Asking a Catholic on the Number of the gospels

Posted: October 3, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: Catholic questions on the Gospel, Questions & Answers, The Gospel | 1 Comment

Question: How man gospels are there?

Answer: The name gospel, as designating a written account of Christ’s words and deeds, has been, and is still, applied to a large number of narratives connected with Christ’s life, which circulated both before and after the composition of our Third Gospel (cf. Luke 1:1-4). The titles of some fifty such works have come down to us, a fact which shows the intense interest which centred, at an early date, in the Person and work of Christ. it is only, however, in connexion with twenty of these “gospels” that some information has been preserved. Their names, as given by Harnack (Chronologie, I, 589 sqq.), are as follows: —

  • 1-4. The Canonical Gospels
  • 5. The Gospel according to the Hebrews.
  • 6. The Gospel of Peter.
  • 7. The Gospel according to the Egyptians
  • 8. The Gospel of Matthias.
  • 9. The Gospel of Philip.
  • 10. The Gospel of Thomas.
  • 11. The Proto-Evangelium of James.
  • 12. The Gospel of Nicodemus (Acta Pilati).
  • 13.The Gospel of the Twelve Apostles.
  • 14.The Gospel of Basilides.
  • 15.The Gospel of Valentinus.
  • 16.The Gospel of Marcion.
  • 17.The Gospel of Eve.
  • 18.The Gospel of Judas.
  • 19.The writing Genna Marias.
  • 20.The Gospel Teleioseos.

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