Excerpt of <i>The Missing Gospels</i> - Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS)

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Excerpt of The Missing Gospels

August 31, 2006

On the heals of his best-selling book, Breaking the Da Vinci Code, Darrell Bock offers a critical look at the Gnostic gospels in The Missing Gospels: Unearthing the Truth Behind Alternative Christianities.

The Missing Gospels

Period 1: Jesus and the Apostolic Period
This first period covers roughly the last seventy years of the first century. It is generally acknowledged that Jesus ministered in the late twenties or early thirties of the first century. Those who were closest to Him, the apostles, ministered throughout the first century. That period is called the apostolic era. Although scholars debate the exact dates of the composition of the four Gospels and those of the newly discovered gospels, there is widespread acceptance that the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John fit into this period with John, written in the nineties, being the last of the four.

We have little explicit evidence for alternative groups from this early period. We lack materials directly from these groups, with the possible exception of the Gospel of Thomas, but we have hints of opposition and dissent from the traditional materials of the first century. To reconstruct the dissent, let’s look at a few brief remarks in those traditional texts.

One leader of an alternative movement from this period is Simon Magus. The church fathers I shall mention shortly tend to lay the entire blame at his feet for the movements that they contest. Simon Magus is noted in Acts 8, where he is described as a magician. Acts has no remarks about him founding a heretical movement. The source of this claim is unknown, and the credibility of the claim that heresy originated with Simon is very problematic (Yamauchi 1983, 60). Beyschlag’s detailed study (1974, 218) places the rise of this tradition about Simon as the father of heresy in the first half of the second century.

Another set of opponents surfaces in 1 Timothy 1:20. Here Hymenaeus and Alexander “shipwrecked” their faith. In 1 Timothy 1:3–7, they are included in a discussion of people teaching a different doctrine that includes myths and endless genealogies that promote speculation rather than faith. First Timothy 4:1–3 warns of those in the last days who will teach against marriage. Some later Gnostic movements did teach against marriage, but so did some traditional movements, reflecting a concern by some with spiritual interests about sexuality. In 2 Timothy 2:17–18, Hymenaeus is mentioned again with Philetus as teaching that the decisive resurrection of believers has already occurred. What these epistles describe as a different doctrine many regard as potentially similar to things that appear in even more detail in some of the newly discovered works that have been called Gnostic. This is all we can say from the earliest material, which is not very much (Hengel 1997, 190–92). In other words, these remarks do not evidence the presence of Gnosticism, but the presence of elements that showed up later in Gnosticism. At best they reflect what has been called incipient Gnosticism.

What do appear in our earliest sources are ideas that the writers of the Epistles challenged rather than named. For example, 1 Corinthians 15 (written mid-50s) indicates that some denied a resurrection from the dead for the body. Scholars debate whether the views Paul challenged were a reflection of some type of Gnostic denial of the resurrection of the flesh or simply a reflection of the general Greco-Roman belief that denied a physical life after death. First John (written early 90s) shows that some did not believe Jesus came in the flesh. People who divided between a sent Christ and a physical Jesus are called Docetists because they believed that Jesus only “appeared” to be in the flesh.

Passages like these let us know that there was diversity in early belief. The questions they raise include, how was this diversity perceived? Did diversity reflect competing orthodoxies, mere alternatives, or the naming of the presence of a heretical view? And on what basis was such a judgment to be made? Was it on politically competing points of view where one side simply won? Or were there appeals to teaching that could credibly claim to have association with Jesus or the apostles? These questions will drive our tour.

…

The debate about Thomas includes what and how much of this material go back to Jesus and how much of it is a reflection of later Gnostic concerns. Most of Thomas does not go back to Jesus, but a few pieces could. The debate has a few other keys. So we cover the age of Gnosticism in Chapter 3. Thomas and the Jesus tradition receive attention in Chapter 4.Making headway on these topics requires treating another issue, historical method and judgment, also considered in Chapter 4.

A review of the newly discovered material, including the missing gospels, indicates that the bulk of it comes from the second and third centuries. On this, almost all scholars are agreed. Three corollaries tied to this fact are important:

