
The Apocryphon of James, also known by the translation of its title - the Secret Book of James, is a pseudonymous text amongst the New Testament The New Testament is the second major part of the Christian biblical canon, the first part being the Old Testament, based on the Hebrew Bible. The Greek New Testament discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christianity. Christians regard both the Ol… The biblical apocrypha denotes the collection of apocryphal ancient books found in some editions of Christian Bibles in a separate section between the Old and New Testaments or as an appendix after the New Testament. Some Christian Churches include some or all of the same texts within the body of their version of the Old Testament.New Testament
Biblical apocrypha
Is the Apocrypha in the King James Bible?
Matthew's Bible, published in 1537, contains all the Apocrypha of the later King James Version in an inter-testamental section. The 1538 Myles Coverdale Bible contained an Apocrypha that excluded Baruch and the Prayer of Manasseh.
Is the Gospel of James the same as the Apocryphon?
Not to be confused with Gospel of James. The Apocryphon of James, also known by the translation of its title – the Secret Book of James, is a pseudonymous text amongst the New Testament apocrypha. It describes the secret teachings of Jesus to Peter and James, given after the Resurrection but before the Ascension .
How many books are in the Apocrypha?
Have you ever wondered exactly who wrote the Apocrypha, what are the 14 books of the Apocrypha? If so, the attribute below can help you to answer this query. What Is the Apocrypha? Why was the Apocrypha removed? Apocryphal books weren’t recognized because of the word of God with their authors, Christ, nor the Apostles.
Why are the apocryphal books excluded from the Bible?
Thus, Bibles printed by English Protestants who separated from the Church of England began to exclude these books. All English translations of the Bible printed in the sixteenth century included a section or appendix for Apocryphal books.
What does the book of James mean?
Is there a critical edition of Tischendorf's book?

Which gospels are apocryphal?
Non-canonical gospelsGospel of Marcion (mid-2nd century)Gospel of Mani (3rd century)Gospel of Apelles (mid–late 2nd century)Gospel of Bardesanes (late 2nd–early 3rd century)Gospel of Basilides (mid-2nd century)Gospel of Thomas (2nd century; sayings gospel)
Do Catholics believe in the Gospel of James?
Christianity. The Gospel of James was a widely influential source for Christian doctrine regarding Mary. Most notably it is the earliest assertion of her perpetual virginity, meaning her virginity not just prior to the birth of Jesus, but during the birth and afterwards.
Who wrote the book of James?
Letter of James, also called Epistle of St. James the Apostle, abbreviation James, New Testament writing addressed to the early Christian churches (“to the twelve tribes in the dispersion”) and attributed to James, a Christian Jew, whose identity is disputed.
What Bible contains the apocrypha?
All English translations of the Bible printed in the sixteenth century included a section or appendix for Apocryphal books. Matthew's Bible, published in 1537, contains all the Apocrypha of the later King James Version in an inter-testamental section.
What does the book of James teach us?
The main theme of the book of James is receiving wisdom from God's Word. Wisdom from God results in a life that bears fruit. Wisdom from God's Word that affects every area of life and results in a life the is fruitful and thrives even in the face of trials.
Who is James in Catholic Church?
The Catholic tradition holds that this James is to be identified with James, son of Alphaeus, and James the Less....James, brother of Jesus.Saint James the JustNeo-Byzantine icon of JamesApostle and Martyr, AdelphotheosBornEarly 1st centuryDied69 AD or 62 AD Jerusalem4 more rows
What was Jesus's wife's name?
Saint Mary MagdaleneMary MagdaleneSaint Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene ( c. 1524) by Andrea Solari, showing her as a myrrhbearer (artist's phantasy)Apostle to the ApostlesBornPossibly Magdala, Roman Judea5 more rows
What was the last name of Jesus?
0:005:49What was Jesus's Real Name? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipReal name Jesus's name in Hebrew was Yeshua.MoreReal name Jesus's name in Hebrew was Yeshua.
How many siblings did Jesus have?
Adelphoi (brethren) of Jesus Mark 6:3 names James, Joses, Judas (conventionally known in English as Jude) and Simon as the brothers of Jesus, and Matthew 13:55, which probably used Mark as its source, gives the same names in different order, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas.
What churches use the Apocrypha?
The Protestant Apocrypha contains three books (1 Esdras, 2 Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh) that are accepted by many Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches as canonical, but are regarded as non-canonical by the Catholic Church and are therefore not included in modern Catholic Bibles.
When was the Apocrypha taken out of the Bible?
Others point out that the 'Apocrypha' was in every Christian Bible until 1828. In 1828 these books were taken out of some Bibles. The translators of the King James Bible said that these books were written to prepare the people for Jesus, in the same way as John the Baptist did.
