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Other Gospels   (NOTE: The word gospel means "good news".)

There are several other Gospels besides the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. The Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter and Gospel of Matthias were not canonized (or officially sanctioned to be included) in the Christian Church's canon or Holy Bible. The canon was closed circa 367 A.D..

Exactly what the good news (in all of the Gospels) was is subject to debate. The popular possibilities are Jesus Christ of Nazareth (or Son of God), God, the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God, the Messiah (who most Biblical experts believe or equate to Jesus Christ of Nazareth), the Messenger of God and/or the sayings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

A little known fact about the four Gospels (of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) in the New Testament of the Holy Bible is that they were written about 40 years after the death of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Until then, the gospel was communicated orally.

Imagine trying to first document in writing John F. Kennedy's presidency in 2003 or waiting until 2040 to write about Bill Clinton's presidency. If you foresee problems doing so, you might realize that there is a distinct possibility that some or all of the four Gospels of the Holy Bible may be inaccurate, twisted and/or no better than gossip that is typically printed in the National Enquirer.

The lack of evidence about the inner workings of the Early Church leaves much to be desired by historians in terms of the accuracy of the Gospels. On the hand, the four Gospels of the Holy Bible may be the work of highly spiritual individuals, who may have relied on sources other than just hearsay.

The Gospel of Thomas was one of twelve papyrus (or parchment) manuscripts unearthed by two Egyptian brothers in a cave near Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. It contains 114 sayings of Jesus and identifies Didymus Judas Thomas as the author. Experts believe it was written in the first century A.D. and was recorded in Greek about 140 A.D..

The importance of the Gospel of Thomas lies in the evidence that it was developed independently of the four Gospels in the Holy Bible, yet 68 of the 114 sayings bears close resemblance to those present in the other four Gospels.

The importance of the Gospel of Peter is the exoneration of Pilate for the crucifixion, leaving Herod and his judges to blame. Furthermore, it clearly indicates that the Jews knew. "Then the Jews and the elders and the priests, when they perceived how great evil they had done themselves, began to lament and to say: Woe unto our sins: the judgement and the end of Jerusalem is drawn nigh." - Fragment I (discovered in a tomb at Akhmmimin, Egypt in 1884) - Chapter VII. - Verse 25 in The Apocryphal New Testament by M.R. James (Translation and Notes) Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924

The Gospel of Matthias (a.k.a. The Traditions of Matthias) was known to exist according to four quotations in writings by Clement of Alexandria circa 210 A.D..

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