winners didn't just win the argument. They also rewrote the history.
So later generations believed that these orthodox beliefs had always been the majority from the very beginning. So what happened to the other books? The ones that didn't make it, most were lost, some were destroyed, others were forgotten, and many survived only because their opponents quoted them just to prove they were wrong. But at one point in history, these lost scriptures were actually sacred to real people.
They were read, respected, believed.
Those believers were convinced they were following the true teachings of Jesus.
Over time, more and more writings appeared. Gospels, acts, letters, revelations. Some may have come from the original apostles, but many others were written later. Sometimes even pretending to be from them. Yes, forgery existed even back then, and it didn't stop there. It continued for centuries. Some of these hidden texts were only discovered recently buried in the sand, hidden in caves like the famous discoveries near Nag Hamadi in Egypt.
Among them were gospels attributed to people like Peter, Mary Magdalene, and even Thomas. So, how did we end up with the 27 books we have today? That process took a long time, hundreds of years. It wasn't until around the year 367 CE that a church leader named Athanasius listed the exact 27 books we now call the New Testament. And even then, not everyone agreed. Some books were debated. Should Revelation be included? Yes, it was.
What about the Apocalypse of Peter? No, it wasn't. The Book of Hebrews? It made it. The epistle of Barnabas left out. So the canon, the official collection of scripture was shaped through centuries of debate, belief, and power. Now let's go back to the main question. How many books didn't make it? The answer is simple. A lot. There were many gospels beyond Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Some became popular for a time like the infancy gospel of Thomas which tells stories of Jesus as a child performing miracles or the protoospel of James which focuses on the birth of Mary and the early story leading to Jesus. Others were completely lost and only rediscovered in modern times like the Gospel of Thomas a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus.
Some of them feel familiar, others are very different, reflecting beliefs known as gnosticism. There's even a gospel attributed to Peter where the resurrection is described in a dramatic way. Jesus emerging from the tomb, towering like a giant. In total, scholars have identified many early non-cononical gospels, at least 15 major ones from the earliest centuries. Each one offering a different perspective, a different voice, a different understanding of Jesus. And that's what makes this story so powerful. Early Christianity wasn't just one unified belief system. It was diverse, complex, full of competing ideas. Which means the New Testament we have today is the result of that struggle. A collection chosen from many, preserved while others were left behind. So next time you open the Bible, remember this. It's not just a book. It's the outcome of history, debate, and decisions made long ago. And behind it, there's a whole world of lost scriptures waiting to be discovered.
If we go back in the early centuries of Christianity, there were groups of believers who still held tightly to their Jewish roots. These were Jewish Christians and many of them preferred one gospel above all others.
The Gospel of Matthew.
Why? Because Matthew emphasizes something very important. Keeping the Jewish law down to every detail. It presents Jesus in a deeply Jewish way.
But here's where it gets interesting.
One group known as the Nazarans created their own version of Matthew. It wasn't in Greek like the New Testament we have today. It was translated into Aramaic, the language Jesus himself spoke. This version likely appeared near the end of the first century or the beginning of the second. For them, this wasn't just another text. It was scripture.
But over time, something changed. This gospel slowly disappeared.
Why? Partly because fewer Christians could read Aramaic anymore. And partly because its strong Jewish focus started to make people uncomfortable. It began to feel suspicious.
So eventually, the Gospel of the Nazarans was lost.
Today, we only know it through small quotations preserved by early church writers like Jerome. But those fragments tell us something powerful. This gospel included stories of Jesus' baptism, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection.
But there's one surprising detail. It likely did not include the birth story of Jesus. No nativity, no virgin birth.
Because many Jewish Christians believe something different that Jesus was fully human, chosen by God because of his righteousness. And even today, scholars still debate, was this just a translation of Matthew or was it a completely separate gospel based on early oral traditions?
Now, let's look at another group, the Ebianites. The Ebianites were also Jewish Christians living across the Mediterranean world from the 2nd to the 4th century. They believed in one God very strongly. So strongly that they rejected the idea that Jesus was divine.
But at the same time they still believed Jesus was the Messiah. And more than that they believed his death replaced all sacrifices.
Because of this they even changed how they lived including their diet. They avoided meat, choosing a vegetarian lifestyle. And just like the Nazarans, they had their own gospel. It was called the Gospel of the Ebianites.
Unfortunately, the full book is gone.
But we do have pieces of it preserved by one of their critics, a church writer named Epipanius of Salamus.
From these fragments, we can see something fascinating. This gospel wasn't entirely new. It was actually a blend, a harmony of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For example, at Jesus baptism, instead of one voice from heaven, there are three, each saying something slightly different, combining the words from all three gospels. And there's another small but revealing detail. In the New Testament, John the Baptist eats locusts and wild honey. But in this gospel, that one word is changed.
Instead of locusts, he eats pancakes.
Why? Because the Ebianites didn't eat meat. Even their scriptures reflected their beliefs. This gospel was probably written sometime in the early 2nd century after the original gospels were already known. Now, there's one more gospel we need to explore. The gospel according to the Hebrews. This one was used mainly in Alexandria, Egypt. a major center of early Christian thought.
Writers like Clement of Alexandria, Origin, and again Jerome all mention it.
But like the others, this gospel didn't survive in full. Only fragments remain.
It was written in Greek and it told key parts of Jesus story. His baptism, his temptation, his resurrection. But here's the key difference.
These weren't copied from the New Testament. They were alternative versions passed down through oral tradition before being written down.
This gospel also shows strong Jewish influence. For example, it highlights the importance of James, the brother of Jesus who led the early church in Jerusalem. But at the same time, some of its teachings sound different, almost gnostic, which suggests something important that this community may have been open to other ideas spreading at the time. And like the others, it contained many teachings of Jesus, especially ethical ones, some simple, some profound, and some highly legendary.
So what does all of this mean? It means that early Christianity was far more diverse than most people imagine.
Different groups, different beliefs, different gospels. And the New Testament we have today, it's just one part of that story. The part that survived. But these lost gospels, they remind us of something deeper. that the early followers of Jesus were still searching, still questioning, still trying to understand who he really was. Now, let's look at another gospel that almost disappeared completely. The Gospel of the Egyptians.
We don't have the full book today. In fact, the only reason we even know it existed is because an early church writer, Clement of Alexandria, quoted parts of it. and what he preserves is fascinating.
Much of this gospel centers on conversations between Jesus and a woman named Salom. Yes, the same Salom mentioned in the New Testament as one of the women who discovered the empty tomb.
But here she plays a much bigger role.
She asks questions and Jesus responds with deep mysterious teachings.
These teachings carry a strong message.
They warn against the desires of the flesh and even speak against marriage and having children. In this gospel, spiritual life is seen as something higher, something that goes beyond physical existence.
One saying even suggests that true understanding comes when people overcome the shameful garment, possibly referring to the human body itself.
And when that happens, everything becomes one. Again, no more division, not even between male and female.
These ideas sound very different from what most people hear today, and they reflect something known as Gnostic thinking, a belief that the physical world is a kind of trap and that salvation comes through hidden knowledge. Now, here's another question.
Why was it called the Gospel of the Egyptians? Some believe it was to distinguish it from another gospel used in Egypt, the Gospel according to the Hebrews. Others think the name came from outsiders simply because it was widely used in Egypt. Either way, this gospel likely existed as early as the second century.
The Gospel of Thomas, the most shocking discoveries in modern history.
Before 1945, no one had ever seen it. People only knew its name. Then something unexpected happened in a place called Nag Hamadi.
In Egypt, local farmers digging in the ground accidentally uncovered a sealed jar. Inside 13 ancient books. These texts became known as the Nag Hamadi Library. And among them was the Gospel of Thomas. This gospel is completely different from the ones in the New Testament. No miracles, no stories, no crucifixion, just sayings.
114 of them. According to the text, these are the secret teachings of Jesus.
And it makes a bold claim. Whoever understands these words will have eternal life. Some of the sayings feel familiar like the blind leading the blind or the parable of the mustard seed. But others are very different.
They suggest that humans are spiritual beings trapped in physical bodies and that salvation comes not through faith alone but through knowledge, hidden knowledge.
In this view, Jesus is not just a savior. He's a teacher revealing secrets that help people escape this world. Some scholars even believe certain sayings in this gospel might go back to Jesus himself.
But the book as a whole, it was probably written in the early 2nd century.
Now, here's another mystery.
A gospel that no one even knew existed until the 1900s. It's called Papyrus Eggertton 2, also known as the Unknown Gospel. It was discovered among ancient papyrie purchased by the British Museum dating back to around 150 CE. But here's the strange part. No ancient writer ever mentions it. Not once. What survives are just fragments. But those fragments tell us something important. They include a debate between Jesus and Jewish leaders, a healing of a leper, a discussion about paying taxes to Caesar, and a miracle near the Jordan River. Some of these stories sound familiar, others completely unique. So scholars ask, "Where did these stories come from? Were they copied from the known gospels, remembered and retold differently, or passed down through oral tradition?" The answer is still unknown. And finally, we come to one of the most dramatic lost gospels of all. The Gospel of Peter.
This text was once used as scripture in parts of the early church, but later it was rejected. Church leaders believed it contained false teachings and so it was set aside. For centuries, it disappeared until a fragment was discovered in a tomb in Egypt. What it describes is unforgettable. It tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, but with some surprising differences. During the crucifixion, Jesus is described as completely silent, as if he felt no pain. And then comes the resurrection scene, unlike anything in the New Testament. The tomb opens. Two enormous angels appear, their heads reaching the sky. Between them, Jesus emerges and he is even taller, his head rising beyond the heavens. Behind them, a cross follows. Then a voice from heaven asks, "Have you preached to those who are sleeping?" And the cross answers, "Yes."
It's a powerful, almost surreal image.
And just as the story continues, it suddenly stops mid-sentence.
But I, Simon Peter, and Andrew, my brother, and that's it. The rest is gone.
The Gospel of Mary. This gospel as well doesn't fully survive. What we have are fragments pieces in Greek and a larger but still incomplete version in Coptic.
But even in fragments, its message is clear. In this gospel, Mary Magdalene is not just a follower. She stands out. She is respected, honored, even elevated. At one moment, something surprising is said that Jesus loved her more than the others. And more than that, he shares with her something deeply personal, a vision, a revelation, something the other apostles did not receive. The story unfolds in two parts. First Jesus appears after his resurrection. He teaches all the apostles, speaks about sin, gives them a final blessing and sends them out to preach. Then he leaves and they are afraid, uncertain. But Mary steps forward. She calms them, encourages them, reminds them of what Jesus said. And then Peter asks her, "Tell us what he told you." What follows is a vision, but part of it is missing, lost.
Still, we know enough. In her vision, Jesus explains something profound. How the human soul rises, passing through powers that try to hold it back until it finally reaches rest. But not everyone believes her. Andrew questions her.
Peter doubts her until Levi speaks up and reminds them that Jesus trusted her, that he chose her. And with that, they go out to preach.
Another mysterious text is the Gospel of Philillip. This one stayed hidden for centuries until it was discovered in the Nagamadi library, but it's not a story, not a narrative. It's a collection of reflections, fragments of thought, teachings that feel symbolic and at times difficult to understand. But one theme stands out clearly. There are two kinds of people. Those who understand and those who don't. Some knowledge is open to everyone. But some is hidden, reserved for those on the inside. This gospel even suggests that many people misunderstand key beliefs like the virgin birth. or the resurrection, not as literal events, but as symbols of deeper truths.
It also speaks about sacred rituals, baptism, anointing, the eukarist, and something called the bridal chamber, a concept that still sparks debate today.
Now, here's another different one called the Gospel of Truth. Despite its name, it doesn't tell the story of Jesus' life. Instead, it speaks about something else, truth. It describes a world lost in confusion, in darkness, in ignorance.
