APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMENT:
a collection of writings which the EARLY CHURCH deemed
uncanonical and rejected because they did not teach ORTHODOX doctrines. In recent years
APOCRYPHAL LITERATURE, such as the Gospel of Thomas, has become popular among
alternate religious GROUPS and has formed a basis for many NEW AGE BELIEFS. Many wild
claims have been made about apocryphal writings but the truth is that most were written
well into the second century A.D. and lack all HISTORICAL connection to the historical
JESUS.
