Why is The Apocryphon of John not included in the Bible?

One of the main reasons why it has not been included in the Bible is that it considers the creator of this world to be ignorant. This goes against the teachings of the Bible, which state that the creator is benevolent and that sin entered the world due to Adam and Eve's fall from grace.

The Apocryphon of John, or The Secret Book of John, is a text that was written approximately 1800 years ago. This book is considered to be part of the Sethian Gnostic text and is not included in the canonical Bible.

There are three copies of The Secret Book of John that have been discovered near Nag Hammadi in Egypt, and they are believed to be from the second century AD. These copies have been translated into many languages and have been studied extensively by scholars.

The Apocryphon of John is a complex text that challenges many of the fundamental beliefs of mainstream Christianity.

One of the main reasons why it has not been included in the Bible is that it considers the creator of this world to be ignorant. This goes against the teachings of the Bible, which state that the creator is benevolent and that sin entered the world due to Adam and Eve's fall from grace.

Another reason why The Apocryphon of John has not been included in the Bible is that it claims that Christ gave secret knowledge to John in person. However, there is no evidence to support this claim, and it is not clear whether this knowledge would have been considered authoritative by the early Christian communities.

The third reason why The Apocryphon of John has not been included in the Bible is that it teaches that the souls of those who are not saved by Christ are forever trapped. This is not a belief that is held in mainstream Christianity, and it has been a source of controversy among scholars and theologians.

Despite the fact that The Apocryphon of John is not part of the canonical Bible, it remains an important text in the study of early Christianity and Gnosticism. Its unique perspective on the nature of the creator and the relationship between Christ and his disciples has influenced many theologians and scholars over the centuries.

Subscribe to Bible Analysis

Sign up now to get access to the library of members-only issues.
Jamie Larson
Subscribe