And then Jesus appears not just as a teacher, but as the one who reveals truth. Through him, the confusion fades, the illusion breaks, and those who understand discover who they truly are.
Some believe this text was written by Valentinis, one of the most influential thinkers of his time. So, let's talk about one of the most recently discovered gospels, the Gospel of the Savior. This one is damaged, full of gaps, missing pieces, but what remains is powerful. It focuses on the final moments of Jesus, his last teachings, his prayer asking if the cup could pass from him. But here's the twist. This doesn't happen in the garden of Gethsemane. Instead, it happens in a vision. Jesus is taken to the throne room of God. And there he speaks directly to the father. And even more surprising, God answers. But the most striking moment comes at the end. Jesus turns and speaks to the cross. Oh cross, do not be afraid. I will mount you. I will be hung upon you. It's a deeply symbolic almost poetic moment. So let's go back even further to the childhood of Jesus. The infancy gospel of Thomas.
People have always wondered what was Jesus like as a child. This gospel tries to answer that. It begins when Jesus is just 5 years old. And what we see is surprising. He performs miracles, powerful ones. But sometimes they feel unpredictable.
At times he harms other children, then brings them back. He challenges teachers, outsmarts elders, even corrects his father's work in the workshop. It's a mix of wonder and mystery, stories that make you ask, were these meant to be taken seriously, or simply to imagine what a divine child might be like? And finally, one last text. The Epistle of the Apostles.
Despite its name, it's not really a letter. It begins like one written by the apostles to believers, but quickly becomes something else, a conversation.
Jesus speaking to his disciples after the resurrection.
This kind of text was common among Gnostic groups because it allowed them to claim that Jesus gave secret teachings. But this one is different. It actually argues against those ideas. It emphasizes something very clear that Jesus was real in the flesh. That his life, his death, his resurrection all truly happened and that his followers will also live in the flesh. So instead of promoting hidden knowledge, it defends what became known as orthodox belief. And that's what makes it unique.
Now here's the thing. Easy are just some of the lost gospels. There are more texts like the secret gospel of Mark, the second treatise of the great Seth and many others. Each one adding another layer to the story and maybe we'll explore them in another episode because the deeper you go into this history, the more you realize. The story of Christianity is far bigger than most people ever imagined. Thank you so much for watching. I truly appreciate your time. If this episode made you think or see things differently, drop a comment and let's talk about it. And don't forget to subscribe, like the video, and share it with someone who would find this interesting. We've got a lot more stories to uncover together. Shalom. God bless you.
Hey everyone, welcome back to Bible History Journey. I'm really glad you're here. What if I told you the Bible you read today almost looked completely different? Not just slightly different, but filled with books you've probably never even heard of. Books that were once believed to be sacred. Books written by people claiming to know Jesus personally.
Books that didn't make it into the New Testament. So, the real question is, what happened to them? Let's uncover the secret truth about lost scriptures excluded from the New Testament.
Millions of people around the world read the New Testament. Some out of faith, others out of curiosity.
But very few stop and ask, "What exactly is this collection of books? Where did it come from? Who chose what to include and what to leave out?" Because here's the truth. The New Testament didn't just appear overnight after Jesus died. It took years, decades, even centuries.
There were long debates, disagreements, even conflicts. And one big reason, there weren't just four gospels. There were many. Early Christians were writing all kinds of texts, stories about Jesus, letters, teachings, even visions about the end of the world. Some of these books claimed to be written by the apostles themselves. But here's where it gets interesting. They didn't all agree not just on small things like how to run a church or when to baptize someone. No, these debates were much deeper. They were asking questions like, "How many gods are there? Did the true God really create the world? Was Jesus fully human or fully divine or both? Did his death actually bring salvation or not?" Some even questioned whether he died at all.
And then there was another big question.
What about Judaism? Should Christians still follow it? Should they become Jews first?
Are the Jewish scriptures part of the Christian faith or something completely separate? Today, most Christians would say the answers seem obvious, one God, creator of everything. Jesus is both divine and human. His death brings salvation.
But those answers only feel obvious because one side eventually won.
In the early centuries, there were many different versions of Christianity.
Different beliefs, different teachings.
But over time, one group became dominant. They were called orthodox, meaning the right belief. And everything else was labeled heresy, false, rejected.
But here's something most people don't realize. The winners didn't just win the argument. They also rewrote the history.
So later generations believed that these orthodox beliefs had always been the majority from the very beginning. So what happened to the other books? The ones that didn't make it, most were lost. Some were destroyed. Others were forgotten. And many survived only because their opponents quoted them just to prove they were wrong. But at one point in history, these lost scriptures were actually sacred to real people.
They were read, respected, believed.
Those believers were convinced they were following the true teachings of Jesus.
Over time, more and more writings appeared. Gospels, Acts, letters, revelations.
Some may have come from the original apostles, but many others were written later, sometimes even pretending to be from them. Yes, forgery existed even back then, and it didn't stop there. It continued for centuries.
Some of these hidden texts were only discovered recently, buried in the sand, hidden in caves like the famous discoveries near Nag Hamadi in Egypt.
Among them were gospels attributed to people like Peter, Mary Magdalene, and even Thomas. So, how did we end up with the 27 books we have today? That process took a long time, hundreds of years. It wasn't until around the year 367 CE that a church leader named Athanasius listed the exact 27 books we now call the New Testament. And even then, not everyone agreed. Some books were debated. Should Revelation be included?
Yes, it was. What about the Apocalypse of Peter? No, it wasn't. The book of Hebrews, it made it. The Epistle of Barnabas left out. So, the canon, the official collection of scripture, was shaped through centuries of debate, belief, and power. Now let's go back to the main question. How many books didn't make it? The answer is simple. A lot.
There were many gospels beyond Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Some became popular for a time like the infancy gospel of Thomas which tells stories of Jesus as a child performing miracles or the protospel of James which focuses on the birth of Mary and the early story leading to Jesus. Others were completely lost and only rediscovered in modern times like the Gospel of Thomas, a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus.
Some of them feel familiar, others are very different, reflecting beliefs known as Gnosticism. There's even a gospel attributed to Peter where the resurrection is described in a dramatic way. Jesus emerging from the tomb towering like a giant. In total, scholars have identified many early non-cononical gospels, at least 15 major ones from the earliest centuries. Each one offering a different perspective, a different voice, a different understanding of Jesus. And that's what makes this story so powerful. Early Christianity wasn't just one unified belief system. It was diverse, complex, full of competing ideas. Which means the New Testament we have today is the result of that struggle. A collection chosen from many, preserved while others were left behind. So next time you open the Bible, remember this. It's not just a book. It's the outcome of history, debate, and decisions made long ago. And behind it, there's a whole world of lost scriptures waiting to be discovered.
If we go back in the early centuries of Christianity, there were groups of believers who still held tightly to their Jewish roots. These were Jewish Christians and many of them preferred one gospel above all others.
The Gospel of Matthew.
Why? Because Matthew emphasizes something very important. Keeping the Jewish law down to every detail. It presents Jesus in a deeply Jewish way.
But here's where it gets interesting.
One group known as the Nazarans created their own version of Matthew. It wasn't in Greek like the New Testament we have today. It was translated into Aramaic, the language Jesus himself spoke. This version likely appeared near the end of the first century or the beginning of the second. For them, this wasn't just another text. It was scripture. But over time, something changed. This gospel slowly disappeared.
Why? Partly because fewer Christians could read Aramaic anymore, and partly because its strong Jewish focus started to make people uncomfortable, it began to feel suspicious. So eventually, the Gospel of the Nazarans was lost.
Today we only know it through small quotations preserved by early church writers like Jerome. But those fragments tell us something powerful. This gospel included stories of Jesus baptism, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection.
But there's one surprising detail. It likely did not include the birth story of Jesus. No nativity, no virgin birth.
Because many Jewish Christians believe something different that Jesus was fully human, chosen by God because of his righteousness. And even today, scholars still debate, was this just a translation of Matthew or was it a completely separate gospel based on early oral traditions?
Now, let's look at another group, the Ebianites. The Ebianites were also Jewish Christians living across the Mediterranean world from the 2nd to the 4th century. They believed in one God very strongly. So strongly that they rejected the idea that Jesus was divine.
But at the same time they still believed Jesus was the Messiah. And more than that they believed his death replaced all sacrifices.
Because of this they even changed how they lived including their diet. They avoided meat, choosing a vegetarian lifestyle. And just like the Nazarans, they had their own gospel. It was called the Gospel of the Ebianites.
Unfortunately, the full book is gone.
But we do have pieces of it preserved by one of their critics, a church writer named Epiphanius of Salamus.
From these fragments, we can see something fascinating. This gospel wasn't entirely new. It was actually a blend, a harmony of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For example, at Jesus baptism, instead of one voice from heaven, there are three, each saying something slightly different, combining the words from all three gospels. And there's another small but revealing detail. In the New Testament, John the Baptist eats locusts and wild honey. But in this gospel, that one word is changed.
Instead of locusts, he eats pancakes.
Why? Because the Ebianites didn't eat meat. Even their scriptures reflected their beliefs. This gospel was probably written sometime in the early 2nd century after the original gospels were already known. Now, there's one more gospel we need to explore. The gospel according to the Hebrews. This one was used mainly in Alexandria, Egypt.
a major center of early Christian thought. Writers like Clement of Alexandria, Origin, and again Jerome all mention it. But like the others, this gospel didn't survive in full. Only fragments remain. It was written in Greek and it told key parts of Jesus story. His baptism, his temptation, his resurrection. But here's the key difference.
These weren't copied from the New Testament. They were alternative versions passed down through oral tradition before being written down.
This gospel also shows strong Jewish influence. For example, it highlights the importance of James, the brother of Jesus who led the early church in Jerusalem. But at the same time, some of its teachings sound different, almost gnostic, which suggests something important that this community may have been open to other ideas spreading at the time. And like the others, it contained many teachings of Jesus, especially ethical ones, some simple, some profound, and some highly legendary.
So what does all of this mean? It means that early Christianity was far more diverse than most people imagine.
Different groups, different beliefs, different gospels. And the New Testament we have today, it's just one part of that story. The part that survived. But these lost gospels, they remind us of something deeper. that the early followers of Jesus were still searching, still questioning, still trying to understand who he really was. Now, let's look at another gospel that almost disappeared completely. The Gospel of the Egyptians.
We don't have the full book today. In fact, the only reason we even know it existed is because an early church writer, Clement of Alexandria, quoted parts of it. and what he preserves is fascinating.
Much of this gospel centers on conversations between Jesus and a woman named Salom. Yes, the same Salom mentioned in the New Testament as one of the women who discovered the empty tomb.
But here she plays a much bigger role.
She asks questions and Jesus responds with deep mysterious teachings.
These teachings carry a strong message.
They warn against the desires of the flesh and even speak against marriage and having children. In this gospel, spiritual life is seen as something higher, something that goes beyond physical existence.
One saying even suggests that true understanding comes when people overcome the shameful garment, possibly referring to the human body itself.
And when that happens, everything becomes one. Again, no more division, not even between male and female.
These ideas sound very different from what most people hear today, and they reflect something known as Gnostic thinking, a belief that the physical world is a kind of trap and that salvation comes through hidden knowledge. Now, here's another question.
Why was it called the Gospel of the Egyptians?
Some believe it was to distinguish it from another gospel used in Egypt, the Gospel according to the Hebrews. Others think the name came from outsiders simply because it was widely used in Egypt. Either way, this gospel likely existed as early as the second century.
The Gospel of Thomas, the most shocking discoveries in modern history.
Before 1945, no one had ever seen it. People only knew its name. Then something unexpected happened in a place called Nag Hamadi.
