Early Christian Views on Pseudepigrapha
Early Christians warned against books that claimed an apostle’s name but did not match apostolic teaching. Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, and the Apostolic Constitutions all reject false writings and urge believers to test books by doctrine and church tradition. Some disputed works were still known in parts of the church, so the picture is mixed rather than simple. The main rule was not the name on the cover, but whether the writing fit the faith handed down from the apostles.
152 early-church witnesses · 243 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about new Testament Pseudepigrapha?
Early Christian writers did not treat every writing with an apostolic name as true. Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, and the Apostolic Constitutions all warn about fake books, false apostles, and writings that were put out under a holy name to mislead believers. At the same time, some writers show that a few disputed books were still known or read in some places, so the picture is not simple and the evidence is mixed.
The strongest pattern is that the church judged books by apostolic teaching, consistent doctrine, and church use, not just by a name on the cover. There is also clear evidence that early Christians could call out heretical writings as false or spurious when they carried an apostle's name. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Early Christians warned that some books were forged or falsely named to deceive believers.
- They tested writings by apostolic teaching, not just by a claimed author name.
- Some disputed books were known or read in parts of the church, so use was not always uniform.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did early Christians reject books written under apostolic names?
Multiple early writers say heretics circulated apocryphal, spurious, or poisonous books under apostolic names, and that these writings were not to be trusted. The Apostolic Constitutions explicitly warn believers not to accept books that circulate under apostolic names but were written by ungodly people.
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book I Direct teaching
In addition to the above misrepresentations, they present an indescribable number of apocryphal and fake writings, which they themselves have created, to confuse the minds of foolish people and those who are ignorant of the true Scriptures. Among other things, they bring up that false and wicked story which claims our Lord, when He was a boy learning His letters, responded to the teacher, when instructed to say “Alpha” as usual, by saying “Alpha.” But when the teacher asked Him to say “Beta,” the Lord replied, “You first tell me what Alpha is, and then I will tell you what Beta is.” They interpret this as meaning that He alone knew the Unknown, which He revealed as Alpha.
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Tertullian, Against Marcion Direct teaching
...the test of that very Gospel which, by his work of interpolation, he has made his own. To encourage belief in this Gospel, he has actually devised for it a kind of dower, in a work made up of contrary statements set against each other, and from that called Antitheses. He compiled it in order to separate the law from the gospel in such a way as to divide the Deity into two, no, into diverse gods, one for each Instrument, or Testament, as it is more commonly called. By this means he might also support belief in the Gospel according to the Antitheses. I would, however, have attacked these in a special combat, hand to hand. That is, I would have met one by one the several devices of the Pontic heretic, if it were not much more convenient to refute them in and with that very gospel to which they give their support. Although it is easy to meet them at once with a decisive demurrer, yet, in order that I may both admit them into argument, and count them as valid expressions of opinion, and even contend that they make for our side, so that there may be all the redder shame for the blindness of their author, we have now drawn out some antitheses of our own against Marcion. And indeed I do
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching
...these things to you so that you may know what our judgment is, and so that you may not accept those books that circulate under our name but were written by ungodly people. For you must not pay attention to the names of the apostles, but to the character of the writings and to their consistent teaching. For we know that Simon and Cleobius, and their followers, have put together poisonous books under the name of Christ and of His disciples, and carry them around in order to deceive you who love Christ, and us His servants. And among the people of old, some also wrote apocryphal books of Moses, and Enoch, and Adam, and Isaiah, and David, and Elijah, and of the three patriarchs, books that are harmful and opposed to the truth. Even now the wicked heretics have done the same thing. They speak against creation, marriage, providence, the begetting of children, the law, and the prophets. They write down certain barbarous names, and names which they think are the names of angels, but, to speak the truth, are the names of demons that suggest these things to them. Avoid their teaching, so that you may not share in the punishment due to those who write such things for the seduction and dest
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching
For we know that Simon and Cleobius, and their followers, have compiled poisonous books under the name of Christ and of His disciples, and do carry them about in order to deceive you who love Christ, and us His servants.
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Irenaeus, Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenæus Supporting witness
Now, however, inasmuch as the books of these men may possibly have escaped your observation, but have come under our notice, I call your attention to them, that for the sake of your reputation you may expel these writings from among you, as bringing disgrace upon you, since their author boasts himself as being one of your company.
More related quotations from this section 4 shown
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness
But those who are from Valentinus, being, on the other hand, altogether reckless, while they put forth their own compositions, boast that they possess more Gospels than there really are.
