The New Testament and Other Early Christian Writings

Description

The twenty-seven books of the New Testament were not the only writings produced by early Christians. Nor were they the only ones to be accepted, at one time or another, as sacred Scripture. Unfortunately, nearly all the other early Christian writings have been lost or destroyed. But approximately twenty-five books written at about the same time as the New Testament have survived--books that reveal the rich diversity of early Christian views about God, Jesus, the world, salvation, ethics, and ritual practice.
This reader presents, for the first time in one volume, every Christian writing known to have been produced during the first hundred years of the church (30-130 C.E.). In addition to the New Testament itself, it includes other, noncanonical Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypses, as well as additional important writings, such as those of the Apostolic Fathers. Each text is provided in an up-to-date and readable translation (including the NRSV for the New Testament), and introduced with a succinct and incisive discussion of its author, date of composition, and overarching themes. This second edition adds The Martyrdom of Polycarp, an important text that will enhance the collection's utility in the classroom. It also features Ehrman's new, accessible translations of many of the noncanonical works and provides updated introductions that incorporate the most recent scholarship.
With an opening overview that shows how the canon of the New Testament came to be formulated--the process by which some Christian books came to be regarded as sacred Scripture whereas others came to be excluded--this accessible reader will meet the needs of students, scholars, and general readers alike. An ideal primary text for courses in the New Testament, Christian Origins, and Early Church History, it can be used in conjunction with its companion volume, the author's The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 3/e (OUP, 2003).

Table of Contents

Preface
General Introduction
EARLY CHRISTIAN GOSPELS
The Gospel According to Matthew
The Gospel According to Mark
The Gospel According to Luke
The Gospel According to John
The Gospel of Thomas
The Gospel of Peter
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas
The Secret Gospel of Mark
Papyrus Egerton 2: The Unknown Gospel
The Gospel of the Ebionites
The Gospel of the Nazareans
The Gospel According to the Hebrews
EARLY CHRISTIAN ACTS
The Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of Paul and Thecla
The Martyrdom of Polycarp
EARLY CHRISTIAN LETTERS ATTRIBUTED TO PAUL
The Letter to the Romans
The First Letter to the Corinthians
The Second Letter to the Corinthians
The Letter to the Galatians
The Letter to the Ephesians
The Letter to the Philippians
The Letter to the Colossians
The First Letter to the Thessalonians
The Second Letter to the Thessalonians
The First Letter to Timothy
The Second Letter to Timothy
The Letter to Titus
The Letter to Philemon
The Third Letter to the Corinthians
GENERAL EPISTLES AND OTHER EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITINGS
The Letter to the Hebrews
The Letter of James
The Letter of 1 Peter
The Letter of 2 Peter
The Letter of 1 John
The Letter of 2 John
The Letter of 3 John
The Letter of Jude
The Letter of 1 Clement
The Didache
The Letter of Ignatius to the Ephesians
The Letter of Ignatius to the Magnesians
The Letter of Ignatius to the Trallians
The Letter of Ignatius to the Romans
The Letter of Ignatius to the Philadelphians
The Letter of Ignatius to the Smyrneans
The Letter of Ignatius to Polycarp
The Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians
The Letter of Barnabas
The Preaching of Peter
The Fragments of Papias
EARLY CHRISTIAN APOCALYPSES
The Revelation of John
The Shepherd of Hermas
The Apocalypse of Peter