Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament by [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Authors: [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Tags: Religión, General, History, Christianity, Biblical Reference, Bible Study Guides, Bibles, Other Translations, Apocryphal books (New Testament), New Testament, Biblical Commentary, Biblical Studies
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28
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
father and the mother will be called the
110 Jesus said, “Whoever finds the
son of a harlot.”
world and becomes rich, let him re
106 Jesus said, “When you make the
nounce the world.”
two one, you will become the sons of
111 Jesus said, “The heavens and the
man, and when you say, ‘Mountain, move
earth will be rolled up in your presence.
away,’ it will move away.”
And the one who lives from the living
107 Jesus said, “The kingdom is like a
one will not see death.” Does not Jesus
shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One
say, “Whoever finds himself is superior
of them, the largest, went astray. He left
to the world”?
the ninety-nine and looked for that
112 Jesus said, “Woe to the flesh that
one until he found it. When he had gone
depends on the soul; woe to the soul that
to such trouble, he said to the sheep,
depends on the flesh.”
‘I care for you more than the ninety-
113 His disciples said to him, “When
nine.’ ”
will the kingdom come?”
108 Jesus said, “He who will drink
�Jesus said,� “It will not come by
from my mouth will become like me. I
waiting for it. It will not be a matter of
myself shall become he, and the things
saying ‘here it is’ or ‘there it is.’ Rather,
that are hidden will be revealed to
the kingdom of the father is spread out
him.”
upon the earth, and men do not see it.”
109 Jesus said, “The kingdom is like a
114 Simon Peter said to them, “Let
man who had a [hidden] treasure in his
Mary leave us, for women are not worthy
field without knowing it. And [after] he
of life.”
died, he left it to his [son]. The son [did]
Jesus said, “I myself shall lead her in
not know (about the treasure). He inherorder to make her male, so that she too ited the field and sold [it]. And the one
may become a living spirit resembling
who bought it went plowing and [found]
you males. For every woman who will
the treasure. He began to lend money at
make herself male will enter the kingdom
interest to whomever he wished.”
of heaven.”
Papyrus Egerton 2:
The Unknown Gospel
The fragmentary manuscript known as Papyrus Egerton 2 contains a non-canonical Gospel that is never referred to in any ancient source and that was, as a consequence, completely unknown until its publication in 1935.1
The fragments were discovered among a collection of papyri purchased by the British Museum. They had come from Egypt and are usually dated to around 150 ce. The “Unknown Gospel” narrated in these papyri, however, must have been older than the manuscript fragments that contain it. While some scholars have argued that the Gospel was written before the canonical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, most have concluded that it was produced somewhat later, during the first half of the second century.
Since the Unknown Gospel is preserved only in fragments, it is impossible to judge its original length and contents. The surviving remains preserve four separate stories: (1) an account of Jesus’ controversy with Jewish leaders that is similar to the stories found in John 5:39–47 and 10:31–39; (2) a healing of a leper, reminiscent of Matt 8:1–4; Mark 1:40–45; Luke 5:12–16; and Luke 17:11–14; (3) a controversy over paying tribute to Caesar, comparable to Matt 22:15–22; Mark 12:13–17; and Luke 20:20–26; and (4) a fragmentary account of a miracle of Jesus on the bank of the Jordan River, possibly performed to illustrate his parable about the miraculous growth of seeds. This final story has no parallel in the canonical Gospels.
Scholars continue to debate whether the author of this Gospel (a) used the four canonical Gospels as literary sources for his accounts, (b) quoted from memory stories that he knew from the canonical Gospels (changing them in the process), or (c) acquired his stories not from the canonical Gospels, but from the oral traditions of Jesus in wide circulation in the first
28
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
father and the mother will be called the
110 Jesus said, “Whoever finds the
son of a harlot.”
world and becomes rich, let him re
106 Jesus said, “When you make the
nounce the world.”
two one, you will become the sons of
111 Jesus said, “The heavens and the
man, and when you say, ‘Mountain, move
earth will be rolled up in your presence.
away,’ it will move away.”
And the one who lives from the living
107 Jesus said, “The kingdom is like a
one will not see death.” Does not Jesus
shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One
say, “Whoever finds himself is superior
of them, the largest, went astray. He left
to the world”?
the ninety-nine and looked for that
112 Jesus said, “Woe to the flesh that
one until he found it. When he had gone
depends on the soul; woe to the soul that
to such trouble, he said to the sheep,
depends on the flesh.”
‘I care for you more than the ninety-
113 His disciples said to him, “When
nine.’ ”
will the kingdom come?”
108 Jesus said, “He who will drink
�Jesus said,� “It will not come by
from my mouth will become like me. I
waiting for it. It will not be a matter of
myself shall become he, and the things
saying ‘here it is’ or ‘there it is.’ Rather,
that are hidden will be revealed to
the kingdom of the father is spread out
him.”
upon the earth, and men do not see it.”
109 Jesus said, “The kingdom is like a
114 Simon Peter said to them, “Let
man who had a [hidden] treasure in his
Mary leave us, for women are not worthy
field without knowing it. And [after] he
of life.”
died, he left it to his [son]. The son [did]
Jesus said, “I myself shall lead her in
not know (about the treasure). He inherorder to make her male, so that she too ited the field and sold [it]. And the one
may become a living spirit resembling
who bought it went plowing and [found]
you males. For every woman who will
the treasure. He began to lend money at
make herself male will enter the kingdom
interest to whomever he wished.”
of heaven.”
Papyrus Egerton 2:
The Unknown Gospel
The fragmentary manuscript known as Papyrus Egerton 2 contains a non-canonical Gospel that is never referred to in any ancient source and that was, as a consequence, completely unknown until its publication in 1935.1
The fragments were discovered among a collection of papyri purchased by the British Museum. They had come from Egypt and are usually dated to around 150 ce. The “Unknown Gospel” narrated in these papyri, however, must have been older than the manuscript fragments that contain it. While some scholars have argued that the Gospel was written before the canonical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, most have concluded that it was produced somewhat later, during the first half of the second century.
Since the Unknown Gospel is preserved only in fragments, it is impossible to judge its original length and contents. The surviving remains preserve four separate stories: (1) an account of Jesus’ controversy with Jewish leaders that is similar to the stories found in John 5:39–47 and 10:31–39; (2) a healing of a leper, reminiscent of Matt 8:1–4; Mark 1:40–45; Luke 5:12–16; and Luke 17:11–14; (3) a controversy over paying tribute to Caesar, comparable to Matt 22:15–22; Mark 12:13–17; and Luke 20:20–26; and (4) a fragmentary account of a miracle of Jesus on the bank of the Jordan River, possibly performed to illustrate his parable about the miraculous growth of seeds. This final story has no parallel in the canonical Gospels.
Scholars continue to debate whether the author of this Gospel (a) used the four canonical Gospels as literary sources for his accounts, (b) quoted from memory stories that he knew from the canonical Gospels (changing them in the process), or (c) acquired his stories not from the canonical Gospels, but from the oral traditions of Jesus in wide circulation in the first
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