Many of these works reflect the period in which they were written because they do not have any coherent links to the period to which their title points. The issues these works discuss appear later in the history of the church and not in the earliest period. This is one way we can see that these works are later than the earliest period. For example, the Gospel of Peter is not from Peter nor does it give teaching preserved by those familiar with his teaching; it is simply a name given to lend authority to a work written much later. Almost every scholar agrees with this view of this gospel. This situation stands in contrast to Mark or Luke in that neither writer of these gospels was an apostle, yet many accept that Mark and Luke had access to the apostles and were aware of what they taught. For Mark, the contact point was Peter (Taylor 1966, 1–8, 26), while Luke likely had contact with several of the apostles and traveled with Paul (Fitzmyer 1981, 40). Roots of portions of other gospels, like Thomas, are more debated and difficult to assess. A question exists whether Thomas has early roots.
Newly discovered but late works still have value for us as historical documents. They describe what some people associating themselves with Christianity believed at the time these documents circulated, even though these texts have little value in illuminating the earliest Christianity. Nag Hammadi is an important find, even if it contains documents whose dates of composition are post–first century. We learn what was going on in this later period from people who held these alternative views. Diversity of views existed among groups associating themselves with Christianity in the apostolic period, as the disputes already noted in 1 and 2 Timothy show. The debates are about what those views were, how widespread they were, and whether these alternatives were regarded as orthodox or not.
We possess only a portion of the writings that existed in the first century. The nature of all historical records is that the surviving collection is partial, and this is especially true of ancient history. The problem is what to make of this lack of evidence. This gap creates room for debate and contributes to the existence of various modern views on the question.
This leads to the subtlety of a third corollary sometimes offered for the late nature of these materials in the extant manuscript record—the claims that these texts were suppressed and/or destroyed. We lack such texts because the other side removed them from the scene long ago. The claim is that the evidence we have does not really reflect what was. Now we know such suppression and destruction took place in the third century and beyond. We also know it happened with all kinds of Christian texts in the persecutions of Christians in the earliest centuries. Nevertheless, this position is really an argument from silence. The claim is that if we had a full record of materials, surely early or more materials like these alternative gospels would exist. There is no way to evaluate such a hypothetical claim. Proponents of this scenario hold that it is remarkable anything like Thomas has survived while they also acknowledge it is unlikely that this work comes from the apostle Thomas.
But what about a couple of other options? Might we lack such materials because they were simply lost, as most ancient works are, rather than suppressed? Or might we have no clear early record of such movements because they did not yet exist? The problem is that any of these three scenarios (loss by suppression, simple loss, or absence because such movements did not yet exist) can explain the evidence we have. The presence of various potentially plausible options also leads to the debate. An overview of the issues surrounding the missing gospels is necessary before looking at the gospels themselves so we can understand where they fit and why there is controversy about them.

What others are saying about The Missing Gospels:

“Darrell Bock has written a timely and valuable study for anyone curious about the question of lost or missing gospels. Cutting his way through a great deal of hype and misinformation, he provides a solid, scholarly grounding to the early history and development of the gospel traditions. In the process, he makes nonsense of theories that Gnostic texts in any sense represented the suppressed core of Christian truth, concealed by a sinister institutional church. A breath of sanity!”
—PHILIP JENKINS, Professor of History and Religious Studies, Pennsylvania State University

“This is not another lame Christian paperback whose chief purpose will be to steady a wobbly table. No! This is first-rate scholarship translated into clear, readable prose. It is classic Bock.”
—JAY SMITH, Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

“A necessary book which corrects many still fashionable but even more questionable hypotheses about the origin of the Gospels, the Nag Hammadi texts, and the development of Christian theology in the first two centuries A.D.”
—PROF. DR. MARTIN HENGEL, Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Ancient Judaism, University of Tübingen, Germany

“Every generation has its hawkers of wondrous new discoveries that amazingly everyone else has missed, but which, thanks to a few enlightened individuals, will dramatically rewrite history. But the vast majority of these headline grabbing fancies evaporate under more sober scrutiny. Darrell Bock’s careful book shows why recent sensationalist claims based on the Gnostic gospels are no different.”
—RIKK E. WATTS, Associate Professor of New Testament Studies, Regent College, Vancouver, BC

“Darrell Bock follows up here his informed critique of the recent frenzy about the Da Vinci Code with an equally informed and readable discussion of the variety of belief and writings of early Christianity. Those who don’t want their prejudices disturbed will want to avoid this book. Those with an open mind and readiness to learn from scholarship . . . read with profit.”
—LARRY HURTADO, Professor of New Testament Language, Literature, and Theology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland

“Jesus and the origins of Christianity are the subjects of extensive media coverage and everyday conversations—a New Testament scholar’s dream! Yet Jesus is demoted from God to guide, and the early Church is said to have been hopelessly divided, even confused, as to whom Jesus was. In his superb book, Darrell Bock patiently, and accessibly, sifts through all the relevant issues and offers much-needed guidance to those who want to discern fact from fiction. If you read only one book on this issue, this is it!”
—ANDREAS J. KÖSTENBERGER, PH.D., Editor, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Professor of New Testament and Greek, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC

“Darrell Bock has produced a much needed antidote to the sensationalist claims made by those touting the discovery of ‘lost’ gospels. He demolishes the frequently encountered argument that these Gnostic gospels represent the original Christianity and that orthodoxy is only a late development that suppressed earlier viewpoints. Bock’s presentation is not a matter of faith against scholarship, but of better scholarship against inferior scholarship. In a non-technical and accessible way, he provides solid evidence that reveals how inflated and ill-founded these current hypotheses are. This book deserves to be read widely and needs to be put in the hands of unsuspecting readers who are being hoodwinked by what some highly recognized scholars are saying.”
—DONALD A. HAGNER, George Eldon Ladd Professor of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA

“Darrell Bock provides an informed and scholarly critique of the new perspective on ‘Gnosticism’ and the recently discovered texts from Nag Hammadi. Although he rightly highlights the new scholarship’s shortcomings, he also has the grace and wisdom to underscore the notable contributions that the new perspective has made to our understanding of early Christianity. Bock’s insight into the relevant literatures from antiquity, moreover, is particularly well demonstrated by his claim that most of the ‘alternative texts’ (e.g., the Nag Hammadi tractates) are less countercultural than ‘the traditional teaching’ (e.g., the New Testament and early patristic writings); indeed, if the implications of that insight alone are given the attention they deserve, Bock’s study could have a salutary impact not only on scholarly debate but also on contemporary Christian theology, ethics, and political practice.”
—TODD KLUTZ, Senior Lecturer in New Testament Studies, University of Manchester, England

“Who were the Gnostics and what did they teach? And was second-century Christianity a mass of contradictory teachings, none of which can claim to truly represent the minds of Jesus and his first followers? Darrell Bock guides the reader clearly through the maze, providing a helpful summary of Gnostic theologies, arguing for the wide spread of the ‘orthodox’ traditional teaching about Jesus, and showing that attempts to rubbish its claims to authenticity and to relativize its significance are not successful. Theological students, in particular, will be grateful for this careful assessment of early alternative forms of Christianity, based as it is on detailed assessment of the new sources that have come to light over the past half-century or so.”
—I. HOWARD MARSHALL, Professor Emeritus in New Testament, University of Aberdeen, Scotland

“Darrell Bock is what theologians should be, accessible. This book tackles a complicated subject matter in an accessible way. The New Testament is simply summarized: Jesus calls us into an intimate union and relationship with Him; then Jesus sends us into the world. The world to which we are sent is different than the one that confronted our parents. With Postmodernism the dominant ideology, Dr. Phil the ever present counselor, Hollywood dabbling in theology and the occult, and Gnosticism making a comeback, we need to tread carefully and learn wisely. Bock’s treatment of the texts found at Nag Hammadi, the Gnostic gospels, the claims of Walter Bauer and the ‘New School’ of theological thought, and facts surrounding the sources of Christianity is fair, clear, thorough and . . . accessible. Having read it, I am better equipped to engage a confused and drifting culture, and I’m protected against becoming a confused drifter myself.”
—PETE BRISCOE, Senior Pastor, Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

“A welcome alternative to sensational hype and fictional novels. Here is a clear and readable account on just what these ‘missing Gospels’ are and their real relationship to Christianity.”
—CRAIG A. BLAISING, Executive Vice President and Provost, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX

“In his Breaking the DaVinci Code, Darrell Bock has already exposed the allegedly factual portion of that novel’s story of Christian origins for the fiction it really is. But what are we to make of the various “Gnostic” Gospels that never ‘made it’ into the Christian canon? Are there sound historical and theological reasons for judging them to be later, inferior, and even distorted versions of the original traditions emanating from Jesus? Or was it all a political power play so that “history” is just the perspective of the “winners”? In this volume, Bock answers all these questions, conclusively demonstrating the real nature of Gnostic “Christianity,” which often doesn’t even support the avant-garde convictions of its modern proponents the way they make it out to do. A must-read for anyone caught up in the debate!”
—CRAIG L. BLOMBERG, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary

“The Missing Gospels provides a meaty overview of the real message of the earliest Christian writings, as compared with the so-called ‘Gnostic’ works. This volume will be a unique resource for those who wish to respond to the ‘new school’ with accuracy and confidence.”
—FREDERICA MATHEWES-GREEN, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition Commentator

“Darrell Bock has provided an antidote to the misleading and sensationalist claims about alternative early Christianities. His work is informed, fair, and convincing and offers a good introduction to the literature and thinking of both traditional and alternative early Christianities. This work needs to be placed both in the hands of students and in the libraries of churches.”
—KLYNE SNODGRASS, Paul W. Brandel Professor of New Testament Studies, North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL

“Darrell Bock’s new book provides a much needed critical review of the non-New Testament Gospels that have gained a great deal of attention in recent years. Although most of these writings and the dubious theories that go with them have received trenchant criticism in scholarly literature, no work has yet appeared that makes sense of all of this for the laity and beginning students of Bible and Christian origins. The Missing Gospels is just the book that has been needed. Here at last, non-experts have a reliable guide!”
—CRAIG A. EVANS, Payzant Distinguished Professor, Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia, Canada

“The challenge today to traditional orthodox belief as the center of the Christian message is not from the voices who contend that the Gospels are not reliable or that the Apostle Paul invented Christianity, but that the orthodox faith was but one voice in a virtual cacophony of voices—voices that differed on who Jesus was, what salvation was, and who God was. Bock’s book patiently examines the resurgence of such voices, demonstrates that the evidence cannot support the modern resurgence, and offers in their place a supporting voice for the historical reliability of the orthodox faith as the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.”
—SCOT MCKNIGHT, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University, Chicago, IL