In Egypt, local farmers digging in the ground accidentally uncovered a sealed jar. Inside 13 ancient books. These texts became known as the Nag Hamadi Library. And among them was the Gospel of Thomas. This gospel is completely different from the ones in the New Testament. No miracles, no stories, no crucifixion, just sayings.
114 of them. According to the text, these are the secret teachings of Jesus.
And it makes a bold claim. Whoever understands these words will have eternal life. Some of the sayings feel familiar like the blind leading the blind or the parable of the mustard seed. But others are very different.
They suggest that humans are spiritual beings trapped in physical bodies and that salvation comes not through faith alone but through knowledge, hidden knowledge.
In this view, Jesus is not just a savior. He's a teacher revealing secrets that help people escape this world.
Some scholars even believe certain sayings in this gospel might go back to Jesus himself.
But the book as a whole, it was probably written in the early 2nd century.
Now, here's another mystery.
A gospel that no one even knew existed until the 1900s. It's called Papyrus Edggerton 2, also known as the unknown gospel. It was discovered among ancient papyrie purchased by the British Museum dating back to around 150 CE. But here's the strange part. No ancient writer ever mentions it. Not once. What survives are just fragments. But those fragments tell us something important. They include a debate between Jesus and Jewish leaders, a healing of a leper, a discussion about paying taxes to Caesar, and a miracle near the Jordan River. Some of these stories sound familiar, others completely unique. So scholars ask, "Where did these stories come from? Were they copied from the known gospels, remembered and retold differently, or passed down through oral tradition?" The answer is still unknown. And finally, we come to one of the most dramatic lost gospels of all, the Gospel of Peter.
This text was once used as scripture in parts of the early church, but later it was rejected. Church leaders believed it contained false teachings, and so it was set aside. For centuries, it disappeared until a fragment was discovered in a tomb in Egypt. What it describes is unforgettable. It tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, but with some surprising differences. During the crucifixion, Jesus is described as completely silent, as if he felt no pain. And then comes the resurrection scene, unlike anything in the New Testament. The tomb opens. Two enormous angels appear, their heads reaching the sky. Between them, Jesus emerges and he is even taller, his head rising beyond the heavens. Behind them, a cross follows. Then a voice from heaven asks, "Have you preached to those who are sleeping?" And the cross answers, "Yes."
It's a powerful, almost surreal image.
And just as the story continues, it suddenly stops mid-sentence.
But I, Simon Peter, and Andrew, my brother, and that's it. The rest is gone.
The Gospel of Mary. This gospel as well doesn't fully survive. What we have are fragments pieces in Greek and a larger but still incomplete version in Coptic.
But even in fragments, its message is clear. In this gospel, Mary Magdalene is not just a follower. She stands out. She is respected, honored, even elevated. At one moment, something surprising is said that Jesus loved her more than the others. And more than that, he shares with her something deeply personal, a vision, a revelation, something the other apostles did not receive. The story unfolds in two parts. First Jesus appears after his resurrection. He teaches all the apostles, speaks about sin, gives them a final blessing and sends them out to preach. Then he leaves and they are afraid, uncertain. But Mary steps forward. She calms them, encourages them, reminds them of what Jesus said. And then Peter asks her, "Tell us what he told you." What follows is a vision, but part of it is missing, lost.
Still, we know enough. In her vision, Jesus explains something profound. How the human soul rises, passing through powers that try to hold it back until it finally reaches rest. But not everyone believes her. Andrew questions her.
Peter doubts her until Levi speaks up and reminds them that Jesus trusted her, that he chose her. And with that, they go out to preach.
Another mysterious text is the Gospel of Philillip. This one stayed hidden for centuries until it was discovered in the Nagamadi library, but it's not a story, not a narrative. It's a collection of reflections, fragments of thought, teachings that feel symbolic and at times difficult to understand. But one theme stands out clearly. There are two kinds of people. Those who understand and those who don't. Some knowledge is open to everyone. But some is hidden, reserved for those on the inside.
This gospel even suggests that many people misunderstand key beliefs like the virgin birth or the resurrection not as literal events but as symbols of deeper truths.
It also speaks about sacred rituals, baptism, anointing, the eukarist and something called the bridal chamber. A concept that still sparks debate today.
Now, here's another different one called the Gospel of Truth. Despite its name, it doesn't tell the story of Jesus' life. Instead, it speaks about something else. Truth. It describes a world lost in confusion, in darkness, in ignorance.
And then Jesus appears not just as a teacher, but as the one who reveals truth. Through him. The confusion fades, the illusion breaks, and those who understand discover who they truly are.
Some believe this text was written by Valentinis, one of the most influential thinkers of his time. So, let's talk about one of the most recently discovered gospels, the Gospel of the Savior. This one is damaged, full of gaps, missing pieces, but what remains is powerful. It focuses on the final moments of Jesus. his last teachings, his prayer asking if the cup could pass from him. But here's the twist. This doesn't happen in the Garden of Gethsemane. Instead, it happens in a vision. Jesus is taken to the throne room of God. And there he speaks directly to the father. And even more surprising, God answers. But the most striking moment comes at the end. Jesus turns and speaks to the cross. Oh cross, do not be afraid. I will mount you. I will be hung upon you. It's a deeply symbolic almost poetic moment. So let's go back even further to the childhood of Jesus. The infancy gospel of Thomas.
People have always wondered what was Jesus like as a child. This gospel tries to answer that. It begins when Jesus is just 5 years old. And what we see is surprising. He performs miracles, powerful ones. But sometimes they feel unpredictable.
At times he harms other children, then brings them back. He challenges teachers, outsmarts elders, even corrects his father's work in the workshop. It's a mix of wonder and mystery. stories that make you ask, were these meant to be taken seriously or simply to imagine what a divine child might be like? And finally, one last text, the Epistle of the Apostles.
Despite its name, it's not really a letter. It begins like one written by the apostles to believers, but quickly becomes something else, a conversation.
Jesus speaking to his disciples after the resurrection.
This kind of text was common among gnostic groups because it allowed them to claim that Jesus gave secret teachings. But this one is different. It actually argues against those ideas. It emphasizes something very clear that Jesus was real in the flesh. that his life, his death, his resurrection all truly happened and that his followers will also live in the flesh. So instead of promoting hidden knowledge, it defends what became known as orthodox belief and that's what makes it unique.
Now here's the thing. He are just some of the lost gospels. There are more texts like the secret gospel of Mark, the second treatise of the great Seth and many others. Each one adding another layer to the story. And maybe we'll explore them in another episode because the deeper you go into this history, the more you realize. The story of Christianity is far bigger than most people ever imagined. Thank you so much for watching. I truly appreciate your time. If this episode made you think or see things differently, drop a comment and let's talk about it. And don't forget to subscribe, like the video, and share it with someone who would find this interesting. We've got a lot more stories to uncover together. Shalom. God bless you.
Heat. Heat.
Hey everyone, welcome back to Bible History Journey. I'm really glad you're here. What if I told you the Bible you read today almost looked completely different? Not just slightly different, but filled with books you've probably never even heard of. Books that were once believed to be sacred. Books written by people claiming to know Jesus personally. Books that didn't make it into the New Testament. So, the real question is, what happened to them?
Let's uncover the secret truth about lost scriptures excluded from the New Testament.
Millions of people around the world read the New Testament. Some out of faith, others out of curiosity.
But very few stop and ask, "What exactly is this collection of books? Where did it come from? Who chose what to include and what to leave out?" Because here's the truth. The New Testament didn't just appear overnight after Jesus died. It took years, decades, even centuries.
There were long debates, disagreements, even conflicts. And one big reason, there weren't just four gospels. There were many. Early Christians were writing all kinds of texts. Stories about Jesus, letters, teachings, even visions about the end of the world. Some of these books claimed to be written by the apostles themselves. But here's where it gets interesting. They didn't all agree not just on small things like how to run a church or when to baptize someone. No, these debates were much deeper. They were asking questions like, "How many gods are there? Did the true God really create the world? Was Jesus fully human or fully divine or both? Did his death actually bring salvation or not?" Some even questioned whether he died at all.
And then there was another big question.
What about Judaism?
Should Christians still follow it?
Should they become Jews first?
Are the Jewish scriptures part of the Christian faith or something completely separate? Today, most Christians would say the answers seem obvious, one God, creator of everything. Jesus is both divine and human. His death brings salvation. But those answers only feel obvious because one side eventually won.
In the early centuries, there were many different versions of Christianity.
Different beliefs, different teachings, but over time, one group became dominant. They were called orthodox, meaning the right belief.
And everything else was labeled heresy, false, rejected.
But here's something most people don't realize. The winners didn't just win the argument. They also rewrote the history.
So later generations believed that these orthodox beliefs had always been the majority from the very beginning. So what happened to the other books? The ones that didn't make it, most were lost. Some were destroyed. Others were forgotten. And many survived only because their opponents quoted them just to prove they were wrong. But at one point in history, these lost scriptures were actually sacred to real people.
They were read, respected, believed.
Those believers were convinced they were following the true teachings of Jesus.
Over time, more and more writings appeared. Gospels, Acts, letters, revelations. Some may have come from the original apostles, but many others were written later, sometimes even pretending to be from them. Yes, forgery existed even back then, and it didn't stop there. It continued for centuries. Some of these hidden texts were only discovered recently, buried in the sand, hidden in caves like the famous discoveries near Nag Hamadi in Egypt.
Among them were gospels attributed to people like Peter, Mary Magdalene, and even Thomas. So, how did we end up with the 27 books we have today? That process took a long time, hundreds of years. It wasn't until around the year 367 CE that a church leader named Athanasius listed the exact 27 books we now call the New Testament. And even then, not everyone agreed. Some books were debated. Should Revelation be included? Yes, it was.
What about the Apocalypse of Peter? No, it wasn't. The book of Hebrews, it made it. The Epistle of Barnabas left out.
So, the canon, the official collection of scripture, was shaped through centuries of debate, belief, and power.
Now let's go back to the main question.
How many books didn't make it? The answer is simple. A lot. There were many gospels beyond Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Some became popular for a time like the infancy Gospel of Thomas, which tells stories of Jesus as a child performing miracles, or the protospospel of James, which focuses on the birth of Mary and the early story leading to Jesus. Others were completely lost and only rediscovered in modern times, like the Gospel of Thomas, a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus.
Some of them feel familiar, others are very different, reflecting beliefs known as Gnosticism. There's even a gospel attributed to Peter where the resurrection is described in a dramatic way. Jesus emerging from the tomb, towering like a giant. In total, scholars have identified many early non-cononical gospels, at least 15 major ones from the earliest centuries. Each one offering a different perspective, a different voice, a different understanding of Jesus. And that's what makes this story so powerful. Early Christianity wasn't just one unified belief system. It was diverse, complex, full of competing ideas. Which means the New Testament we have today is the result of that struggle. A collection chosen from many, preserved while others were left behind. So next time you open the Bible, remember this. It's not just a book. It's the outcome of history, debate, and decisions made long ago. And behind it, there's a whole world of lost scriptures waiting to be discovered.
If we go back in the early centuries of Christianity, there were groups of believers who still held tightly to their Jewish roots. These were Jewish Christians and many of them preferred one gospel above all others.
The Gospel of Matthew.
Why? Because Matthew emphasizes something very important. Keeping the Jewish law down to every detail. It presents Jesus in a deeply Jewish way.
But here's where it gets interesting.
One group known as the Nazarans created their own version of Matthew. It wasn't in Greek like the New Testament we have today. It was translated into Aramaic, the language Jesus himself spoke. This version likely appeared near the end of the first century or the beginning of the second. For them, this wasn't just another text. It was scripture. But over time, something changed. This gospel slowly disappeared.
Why? Partly because fewer Christians could read Aramaic anymore. And partly because its strong Jewish focus started to make people uncomfortable. It began to feel suspicious.
So eventually, the Gospel of the Nazarans was lost.
