Deceptive Legends: The Use of Miracles in Early New Testament Apocrypha

Abstract

"Early texts of the New Testament apocrypha contain some of the most fascinating and entertaining stories in the realm of Christian literature. From the beginning of the New Testament Church, stories began to circulate about Jesus’ childhood years, the apostles’ missionary adventures, and other biblical characters that early Christians were eager to hear more about. Scholarly research views the New Testament apocrypha as an essential part of Christianity today. However, all that glitters is not gold. Though entertaining and fascinating on the surface, the contents of the New Testament apocrypha are deceptive and problematic. Christians ought to draw a careful line between Scripture and apocrypha. Though the miraculous events in the New Testament apocrypha seem similar to what we see in the canonical New Testament, they could not be more different. The miracles in Scripture serve to communicate Christ and to point to his work as our Savior. In contrast, the miracles in the New Testament apocrypha paint deceptive legends that the very first Christians were forced to contend with."