Who wrote the New Testament? Why not accept the Apocrypha, Gnostic Gospels, or the Gospel of Thomas?
There are solid reasons for trusting in today’s list of New Testament books. The Gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were previously mentioned as credible sources, two of them having been Jesus’ closest followers. The other New Testament authors were considered trustworthy as well: James and Jude (half-brothers of Jesus, who initially did not believe in him), Peter (one of the 12 apostles), and Paul (whom Jesus made an apostle after his death and resurrection). The church knew about these men and their association with Jesus. Moreover, what they wrote was consistent with what people had heard and seen themselves regarding Jesus, and had passed on to their children. When other books were written and appeared hundreds of years later (e.g., the Gospel of Peter, though Peter had long since died), it wasn’t difficult for the church to spot them as phonies, as forgeries. Another example is the Gospel of Thomas (which Mohammed references in the Quran). The Gospel of Thomas was written
