Stephen J Patterson Hans Gebhard Bethge James M Robinson

The New Testament apocrypha (singular apocryphon) are a number of writings by early Christians that give accounts of Jesus and his teachings, the nature of God, or the teachings of his apostles and of their lives. Some of these writings were cited as scripture by early Christians, but since the fifth century a widespread consensus has emerged limiting the New Testament to the 27 books of the modern canon.Protestant churches generally do not view the New Testament apocrypha as part of the Bible.