Orthodox

churches have always striven to suppre , or destroy, such apocryphal works, regarding the ideas and legends as “ extravagant, absurd, grotesque, and legendary.” But the more we study canonical gospels the le difference do we find between the character of their legends and those of the Apokripha, We have non-canonical statements that Jesus made live sparrows out of mud; about the tree that bent down to shade and nourish the divine child; or the idols of Egypt that fell down before him. But these are not more extraordinary than the Virgin Birth, the sun darkened, the graves opening at the Resurrection, the Devil carrying Jesus to the top of the Temple to show him all the kingdoms of the earth, or the fish with money in its mouth. No such distinctions, as to supernatural wonders, affected the choice of writings to be included in the Christian Bible in the 4th century.