The Gospels: "Lost" and Found

By Timothy Paul Jones

Were other “gospels” included in the New Testament, then later rejected? How do we know the gospels are reliable? Gospels: "Lost" and Found gives solid reasons to trust the New Testament writings, and provides answers to Bart Ehrman's book Misquoting Jesus. Author Timothy Paul Jones, Ph.D., shows where the critics are incorrect and provides us with logical, well-reasoned arguments for believing that Jesus lived, died, and rose again—according to the Scriptures.

This pamphlet is packed with:

• Easy to understand summaries
• Full-color illustrations
• A timeline showing New Testament and Gnostic Documents
• Comparison charts with key information at a glance
• And more!

Answers Top Common Questions About the Validity of the Bible and New Testament

Now is the time to discuss textual criticism because critics are bringing this to the public debate and claiming that the Bible cannot be trusted. It is important to help Christians become better informed —ready to "defend the faith." This pamphlet answers the following common questions and more:

• Who really wrote the Gospels?
• Was it really Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Or were the gospels written by people who were utterly unconnected with eyewitnesses as some books and TV shows claim?
• Were the gospels written so long after Jesus' death and resurrection that they cannot be relied upon?
• Were there gospels that were included in the New Testament —and later removed? Why were these four books chosen and not others?

Dr. Jones' interest in this topic began many years ago when he came across arguments against the Bible. At first his faith was badly shaken and he wondered if he still believed in the Bible. But as he researched more he found answers. In just fourteen concise pages, Dr. Jones shows the errors in critics' logic and facts —and does it in an easy-to-understand style.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Release date: Aug 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9781628622393

Timothy Paul Jones

Timothy Paul Jones serves as professor of leadership at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and works in the SojournKids children's ministry at Sojourn Community Church. Before coming to Louisville, Timothy led churches in Missouri and Oklahoma as a pastor and an associate pastor. He has been widely recognized as a leading writer and researcher in the fields of apologetics, church history, and family ministry. He has authored or contributed to more than a dozen books, including Misquoting Truth (InterVarsity, 2007), Christian History Made Easy (Rose, 2010), and the CBA bestseller The Da Vinci Codebreaker (Bethany House, 2005).

Book preview

The Gospels: Lost & Found

The New Testament begins with four accounts of the life of Jesus Christ commonly known as Gospels, a word that means good news or victorious tidings. The Gospels According to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John have been familiar to Christians for so many centuries that many believers have assumed these Gospels are the only retellings of the life of Jesus that ever existed. But there are more than a dozen other Gospels, plus several supposed accounts of episodes from Jesus’ life that aren’t known by the name of Gospel.

Some of these alternative Gospels have been familiar among scholars for centuries. Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code popularized several lost Gospels, including Gospel of Philip, Gospel of Mary Magdalene, and Gospel of Thomas. A couple of years later the Gospel of Judas was reconstructed and translated anew. The media implied that Gospel of Judas and other lost Gospels provide information about the historical Jesus that isn’t included in the New Testament Gospels. Several writers and entertainment corporations were quick to turn a profit by sensationalizing the news of this reconstructed Gospel. Indeed, the viewpoints found in the lost Gospels do differ from the New Testament Gospels.

How likely is it that the lost Gospels really tell us the truth about Jesus Christ? An open-minded look at the historical record quickly reveals that there is little