Today we only know it through small quotations preserved by early church writers like Jerome. But those fragments tell us something powerful. This gospel included stories of Jesus' baptism, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection.
But there's one surprising detail. It likely did not include the birth story of Jesus. No nativity, no virgin birth.
Because many Jewish Christians believe something different that Jesus was fully human, chosen by God because of his righteousness. And even today, scholars still debate, was this just a translation of Matthew or was it a completely separate gospel based on early oral traditions?
Now, let's look at another group, the Ebianites. The Ebianites were also Jewish Christians living across the Mediterranean world from the 2nd to the 4th century. They believed in one God very strongly. So strongly that they rejected the idea that Jesus was divine.
But at the same time they still believed Jesus was the Messiah. And more than that they believed his death replaced all sacrifices.
Because of this they even changed how they lived including their diet. They avoided meat, choosing a vegetarian lifestyle. And just like the Nazarans, they had their own gospel. It was called the Gospel of the Ebianites.
Unfortunately, the full book is gone.
But we do have pieces of it preserved by one of their critics, a church writer named Epipanius of Salamus.
From these fragments, we can see something fascinating. This gospel wasn't entirely new. It was actually a blend, a harmony of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For example, at Jesus baptism, instead of one voice from heaven, there are three, each saying something slightly different, combining the words from all three gospels. And there's another small but revealing detail. In the New Testament, John the Baptist eats locusts and wild honey. But in this gospel, that one word is changed.
Instead of locusts, he eats pancakes.
Why? Because the Ebianites didn't eat meat. Even their scriptures reflected their beliefs. This gospel was probably written sometime in the early 2nd century after the original gospels were already known. Now, there's one more gospel we need to explore. The gospel according to the Hebrews. This one was used mainly in Alexandria, Egypt. a major center of early Christian thought.
Writers like Clement of Alexandria, Origin, and again Jerome all mention it.
But like the others, this gospel didn't survive in full. Only fragments remain.
It was written in Greek and it told key parts of Jesus story. His baptism, his temptation, his resurrection. But here's the key difference.
These weren't copied from the New Testament. They were alternative versions passed down through oral tradition before being written down.
This gospel also shows strong Jewish influence. For example, it highlights the importance of James, the brother of Jesus who led the early church in Jerusalem. But at the same time, some of its teachings sound different, almost gnostic, which suggests something important that this community may have been open to other ideas spreading at the time. And like the others, it contained many teachings of Jesus, especially ethical ones, some simple, some profound, and some highly legendary.
So what does all of this mean? It means that early Christianity was far more diverse than most people imagine.
Different groups, different beliefs, different gospels. And the New Testament we have today, it's just one part of that story. The part that survived. But these lost gospels, they remind us of something deeper. that the early followers of Jesus were still searching, still questioning, still trying to understand who he really was. Now, let's look at another gospel that almost disappeared completely. The Gospel of the Egyptians.
We don't have the full book today. In fact, the only reason we even know it existed is because an early church writer, Clement of Alexandria, quoted parts of it. and what he preserves is fascinating.
Much of this gospel centers on conversations between Jesus and a woman named Salom. Yes, the same Salom mentioned in the New Testament as one of the women who discovered the empty tomb.
But here she plays a much bigger role.
She asks questions and Jesus responds with deep mysterious teachings.
These teachings carry a strong message.
They warn against the desires of the flesh and even speak against marriage and having children. In this gospel, spiritual life is seen as something higher, something that goes beyond physical existence.
One saying even suggests that true understanding comes when people overcome the shameful garment, possibly referring to the human body itself.
And when that happens, everything becomes one. Again, no more division, not even between male and female.
These ideas sound very different from what most people hear today, and they reflect something known as Gnostic thinking, a belief that the physical world is a kind of trap and that salvation comes through hidden knowledge. Now, here's another question.
Why was it called the Gospel of the Egyptians? Some believe it was to distinguish it from another gospel used in Egypt, the Gospel according to the Hebrews. Others think the name came from outsiders simply because it was widely used in Egypt. Either way, this gospel likely existed as early as the second century.
The Gospel of Thomas, the most shocking discoveries in modern history.
Before 1945, no one had ever seen it. People only knew its name. Then something unexpected happened in a place called Nag Hamadi.
In Egypt, local farmers digging in the ground accidentally uncovered a sealed jar. Inside 13 ancient books. These texts became known as the Nag Hamadi Library. And among them was the Gospel of Thomas. This gospel is completely different from the ones in the New Testament. No miracles, no stories, no crucifixion, just sayings.
114 of them. According to the text, these are the secret teachings of Jesus.
And it makes a bold claim. Whoever understands these words will have eternal life. Some of the sayings feel familiar like the blind leading the blind or the parable of the mustard seed. But others are very different.
They suggest that humans are spiritual beings trapped in physical bodies and that salvation comes not through faith alone but through knowledge, hidden knowledge.
In this view, Jesus is not just a savior. He's a teacher revealing secrets that help people escape this world.
Some scholars even believe certain sayings in this gospel might go back to Jesus himself.
But the book as a whole, it was probably written in the early 2nd century.
Now, here's another mystery.
A gospel that no one even knew existed until the 1900s. It's called Papyrus Edggerton 2, also known as the unknown gospel. It was discovered among ancient papyrie purchased by the British Museum dating back to around 150 CE. But here's the strange part. No ancient writer ever mentions it. Not once. What survives are just fragments. But those fragments tell us something important. They include a debate between Jesus and Jewish leaders, a healing of a leper, a discussion about paying taxes to Caesar, and a miracle near the Jordan River. Some of these stories sound familiar, others completely unique. So scholars ask, "Where did these stories come from? Were they copied from the known gospels, remembered and retold differently, or passed down through oral tradition?" The answer is still unknown. And finally, we come to one of the most dramatic lost gospels of all, the Gospel of Peter.
This text was once used as scripture in parts of the early church, but later it was rejected. Church leaders believed it contained false teachings, and so it was set aside. For centuries, it disappeared until a fragment was discovered in a tomb in Egypt. What it describes is unforgettable. It tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, but with some surprising differences. During the crucifixion, Jesus is described as completely silent, as if he felt no pain. And then comes the resurrection scene, unlike anything in the New Testament. The tomb opens. Two enormous angels appear, their heads reaching the sky. Between them, Jesus emerges and he is even taller, his head rising beyond the heavens. Behind them, a cross follows. Then a voice from heaven asks, "Have you preached to those who are sleeping?" And the cross answers, "Yes."
It's a powerful, almost surreal image.
And just as the story continues, it suddenly stops mid-sentence.
But I, Simon Peter, and Andrew, my brother, and that's it. The rest is gone.
The Gospel of Mary. This gospel as well doesn't fully survive. What we have are fragments pieces in Greek and a larger but still incomplete version in Coptic.
But even in fragments, its message is clear. In this gospel, Mary Magdalene is not just a follower. She stands out. She is respected, honored, even elevated. At one moment, something surprising is said that Jesus loved her more than the others. And more than that, he shares with her something deeply personal, a vision, a revelation, something the other apostles did not receive. The story unfolds in two parts. First Jesus appears after his resurrection. He teaches all the apostles, speaks about sin, gives them a final blessing and sends them out to preach. Then he leaves and they are afraid, uncertain. But Mary steps forward. She calms them, encourages them, reminds them of what Jesus said. And then Peter asks her, "Tell us what he told you." What follows is a vision, but part of it is missing, lost.
Still, we know enough. In her vision, Jesus explains something profound. How the human soul rises, passing through powers that try to hold it back until it finally reaches rest. But not everyone believes her. Andrew questions her.
Peter doubts her until Levi speaks up and reminds them that Jesus trusted her, that he chose her. And with that, they go out to preach.
Another mysterious text is the Gospel of Philillip. This one stayed hidden for centuries until it was discovered in the Nagamadi library, but it's not a story, not a narrative. It's a collection of reflections, fragments of thought, teachings that feel symbolic and at times difficult to understand. But one theme stands out clearly. There are two kinds of people. Those who understand and those who don't. Some knowledge is open to everyone. But some is hidden, reserved for those on the inside. This gospel even suggests that many people misunderstand key beliefs like the virgin birth. or the resurrection, not as literal events, but as symbols of deeper truths.
It also speaks about sacred rituals, baptism, anointing, the eukarist, and something called the bridal chamber, a concept that still sparks debate today.
Now, here's another different one called the Gospel of Truth. Despite its name, it doesn't tell the story of Jesus' life. Instead, it speaks about something else, truth. It describes a world lost in confusion, in darkness, in ignorance.
And then Jesus appears not just as a teacher, but as the one who reveals truth. Through him, the confusion fades, the illusion breaks, and those who understand discover who they truly are.
Some believe this text was written by Valentinis, one of the most influential thinkers of his time. So, let's talk about one of the most recently discovered gospels, the Gospel of the Savior. This one is damaged, full of gaps, missing pieces, but what remains is powerful. It focuses on the final moments of Jesus, his last teachings, his prayer asking if the cup could pass from him. But here's the twist. This doesn't happen in the garden of Gethsemane. Instead, it happens in a vision. Jesus is taken to the throne room of God. And there he speaks directly to the father. And even more surprising, God answers. But the most striking moment comes at the end. Jesus turns and speaks to the cross. Oh cross, do not be afraid. I will mount you. I will be hung upon you. It's a deeply symbolic almost poetic moment. So let's go back even further to the childhood of Jesus. The infancy gospel of Thomas.
People have always wondered what was Jesus like as a child. This gospel tries to answer that. It begins when Jesus is just 5 years old. And what we see is surprising. He performs miracles, powerful ones. But sometimes they feel unpredictable.
At times he harms other children then brings them back. He challenges teachers, outsmarts elders, even corrects his father's work in the workshop. It's a mix of wonder and mystery. Stories that make you ask, were these meant to be taken seriously or simply to imagine what a divine child might be like? And finally, one last text. The Epistle of the Apostles.
Despite its name, it's not really a letter. It begins like one written by the apostles to believers, but quickly becomes something else, a conversation.
Jesus speaking to his disciples after the resurrection.
This kind of text was common among Gnostic groups because it allowed them to claim that Jesus gave secret teachings. But this one is different. It actually argues against those ideas. It emphasizes something very clear that Jesus was real in the flesh. That his life, his death, his resurrection all truly happened and that his followers will also live in the flesh. So instead of promoting hidden knowledge, it defends what became known as orthodox belief and that's what makes it unique.
Now here's the thing. Easy are just some of the lost gospels. There are more texts like the secret gospel of Mark, the second treatise of the great Seth and many others. Each one adding another layer to the story and maybe we'll explore them in another episode because the deeper you go into this history, the more you realize. The story of Christianity is far bigger than most people ever imagined. Thank you so much for watching. I truly appreciate your time. If this episode made you think or see things differently, drop a comment and let's talk about it. And don't forget to subscribe, like the video, and share it with someone who would find this interesting. We've got a lot more stories to uncover together. Shalom. God bless you.
Hey everyone, welcome back to Bible History Journey. I'm really glad you're here. What if I told you the Bible you read today almost looked completely different? Not just slightly different, but filled with books you've probably never even heard of. Books that were once believed to be sacred. Books written by people claiming to know Jesus personally. Books that didn't make it into the New Testament. So, the real question is, what happened to them?
Let's uncover the secret truth about lost scriptures excluded from the New Testament.
Millions of people around the world read the New Testament. Some out of faith, others out of curiosity.
But very few stop and ask, "What exactly is this collection of books? Where did it come from? Who chose what to include and what to leave out?" Because here's the truth. The New Testament didn't just appear overnight after Jesus died. It took years, decades, even centuries.
