Books of Jesus and Friends

The Christian study of ancient books which are not part of the Old Testament, but which might have nonetheless been respected by Jesus and the Apostles, are often overshadowed by unproductive debates over what should be included in the canon of scripture.

These considerations are adjunct to the focus of my study, which has a broader scope:

• Was it extant before Christ?
• Was it known and respected by Jesus Christ and the Apostles?
• Are there literary allusions to it in the New Testament?
• Does it convey ideas consistent with other parts of the Bible?
• How does it support or clarify other teachings of the New Testament?

Modern Protestant ideas about Jesus and his fishermen friends seem to characterize them as being uneducated, channeling novel ideas directly from the Holy Spirit.

John 7:15-16,

And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Acts 4:13,

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

While they might have lacked a formal education, they could read in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, and they had access to books other than the Hebrew scrolls in the synagogues. The Apostle Paul also had a rigorous formal education.

What books did they read? What books did they consider divinely inspired, or otherwise a source of relevant truth?

Keith Humphrey keith@booksofjesusandfriends.com