apocrypha
Examinations of apocryphal writings, their historical background, doctrinal themes, and relevance in biblical debates.
Moses: A God like Jesus? Paid Members Public
In Exodus, God tells Moses that he would make him as God to both Aaron and Pharoah, with Aaron functioning as his mouthpiece/spokesperson and prophet: “Aaron will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will be like Elohim.” Exodus 4:16 Names of
Mary’s Parents: Descendants of David Paid Members Public
In this short post I will cite some references from apocryphal and/or pseudepigraphical writings stating that Mary and her parents were physical descendants of David, and from the tribe of Judah. All emphasis will be mine. 10. And there was a council of the priests, saying: Let us make
Mary’s Father: Eli or Joakim? Paid Members Public
According to the earliest tradition, Mary’s parents were named Joachim/Joakim and Anna/Hannah. Their names can be found in the second century writing titled Protoevanglium of James the Lesser, a very early source which contains traditions from the first century AD. This was a quite popular work among
The Gospel of Peter Paid Members Public
The Gospel of Peter is a pseudonymous work that claims to have been written by St. Peter, which scholars have dated to the 2nd century AD. The Gospel only exists in fragmentary form, which I include here for the benefit of the readers. All emphasis will be mine. The Gospel
Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, The Spirit, Basil & Amphiliocus Paid Members Public
The deuteron-canonical writings contain passages which point to the Triunity of God. In fact, the New Testament itself echoes the language and ideas of these writings when describing Christ as Divine. For instance, Jesus is said to be the Wisdom, Word and Power of God, being uniquely born (monogenes) Son
Atonement by Incense Paid Members Public
More Proof of the Intercessions of Saints The Wisdom of Solomon speaks of the events of the Exodus where God sent forth his almighty Word from heaven’s throne to slay the firstborn of the Egyptians.(1) It is within this context that the writer makes mention of Aaron offering
Enoch, Death, Afterlife & Hell Paid Members Public
The following excerpts are taken from The Book of Enoch, Section I, and focus on the book’s view of death, the afterlife, hell, and the punishment of the wicked. Here is another link to the English translation of Enoch: The Book of Enoch Index. All emphasis will be mine.
Dead Sea Scrolls & Biblical Theology Paid Members Public
With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) in 1947, manuscripts were discovered which give us a window into the specific beliefs and practices of a certain Jewish group living around the area of Jerusalem. One such scroll is known as the Community Rule, and highlights some of the