There were long debates, disagreements, even conflicts. And one big reason, there weren't just four gospels. There were many. Early Christians were writing all kinds of texts, stories about Jesus, letters, teachings, even visions about the end of the world. Some of these books claimed to be written by the apostles themselves. But here's where it gets interesting. They didn't all agree not just on small things like how to run a church or when to baptize someone. No, these debates were much deeper. They were asking questions like, "How many gods are there? Did the true God really create the world? Was Jesus fully human or fully divine or both? Did his death actually bring salvation or not?" Some even questioned whether he died at all.
And then there was another big question.
What about Judaism? Should Christians still follow it? Should they become Jews first?
Are the Jewish scriptures part of the Christian faith or something completely separate? Today, most Christians would say the answers seem obvious, one God, creator of everything. Jesus is both divine and human. His death brings salvation.
But those answers only feel obvious because one side eventually won.
In the early centuries, there were many different versions of Christianity.
Different beliefs, different teachings, but over time, one group became dominant. They were called orthodox, meaning the right belief. And everything else was labeled heresy, false, rejected.
But here's something most people don't realize. The winners didn't just win the argument. They also rewrote the history.
So later generations believed that these orthodox beliefs had always been the majority from the very beginning. So what happened to the other books? The ones that didn't make it, most were lost. Some were destroyed. Others were forgotten. And many survived only because their opponents quoted them just to prove they were wrong. But at one point in history, these lost scriptures were actually sacred to real people.
They were read, respected, believed.
Those believers were convinced they were following the true teachings of Jesus.
Over time, more and more writings appeared. Gospels, Acts, letters, revelations.
Some may have come from the original apostles, but many others were written later, sometimes even pretending to be from them. Yes, forgery existed even back then, and it didn't stop there. It continued for centuries.
Some of these hidden texts were only discovered recently, buried in the sand, hidden in caves like the famous discoveries near Nag Hamadi in Egypt.
Among them were gospels attributed to people like Peter, Mary Magdalene, and even Thomas. So, how did we end up with the 27 books we have today? That process took a long time, hundreds of years. It wasn't until around the year 367 CE that a church leader named Athanasius listed the exact 27 books we now call the New Testament. And even then, not everyone agreed. Some books were debated. Should Revelation be included?
Yes, it was. What about the Apocalypse of Peter? No, it wasn't. The book of Hebrews, it made it. The Epistle of Barnabas left out. So, the canon, the official collection of scripture, was shaped through centuries of debate, belief, and power. Now let's go back to the main question. How many books didn't make it? The answer is simple. A lot.
There were many gospels beyond Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Some became popular for a time like the infancy gospel of Thomas which tells stories of Jesus as a child performing miracles or the protospel of James which focuses on the birth of Mary and the early story leading to Jesus. Others were completely lost and only rediscovered in modern times like the Gospel of Thomas, a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus.
Some of them feel familiar, others are very different, reflecting beliefs known as Gnosticism. There's even a gospel attributed to Peter where the resurrection is described in a dramatic way. Jesus emerging from the tomb towering like a giant. In total, scholars have identified many early non-cononical gospels, at least 15 major ones from the earliest centuries. Each one offering a different perspective, a different voice, a different understanding of Jesus. And that's what makes this story so powerful. Early Christianity wasn't just one unified belief system. It was diverse, complex, full of competing ideas. Which means the New Testament we have today is the result of that struggle. A collection chosen from many, preserved while others were left behind. So next time you open the Bible, remember this. It's not just a book. It's the outcome of history, debate, and decisions made long ago. And behind it, there's a whole world of lost scriptures waiting to be discovered.
If we go back in the early centuries of Christianity, there were groups of believers who still held tightly to their Jewish roots. These were Jewish Christians and many of them preferred one gospel above all others.
The Gospel of Matthew.
Why? Because Matthew emphasizes something very important. Keeping the Jewish law down to every detail. It presents Jesus in a deeply Jewish way.
But here's where it gets interesting.
One group known as the Nazarans created their own version of Matthew. It wasn't in Greek like the New Testament we have today. It was translated into Aramaic, the language Jesus himself spoke. This version likely appeared near the end of the first century or the beginning of the second. For them, this wasn't just another text. It was scripture. But over time, something changed. This gospel slowly disappeared.
Why? Partly because fewer Christians could read Aramaic anymore, and partly because its strong Jewish focus started to make people uncomfortable, it began to feel suspicious. So eventually, the Gospel of the Nazarans was lost.
Today we only know it through small quotations preserved by early church writers like Jerome. But those fragments tell us something powerful. This gospel included stories of Jesus baptism, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection.
But there's one surprising detail. It likely did not include the birth story of Jesus. No nativity, no virgin birth.
Because many Jewish Christians believe something different that Jesus was fully human, chosen by God because of his righteousness. And even today, scholars still debate, was this just a translation of Matthew or was it a completely separate gospel based on early oral traditions?
Now, let's look at another group, the Ebianites. The Ebianites were also Jewish Christians living across the Mediterranean world from the 2nd to the 4th century. They believed in one God very strongly. So strongly that they rejected the idea that Jesus was divine.
But at the same time they still believed Jesus was the Messiah. And more than that they believed his death replaced all sacrifices.
Because of this they even changed how they lived including their diet. They avoided meat, choosing a vegetarian lifestyle. And just like the Nazarans, they had their own gospel. It was called the Gospel of the Ebianites.
Unfortunately, the full book is gone.
But we do have pieces of it preserved by one of their critics, a church writer named Epiphanius of Salamus.
From these fragments, we can see something fascinating. This gospel wasn't entirely new. It was actually a blend, a harmony of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For example, at Jesus baptism, instead of one voice from heaven, there are three, each saying something slightly different, combining the words from all three gospels. And there's another small but revealing detail. In the New Testament, John the Baptist eats locusts and wild honey. But in this gospel, that one word is changed.
Instead of locusts, he eats pancakes.
Why? Because the Ebianites didn't eat meat. Even their scriptures reflected their beliefs. This gospel was probably written sometime in the early 2nd century after the original gospels were already known. Now, there's one more gospel we need to explore. The gospel according to the Hebrews. This one was used mainly in Alexandria, Egypt.
a major center of early Christian thought. Writers like Clement of Alexandria, Origin, and again Jerome all mention it. But like the others, this gospel didn't survive in full. Only fragments remain. It was written in Greek and it told key parts of Jesus' story. His baptism, his temptation, his resurrection. But here's the key difference.
These weren't copied from the New Testament. They were alternative versions passed down through oral tradition before being written down.
This gospel also shows strong Jewish influence. For example, it highlights the importance of James, the brother of Jesus who led the early church in Jerusalem. But at the same time, some of its teachings sound different, almost gnostic, which suggests something important that this community may have been open to other ideas spreading at the time. And like the others, it contained many teachings of Jesus, especially ethical ones, some simple, some profound, and some highly legendary.
So what does all of this mean? It means that early Christianity was far more diverse than most people imagine.
Different groups, different beliefs, different gospels. And the New Testament we have today, it's just one part of that story. The part that survived. But these lost gospels, they remind us of something deeper. that the early followers of Jesus were still searching, still questioning, still trying to understand who he really was. Now, let's look at another gospel that almost disappeared completely. The Gospel of the Egyptians.
We don't have the full book today. In fact, the only reason we even know it existed is because an early church writer, Clement of Alexandria, quoted parts of it. and what he preserves is fascinating.
Much of this gospel centers on conversations between Jesus and a woman named Salom. Yes, the same Salom mentioned in the New Testament as one of the women who discovered the empty tomb.
But here she plays a much bigger role.
She asks questions and Jesus responds with deep mysterious teachings.
These teachings carry a strong message.
They warn against the desires of the flesh and even speak against marriage and having children. In this gospel, spiritual life is seen as something higher, something that goes beyond physical existence.
One saying even suggests that true understanding comes when people overcome the shameful garment, possibly referring to the human body itself.
And when that happens, everything becomes one again. No more division, not even between male and female.
These ideas sound very different from what most people hear today, and they reflect something known as Gnostic thinking, a belief that the physical world is a kind of trap and that salvation comes through hidden knowledge. Now, here's another question.
Why was it called the Gospel of the Egyptians?
Some believe it was to distinguish it from another gospel used in Egypt, the Gospel according to the Hebrews. Others think the name came from outsiders simply because it was widely used in Egypt. Either way, this gospel likely existed as early as the second century.
The Gospel of Thomas, the most shocking discoveries in modern history.
Before 1945, no one had ever seen it. People only knew its name. Then something unexpected happened in a place called Nag Hamadi.
In Egypt, local farmers digging in the ground accidentally uncovered a sealed jar. Inside 13 ancient books. These texts became known as the Nag Hamadi Library. And among them was the Gospel of Thomas. This gospel is completely different from the ones in the New Testament. No miracles, no stories, no crucifixion, just sayings.
114 of them. According to the text, these are the secret teachings of Jesus.
And it makes a bold claim. Whoever understands these words will have eternal life. Some of the sayings feel familiar like the blind leading the blind or the parable of the mustard seed. But others are very different.
They suggest that humans are spiritual beings trapped in physical bodies and that salvation comes not through faith alone but through knowledge, hidden knowledge.
In this view, Jesus is not just a savior. He's a teacher revealing secrets that help people escape this world.
Some scholars even believe certain sayings in this gospel might go back to Jesus himself.
But the book as a whole, it was probably written in the early 2n century.
Now, here's another mystery.
A gospel that no one even knew existed until the 1900s. It's called Papyrus Edggerton 2, also known as the unknown gospel. It was discovered among ancient papyrie purchased by the British Museum dating back to around 150 CE. But here's the strange part. No ancient writer ever mentions it. Not once. What survives are just fragments. But those fragments tell us something important. They include a debate between Jesus and Jewish leaders, a healing of a leper, a discussion about paying taxes to Caesar, and a miracle near the Jordan River. Some of these stories sound familiar, others completely unique. So scholars ask, "Where did these stories come from? Were they copied from the known gospels, remembered and retold differently, or passed down through oral tradition?" The answer is still unknown. And finally, we come to one of the most dramatic lost gospels of all, the Gospel of Peter.
This text was once used as scripture in parts of the early church, but later it was rejected. Church leaders believed it contained false teachings, and so it was set aside. For centuries, it disappeared until a fragment was discovered in a tomb in Egypt. What it describes is unforgettable. It tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, but with some surprising differences. During the crucifixion, Jesus is described as completely silent, as if he felt no pain. And then comes the resurrection scene, unlike anything in the New Testament. The tomb opens. Two enormous angels appear, their heads reaching the sky. Between them, Jesus emerges and he is even taller, his head rising beyond the heavens. Behind them, a cross follows. Then a voice from heaven asks, "Have you preached to those who are sleeping?" And the cross answers, "Yes."
It's a powerful, almost surreal image.
And just as the story continues, it suddenly stops mid-sentence.
But I, Simon Peter, and Andrew, my brother, and that's it. The rest is gone.
The Gospel of Mary. This gospel as well doesn't fully survive. What we have are fragments pieces in Greek and a larger but still incomplete version in Coptic.
But even in fragments, its message is clear. In this gospel, Mary Magdalene is not just a follower. She stands out. She is respected, honored, even elevated. At one moment, something surprising is said that Jesus loved her more than the others. And more than that, he shares with her something deeply personal, a vision, a revelation, something the other apostles did not receive. The story unfolds in two parts. First Jesus appears after his resurrection. He teaches all the apostles, speaks about sin, gives them a final blessing and sends them out to preach. Then he leaves and they are afraid, uncertain. But Mary steps forward. She calms them, encourages them, reminds them of what Jesus said. And then Peter asks her, "Tell us what he told you." What follows is a vision, but part of it is missing, lost.
Still, we know enough. In her vision, Jesus explains something profound. How the human soul rises, passing through powers that try to hold it back until it finally reaches rest. But not everyone believes her. Andrew questions her.
Peter doubts her until Levi speaks up and reminds them that Jesus trusted her, that he chose her. And with that, they go out to preach.