What books did Martin Luther remove from the Bible?
Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation Luther considered Hebrews, James, Jude, and the Revelation to be "disputed books", which he included in his translation but placed separately at the end in his New Testament published in 1522.
Is the Gospel of James in the Bible?
Yet the Protoevangelium of James was not a text that had come to be accepted formally as part of the biblical canon. In fact, especially in the West, it was referred to explicitly as an apocryphal gospel and was excluded from the canon.
What are the four gospels?
The four gospels that we find in the New Testament, are of course, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The first three of these are usually referred to as the "synoptic gospels," because they look at things in a similar way, or they are similar in the way that they tell the story.
What is in the Gnostic Gospels?
The Gnostic Gospels: The 52 texts discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt include 'secret' gospels poems and myths attributing to Jesus sayings and beliefs which are very different from the New Testament. Scholar Elaine Pagels explores these documents and their implications.
Who wrote the apocryphal gospels?
The Gelasian Decree (generally held now as being the work of an anonymous scholar between 519 and 553) refers to religious works by church fathers Eusebius, Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria as apocrypha.
What is the secret book of James?
The Apocryphon of James, also known by the translation of its title – the Secret Book of James, is a pseudonymous text amongst the New Testament apocrypha. It describes the secret teachings of Jesus to Peter and James, given after the Resurrection but before the Ascension .
What is the framing letter of the Apocryphon?
The brief framing letter appears independent of the remainder of the text, suggesting to some that the Apocryphon may have originated as multiple separate texts redacted together. This framing letter references a previous "secret gospel", which has apparently been lost. Within the Apocryphon, the discussions of martyrdom and prophecy also appear to be somewhat separate, indicating an original text, for the main body of the document, which was composed of brief sayings. It is still debated whether the closest parallels to the New Testament canon are part of the Apocryphon's last redactional hand or else part of its sources.
What is the theme of James and Peter?
A major theme is that one must accept suffering as inevitable. The prominence of James and Peter suggest that the work originated in the Jewish Christian community. It shows no dependence on canonical texts, and was probably written in the first half of the 2nd century.
Is the Apocryphon of James a gnostic text?
The text also uses gnostic terms, such as referring to "fullness" as a means to salvation, but the doctrines in the Apocryphon of James certainly do not accord with the Valentinian or other developed gnostic cosmologies, so it is not usually counted as a truly gnostic text.
What is the apocrypha in the Bible?
The apocrypha is a selection of books which were published in the original 1611 King James Bible. These apocryphal books were positioned between the Old and New Testament (it also contained maps and geneologies). The apocrypha was a part of the KJV for 274 years until being removed in 1885 A.D. A portion of these books were called deuterocanonical ...
How long was the Apocrypha in the KJV?
The apocrypha was a part of the KJV for 274 years until being removed in 1885 A.D. A portion of these books were called deuterocanonical books by some entities, such as the Catholic church.
What does the word "apocrypha" mean?
The word ' apocrypha ' means 'hidden .'. Fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls dating back to before 70 A.D. contained parts of the apocrypha books in Hebrew, including Sirach and Tobit [ source ]. Keep this in mind when reading the following apocryphal books.
Why was the Bible removed?
Some say it was removed because of not finding the books in the original Hebrew manuscripts.
Which Bible was the first to divide the Apocrypha?
Martin Luther’s 1534 Bible was the first to divide the Apocrypha as an intertestamental part with a notice describing they aren’t divinely inspired. The Geneva Bible followed this case in 1599. The 1611 King James Bible also published the Apocrypha, but it had been eliminated in 1885.
Where did the word "apocrypha" come from?
The term “ Apocrypha ” comes from the Greek term meaning “hidden” or “secret” Initially. The word was earmarked for novels with articles considered too grand and sacred to products available to the public. With the years, “apocrypha” took a negative connotation on account of the suspicious roots and skeptical canonicity of those novels.
Why was the Apocrypha removed?
Apocryphal books endorsed philosophy incompatible with the concept of this Bible.
What are the books of the Catholic Church?
Considering that the Council of Rome in 382 (and reaffirmed by the Council of Trent in 1546), those apocryphal (deuterocanonical) books below are considered canonical by the Catholic Church: 1 Tobit 2 Judith 3 Added chapters of Esther and Daniel 4 1st and 2nd Maccabees 5 Wisdom of Solomon 6 Sirach (or Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach) 7 Baruch
Why is the word "apocrypha" negative?
With the years, “apocrypha” took a negative connotation on account of the suspicious roots and skeptical canonicity of those novels.
What did the Jewish scholars do to the Septuagint?
