Apocrypha refers to texts of uncertain authorship or authenticity, often non-canonized Judeo-Christian scriptures. The Gnostic tradition incorporated New Testament Apocrypha into their teachings, including the Gospel of Thomas, Mary, Philip, truth, and Judas. Some revelations contradict traditional beliefs, such as Christ’s romantic involvement with Mary Magdalene. The Vatican’s 2006 translation of the Gospel of Judas suggests Judas obeyed Christ’s request to hand him over. Literature by well-known authors, such as Shakespeare’s apocrypha, is also considered apocryphal due to uncertain authorship.
The term Apocrypha is used to describe texts of dubious authorship or authenticity. The term is most often used in the context of non-canonized Judeo-Christian scriptures that have been excluded from the Bible. Consequently, such apocryphal texts are not generally recognized by the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Churches among the gospels of the apostles included in the Bible. However, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church had previously incorporated various apocryphal texts into the New Testament canon.
The Gnostic tradition incorporated the New Testament Apocrypha, or Gnostic Gospels, into their esoteric teachings and allegorical interpretations. The main apocrypha of the New Testament are the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of truth, the Gospel of Philip and the Gospel of Judas, discovered in the 1970s and reconstructed in 2006.
Certain revelations in the New Testament apocrypha, particularly concerning the nature of Jesus Christ, appear to contradict traditionally held beliefs that derive from New Testament teachings, and have therefore been the subject of controversy. In the Gospel of Philip, for example, the statement that Christ loved Mary Magdalene “more than her disciples, (and kissed her)” implies that he and Mary Magdalene were romantically involved – a theory echoed in the popular book and film, Da Vinci’s code. Furthermore, the Gospel of Thomas seems antithetical to the common Christian belief in a bodily resurrection and the gospel of truth suggests that knowledge, rather than repentance, is the way to salvation.
In 2006, the Vatican issued a public statement regarding the preliminary translation of the Gospel of Judas, completed earlier that year by the National Geographic Society. The newly reconstructed Gospel suggests that the Apostle Judas Iscariot did not betray Christ by handing him over to the authorities of the Temple in Jerusalem and consequently to Pontius Pilate, but actually obeyed a direct request from Christ to do so. Pope Benedict XVI argued that Judas showed “an open rejection of God’s love” and “saw Jesus in terms of power and success: his only real interests were his power and his success, there was no it was love involved. He was a greedy man: money was more important than fellowship with Jesus; money came before God and his love for him ”.
In addition to some biblical texts, literature by well-known authors has also been considered apocryphal, such as Shakespeare’s apocrypha. While this group of works is often attributed to the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare, their true authorship remains debatable, due to the fact that they were excluded from Shakespeare’s First Folio and appear to diverge from Shakespeare’s style. While some speculate that Shakespeare may have co-written the plays with someone else or helped edit them, others argue that the poems are written entirely by an unknown author. The anecdote of George Washington and the cherry orchard, told by American printer and writer Parson Weems, is another example of apocryphal literature. Today, the story is widely regarded as a fabrication for profit or simply to glorify Washington.
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