“The Kingdom is within you and outside of you.”
— Gospel of Thomas, logion 3.

(A) gnostic Gospels (entitled “Gospel” or treated as such)

1) Gospel of Thomas

• Date/language and witnesses. Collection of 114 logia. Fully conserved in coptic (Nag Hammadi, Cod. II, ca. s. IV); three Greek fragments from Oxyrhynchus (s. II–III). Writing probably in the s. II (debate between “nucleus early” vs. composition late).
• Affiliation. Sapiential tradition with a reception in media gnostics; it is not a narrative.
• Subject. The secret of Jesus that reveals a saving knowledge (“know what is before your eyes...”).
• State. Full in coptic; Greek fragmentary.

“Knowledge does not destroy faith; the debugging of their shadows.”
— Hans Jonas.

2) Gospel of Philip

• Date/language and witnesses. Coptic, Nag Hammadi Code. II; translation of a Greek original (s. II–III).
• Affiliation. Valentinian.
• Subject. Collection of judgments and catechesis, sacramental (baptism, anointing, eucharist, and the controversial “bridal chamber”).
• State. Substantial conservation in coptic.

“The gnostic gospels were not written for founding churches, but to liberate people's minds.”
— Elaine Pagels, a historian at Princeton.

3) Gospel of Truth (Gospel of Truth)

• Date/language and witnesses. Two versions in coptic (NHC I, and XII), from a Greek lost; dating literary ca. 140-180 d.C.; already known by Irenaeus.
• Affiliation. Valentiniana (sometimes attributed to Valentin).
• Subject. Christ as a “book " living” that dispels Ignorance; soteriology by revelation.
• State. Well attested in Nag Hammadi.

4) Gospel of the Egyptians (coptic) = “The Holy book of the Great Invisible Spirit”

• Date/language and witnesses. Coptic, NHC III, and IV; treaty setiano. It is often cited —improp. but a long— as the “Gospel of the Egyptians”.
• Affiliation. Setiana.
• Subject. Theogony of the trinity (Father–Mother–Child), the myth of Seth and rites (baptism) with long invocations.
• State. Two essays coptic.

this “Gospel of the Egyptians” (coptic, setiano) no it is the same as that of the Greek gospel of the Egyptians quoted by Clement (encratita; see below in “B. 2”).

5) Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)

• Date/language and witnesses. Primary witness: Codex Berlin 8502 (coptic, s. V); plus two small papyrus Greek Oxyrhynchus. Drafting likely to s. II.
• Affiliation. Sapiential tradition/visionary reception gnostic.
• Subject. Authority revelatoria of Mary in front of Peter; ascent of the soul and controversial intraeclesial.
• State. Text lacunoso; start lost.

6) Gospel of Judas

• Date/language and witnesses. Coptic in the Codex Tchacos (c. 280±60 C14 to the papyrus; copy s. III–IV), published and authenticated in 2006.
• Affiliation. Sethiana (reinterpretation controversy of the Twelve).
• Subject. Dialogues revelatory where Judas understand the pleroma and “sacrifices” to the man who is Jesus.
• State. Preserved in a single copy coptic, with damage restored.

7) Gospel of Eve

• Date/language and witnesses. Lost; only dating hostile Epiphanius (Panarion 26). Sometimes he is identified with the Gospel of Perfection (discussed).
• Affiliation. Borboritas/naasenos (gnostics sex according to the indictment patristic).
• Subject. Dating mystical (“I am thou and thou art I... I am sown in all things”).
• State. Only witness patristic.

“You don't stop that seeks to know.”
— Gospel of Mary (Magdalene).

(B) Gospels judeo-christian (not “gnostics”)

B. 1) Gospel of the Hebrews

• Witnesses. Known only by fragments in Clement, Origen, Didymus, and Jerome; probably composed in Greek and is used by judeo-christian griegoparlantes in Egypt (s. II).
• Features. In high esteem by James the Just; traditions of pre-existence and baptism of Jesus.
• State. Fragmented by appointment.

B. 2) Gospel of the Nazarenes

• Witnesses. Rebuilt from glosses of Jerome and others; maybe a version aramaic/mateana used in Syria (s. II).
• Features. Affinity with Matthew; color judeo-christian, semitic language.
• State. Only by fragments.