From the next century BC, Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) to Greek, Leading to the Septuagint. Several books contained in the Septuagint, which weren’t considered divinely motivated by Jews, were collected from the Jewish Talmud, which can be a nutritional supplement, of types, or interpretation of the Hebrew Bible.
Which Council of Rome confirmed the apocryphal books as canonical?
And in reaction to the Reformation and Martin Luther’s views on the Apocrypha, the Council of Trent (1546) further confirmed nearly all Latin Vulgate as canonical, such as the majority of the apocryphal books.
Why is the Apocrypha not considered a book of scripture?
The Apocrypha should not be considered Scripture because these books bear none of the marks of authority within them. Protestants reject the Apocrypha based on both internal and external evidence. Protestants hold to the 39 books of the Old Testament as inspired Scripture because there are no other books that need to be in the Old Testament.
What Books Are in the Apocrypha?
Different scholars included different apocryphal books in their Bible translations before the official list we have today, which was ratified by several Roman Catholic councils and appeared in the King James Bible. The list is as follows:
How and When Was Scripture Canonized?
There are a number of councils throughout early church history where church leaders discussed what books were divinely inspired and part of the Old Testament or the New Testament. While the alleged “later Gospels” (or Gnostic Gospels) were consistently rejected and not included in the New Testament, a variety of councils, perhaps most notably the Council of Hippo in 393, included apocryphal books in the Old Testament.
Why Do We Reject the Apocrypha as Canon?
There are a number of reasons why different scholars have described the Apocrypha as not being part of the Scripture canon. Here are five of the clearest and simplest reasons:
What are the books of the Maccabees?
Three of these books are sections of text included in the Septuagint as part of biblical texts but not in earlier versions: Additions to Esther, Additions to Daniel, and the Additional Psalm.
What are the additions to the Book of Daniel?
The Additions to the Book of Daniel are three extra stories about Daniel: · The Prayer of Azariah describes Azariah (also known as Abednego), one of the three men sent into the fiery, entering the furnace and saying a prayer to God. Eventually, all three of the men join in a single prayer, where they exhort all creation to praise the Lord.
What does Daniel show that the temple priests are eating all the offerings being left to Bel?
Daniel cleverly shows that temple priests are actually eating all the offerings being left to Bel and shows the dragon is not a god by feeding it food that makes it explode. The Additional Psalm (sometimes called Psalm 151) is a psalm that doesn’t appear in earlier translations of the Psalms.
What is the secret book of James?
The Apocryphon of James, also known by the translation of its title – the Secret Book of James, is a pseudonymous text amongst the New Testament apocrypha. It describes the secret teachings of Jesus to Peter and James, given after the Resurrection but before the Ascension.
What is the framing letter of the Apocryphon?
The brief framing letter appears independent of the remainder of the text, suggesting to some that the Apocryphon may have originated as multiple separate texts redacted together. This framing letter references a previous “secret gospel”, which has apparently been lost. Within the Apocryphon, the discussions of martyrdom and prophecy also appear to be somewhat separate, indicating an original text, for the main body of the document, which was composed of brief sayings. It is still debated whether the closest parallels to the New Testament canon are part of the Apocryphon’s last redactional hand or else part of its sources.
What is the theme of James and Peter?
A major theme is that one must accept suffering as inevitable. The prominence of James and Peter suggest that the work originated in the Jewish Christian community. It shows no dependence on canonical texts, and was probably written in the first half of the 2nd century. It has Gnostic affinities but cannot be attributed to any Gnostic sect, and some scholars rule that it is not Gnostic at all.
Is the Apocryphon of James a gnostic text?
The text also uses gnostic terms, such as referring to “fullness” as a means to salvation, but the doctrines in the Apocryphon of James certainly do not accord with the Valentinian or other developed gnostic cosmologies, so it is not usually counted as a truly gnostic text.
Who printed the apocryphal books?
This next Leaf is also part of my collection from the 1625 King James Version Printed by Richard Norton and John Bill The "printers to the Kings moft excellent Majestie" . This printing has become fondly know among collectors a the "Last Edition" because of the year ...
How many references are there to the Apocrypha?
The total number of references in the margins in the Old and New Testaments to the so called "Apocrypha" books of the King James version as printed in 1611 is 113 . Of this number, 102 are in the Old Testament, and 11 in the New. The New Testament passages with references to the Apocrypha are as follows:
What is the KJV page 1611?
Among the Pages of the 1611 KJV was a Chart showing the scriptural Lessons to be taught at the different saint's holy days. It included lessons from the "apocrypha" Books. The above scan is from a facsimile of the first impression the original 1611 edition of The King James Bible was produced in 1961 for the World Publishing Company
How many translators did King James have?
