Why the Gospel of Nicodemus Didn’t Make It Into the Bible
The Gospel of Nicodemus, an ancient text that tells a detailed story of Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and his descent into Hell, is a fascinating piece of early Christian literature. While it’s a compelling read and has influenced Christian tradition and art for centuries, it was not included in the Bible. The reasons for its exclusion highlight the rigorous standards the early Church used to determine which books were considered divine Scripture.
Here is a list of reasons why the Gospel of Nicodemus was not included in the Bible.
- (❌) Late Date of Composition: The canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are believed to be written in the 1st century, by or in association with those who were eyewitnesses to the events of Jesus’s life. The Gospel of Nicodemus, however, was written much later, likely in the 4th or 5th century AD. This temporal gap meant it could not be considered a reliable, firsthand account.
- (❌) Lack of Apostolic Authority: A key criterion for inclusion in the New Testament was that a text had to be written by an apostle or a close companion of one. The Gospel of Nicodemus is pseudepigraphal, meaning it was falsely attributed to Nicodemus to give it credibility. The early Church recognized this and rejected it as an authentic apostolic work.
- (❌) Contradictory Theology: The Gospel of Nicodemus presents ideas that are at odds with the theology of the canonical books. For instance, the main biblical accounts state that Jesus’ victory was won on the cross. The Harrowing of Hell, a central part of this book, shifts that victory to a post-mortem event where Jesus physically battles and defeats Satan. This could be seen as diminishing the finality and sufficiency of the cross itself.
- (❌) Unnecessary Additions to the Gospel Story: While the book adds details to the Gospel story, these are largely embellishments not found elsewhere in Scripture. The detailed, dramatic conversations with demons and the personification of Hell as a literal, physical place with gates and chains were seen as fanciful additions rather than divinely inspired truth.
- (❌) Inclusion of Pagan Ideas: The narrative of the Harrowing of Hell closely mirrors popular pagan myths of a hero descending into the underworld and returning—a trope seen in the stories of Orpheus, Heracles, and Odysseus. The text’s literal and physical description of Hades also aligns more with mythological concepts than the more symbolic or undefined descriptions found in the Bible. This borrowing from pagan ideas was seen as a reason for its exclusion.
In summary, the Gospel of Nicodemus was ultimately excluded from the Bible not because it was evil or heretical, but because it failed to meet the rigorous standards of age, authorship, and theological coherence that were required for a text to be considered divine Scripture.