The Apocryphal Acts are a collection of early Christian writings that claim to describe the achievements of the apostles that are not found in Scripture. These “Acts” became the source of many widely known traditions. Among these stories are the crucifixion of Peter upside down and the account of Thomas traveling to India.
The truth of these traditions is uncertain because the writings also include ideas that clearly disagree with the teachings of the New Testament. However, some small details may have come from true events, even though most of the stories are fictional.
Because these writings often contained false or heretical (wrong) teachings, church leaders rejected them. In some cases, church councils even ordered them to be destroyed. This happened at the Council of Nicaea in AD 787.
Here are examples of teachings found in these writings that the church rejected:
The Acts of John says that Jesus spoke to John on the Mount of Olives during the crucifixion and told him that what was happening on the cross was only a show or illusion.
The Acts of Thomas says that Jesus appeared in the form of the apostle Thomas and told a newly married couple to remain virgins for life.
A common theme in these writings is sexual abstinence (not having sexual relations). This idea came from Greek philosophy, especially from the philosopher Plato, who taught that the physical body was less valuable than the spirit.
Many scholars believe that the Acts of John is the earliest of these writings and may have been written before AD 150. Other major "Acts" (those of John, Paul, Peter, Andrew, and Thomas) were probably written during the second and third centuries AD. These opened the way for the writing of other "Acts" that were mainly miracle stories meant for entertainment rather than for teaching.
See also Apocrypha.