We Know That King James intended to have the "Apocrypha" in his Bible, he set up the "Translation" Committee in a very specific structure it was composed of six panels of translators (47 men in all), two panels met respectively in Westminster, Cambridge and Oxford. Three panels were responsible for the Old Testament, two for the New Testament, and one One of the Cambridge Companies specifically for the "Apocrypha" Books, this last group composed of seven members was led by Dr. Bois. although the King nominated the translators to the number of fifty-four actually only 47 actually took part in the work which, however--officially at least--they were in no hurry to begin; for, although named in 1604 and with all the preliminaries arranged before the end of that year, they did not begin their work till 1607.
What is the original King James Version?
The truth is original 1611 King James Version contained the Deuterocanonical books. Just as these books the Protestants call the "Apocrypha" Books were in Martin Luther's Translation and all of the Earlier Protestant English Translations of the Bible which Predated the 1611 KJV. This should not come as a surprise when one considers ...
When were the Deuterocanonical books written?
The Deuterocanonical Books In The Original 1611 King James Version.
How many books are in the King James Bible?
Thus, we could safely say the version of the King James Bible that most Protestants use today omits these These 7 Books ( or counted as 14 Books when each section is counted as one.) [There are 155,683 words in over 5,700 verses in 168 Chapters in the "Apocrypha" as divided in the 1611 King James Version] of scripture. Verses which were originally contained in the 1611 version of the King James Bible and also in ALL of the other previous Protestant English translations of the Bible.
How many books are in the Apocrypha?
The Protestant Apocrypha contains three books (1 Esdras, 2 Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh) that are accepted by many Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches as canonical, but are regarded as non-canonical by the Catholic Church and are therefore not included in modern Catholic Bibles.
What is the apocrypha of the Bible?
t. e. Copies of the Luther Bible include the intertestamental books between the Old Testament and New Testament; they are termed the "Apocrypha" in Christian Churches having their origins in the Reformation. The biblical apocrypha (from the Ancient Greek: ἀπόκρυφος, romanized : apókruphos, lit.
What books are included in the Revised Standard Version?
Some editions of the Revised Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible include not only the Apocrypha listed above, but also the third and fourth books of Maccabees, and Psalm 151 . The American Bible Society lifted restrictions on the publication of Bibles with the Apocrypha in 1964.
When was the apocrypha first published?
Although the term apocryphal had been in use since the 5th century, it was in Luther's Bible of 1534 that the Apocrypha was first published as a separate intertestamental section. To this date, the Apocrypha are "included in the lectionaries of Anglican and Lutheran Churches.".
What standard did the Puritans use to determine which books would be included in the canon?
The Puritans used the standard of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) to determine which books would be included in the canon. The Westminster Confession of Faith, composed during the British Civil Wars (1642–1651), excluded the Apocrypha from the canon.
When was the Apocrypha written?
'hidden') denotes the collection of apocryphal ancient books thought to have been written some time between 200 BC and 400 AD.
Which Bibles contain the Apocrypha?
Matthew's Bible (1537), the Great Bible (1539), the Geneva Bible (1560), the Bishop's Bible (1568), and the King James Bible (1611) contained the Apocrypha. Soon after the publication of the KJV, however, the English Bibles began to drop the Apocrypha and eventually they disappeared entirely.
What does the book of James mean?
Apocrypha: The Book of James (Protevangelium) Origen mentions the Book of James (and the Gospel of Peter) as stating that the ‘ brethren of the Lord’ were sons of Joseph by a former wife. This is the first mention of it, and shows us that the book is as old as the second century. To collect later references to it is unnecessary.
Is there a critical edition of Tischendorf's book?
The best recent edition of this book is a French one, by Amann. There is as yet no really critical edition of the text, in which all manuscripts and versions are made use of. I follow Tischendorf’s in the main.

What Is The Apocrypha?
History of The Apocrypha
The text is framed as an epistle (i.e. a letter) from James to someone else whose name is obscured by the damage to the text. The author describes Jesus expanding on various sayings and answering questions 550 days after the Resurrection, but before the Ascension. Both James and Peter are given secret instruction, but at the end only James appears to understand what has happened. (As with the Gospel of John 1–20 and the Gospel of Mary, in this book Peter has impli…
What Are The 14 Books of The Apocrypha?
Why Was The Apocrypha removed?
Which Churches Accept The Apocrypha Books as Canon?
- The apocrypha is a selection of books which were published in the original 1611 King James Bible. These apocryphal books were positioned between the Old and New Testament (it also contained maps and geneologies). The apocrypha was a part of the KJV for 274 years until being removed in 1885 A.D. A portion of these books were called deuterocanonical ...
FAQs About Books in The Apocrypha
Conclusion