Non-Canonical Gospels

Christian History | Article # 3

In the early centuries after Jesus, different Christian communities produced many writings about his life, teachings, and followers. Some of these writings focused on sayings of Jesus. Others described events not found in the New Testament. A few presented completely different views about who Jesus was and what his message meant.

Today, the New Testament contains four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These were not the only ones written. Dozens of other gospels once existed. They were shared, copied, and read in Christian circles before the church finalized the canon. These writings are now called non-canonical gospels because they were eventually left out of the Bible.

This article introduces the major non-canonical gospels, explains what they contain, and notes when they were written. It does not analyze why they were accepted or rejected. That will be the focus of a separate article.

---

What Is a “Non-Canonical” Gospel?

The word canon refers to the official list of books accepted as scripture. A non-canonical gospel is any gospel not included in the New Testament.

These writings are still called “gospels” because they tell stories or teachings related to Jesus. The title “gospel” does not always mean a narrative account like the four canonical gospels. Some are dialogues, homilies, theological treatises, or sayings collections. A few contain only fragments. Others focus on Jesus’s family or events in his childhood. Some present entirely new interpretations of his death and resurrection.

---

How Many Gospels Existed?

Scholars have identified more than 30 gospels that circulated among early Christians. Some survive only in fragments. Others are mostly intact. Most were written between the mid-1st century and the 3rd century.

We know about these gospels from two main sources:

1. Ancient manuscripts discovered in places like Egypt, especially the Nag Hammadi library in 1945.

2. Quotations and summaries in the writings of early church fathers who often mentioned them to criticize or refute them.

Not all of these writings were intended as factual history. Some were symbolic or mystical. Others were written by Christian sects with beliefs that differed from the emerging orthodoxy of the later church.

---

Major Non-Canonical Gospels

Below is a categorized list of the best-known non-canonical gospels, with approximate dates, content, and notable traits.