Another mysterious text is the Gospel of Philillip. This one stayed hidden for centuries until it was discovered in the Nagamadi library, but it's not a story, not a narrative. It's a collection of reflections, fragments of thought, teachings that feel symbolic and at times difficult to understand. But one theme stands out clearly. There are two kinds of people. Those who understand and those who don't. Some knowledge is open to everyone. But some is hidden, reserved for those on the inside. This gospel even suggests that many people misunderstand key beliefs like the virgin birth or the resurrection not as literal events but as symbols of deeper truths.
It also speaks about sacred rituals, baptism, anointing, the eukarist and something called the bridal chamber. A concept that still sparks debate today.
Now, here's another different one called the Gospel of Truth. Despite its name, it doesn't tell the story of Jesus' life. Instead, it speaks about something else. Truth. It describes a world lost in confusion, in darkness, in ignorance.
And then Jesus appears not just as a teacher, but as the one who reveals truth. Through him. The confusion fades, the illusion breaks, and those who understand discover who they truly are.
Some believe this text was written by Valentinis, one of the most influential thinkers of his time. So, let's talk about one of the most recently discovered gospels, the Gospel of the Savior. This one is damaged, full of gaps, missing pieces, but what remains is powerful. It focuses on the final moments of Jesus. his last teachings, his prayer asking if the cup could pass from him. But here's the twist. This doesn't happen in the Garden of Gethsemane. Instead, it happens in a vision. Jesus is taken to the throne room of God. And there he speaks directly to the father and even more surprising, God answers. But the most striking moment comes at the end. Jesus turns and speaks to the cross. Oh cross, do not be afraid. I will mount you. I will be hung upon you. It's a deeply symbolic almost poetic moment. So let's go back even further to the childhood of Jesus. The infancy gospel of Thomas.
People have always wondered what was Jesus like as a child. This gospel tries to answer that. It begins when Jesus is just 5 years old. And what we see is surprising. He performs miracles, powerful ones, but sometimes they feel unpredictable.
At times he harms other children, then brings them back. He challenges teachers, outsmarts elders, even corrects his father's work in the workshop. It's a mix of wonder and mystery. stories that make you ask, were these meant to be taken seriously or simply to imagine what a divine child might be like? And finally, one last text, the Epistle of the Apostles.
Despite its name, it's not really a letter. It begins like one written by the apostles to believers, but quickly becomes something else, a conversation.
Jesus speaking to his disciples after the resurrection.
This kind of text was common among gnostic groups because it allowed them to claim that Jesus gave secret teachings. But this one is different. It actually argues against those ideas. It emphasizes something very clear that Jesus was real in the flesh. that his life, his death, his resurrection all truly happened and that his followers will also live in the flesh. So instead of promoting hidden knowledge, it defends what became known as orthodox belief and that's what makes it unique.
Now here's the thing. He are just some of the lost gospels. There are more texts like the secret gospel of Mark, the second treatise of the great Seth, and many others. Each one adding another layer to the story. And maybe we'll explore them in another episode because the deeper you go into this history, the more you realize. The story of Christianity is far bigger than most people ever imagined. Thank you so much for watching. I truly appreciate your time. If this episode made you think or see things differently, drop a comment and let's talk about it. And don't forget to subscribe, like the video, and share it with someone who would find this interesting. We've got a lot more stories to uncover together. Shalom. God bless you.
Hey everyone, welcome back to Bible History Journey. I'm really glad you're here. What if I told you the Bible you read today almost looked completely different? Not just slightly different, but filled with books you've probably never even heard of. Books that were once believed to be sacred. Books written by people claiming to know Jesus personally. Books that didn't make it into the New Testament. So, the real question is, what happened to them?
Let's uncover the secret truth about lost scriptures excluded from the New Testament.
Millions of people around the world read the New Testament. Some out of faith, others out of curiosity.
But very few stop and ask, "What exactly is this collection of books? Where did it come from? Who chose what to include and what to leave out?" Because here's the truth. The New Testament didn't just appear overnight after Jesus died. It took years, decades, even centuries.
There were long debates, disagreements, even conflicts. And one big reason, there weren't just four gospels. There were many. Early Christians were writing all kinds of texts. Stories about Jesus, letters, teachings, even visions about the end of the world. Some of these books claimed to be written by the apostles themselves. But here's where it gets interesting. They didn't all agree not just on small things like how to run a church or when to baptize someone. No, these debates were much deeper. They were asking questions like, "How many gods are there? Did the true God really create the world? Was Jesus fully human or fully divine or both? Did his death actually bring salvation or not?" Some even questioned whether he died at all.
And then there was another big question.
What about Judaism?
Should Christians still follow it?
Should they become Jews first?
Are the Jewish scriptures part of the Christian faith or something completely separate? Today, most Christians would say the answers seem obvious, one God, creator of everything. Jesus is both divine and human. His death brings salvation. But those answers only feel obvious because one side eventually won.
In the early centuries, there were many different versions of Christianity.
Different beliefs, different teachings, but over time, one group became dominant. They were called orthodox, meaning the right belief.
And everything else was labeled heresy, false, rejected.
But here's something most people don't realize. The winners didn't just win the argument. They also rewrote the history.
So later generations believed that these orthodox beliefs had always been the majority from the very beginning. So what happened to the other books? The ones that didn't make it, most were lost. Some were destroyed. Others were forgotten. And many survived only because their opponents quoted them just to prove they were wrong. But at one point in history, these lost scriptures were actually sacred to real people.
They were read, respected, believed.
Those believers were convinced they were following the true teachings of Jesus.
Over time, more and more writings appeared. Gospels, Acts, letters, revelations.
Some may have come from the original apostles, but many others were written later, sometimes even pretending to be from them. Yes, forgery existed even back then. And it didn't stop there. It continued for centuries. Some of these hidden texts were only discovered recently, buried in the sand, hidden in caves like the famous discoveries near Nag Hamadi in Egypt. Among them were gospels attributed to people like Peter, Mary Magdalene, and even Thomas. So, how did we end up with the 27 books we have today? That process took a long time, hundreds of years. It wasn't until around the year 367 CE that a church leader named Athanasius listed the exact 27 books we now call the New Testament. And even then, not everyone agreed. Some books were debated. Should Revelation be included?
Yes, it was. What about the Apocalypse of Peter? No, it wasn't. The book of Hebrews, it made it. The Epistle of Barnabas left out. So, the canon, the official collection of scripture, was shaped through centuries of debate, belief, and power. Now let's go back to the main question. How many books didn't make it? The answer is simple. A lot.
There were many gospels beyond Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Some became popular for a time like the infancy Gospel of Thomas, which tells stories of Jesus as a child performing miracles, or the protospospel of James, which focuses on the birth of Mary and the early story leading to Jesus. Others were completely lost and only rediscovered in modern times like the Gospel of Thomas, a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus.
Some of them feel familiar, others are very different, reflecting beliefs known as Gnosticism. There's even a gospel attributed to Peter where the resurrection is described in a dramatic way. Jesus emerging from the tomb, towering like a giant. In total, scholars have identified many early non-cononical gospels, at least 15 major ones from the earliest centuries. Each one offering a different perspective, a different voice, a different understanding of Jesus. And that's what makes this story so powerful. Early Christianity wasn't just one unified belief system. It was diverse, complex, full of competing ideas. Which means the New Testament we have today is the result of that struggle. A collection chosen from many, preserved while others were left behind. So next time you open the Bible, remember this. It's not just a book. It's the outcome of history, debate, and decisions made long ago. And behind it, there's a whole world of lost scriptures waiting to be discovered.
If we go back in the early centuries of Christianity, there were groups of believers who still held tightly to their Jewish roots. These were Jewish Christians and many of them preferred one gospel above all others.
The Gospel of Matthew.
Why? Because Matthew emphasizes something very important. Keeping the Jewish law down to every detail. It presents Jesus in a deeply Jewish way.
But here's where it gets interesting.
One group known as the Nazarans created their own version of Matthew. It wasn't in Greek like the New Testament we have today. It was translated into Aramaic, the language Jesus himself spoke. This version likely appeared near the end of the first century or the beginning of the second. For them, this wasn't just another text. It was scripture. But over time, something changed. This gospel slowly disappeared.
Why? Partly because fewer Christians could read Aramaic anymore. And partly because its strong Jewish focus started to make people uncomfortable. It began to feel suspicious. So eventually, the Gospel of the Nazarans was lost.
Today we only know it through small quotations preserved by early church writers like Jerome. But those fragments tell us something powerful. This gospel included stories of Jesus baptism, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection.
But there's one surprising detail. It likely did not include the birth story of Jesus. No nativity, no virgin birth.
Because many Jewish Christians believe something different that Jesus was fully human, chosen by God because of his righteousness. And even today, scholars still debate, was this just a translation of Matthew or was it a completely separate gospel based on early oral traditions?
Now, let's look at another group, the Ebianites. The Ebianites were also Jewish Christians living across the Mediterranean world from the 2nd to the 4th century. They believed in one God very strongly. So strongly that they rejected the idea that Jesus was divine.
But at the same time they still believed Jesus was the Messiah. And more than that they believed his death replaced all sacrifices.
Because of this they even changed how they lived including their diet. They avoided meat, choosing a vegetarian lifestyle. And just like the Nazarans, they had their own gospel. It was called the Gospel of the Ebianites.
Unfortunately, the full book is gone.
But we do have pieces of it preserved by one of their critics, a church writer named Epiphanius of Salamus.
From these fragments, we can see something fascinating. This gospel wasn't entirely new. It was actually a blend, a harmony of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For example, at Jesus baptism, instead of one voice from heaven, there are three, each saying something slightly different, combining the words from all three gospels. And there's another small but revealing detail. In the New Testament, John the Baptist eats locusts and wild honey. But in this gospel, that one word is changed.
Instead of locusts, he eats pancakes.
Why? Because the Ebianites didn't eat meat. Even their scriptures reflected their beliefs. This gospel was probably written sometime in the early 2nd century after the original gospels were already known. Now, there's one more gospel we need to explore. The gospel according to the Hebrews. This one was used mainly in Alexandria, Egypt. a major center of early Christian thought.
Writers like Clement of Alexandria, Origin, and again Jerome all mention it.
But like the others, this gospel didn't survive in full. Only fragments remain.
It was written in Greek and it told key parts of Jesus story. His baptism, his temptation, his resurrection.
But here's the key difference.
These weren't copied from the New Testament. They were alternative versions passed down through oral tradition before being written down.
This gospel also shows strong Jewish influence. For example, it highlights the importance of James, the brother of Jesus who led the early church in Jerusalem. But at the same time, some of its teachings sound different, almost gnostic, which suggests something important that this community may have been open to other ideas spreading at the time. And like the others, it contained many teachings of Jesus, especially ethical ones, some simple, some profound, and some highly legendary.
So what does all of this mean? It means that early Christianity was far more diverse than most people imagine.
Different groups, different beliefs, different gospels. And the New Testament we have today, it's just one part of that story. The part that survived. But these lost gospels, they remind us of something deeper. that the early followers of Jesus were still searching, still questioning, still trying to understand who he really was. Now, let's look at another gospel that almost disappeared completely, the Gospel of the Egyptians.
We don't have the full book today. In fact, the only reason we even know it existed is because an early church writer, Clement of Alexandria, quoted parts of it. and what he preserves is fascinating.
Much of this gospel centers on conversations between Jesus and a woman named Salom. Yes, the same Salom mentioned in the New Testament as one of the women who discovered the empty tomb.
But here she plays a much bigger role.
She asks questions and Jesus responds with deep mysterious teachings.
These teachings carry a strong message.
They warn against the desires of the flesh and even speak against marriage and having children. In this gospel, spiritual life is seen as something higher, something that goes beyond physical existence.
