# Serapian and the Gospel of Peter



## Scott (Feb 7, 2005)

I am reading an interesting book about the struggles over authentication of sacred documents in the early church. The book pointed out this anecdote from Eusebius on the work of Archbishop Serpian (installed in 199 AD), which led to the prohibition of a gospel purportedly authored by Peter, which was in use at a Church in Rhossus. I think it is an interesting glimpse into the nitty-gritty process of how the church approved scriptures as authentic. From Eusebius:



> Serapion and his Extant Works.
> 
> It is probable that others have preserved other memorials of Serapion's literary industry, but there have reached us only those addressed to a certain Domninus, who, in the time of persecution, fell away from faith in Christ to the Jewish will-worship; and those addressed to Pontius and Caricus, ecclesiastical men, and other letters to different persons, and still another work composed by him on the so-called Gospel of Peter. He wrote this last to refute the falsehoods which that Gospel contained, on account of some in the parish of Rhossus who had been led astray by it into heterodox notions. It may be well to give some brief extracts from his work, showing his opinion of the book. He writes as follows:
> 
> ...



[Edited on 2-7-2005 by Scott]


----------

