Forgotten Scriptures

The early Christian church had a variety of Scriptures and other source material that informed their faith and shaped their thinking. But after a few centuries the church decided to keep the twenty-seven books of our present New Testament and to treat them as a canonical in faith and practice. But what of the other books? Many of them have survived and remain valuable for understanding the diversity of the early Christian church and the astounding claims of faith on which it was founded. Learning about these ancient documents need not threaten the church's current orthodoxy and authority; in fact, learning about these texts can help today's Christians form a deeper understanding of the early church.

Collects the lost books of the Bible, sharing stories of Jesus as a child, discussing other miracles of Mary, and other tales not included in the New Testament.

The destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 BC is the likely setting for the book of Lamentations. This was the most traumatic event in Old Testament history, as Israel faced extreme human suffering, the destruction of the ancient city, national humiliation, and the undermining of all that was thought to be divinely guaranteed, such as the Davidic monarchy, the city of Zion, and the very temple of their God. It is out of such unspeakable pain that Lamentations speaks, through poetry of astonishing beauty and intricacy, although soaked in tears. If we neglect this book of the Bible, says Chris Wright, we miss the challenge and reward of wrestling with the massive theological issues that permeate it. How can suffering be endured alongside faith in an all-loving, good God? If death and destruction stalk the land, can Israel's faith in the covenant God of faithfulness and mercy be sustained? Through this commentary, Wright shows that we must not isolate Lamentations from the rest of the Bible, nor should we read the rest of the Bible without Lamentations. It is a crucial part of the narrative that still has many messages for us to learn from today. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Lamentations offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language and a new interior design.

What books were left out of the Bible and why? First issued in 1926, this is the most popular collection of apocryphal and pseudepigraphal literature ever published. Here, in one place, are the infancy gospels, the letter of Jesus to Abgarus, the Gospel of Nicodemus, the Legends of Paul and Thecla, the Epistles of Clement and Barnabus, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Books of Adam and Eve, the Secrets of Enoch, the Psalms and Odes of Solomon, the many Testaments of the Patriarchs, and many more ancient books which were highly revered, but ultimately left out of the Bible.

After exploring every part of the Great pyramid both inside and out, the author reveals how it connects to history and predicts future events. He advances the idea that major cataclysms of the past occurred at specifically predicable times, and when the next world-wide catastrophe will come. If his predictions are accurate, we need to prepare.

In the years leading up to the Common Era, the Jewish people drew faith from hundreds of sacred writings, many of which claimed to contain the words of prophets, kings and patriarchs—even Adam. Similarly, the early Christians produced a wealth of texts that the established Church dismissed or branded heretical: they range from legends about the boy Jesus to the mystical Gnostic gospels. Because these powerful, often beautiful works were written out of the Jewish and Christian Bibles, for centuries most remained unknown outside a small circle of theologians and academics. With profound scholarship, Professor J. R. Porter has now gathered these ancient texts in a richly illustrated anthology, pairing translated extracts in accessible, modern language with commentaries that illuminate their character and importance.

The Lost Bible presents a fascinating selection of sacred Jewish and Christian texts excluded from the Old and New Testaments by their compilers--unofficial scriptures that present alternative versions of Biblical characters and events.

A companion volume to Lost Christianities, this remarkable anthology of long-lost Christian writings that were never included in the New Testaments includes fifteen additional gospels, thirteen epistles, five non-canonical Acts of the Apostles, Apocalypes and Secret Books, and brief introductions to each. History Dual Main. (Scripture)