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness
Indeed, they have arrived at such a pitch of audacity, as to entitle their comparatively recent writing “the Gospel of Truth,” though it agrees in nothing with the Gospels of the Apostles, so that they have really no Gospel which is not full of blasphemy.
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
...Not content with this crime, he also attacked in writing those whom he had persecuted. He wrote two books, not against the Christians, so that he might not seem to attack them openly as an enemy, but to the Christians, so that he might seem to be advising them with humanity and kindness. In these writings, he tried to prove that Sacred Scripture was false, as if it completely contradicted itself. He explained some passages that seemed to disagree with each other, listing so many and such hidden matters that he sometimes appears to have been one of the same sect. But if that was so, what Demosthenes could defend him against the charge of impiety? For he became the betrayer of the religion to which he had given his assent, of the faith whose name he had taken, and of the mystery he had received, unless perhaps the sacred writings came into his hands only by chance. Therefore, what rashness it was to dare to destroy what no one had explained to him! It was just as well that he either learned nothing or understood nothing. For contradiction is as far from the sacred writings as he was from faith and truth. However, he chiefly attacked Paul and Peter, and the other disciples, as spre
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
for he expounded some chapters which seemed to be at variance with themselves, enumerating so many and such secret things, that he sometimes appears to have been one of the same sect.
How did early Christians tell true writings from false ones?
The sources say Christians should not look only at a claimed apostolic name; they should test writings by their teaching, agreement with apostolic faith, and consistency with Scripture. This is stated most directly in the Apostolic Constitutions and echoed by several writers who reject deceptive texts.
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Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Direct teaching
But if there are any heresies bold enough to place themselves in the middle of the apostolic age, so that they may seem to have been handed down by the apostles because they existed in the time of the apostles, we can say this: Let them bring out the original records of their churches. Let them unfold the list of their bishops, coming down in proper succession from the beginning, in such a way that their first bishop can show that his ordainer and predecessor was one of the apostles or one of the apostolic men, and moreover, a man who remained faithful with the apostles. For this is how the apostolic churches pass down their records. The church of Smyrna records that Polycarp was placed there by John. In the same way, the church of Rome says that Clement was ordained by Peter. In exactly the same way, the other churches also present their own notable men. Since these men were appointed to their places as bishops by apostles, the churches regard them as those who pass on the apostolic seed. Let the heretics invent something similar. After their blasphemy, what is unlawful for them to attempt? But even if they manage to invent such a thing, they will gain nothing by it. For when thei
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Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching
...an named Manes has come into our region. He claims that he has come to complete the teaching of the New Testament. In the things he has said, some points do seem to fit with our faith. But he has also made certain claims that seem very far from what has been handed down to us by the tradition of our fathers. He has explained some teachings in a strange way, adding ideas of his own to them. These ideas have seemed to me completely foreign to the faith and opposed to it. Because of this, I have been led to write this letter to you. I know how complete and full your understanding is in doctrine, and I am sure that none of these things can escape your notice. So I have confidently hoped that no resentment will keep you from explaining these matters to us. As for me, I cannot be drawn away into any new teaching. Nevertheless, for the sake of those who are less instructed, I have been led to ask for a word from your authority. For truly, the man shows himself to be a person of extraordinary strength of character, both in speech and in action. Even his appearance and clothing support that impression. I will write down here, for your information, a few points that I have been able to ke
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Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching
Receiving your letter has rejoiced me exceedingly, my dearly beloved friend. I have also been given to understand that this man, who came to me some days ago and tried to introduce a new kind of knowledge here, different from what is apostolic and ecclesiastical, has also come to you. I gave no place to that person. For when we held a disputation together, he was confuted. I would now like to copy out for your benefit all the arguments I used on that occasion, so that by them you might understand what that man's faith is. But that could be done only if I had leisure at my disposal. So, because of the present urgency, I have thought it necessary to write you a short reply about what you wrote to me concerning the statements advanced by him. I understand, then, that his chief effort was aimed at proving that the law of Moses is not in agreement with the law of Christ. He tried to base this position on the authority of our Scriptures. But on the contrary, we not only established the law of Moses, and all the things written in it, by the same Scripture, but we also proved that the whole Old Testament agrees with the New Testament and is in perfect harmony with it. They truly form one f
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
