Mystery Versus History
The Gnostic gospels are not historical accounts of Jesus’ life but instead are largely esoteric sayings, shrouded in mystery, leaving out historical details such as names, places, and events. This is in striking contrast to the New Testament Gospels, which contain innumerable historical facts about Jesus’ life, ministry, and words.
Consider the following two statements, the first from the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas (c. AD 110-150), and the second from the New Testament’s Gospel of Luke (AD 55-70)
- Gospel of Thomas: “These are the hidden sayings that the living Jesus spoke, and Judas Thomas the Twin recorded.”6
- Gospel of Luke: “Many people have written accounts about the events that took place among us. They used as their source material the reports circulating among us from the early disciples and other eyewitnesses of what God has done in fulfillment of his promises. Having carefully investigated all of these accounts from the beginning, I have decided to write a careful summary for you, to reassure you of the truth of all you were taught” (Luke 1:1-4, NLT).
Hidden sayings in the Gnostic gospels compared with factual accounts in the New Testament. Noted professor Raymond Brown has said of the Gnostic gospels,
We learn not a single verifiable new fact about the historical Jesus’ ministry, and only a few new sayings that might possibly have been his.7
Such contrast between the New Testament and the Gnostic writings is devastating to those pushing conspiracy theories.
In summary, the Gnostic gospels simply don’t meet the high standards required by scholars for inclusion in the New Testament. New Testament historian F. F. Bruce wrote,
There is no body of ancient literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of good textual attestation as the New Testament.8
The Gospel of Barnabas: Secret Bible?
A Turkish official discovered a 1,500-year-old ancient leather-bound text, secretly hidden for 12 years, that could be an authentic version of the Gospel of Barnabas.
According to this “secret Bible,” Barnabas was one of Jesus’ original twelve apostles. However, in the book of Acts, Luke introduces Barnabas as an apostle who came after the original twelve and was a fellow missionary with the apostle Paul. In their travels, Paul and Barnabas boldly declared Jesus’ death, resurrection and lordship in the first century.9
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