Hebrews, Gospel According to the James, Protevangelium of Joseph the Carpenter, History of Marcion, Gospel of Matthias, Gospel of Nazarenes, Gospel of the Peter, Gospel of Philip, Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of There are also some apocryphal Acts, which are purported to be accounts of apostolic achievements not recorded in Scripture. Such "Acts" are the source of much tradition such as Peter's being crucified upside down and Thomas's mission to India. The reliability of the traditions is questionable because the writings contain clearly unorthodox material. Yet small fragments of accurate information may be embedded in this mass of largely fictitious literature. Because of their often heretical character, the church consistently reacted against such books, sometimes even demanding that they be burned (for example, at the Nicene Council of 787). The Acts of John pictured Jesus talking to John on the Mount of Olives during the crucifixion, explaining that it was only a spectacle. In the Acts of Thomas, Jesus appeared in the form of Thomas, exhorting a newly married couple to dedicate themselves to virginity. Sexual abstinence was a dominant theme, reflecting Platonic ideas, which disparaged the physical body. Many scholars date the earliest work, the Acts of John, before a.d. 150. The major Acts (of John, Paul, Peter, Andrew, and Thomas) were probably written during the second and third centuries. These gave rise to other Acts that were primarily miracle stories, written more to entertain than to teach. Works classified in one way or another under the heading of Acts include: Abdias, Apostolic History of Andrew, Acts of Andrew, Story of Andrew and Matthias, Acts of Andrew and Paul, Acts of Barnabas, Acts of Bartholomew, Acts of James, Ascents of John, Acts of John, Acts of, by Prochorus Martyrs, Acts of Matthew, Acts and Martyrdom of Paul, Passion of Paul and Thecla, Acts of
Hebrews, Gospel According to the James, Protevangelium of Joseph the Carpenter, History of Marcion, Gospel of Matthias, Gospel of Nazarenes, Gospel of the Peter, Gospel of Philip, Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of There are also some apocryphal Acts, which are purported to be accounts of apostolic achievements not recorded in Scripture. Such "Acts" are the source of much tradition such as Peter's being crucified upside down and Thomas's mission to India. The reliability of the traditions is questionable because the writings contain clearly unorthodox material. Yet small fragments of accurate information may be embedded in this mass of largely fictitious literature. Because of their often heretical character, the church consistently reacted against such books, sometimes even demanding that they be burned (for example, at the Nicene Council of 787). The Acts of John pictured Jesus talking to John on the Mount of Olives during the crucifixion, explaining that it was only a spectacle. In the Acts of Thomas, Jesus appeared in the form of Thomas, exhorting a newly married couple to dedicate themselves to virginity. Sexual abstinence was a dominant theme, reflecting Platonic ideas, which disparaged the physical body. Many scholars date the earliest work, the Acts of John, before a.d. 150. The major Acts (of John, Paul, Peter, Andrew, and Thomas) were probably written during the second and third centuries. These gave rise to other Acts that were primarily miracle stories, written more to entertain than to teach. Works classified in one way or another under the heading of Acts include: Abdias, Apostolic History of Andrew, Acts of Andrew, Story of Andrew and Matthias, Acts of Andrew and Paul, Acts of Barnabas, Acts of Bartholomew, Acts of James, Ascents of John, Acts of John, Acts of, by Prochorus Martyrs, Acts of Matthew, Acts and Martyrdom of Paul, Passion of Paul and Thecla, Acts of
6404.The-Origin-of-the-Bible.docx