Third Corinthians: An Ancient Christian Reading and Its Manuscript Story
Listen to the text commonly called the Third Epistle to the Corinthians, then explore what it teaches, how it travelled through early Christian communities and why it is studied as apocrypha rather than canonical Scripture.
Article Summary
Third Corinthians is an ancient correspondence presented as an exchange between Corinthian church leaders and the Apostle Paul. The text confronts teachings about creation, Christ’s incarnation and the resurrection of the body.
It circulated with the Acts of Paul and also appeared independently in Greek, Latin, Coptic and Armenian manuscript traditions. Numerous Armenian Bibles included it, sometimes treating it as canonical. It is not included in the NKJV or the standard twenty-seven-book New Testament, and modern study treats it as an apocryphal work rather than an authenticated letter written by Paul.
Listen to the Reading
The video presents Third Corinthians as a continuous reading. Listening first allows the argument and repeated themes to emerge before examining the manuscript history below.
A Canonical Point of Reference
“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.”
This verse shows that Paul wrote correspondence to Corinth beyond the two letters preserved in the New Testament. However, the existence of other Pauline letters does not by itself establish Third Corinthians as one of those authentic lost letters.
What Is Third Corinthians?
The work contains four connected parts: a narrative introduction, a letter from Corinthian leaders, an interlude describing the letter reaching Paul, and a reply written in Paul’s name. The earliest manuscript witness contains the two letters without all the later narrative framing.
The request
Church leaders ask Paul to answer teachings being spread by Simon and Cleobius.
The response
The reply attributed to Paul addresses the disputed teachings one by one.
The purpose
The correspondence defends creation, Christ’s coming in the flesh and bodily resurrection.
Themes Within the Reading
The letter from Corinth reports several disputed teachings, and the response presents a defence of beliefs the writer regarded as essential to Christian faith.
God and creation
The text rejects the claim that humanity and the created world are not the work of God.
Christ truly came in the flesh
It affirms Christ’s birth from Mary and opposes the idea that His human life and suffering were only an appearance.
Resurrection of the body
The response defends bodily resurrection and uses images such as seed returning from the earth.
Discernment against false teaching
The correspondence warns the Corinthian community to recognise and reject teaching that overturns the faith they received.
Its Manuscript Journey
An early Greek witness
The earliest surviving manuscript is a Greek text preserved in a fourth-century Bodmer papyrus codex. It contains the two letters without all the narrative material found in some later forms.
Connected with the Acts of Paul
Third Corinthians was incorporated into an episode of the Acts of Paul, a second-century apocryphal work. Famous sections of that larger work also circulated independently.
A strong Armenian reception
The Armenian tradition reflects the text’s most extensive use. Numerous Armenian Bibles included Third Corinthians, sometimes viewing it as canonical, and the Armenian form contains expansions not found in every Greek or Latin witness.
Its position today
Third Corinthians remains valuable for studying early Christian debates and the history of the biblical canon. It is not part of the NKJV or the standard New Testament used by most churches today.
How to Read It With Discernment
- Listen to the complete reading before forming a conclusion from isolated phrases.
- Notice which beliefs the text defends: creation, incarnation and bodily resurrection.
- Compare its language with the canonical letters of Paul in their wider context.
- Distinguish historical importance from canonical authority.
- Allow the text to illuminate early Christian debates without treating it as a replacement for Scripture.
✨Deep Treasure
Third Corinthians reminds us that early Christians did not inherit a world without disagreement. They wrestled with questions about who created the world, whether Christ truly came in the flesh and what resurrection means.
The deep treasure lies in holding history and faith together carefully. An ancient text can reveal how believers defended truth without automatically becoming Scripture itself. Discernment honours both the value of the historical witness and the unique place of the biblical canon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Third Corinthians included in the NKJV Bible?
No. The NKJV contains the standard twenty-seven-book New Testament, including First and Second Corinthians, but not Third Corinthians.
Did the Apostle Paul write Third Corinthians?
The work presents itself as correspondence with Paul, but modern scholarship treats it as apocryphal and does not accept it as an authenticated Pauline letter.
Was Third Corinthians part of the Armenian Bible?
Numerous Armenian Bibles included the text, and it was sometimes regarded as canonical within that manuscript tradition. This historical use does not mean it belongs to the present standard New Testament.
Why is the text still worth reading?
It offers evidence about early Christian arguments concerning creation, incarnation, resurrection, false teaching and the developing boundaries of the biblical canon.
Read and Explore Further
Use the scholarly overview to examine the manuscript evidence, then read the English translation for yourself and compare it with the canonical Corinthian letters.
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