One saying even suggests that true understanding comes when people overcome the shameful garment, possibly referring to the human body itself.
And when that happens, everything becomes one. Again, no more division, not even between male and female.
These ideas sound very different from what most people hear today, and they reflect something known as Gnostic thinking, a belief that the physical world is a kind of trap and that salvation comes through hidden knowledge. Now, here's another question.
Why was it called the Gospel of the Egyptians? Some believe it was to distinguish it from another gospel used in Egypt, the Gospel according to the Hebrews. Others think the name came from outsiders simply because it was widely used in Egypt. Either way, this gospel likely existed as early as the 2n century.
The Gospel of Thomas, the most shocking discoveries in modern history.
Before 1945, no one had ever seen it.
People only knew its name. Then something unexpected happened in a place called Nag Hamadi. In Egypt, local farmers digging in the ground accidentally uncovered a sealed jar.
Inside 13 ancient books. These texts became known as the Nag Hamadi Library.
And among them was the Gospel of Thomas.
This gospel is completely different from the ones in the New Testament. No miracles, no stories, no crucifixion, just sayings.
114 of them. According to the text, these are the secret teachings of Jesus.
And it makes a bold claim. Whoever understands these words will have eternal life. Some of the sayings feel familiar like the blind leading the blind or the parable of the mustard seed. But others are very different.
They suggest that humans are spiritual beings trapped in physical bodies and that salvation comes not through faith alone but through knowledge, hidden knowledge.
In this view, Jesus is not just a savior. He's a teacher revealing secrets that help people escape this world. Some scholars even believe certain sayings in this gospel might go back to Jesus himself.
But the book as a whole, it was probably written in the early 2nd century.
Now, here's another mystery.
A gospel that no one even knew existed until the 1900s. It's called Papyrus Edggerton 2, also known as the Unknown Gospel. It was discovered among ancient papyrie purchased by the British Museum dating back to around 150 CE. But here's the strange part. No ancient writer ever mentions it. Not once. What survives are just fragments. But those fragments tell us something important. They include a debate between Jesus and Jewish leaders, a healing of a leper, a discussion about paying taxes to Caesar, and a miracle near the Jordan River. Some of these stories sound familiar, others completely unique. So scholars ask, "Where did these stories come from? Were they copied from the known gospels, remembered and retold differently, or passed down through oral tradition?" The answer is still unknown. And finally, we come to one of the most dramatic lost gospels of all. The Gospel of Peter.
This text was once used as scripture in parts of the early church, but later it was rejected. Church leaders believed it contained false teachings and so it was set aside. For centuries, it disappeared until a fragment was discovered in a tomb in Egypt. What it describes is unforgettable. It tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, but with some surprising differences. During the crucifixion, Jesus is described as completely silent, as if he felt no pain. And then comes the resurrection scene, unlike anything in the New Testament. The tomb opens. Two enormous angels appear, their heads reaching the sky. Between them, Jesus emerges and he is even taller, his head rising beyond the heavens. Behind them, a cross follows. Then a voice from heaven asks, "Have you preached to those who are sleeping?" And the cross answers, "Yes."
It's a powerful, almost surreal image.
And just as the story continues, it suddenly stops mid-sentence.
But I, Simon Peter, and Andrew, my brother, and that's it. The rest is gone.
The Gospel of Mary. This gospel as well doesn't fully survive. What we have are fragments pieces in Greek and a larger but still incomplete version in Coptic.
But even in fragments, its message is clear. In this gospel, Mary Magdalene is not just a follower. She stands out. She is respected, honored, even elevated. At one moment, something surprising is said that Jesus loved her more than the others. And more than that, he shares with her something deeply personal, a vision, a revelation, something the other apostles did not receive. The story unfolds in two parts. First Jesus appears after his resurrection. He teaches all the apostles, speaks about sin, gives them a final blessing and sends them out to preach. Then he leaves and they are afraid, uncertain. But Mary steps forward. She calms them, encourages them, reminds them of what Jesus said. And then Peter asks her, "Tell us what he told you." What follows is a vision, but part of it is missing, lost.
Still, we know enough. In her vision, Jesus explains something profound. How the human soul rises, passing through powers that try to hold it back until it finally reaches rest. But not everyone believes her. Andrew questions her.
Peter doubts her until Levi speaks up and reminds them that Jesus trusted her, that he chose her. And with that, they go out to preach.
Another mysterious text is the Gospel of Philillip. This one stayed hidden for centuries until it was discovered in the Nagamadi library, but it's not a story, not a narrative. It's a collection of reflections, fragments of thought, teachings that feel symbolic and at times difficult to understand. But one theme stands out clearly. There are two kinds of people. Those who understand and those who don't. Some knowledge is open to everyone. But some is hidden, reserved for those on the inside. This gospel even suggests that many people misunderstand key beliefs like the virgin birth or the resurrection not as literal events but as symbols of deeper truths.
It also speaks about sacred rituals, baptism, anointing, the eukarist and something called the bridal chamber.
A concept that still sparks debate today. Now, here's another different one called the Gospel of Truth. Despite its name, it doesn't tell the story of Jesus' life. Instead, it speaks about something else. Truth. It describes a world lost in confusion, in darkness, in ignorance. And then Jesus appears not just as a teacher, but as the one who reveals truth. Through him. The confusion fades, the illusion breaks, and those who understand discover who they truly are. Some believe this text was written by Valentinis, one of the most influential thinkers of his time.
So, let's talk about one of the most recently discovered gospels, the Gospel of the Savior. This one is damaged, full of gaps, missing pieces, but what remains is powerful. It focuses on the final moments of Jesus.
his last teachings, his prayer asking if the cup could pass from him. But here's the twist. This doesn't happen in the garden of Gethsemane. Instead, it happens in a vision. Jesus is taken to the throne room of God. And there he speaks directly to the father and even more surprising, God answers. But the most striking moment comes at the end.
Jesus turns and speaks to the cross. Oh cross, do not be afraid. I will mount you. I will be hung upon you. It's a deeply symbolic almost poetic moment. So let's go back even further to the childhood of Jesus. The infancy gospel of Thomas.
People have always wondered what was Jesus like as a child. This gospel tries to answer that. It begins when Jesus is just 5 years old. And what we see is surprising. He performs miracles, powerful ones. But sometimes they feel unpredictable.
At times he harms other children, then brings them back. He challenges teachers, outsmarts elders, even corrects his father's work in the workshop. It's a mix of wonder and mystery. stories that make you ask, were these meant to be taken seriously or simply to imagine what a divine child might be like? And finally, one last text, the Epistle of the Apostles.
Despite its name, it's not really a letter. It begins like one written by the apostles to believers, but quickly becomes something else, a conversation.
Jesus speaking to his disciples after the resurrection.
This kind of text was common among gnostic groups because it allowed them to claim that Jesus gave secret teachings. But this one is different. It actually argues against those ideas. It emphasizes something very clear that Jesus was real in the flesh. that his life, his death, his resurrection all truly happened and that his followers will also live in the flesh. So instead of promoting hidden knowledge, it defends what became known as orthodox belief and that's what makes it unique.
Now here's the thing. He are just some of the lost gospels. There are more texts like the secret gospel of Mark, the second treatise of the great Seth and many others. Each one adding another layer to the story. And maybe we'll explore them in another episode because the deeper you go into this history, the more you realize. The story of Christianity is far bigger than most people ever imagined. Thank you so much for watching. I truly appreciate your time. If this episode made you think or see things differently, drop a comment and let's talk about it. And don't forget to subscribe, like the video, and share it with someone who would find this interesting. We've got a lot more stories to uncover together. Shalom. God bless you.
I don't care if you Hey everyone, welcome back to Bible History Journey. I'm really glad you're here. What if I told you the Bible you read today almost looked completely different? Not just slightly different, but filled with books you've probably never even heard of. Books that were once believed to be sacred. Books written by people claiming to know Jesus personally. books that didn't make it into the New Testament. So, the real question is, what happened to them?
Let's uncover the secret truth about lost scriptures excluded from the New Testament.
Millions of people around the world read the New Testament. Some out of faith, others out of curiosity, but very few stop and ask, "What exactly is this collection of books? Where did it come from? Who chose what to include and what to leave out?" Because here's the truth. The New Testament didn't just appear overnight after Jesus died. It took years, decades, even centuries.
There were long debates, disagreements, even conflicts. And one big reason, there weren't just four gospels. There were many. Early Christians were writing all kinds of texts, stories about Jesus, letters, teachings, even visions about the end of the world. Some of these books claimed to be written by the apostles themselves. But here's where it gets interesting. They didn't all agree not just on small things like how to run a church or when to baptize someone. No, these debates were much deeper. They were asking questions like, "How many gods are there? Did the true God really create the world? Was Jesus fully human or fully divine or both? Did his death actually bring salvation or not?"
Some even questioned whether he died at all. And then there was another big question. What about Judaism?
Should Christians still follow it?
Should they become Jews first?
Are the Jewish scriptures part of the Christian faith or something completely separate? Today, most Christians would say the answers seem obvious. One God, creator of everything. Jesus is both divine and human. His death brings salvation. But those answers only feel obvious because one side eventually won.
In the early centuries, there were many different versions of Christianity.
Different beliefs, different teachings.
But over time, one group became dominant. They were called orthodox, meaning the right belief.
and everything else was labeled heresy, false, rejected.
But here's something most people don't realize. The winners didn't just win the argument. They also rewrote the history.
So later generations believed that these orthodox beliefs had always been the majority from the very beginning. So what happened to the other books? The ones that didn't make it, most were lost, some were destroyed, others were forgotten, and many survived. only because their opponents quoted them just to prove they were wrong. But at one point in history, these lost scriptures were actually sacred to real people.
They were read, respected, believed.
Those believers were convinced they were following the true teachings of Jesus.
Over time, more and more writings appeared. Gospels, Acts, letters, revelations.
Some may have come from the original apostles, but many others were written later, sometimes even pretending to be from them. Yes, forgery existed even back then. And it didn't stop there. It continued for centuries. Some of these hidden texts were only discovered recently, buried in the sand, hidden in caves like the famous discoveries near Nag Hamadi in Egypt. Among them were gospels attributed to people like Peter, Mary Magdalene, and even Thomas. So, how did we end up with the 27 books we have today? That process took a long time, hundreds of years. It wasn't until around the year 367 CE that a church leader named Athanasius listed the exact 27 books we now call the New Testament. And even then, not everyone agreed. Some books were debated. Should Revelation be included?
Yes, it was. What about the Apocalypse of Peter? No, it wasn't. The book of Hebrews, it made it. The Epistle of Barnabas left out. So, the canon, the official collection of scripture, was shaped through centuries of debate, belief, and power. Now let's go back to the main question. How many books didn't make it? The answer is simple. A lot.
There were many gospels beyond Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Some became popular for a time like the infancy Gospel of Thomas, which tells stories of Jesus as a child performing miracles, or the protospospel of James, which focuses on the birth of Mary and the early story leading to Jesus. Others were completely lost and only rediscovered in modern times like the Gospel of Thomas, a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus.
Some of them feel familiar, others are very different, reflecting beliefs known as Gnosticism. There's even a gospel attributed to Peter where the resurrection is described in a dramatic way. Jesus emerging from the tomb, towering like a giant. In total, scholars have identified many early non-cononical gospels, at least 15 major ones from the earliest centuries. Each one offering a different perspective, a different voice, a different understanding of Jesus. And that's what makes this story so powerful. Early Christianity wasn't just one unified belief system. It was diverse, complex, full of competing ideas. Which means the New Testament we have today is the result of that struggle. A collection chosen from many, preserved while others were left behind. So next time you open the Bible, remember this. It's not just a book. It's the outcome of history, debate, and decisions made long ago. And behind it, there's a whole world of lost scriptures waiting to be discovered.
