List of gospels

Gospels (Greek: εὐαγγέλιον; Latin: evangelium) are written records detailing the life and teachings of Jesus.^[1] The term originally referred to the Christian message itself but later came to refer to the books in which the message was written.^[2]

A large old Bible, open and displaying two pages of densely-written calligraphy, with some decoration surrounding one section on the left-hand page. — The canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John can be found in most Christian Bibles

Gospels are a genre of ancient biography in early Christian literature. The New Testament includes four canonical gospels, but there are many gospels not included in the biblical canon.^[3] These additional gospels are referred to as either New Testament apocrypha or pseudepigrapha. Some of these texts have impacted Christian traditions, including many forms of iconography.^[4]

Canonical gospels

Synoptic gospels:
Longer ending of Mark (see also the Freer Logion)
Gospel of John

Hypothesized sources of the synoptic gospels

Q source – Q is a material common to Matthew and Luke, but not found in Mark
M source – M is a material unique to Matthew
L source – L is a material unique to Luke

Hypothesized sources of the Gospel of John

Signs Gospel – narrative of the Seven Signs
Discourses Gospel – source of the discourse material

Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha

Closely related to the Canonical Gospels

Gospel of Marcion – 2nd century, closely related to the Gospel of Luke with modifications to suit Marcionism.^[5]

Gnostic gospels

Gospel of Thomas – The Gospel of Thomas (also known as the Coptic Gospel of Thomas) is a non-canonical sayings gospel.^[3]
Gospel of Basilides – composed in Egypt around 120-140 AD, thought to be a Gnostic gospel harmony of the canonical gospels.^[4]
Gospel of Truth (Valentinian) – mid-2nd century, departed from earlier Gnostic works by admitting and defending the physicality of Christ and his resurrection.^[6]
Gospel of the Four Heavenly Realms – mid-2nd century, thought to be a Gnostic cosmology, most likely in the form of a dialogue between Jesus and his disciples.^[6]
Gospel of Mary – 2nd century Gnostic text.^[6]
Gospel of Judas – 2nd century, documents Gnostic teachings in the form of a dialogue between Jesus and Judas.^[6]
Greek Gospel of the Egyptians – second quarter of the 2nd century.^[4]
Gospel of Philip – 3rd-century non-canonical sayings gospel.^[6]
Gospel of the Twelve Apostles – a Syriac language gospel titled the Gospel of the Twelve, this work is shorter than the regular gospels and seems to be different from the lost Gospel of the Twelve.^[7]
Gospel of Perfection – 4th century, an Ophite poem that is only mentioned once by a single patristic source, Epiphanius,^[8] and is referred to once in the 6th century Syriac Infancy Gospel.
Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians – also called Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit.^[6]

Jewish-Christian gospels

Gospel of the Hebrews – consisting of seven citations by Epiphanius, GE-1 to GE-7.^[6]
Gospel of the Nazarenes – consisting of citations and marginal notes by Jerome and others (GN-1 to GN-36).^[6]
Gospel of the Ebionites – a fragmented gospel harmony of the Synoptic Gospels, modified to reflect the theology of the writer.^[6]
Gospel of the Twelve – a lost gospel mentioned by Origen as part of a list of heretical works.^[4]

Infancy gospels

Armenian Infancy Gospel^[9]
Protoevangelium of James^[6]
Libellus de Nativitate Sanctae Mariae (Gospel of the Nativity of Mary)^[6]
Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew^[6]
History of Joseph the Carpenter^[6]
Infancy Gospel of Thomas^[6]
Latin Infancy Gospel (also known as the "J Composition")^[6]
Syriac Infancy Gospel^[6]

Other gospels

Gospel of the Lots of Mary (Coptic collection of 37 oracles; around 500 AD)^[10]

References

^ Tuckett 2000, p. 522.
^ Cross & Livingstone 2005, p. 697.
^ ^a ^b "The Story Of The Storytellers - What Are The Gospels? | From Jesus To Christ | FRONTLINE | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Lost Christianities". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
^ Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A. (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Ehrman, Bart; Pleše, Zlatko (December 18, 2013). Ehrman, Bart (ed.). The Other Gospels: Accounts of Jesus from Outside the New Testament. USA: Oxford University Press. p. 144. ISBN 9780199335220.
^ Harris, J. R., ed. The Gospel of the Twelve Apostles Together with the Apocalypses of Each One of Them (Cambridge, 1900).
^ Pan. Hæres. 26. § 2
^ Wilson, Robert (1975). Tenney, Merrill (ed.). The Zondervan pictorial encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. p. 311. ISBN 0310331889. Retrieved 13 February 2023. A late and secondary compilation, ultimately dependent on the Protevangelium of James and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, but greatly amplified. It derives from a Syr. original, but the date of this source is doubtful.

Also available on BibleGateway.com's Encyclopedia of the Bible (which is derived from the Zondervan work)
^ Jarus, Owen (February 3, 2015). "Newfound 'Gospel of the Lots of Mary' Discovered in Ancient Text". Live Science. Retrieved February 8, 2015.

[FOOTNOTETuckett2000522-1] Tuckett 2000, p. 522.

[FOOTNOTECrossLivingstone2005697-2] Cross & Livingstone 2005, p. 697.

[pbs.org-3] "The Story Of The Storytellers - What Are The Gospels? | From Jesus To Christ | FRONTLINE | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2024-10-29.

[Lost_Christianities-4] "Lost Christianities". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2024-10-30.

[5] Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A. (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3.

[EhrmanPlese2013-6] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Ehrman, Bart; Pleše, Zlatko (December 18, 2013). Ehrman, Bart (ed.). The Other Gospels: Accounts of Jesus from Outside the New Testament. USA: Oxford University Press. p. 144. ISBN 9780199335220.

[7] Harris, J. R., ed. The Gospel of the Twelve Apostles Together with the Apocalypses of Each One of Them (Cambridge, 1900).

[8] Pan. Hæres. 26. § 2

[9] Wilson, Robert (1975). Tenney, Merrill (ed.). The Zondervan pictorial encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. p. 311. ISBN 0310331889. Retrieved 13 February 2023. A late and secondary compilation, ultimately dependent on the Protevangelium of James and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, but greatly amplified. It derives from a Syr. original, but the date of this source is doubtful.

Also available on BibleGateway.com's Encyclopedia of the Bible (which is derived from the Zondervan work)

[live-sci-lots-mary-10] Jarus, Owen (February 3, 2015). "Newfound 'Gospel of the Lots of Mary' Discovered in Ancient Text". Live Science. Retrieved February 8, 2015.

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