Extrabiblical Books

Explore all 38 articles about Extrabiblical Books.

Extrabiblical Books

Are there lost books of the Bible? What are the writings called the Lost Books of the Bible?

The Bible we have today is complete and authoritative, so no “lost books” exist. Extra-biblical writings called the Lost Books of the Bible offer historical and contextual insight, but they are not divinely inspired Scripture.
Extrabiblical Books

Is the Book of Enoch inspired writing? Should the Book of Enoch be in the Bible?

The Book of Enoch is an ancient apocalyptic Jewish work but not authored by the patriarch Enoch. The Book of Enoch is not part of the Bible, though it remains valuable for historical and contextual insight.
Extrabiblical Books

The Apocalypse of Peter – What is it?

The Apocalypse of Peter is a second-century pseudepigraphal text describing vivid scenes of final judgment, echoing biblical prophecies of God’s justice and the end of the age. Though once respected by some early Christians, the Apocalypse of Peter was never accepted as Scripture and serves mainly as a reminder of false teaching and the reality of coming judgment.
Extrabiblical Books

The Assumption of Moses – What is it?

The Assumption of Moses is an ancient pseudepigraphal Jewish text that expands on Moses’ final words, his prophecies for Israel, and his being taken up by God, themes already addressed in Deuteronomy 34 and other Old Testament passages. Though the Assumption of Moses influenced the intertestamental period and is referenced in Jude 1:9, it is not part of the biblical canon.
Extrabiblical Books

The Book of Baruch – What is it?

The Book of Baruch is a first or second century BC work, reflecting themes of repentance, wisdom, and hope during exile. Though valuable for history and devotion, it is not considered divinely inspired Scripture.
Extrabiblical Books

The Book of Giants — What is it?

The Book of Giants is an ancient pseudepigraphal text that expands on Genesis 6, telling fictional stories about the Nephilim and fallen angels before the flood. Though historically interesting and found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Book of Giants is not inspired Scripture but a creative retelling of biblical themes.
Extrabiblical Books

The Book of Jasher - What is it? Should the Book of Jasher be in the Bible?

The Book of Jasher was a historical record referenced in Joshua and 2 Samuel but is now lost. Though later writings claimed its name, none are the original or inspired by God, and the Book of Jasher was never part of the biblical canon.
Extrabiblical Books

The Book of Jubilees - What is it? Should the Book of Jubilees be in the Bible?

The Book of Jubilees is an intertestamental Jewish text that retells and expands on Genesis and Exodus, dividing history into forty-nine-year “jubilee” periods and adding details about angels, the patriarchs, and Mosaic laws. Though historically interesting and influential in Second Temple Judaism, the Book of Jubilees is not part of the Bible.
Extrabiblical Books

The Book of Judith – What is it?

The Book of Judith is an intertestamental, noncanonical work that tells how a fearless widow saves Israel by beheading an enemy general. Inspiring but historically flawed, the Book of Judith is a powerful story of faith—but not inspired Scripture.
Extrabiblical Books

The Book of Susanna – What is it?

The Book of Susanna is an intertestamental work that tells how a faithful woman is falsely accused but saved by Daniel’s God-given wisdom, showcasing justice and courage. Though inspiring, it is not part of the Bible.
Extrabiblical Books

The Book of Tobit – What is it?

The Book of Tobit is an intertestamental tale highlighting faith, divine guidance, and miraculous interventions. Though spiritually inspiring, the Book includes historical inaccuracies and theological teachings that conflict with the Old and New Testaments, demonstrating that it is not authoritative Scripture.
Extrabiblical Books

The Books of 1 and 2 Maccabees - What are they?

First and 2 Maccabees are intertestamental works that recount the Jewish struggle to remain faithful under foreign oppression. While 1 and 2 Maccabees emphasize military action, the New Testament calls us to trust in God rather than respond with violence.
Extrabiblical Books

The Gnostic gospels – What are they?

The Gnostic Gospels are a collection of fifty-two writings produced from approximately the second to fourth centuries AD. The writings are not inspired Scripture and were not accepted by the early church.
Extrabiblical Books

The Gospel of Barnabas – What is it?

The Gospel of Barnabas is a sixteenth-century pseudepigraphal text filled with historical and theological errors that contradict the Bible. The Gospel of Barnabas is not canonical and should not be relied on for understanding Jesus or salvation.
Extrabiblical Books

The Gospel of Judas - What is it?

The Gospel of Judas is a second-century text that portrays Judas not as a betrayer but as a disciple obedient to Jesus’ command, contradicting the New Testament account. The Gospel of Judas distorts the gospel and should not be considered reliable Scripture.
Extrabiblical Books

The Gospel of Mary (Magdalene) - What is it?

The Gospel of Mary Magdalene is a second to fifth century Gnostic text portraying Mary as a holder of secret teachings from Jesus, but it contradicts the New Testament’s depiction of her. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene was not written by Mary and is not considered authoritative or historically reliable by the early church.
Extrabiblical Books

The Gospel of Peter - What is it?

The Gospel of Peter is a second-century heretical text that distorts Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, promoting the false idea that He only appeared human. Jesus truly suffered, died, and rose bodily, and the Bible warns against any gospel that contradicts these truths.
Extrabiblical Books

The Gospel of Philip – What is it?

The Gospel of Philip is a third-century Gnostic text that twists Jesus’ teachings, promotes secret knowledge, and downplays the goodness of the physical world. The Bible affirms Jesus’ bodily resurrection, the goodness of creation, and salvation through faith in Him alone, not hidden mystical insight.
Extrabiblical Books

The Gospel of Thomas – What is it?