Stay away from all pagan books. What do you have to do with such foreign teachings, laws, or false prophets that overthrow the faith of unstable people? What lack do you find in the law of God, that you should turn to those pagan fables? If you want to read history, you have the books of the Kings. If you want books of wisdom or poetry, you have the books of the Prophets, Job, and Proverbs. In them you will find greater depth of understanding than in all the pagan poets and sophists, because these are the words of the Lord, the only wise God. If you want something to sing, you have the Psalms. If you want the origin of things, you have Genesis. If you want laws and statutes, you have the glorious law of the Lord God. Therefore, completely stay away from all strange and diabolical books. No, when you read the law, do not think that you are required to keep the added precepts, if not all of them, then even some of them. Read those only for the sake of history, so that you may know them and glorify God that He has delivered you from so great and so many bonds. Aim to distinguish which rules came from the law of nature, and which were added afterward, or were additional rules introduce
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Caius, Fragments Supporting witness
They have boldly falsified the sacred Scriptures, rejected the rules of the ancient faith, and ignored Christ. They do not ask what the sacred Scriptures say. Instead, they work hard to discover what kind of syllogism they can invent to support their impiety. And if anyone puts a word of divine Scripture before them, they examine whether it can make a connected or a disjoined form of syllogism. Leaving the holy Scriptures of God, they study geometry, like men who are of the earth and speak of the earth, and who are ignorant of Him who comes from above. Some of them carefully study Euclid. Aristotle and Theophrastus are admired. And Galen, forsooth, is perhaps even worshipped by some of them. But these men misuse the arts of unbelievers to establish their own heretical doctrine, and by the craft of the impious they adulterate the simple faith of the divine Scriptures. So what need is there to say that they are not near the faith? For this reason they have boldly laid hands on the divine Scriptures, claiming that they have corrected them. And so that I may not seem to say this falsely against them, anyone who wishes may find out for himself. For if anyone chooses to collect all their
More related quotations from this section 6 shown
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Origen, Commentary on Matthew Supporting witness
...heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasury things new and old, Matthew 13:52, it clearly follows, by what is called conversion of the proposition, that everyone who does not bring out of his treasury things new and old is not a scribe who has been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, we must make every effort to gather these things in our heart. We do this by paying attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching, 1 Timothy 4:13, and by meditating on the law of the Lord day and night. We must gather not only the new sayings of the Gospels, and of the Apostles and their Revelation, but also the old things in the law, which has the shadow of the good things to come, Hebrews 10:1, and in the prophets who prophesied in agreement with them. These things will be gathered together when we also read and understand them, and when, remembering them, we compare spiritual things with spiritual things at the right time. We must not compare things that cannot be compared with each other, but things that can be compared, and that have a certain likeness in wording that signifies the same thing, and in thoughts and judgments. In this way, by the mouth of t
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Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness
... on the back because of its deeper and spiritual sense. Notice also whether a proof that the sacred writings are one book, and those of an opposite kind are many, may not be found in the fact that there is one book of the living, from which those who have proved unworthy to be in it are blotted out, as it is written, “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living.” But for those who are to undergo judgment, there are books in the plural, as Daniel says in Daniel 7:10, “The judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Moses also bears witness to the unity of the sacred book when he says in Exodus 32:32, “If You forgive the people their sins, forgive; but if not, then wipe me out of the book which You have written.” I read the passage in Isaiah the same way. It is not something peculiar to his prophecy that the words of the book should be sealed, and that they should be unreadable both to the man who does not know letters, because he is ignorant of letters, and to the learned man, because the book is sealed. This is true of every writing, for every written work needs the Word (Logos), who closed it, to open it. “He shall shut, and none shall open,” as Isaiah 22:22 says. And w
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Alexander of Alexandria, Epistles on the Arian Heresy Supporting witness
12. We believe these things concerning Him, just as the Apostolic Church believes. We believe in one unbegotten Father, who has from no one the cause of His being. He is unchangeable and immutable. He is always the same and admits no increase or decrease. He gave to us the Law, the prophets, and the Gospels. He is Lord of the patriarchs and apostles, and of all the saints. And we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He was not begotten from things that are not, but from Him who is the Father. He was not begotten in a bodily manner, by excision or division, as Sabellius and Valentinus thought, but in a certain inexplicable and unspeakable manner, according to the words of the prophet quoted above: "Who shall declare His generation?" Isaiah 53:8. Since no nature that is begotten can investigate His subsistence, just as no one can investigate the Father, because the nature of rational beings cannot receive the knowledge of His divine generation by the Father. But men who are moved by the Spirit of truth have no need to learn these things from me. For the words spoken before by Christ on this very matter are sounding in our ears: "No man knows the Father, sav
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Tertullian, Apology Supporting witness