If we go back in the early centuries of Christianity, there were groups of believers who still held tightly to their Jewish roots. These were Jewish Christians and many of them preferred one gospel above all others.
The Gospel of Matthew.
Why? Because Matthew emphasizes something very important. Keeping the Jewish law down to every detail. It presents Jesus in a deeply Jewish way.
But here's where it gets interesting.
One group known as the Nazarans created their own version of Matthew. It wasn't in Greek like the New Testament we have today. It was translated into Aramaic, the language Jesus himself spoke. This version likely appeared near the end of the first century or the beginning of the second. For them, this wasn't just another text. It was scripture. But over time, something changed. This gospel slowly disappeared.
Why? Partly because fewer Christians could read Aramaic anymore. And partly because its strong Jewish focus started to make people uncomfortable. It began to feel suspicious. So eventually, the Gospel of the Nazarans was lost. Today we only know it through small quotations preserved by early church writers like Jerome. But those fragments tell us something powerful. This gospel included stories of Jesus baptism, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection.
But there's one surprising detail. It likely did not include the birth story of Jesus. No nativity, no virgin birth.
Because many Jewish Christians believe something different that Jesus was fully human, chosen by God because of his righteousness. And even today, scholars still debate, was this just a translation of Matthew or was it a completely separate gospel based on early oral traditions?
Now, let's look at another group, the Ebianites. The Ebianites were also Jewish Christians living across the Mediterranean world from the 2nd to the 4th century. They believed in one God very strongly. So strongly that they rejected the idea that Jesus was divine.
But at the same time they still believed Jesus was the Messiah. And more than that they believed his death replaced all sacrifices.
Because of this they even changed how they lived including their diet. They avoided meat, choosing a vegetarian lifestyle. And just like the Nazarans, they had their own gospel. It was called the Gospel of the Ebianites.
Unfortunately, the full book is gone.
But we do have pieces of it preserved by one of their critics, a church writer named Epiphanius of Salamus.
From these fragments, we can see something fascinating. This gospel wasn't entirely new. It was actually a blend, a harmony of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For example, at Jesus baptism, instead of one voice from heaven, there are three, each saying something slightly different, combining the words from all three gospels. And there's another small but revealing detail. In the New Testament, John the Baptist eats locusts and wild honey. But in this gospel, that one word is changed.
Instead of locusts, he eats pancakes.
Why? Because the Ebianites didn't eat meat. Even their scriptures reflected their beliefs. This gospel was probably written sometime in the early 2nd century after the original gospels were already known. Now, there's one more gospel we need to explore. The gospel according to the Hebrews. This one was used mainly in Alexandria, Egypt. a major center of early Christian thought.
Writers like Clement of Alexandria, Origin, and again Jerome all mention it.
But like the others, this gospel didn't survive in full. Only fragments remain.
It was written in Greek and it told key parts of Jesus story. His baptism, his temptation, his resurrection.
But here's the key difference.
These weren't copied from the New Testament. They were alternative versions passed down through oral tradition before being written down.
This gospel also shows strong Jewish influence. For example, it highlights the importance of James, the brother of Jesus who led the early church in Jerusalem. But at the same time, some of its teachings sound different, almost gnostic, which suggests something important that this community may have been open to other ideas spreading at the time. And like the others, it contained many teachings of Jesus, especially ethical ones, some simple, some profound, and some highly legendary.
So what does all of this mean? It means that early Christianity was far more diverse than most people imagine.
Different groups, different beliefs, different gospels. And the New Testament we have today, it's just one part of that story. The part that survived. But these lost gospels, they remind us of something deeper. that the early followers of Jesus were still searching, still questioning, still trying to understand who he really was. Now, let's look at another gospel that almost disappeared completely, the Gospel of the Egyptians.
We don't have the full book today. In fact, the only reason we even know it existed is because an early church writer, Clement of Alexandria, quoted parts of it. and what he preserves is fascinating.
Much of this gospel centers on conversations between Jesus and a woman named Salom. Yes, the same Salom mentioned in the New Testament as one of the women who discovered the empty tomb.
But here she plays a much bigger role.
She asks questions and Jesus responds with deep mysterious teachings.
These teachings carry a strong message.
They warn against the desires of the flesh and even speak against marriage and having children. In this gospel, spiritual life is seen as something higher, something that goes beyond physical existence.
One saying even suggests that true understanding comes when people overcome the shameful garment, possibly referring to the human body itself.
And when that happens, everything becomes one. Again, no more division, not even between male and female.
These ideas sound very different from what most people hear today, and they reflect something known as Gnostic thinking, a belief that the physical world is a kind of trap and that salvation comes through hidden knowledge. Now, here's another question.
Why was it called the Gospel of the Egyptians? Some believe it was to distinguish it from another gospel used in Egypt, the Gospel according to the Hebrews. Others think the name came from outsiders simply because it was widely used in Egypt. Either way, this gospel likely existed as early as the 2n century.
The Gospel of Thomas, the most shocking discoveries in modern history.
Before 1945, no one had ever seen it.
People only knew its name. Then something unexpected happened in a place called Nag Hamadi. In Egypt, local farmers digging in the ground accidentally uncovered a sealed jar.
Inside 13 ancient books. These texts became known as the Nag Hamadi Library.
And among them was the Gospel of Thomas.
This gospel is completely different from the ones in the New Testament. No miracles, no stories, no crucifixion, just sayings.
114 of them. According to the text, these are the secret teachings of Jesus.
And it makes a bold claim. Whoever understands these words will have eternal life. Some of the sayings feel familiar like the blind leading the blind or the parable of the mustard seed. But others are very different.
They suggest that humans are spiritual beings trapped in physical bodies and that salvation comes not through faith alone but through knowledge, hidden knowledge.
In this view, Jesus is not just a savior. He's a teacher revealing secrets that help people escape this world. Some scholars even believe certain sayings in this gospel might go back to Jesus himself.
But the book as a whole, it was probably written in the early 2nd century.
Now, here's another mystery.
A gospel that no one even knew existed until the 1900s. It's called Papyrus Edggerton 2, also known as the Unknown Gospel. It was discovered among ancient papyrie purchased by the British Museum dating back to around 150 CE. But here's the strange part. No ancient writer ever mentions it. Not once. What survives are just fragments. But those fragments tell us something important. They include a debate between Jesus and Jewish leaders, a healing of a leper, a discussion about paying taxes to Caesar, and a miracle near the Jordan River. Some of these stories sound familiar, others completely unique. So scholars ask, "Where did these stories come from? Were they copied from the known gospels, remembered and retold differently, or passed down through oral tradition?" The answer is still unknown. And finally, we come to one of the most dramatic lost gospels of all. The Gospel of Peter.
This text was once used as scripture in parts of the early church, but later it was rejected. Church leaders believed it contained false teachings and so it was set aside. For centuries, it disappeared until a fragment was discovered in a tomb in Egypt. What it describes is unforgettable. It tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, but with some surprising differences. During the crucifixion, Jesus is described as completely silent, as if he felt no pain. And then comes the resurrection scene, unlike anything in the New Testament. The tomb opens. Two enormous angels appear, their heads reaching the sky. Between them, Jesus emerges and he is even taller, his head rising beyond the heavens. Behind them, a cross follows. Then a voice from heaven asks, "Have you preached to those who are sleeping?" And the cross answers, "Yes."
It's a powerful, almost surreal image.
And just as the story continues, it suddenly stops mid-sentence.
But I, Simon Peter, and Andrew, my brother, and that's it. The rest is gone.
The Gospel of Mary. This gospel as well doesn't fully survive. What we have are fragments pieces in Greek and a larger but still incomplete version in Coptic.
But even in fragments, its message is clear. In this gospel, Mary Magdalene is not just a follower. She stands out. She is respected, honored, even elevated. At one moment, something surprising is said that Jesus loved her more than the others. And more than that, he shares with her something deeply personal. A vision, a revelation, something the other apostles did not receive. The story unfolds in two parts. First Jesus appears after his resurrection. He teaches all the apostles, speaks about sin, gives them a final blessing and sends them out to preach. Then he leaves and they are afraid, uncertain. But Mary steps forward. She calms them, encourages them, reminds them of what Jesus said. And then Peter asks her, "Tell us what he told you. What follows is a vision, but part of it is missing, lost.
Still, we know enough. In her vision, Jesus explains something profound. How the human soul rises, passing through powers that try to hold it back until it finally reaches rest. But not everyone believes her. Andrew questions her.
Peter doubts her until Levi speaks up and reminds them that Jesus trusted her, that he chose her. And with that, they go out to preach.
Another mysterious text is the Gospel of Philillip. This one stayed hidden for centuries until it was discovered in the Nagamadi library, but it's not a story, not a narrative. It's a collection of reflections, fragments of thought, teachings that feel symbolic and at times difficult to understand. But one theme stands out clearly. There are two kinds of people. Those who understand and those who don't. Some knowledge is open to everyone. But some is hidden, reserved for those on the inside. This gospel even suggests that many people misunderstand key beliefs like the virgin birth or the resurrection not as literal events but as symbols of deeper truths.
It also speaks about sacred rituals, baptism, anointing, the eukarist and something called the bridal chamber.
A concept that still sparks debate today. Now, here's another different one called the Gospel of Truth. Despite its name, it doesn't tell the story of Jesus' life. Instead, it speaks about something else. Truth. It describes a world lost in confusion, in darkness, in ignorance. And then Jesus appears not just as a teacher, but as the one who reveals truth. Through him. The confusion fades, the illusion breaks, and those who understand discover who they truly are. Some believe this text was written by Valentinis, one of the most influential thinkers of his time.
So, let's talk about one of the most recently discovered gospels, the Gospel of the Savior. This one is damaged, full of gaps, missing pieces, but what remains is powerful. It focuses on the final moments of Jesus. his last teachings, his prayer asking if the cup could pass from him. But here's the twist. This doesn't happen in the garden of Gethsemane. Instead, it happens in a vision. Jesus is taken to the throne room of God. And there he speaks directly to the father and even more surprising, God answers. But the most striking moment comes at the end. Jesus turns and speaks to the cross. Oh cross, do not be afraid. I will mount you. I will be hung upon you. It's a deeply symbolic almost poetic moment. So let's go back even further to the childhood of Jesus. The infancy gospel of Thomas.
People have always wondered what was Jesus like as a child. This gospel tries to answer that. It begins when Jesus is just 5 years old. And what we see is surprising. He performs miracles, powerful ones, but sometimes they feel unpredictable.
At times he harms other children, then brings them back. He challenges teachers, outsmarts elders, even corrects his father's work in the workshop. It's a mix of wonder and mystery. stories that make you ask, were these meant to be taken seriously or simply to imagine what a divine child might be like? And finally, one last text, the Epistle of the Apostles.
Despite its name, it's not really a letter. It begins like one written by the apostles to believers, but quickly becomes something else, a conversation.
Jesus speaking to his disciples after the resurrection.
This kind of text was common among gnostic groups because it allowed them to claim that Jesus gave secret teachings. But this one is different. It actually argues against those ideas. It emphasizes something very clear that Jesus was real in the flesh. that his life, his death, his resurrection all truly happened and that his followers will also live in the flesh. So instead of promoting hidden knowledge, it defends what became known as orthodox belief and that's what makes it unique.
Now here's the thing. He are just some of the lost gospels. There are more texts like the secret gospel of Mark, the second treatise of the great Seth and many others. Each one adding another layer to the story. And maybe we'll explore them in another episode because the deeper you go into this history, the more you realize. The story of Christianity is far bigger than most people ever imagined. Thank you so much for watching. I truly appreciate your time. If this episode made you think or see things differently, drop a comment and let's talk about it. And don't forget to subscribe, like the video, and share it with someone who would find this interesting. We've got a lot more stories to uncover together. Shalom. God bless you.
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