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The historical reliability of the Gospels is evaluated by experts who have not reached complete consensus. While all four canonical gospels contain some sayings and events that may meet at least one of the five criteria for historical reliability used in biblical studies, [note 1] the assessment and evaluation of these elements is a matter of ongoing debate.
The New Testament includes four canonical gospels, but there are many gospels not included in the biblical canon. [3] These additional gospels are referred to as either New Testament apocrypha or pseudepigrapha. [4] [5] Some of these texts have impacted Christian traditions including many forms of iconography.
Some of these writings were cited as scripture by early Christians, but since the fifth century a widespread consensus has emerged limiting the New Testament to the 27 books of the modern canon. [2] [3] Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant churches generally do not view the New Testament apocrypha as part of the Bible. [3]
There are some exceptions to this trend, however. Some editions of the Revised Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible include not only the Apocrypha listed above, but also 3 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, and Psalm 151. The American Bible Society lifted restrictions on the publication of Bibles with the Apocrypha in 1964.
The canon of the New Testament is the set of books many modern Christians regard as divinely inspired and constituting the New Testament of the Christian Bible.For most churches, the canon is an agreed-upon list of 27 books [1] that includes the canonical Gospels, Acts, letters attributed to various apostles, and Revelation.
Ancient biographies were concerned with providing examples for readers to emulate while preserving and promoting the subject's reputation and memory; the gospels were never simply biographical, they were propaganda and kerygma (preaching), [5] meant to convince people that Jesus was a charismatic miracle-working holy man.
The non-canonical books referenced in the Bible includes non-Biblical cultures and lost works of known or unknown status. By the "Bible" is meant those books recognized by Christians and Jews as being part of Old Testament (or Tanakh ) as well as those recognized by most Christians as being part of the Biblical apocrypha or of the Deuterocanon .
The early Church Fathers agreed that the scriptures were inspired or dictated by God, but not on which writings were scriptural: as a result, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches treat some books (the Apocrypha) as inspired, but the Protestant tradition does not. [3]