The Gospel of Thomas is a Gnostic text promoting secret knowledge and self-enlightenment. The Bible teaches that salvation comes through Christ alone, grounded in His historical, bodily death and resurrection, and guided by God’s trustworthy Word—not hidden sayings.
Extrabiblical Books

The Gospel of Truth — What is it?

The Gospel of Truth is a Gnostic text that twists Jesus’ teachings, promoting secret knowledge as the path to salvation. The Bible, in contrast, reveals salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection, with truth clearly accessible to all through God’s Word by His Spirit, not through secret knowledge.
Extrabiblical Books

The Letter of Jeremiah – What is it?

The Letter of Jeremiah is a third century apocryphal work that warns against idol worship and reflects cultural context from Babylon. While it provides interesting context into the early church, it is not God’s inspired Word and, therefore, not part of the Bible.
Extrabiblical Books

The Peshitta - What is it?

The Peshitta is an early Aramaic translation of the Bible valued by Syriac churches, but it is not the original Scripture. While useful for historical and cultural insight, true authority rests in the Spirit-breathed Hebrew and Greek Scriptures.
Extrabiblical Books

The Pistis Sophia – What is it?

The Pistis Sophia is a Gnostic text written centuries after Jesus, claiming secret teachings and mystical encounters not found in Scripture. The Pistis Sophia is unbiblical and cannot be considered authoritative.
Extrabiblical Books

The Pseudepigrapha – What are they?

The Pseudepigrapha are ancient religious writings falsely attributed to biblical figures, created between 300 BC and AD 300. While they hold historical interest, they lack divine inspiration and are not recognized as part of the biblical canon.
Extrabiblical Books

The Shepherd of Hermas – What is it? Should The Shepherd of Hermas be in the Bible?

The Shepherd of Hermas is a second-century Christian text offering visions, parables, and moral instruction to guide believers in repentance and faithfulness. It was never accepted into the New Testament canon, but it provides insight into early church thinking.
Extrabiblical Books

The Testament of Solomon — What is it?

The Testament of Solomon is a book that was written sometime between the third and fifth centuries, hundreds of years after the life of Christ and approximately fifteen hundred years after the life of Solomon. The Testament of Solomon has deep ties to astrology and was never believed to be truthful or scriptural by either Jews or the early church.
Extrabiblical Books

The Wisdom of Sirach / Book of Ecclesiasticus – What is it?

The Wisdom of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus, is an intertestamental, second-century BC Jewish text offering practical and moral wisdom but not considered canon by Protestants. While Ecclesiasticus contains valuable insights, some teachings conflict with biblical principles.
Extrabiblical Books

The Wisdom of Solomon - What is it?

Though the Wisdom of Solomon includes important teachings regarding wisdom, its words were not accepted as inspired in the Jewish collection of writings in the Old or New Testament writings.
Extrabiblical Books

The books of 1 and 2 Esdras – What are they?

First and 2 Esdras are extra-biblical writings linked to Ezra, containing historical and visionary material but not part of the biblical canon. First and 2 Esdras offer cultural and religious insights yet include teachings and details not supported by Scripture.
Extrabiblical Books

The books of 3 and 4 Maccabees – What are they?

The books of 3 and 4 Maccabees are historical and philosophical writings from the intertestamental period. While they provide cultural and moral insight, they are not considered part of the canon.
Extrabiblical Books

What are the Catholic Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books?

The Catholic Apocrypha, or Deuterocanonical books, were written between the Old and New Testaments and were never accepted as inspired Scripture by the Jews or Jesus. Though historically valuable, they lack prophetic authority and include teachings outside God’s Word.
Extrabiblical Books

What are the Odes of Solomon?

The Odes of Solomon are a collection of early Christian hymns estimated to have been written at the end of the first century AD. They are unconnected to Solomon and not part of divinely inspired Scripture.
Extrabiblical Books

What are the Psalms of Solomon?

The Psalms of Solomon is a pseudepigraphal collection of psalms written around 60 BC. While the Psalms of Solomon are not considered inspired Scripture, they reflect the messianic hopes prevalent among Jews during the Second Temple period, which offers a backdrop to the New Testament's portrayal of Jesus as the fulfillment of these messianic prophecies.
Extrabiblical Books

What is Bel and the Dragon?

Bel and the Dragon is an apocryphal addition to the book of Daniel and is not inspired nor included with the rest of the biblical canon. Certain Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include Bel and the Dragon with the book of Daniel.
Extrabiblical Books

What is the Letter to Diognetus?

The Letter to Diognetus is an early Christian apologetic work that explains and defends the faith, emphasizing the distinctiveness and moral integrity of believers. The Letter to Diognetus encourages Christians to live faithfully and lovingly in the world as a testimony to God’s transforming power.
Extrabiblical Books

What is the Midrash?

A midrash is like a parable. It is a Jewish teaching tool that uses an explanation or story to give details or a modern application for an old teaching found in Jewish Scripture. Midrashim are not considered Scripture, although some are accepted as truth.
Extrabiblical Books

What is the Mishnah?

The Mishnah is a written record of Jewish oral traditions that claim to explain and expand on God’s Law given to Moses. Though it holds historical and cultural value, the Mishnah is not inspired Scripture but a human attempt to interpret and preserve the Torah’s teachings.
Extrabiblical Books

What was the find at Nag Hammadi? What are the Nag Hammadi scrolls?

In 1945, a collection of scrolls called the Nag Hammadi library was discovered in Egypt, containing writings tied to early Christian Gnosticism. While historically intriguing, the Nag Hammadi scrolls are false, contradict Scripture, and were rightly rejected by the early church.