...have answered well enough the charges of the many crimes on which these fierce demands are made for Christian blood. We have fully presented our case. We have shown how we can prove that what we say is true, from the trustworthiness and antiquity of our sacred writings, and also from the confession of the powers of spiritual wickedness themselves. Who will dare to refute us, not with skill in words, but, as we have made our demonstration, on the basis of reality? But while the truth we hold is made clear to all, unbelief meanwhile, even at the very time when it is convinced of the worth of Christianity, now well known both for its benefits and from the intercourse of life, takes up the idea that it is not really something divine, but rather a kind of philosophy. "These are the very things," it says, "that the philosophers advise and profess: innocence, justice, patience, sobriety, and chastity." Why then are we not allowed the same freedom and immunity for our teachings that they have, when we are compared with them in what we teach? Or why are they not also forced to the same acts, by refusing which our lives are put in danger, if they are so much like us? For who forces a phil
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Background
85. Let the following books be regarded as venerable and holy by both the clergy and the laity. Of the Old Covenant, these are the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; one book of Joshua the son of Nun, one of the Judges, one of Ruth, four of the Kings, two of the Chronicles, two of Ezra, one of Esther, one of Judith, three of the Maccabees, one of Job, one hundred and fifty Psalms, three books of Solomon: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, and sixteen prophets. Besides these, be careful that your young people learn the Wisdom of the very learned Sirach. But our sacred books, that is, those of the New Covenant, are these: the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the fourteen Epistles of Paul; two Epistles of Peter, three of John, one of James, one of Jude; two Epistles of Clement; and the Constitutions dedicated to you bishops by me, Clement, in eight books, which it is not fitting to publish before everyone because of the mysteries contained in them; and the Acts of us the Apostles.
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Background
But our sacred books, that is, those of the New Covenant, are these: the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John;
Did early Christians speak of a received New Testament?
Several writers plainly speak of the New Testament, the New Covenant, or the books written after Christ's resurrection. Some also list the books they counted as sacred writings, showing an early awareness of a recognized apostolic collection even if lists differ by author.
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Caius, Fragments Direct teaching
We receive also the Apocalypse of John and that of Peter, though some among us will not have this latter read in the Church.
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Origen, Commentary on Matthew Supporting witness
... sawn asunder by the people. And if anyone does not accept the statement because it is found in the Apocryphal Isaiah, let him believe what is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews, "They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted." Hebrews 11:37 For the words, "They were sawn asunder," refer to Isaiah, just as the words, "They were slain with the sword," refer to Zacharias, who was slain between the sanctuary and the altar, as the Savior taught, bearing witness, as I think, to a Scripture not found in the common and widely circulated books, but perhaps in apocryphal books. And they too were dishonored in their own country among the Jews, "who went about in sheep-skins, in goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted," and so on. Hebrews 11:37 "For all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Timothy 3:12 And probably because Paul knew this, that a prophet has no honor in his own country, though he preached the Word in many places, he did not preach it in Tarsus. And for this reason the Apostles left Israel and did what had been commanded them by the Savior, "Make disciples of all the nations," Matthew 28:19 and, "You shall be My witnesses both in J
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
And among the ancients also some have written apocryphal books of Moses, and Enoch, and Adam, and Isaiah, and David, and Elijah, and of the three patriarchs, pernicious and repugnant to the truth.
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Origen, Exhortation to Martyrdom Supporting witness
The answer is, that they hid from the knowledge of the people as many of the passages which contained any scandal against the elders, rulers, and judges, as they could, some of which have been preserved in uncanonical writings (Apocrypha).
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Origen, Exhortation to Martyrdom Supporting witness
and this is found in some apocryphal work, which probably the Jews have purposely tampered with, introducing some phrases manifestly incorrect, that discredit might be thrown on the whole.
Common Questions
Did early Christians reject fake apostolic books?
Yes. Writers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, and the Apostolic Constitutions warn against books that were falsely named and taught error.
How did early Christians judge whether a book was true?
They looked for apostolic teaching, sound doctrine, and the church’s received tradition, not just an apostle’s name on the title.
Were all disputed books rejected by every early Christian?
No. Some writings were known or even read in some places, but others were rejected as false or harmful.
Source Index for New Testament Pseudepigrapha
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 160 ranked source links from 243 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 160 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 152
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
Bible Passages 80 shown of 91
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Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
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