What is the Nag Hammadi library?

Answer

Nag Hammadi is a town in northern Egypt where a collection of ancient writings was discovered in 1945. The collection of writings has since been titled the Nag Hammadi library, or the Nag Hammadi scrolls, or the Nag Hammadi codices. The vast majority of the scrolls in the Nag Hammadi library represent the writings of what was known as Christian Gnosticism.

The Nag Hammadi library is often cited as an example of “lost books of the Bible.” According to the conspiracy theory, early Christians attempted to destroy these Gnostic writings because they contained secret teachings about Jesus and Christianity. The Nag Hammadi library was purportedly the result of the faithful efforts of Gnostic monks to preserve the truth about Jesus Christ from the persecution of non-Gnostic Christians. The Nag Hammadi scrolls include works such as the Gospel of Truth, the Gospel of Philip, the Apocryphon of John, the Apocalypse of Adam, and the Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles. The most renowned Nag Hammadi scroll is the only known complete copy of the Gospel of Thomas.

So, what should we make of the Nag Hammadi library? Should some or all of the scrolls be included in the Bible? Absolutely not. First, the Nag Hammadi scrolls are forgeries. The Apostle Philip did not write the Gospel of Philip. The Apostle Peter did not write the Acts of Peter. The Gospel of Thomas was not authored by the Apostle Thomas. These scrolls were deceitfully written in their names to confer legitimacy upon them in the early church. Fortunately, the early church fathers were nearly unanimous in identifying these Gnostic scrolls as fraudulent forgeries that promote false doctrines about Jesus Christ, salvation, God, and every other essential Christian truth. There are numerous contradictions between the Nag Hammadi library and the Bible.

While the Nag Hammadi library was a thrilling discovery, the only “value” in the Nag Hammadi library is t

That the scrolls provide us with insight into what early “heretics” taught and practiced. Recognizing the erroneous doctrine that troubled the early church will assist us in comprehending it better and refuting it today.