B. 3) Gospel of the Ebionites

• Witnesses. Seven appointments in Epiphanius (Panarion 30); in reality harmony synoptic Greek in the middle of s. II.
• Features. Christology adoptionist (choice in baptism), vegetarianism, without genealogies, or virgin birth.
• State. Only by fragments patristic.

On the whole judeo-christian. The scholarship standard (Schneemelcher/Elliott, Ehrman & Pleše) distinguishes three gospels judeo-christian (Jews, Nazarenes, Ebionites), although the Fathers of the church in these cases, they were confusing titles and versions.

(C) Other related titles (pérdidos or discussed)

C. 1) Greek Gospel of the Egyptians (encratita)

• Witnesses. Fragments cited by Clement of Alexandria; dialogue Jesus–Salomé that promotes the asceticism sexual; early s. II.
• Classification. Sometimes linked to gnosis/encratismo, but no it is the setiano coptic namesake.

C. 2) Gospel of Perfection

• Witnesses. Appointed by Epiphanius (Panarion 26,2,5) and Filastrio; maybe ophite; some equate (with reservations) to the Gospel of Eve, or connect with Felipe.
• State. Disappeared; only the title and condemnation patristic.

“Ignorance is the mother of all evil.”
— Gospel of Truth.

D) Context manuscript and warnings methodological

1. Nag Hammadi (discovered 1945): 13 codices copts with 50+ treated (not just the “gospels”), copied in the s. IV (e.g., reinforcement, binding with papyrus dated), but that translated into Greek plays of the II–III centuries. Here are Thomas, Philip, the Truth and the The Holy book of the Great Invisible Spirit (“Gospel [coptic] of the Egyptians”).
2. “Gospel of Mary” and “Judas” not part of the discovery of Nag Hammadi: Mary is in the Codex Berlin 8502; Judas in Codex Tchacos (C14 ≈ 280±60).
3. Terminology “gnostic”: varies by author. Some texts “of the gospel” exhibit reception gnostic without being homogeneous doctrinally (e.g., Thomas). The classification relies on doctrine (myth setiano/valentinian), user community, and textual string.
4. Double “Gospel of the Egyptians”: the Greek (encratita, s. II) no it is the same as that of the coptic setiano Nag Hammadi; it is advisable to appoint the latter for its internal title: “The Holy book of the Great Invisible Spirit”.

“Faith receives, love gives, and the knowledge made perfect.”
— Gospel of Philip.

Tabs-summary

• Gospel of Thomas — coptic NHC II; Greek P. Oxy. 1, 654, 655; s. II (comp.), s. IV (copy). Sayings of Jesus without a narrative.
• Gospel of Philip — coptic NHC II, valentinian; sacramental catechesis and “bridal chamber”.
• Gospel of Truth — coptic NHC I and XII; valentinian; revelation that conquers Ignorance; s. II.
• (Copt.) Gospel of the Egyptians / the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit — coptic NHC III–IV; setiano; theogony and rites.
• Gospel of Mary — Codex Berlin 8502 (coptic) + P. Oxy. 3525/3582 (g); s. II (comp.). Authority visionary of Mary.
• Gospel of Judas — Codex Tchacos (coptic); C14 ≈ 280±60; setiano; Jesus teaches Judas mysteries of the pleroma.
• Gospel of Eve — lost; dating of Epiphanius; associate for him to practice borboritas; mystical identity.
• Gospel of Perfection — lost; only title in Panarion; maybe ophite; overlaps with Eva/Felipe (discussed).
• Greek gospel of the Egyptians — encratita; fragments in Clement (dialogue with Salome; asceticism and sexual); s. II.
• Gospel of the Hebrews — the judeo-christian; fragments in Clement of/Sources/Jerome; Greek; s. II; focus in Santiago.
• Gospel of the Nazarenes — the judeo-christian; glosses of Jerome; likely aramaic close to Matthew; s. II.
• Gospel of the Ebionites — the judeo-christian; 7 appointments in Epiphanius; harmony synoptic Greek; adoptionist; s. II.

“Blessed is the man that has found the knowledge, for it is he who has found life.”
— Gospel of Thomas (coptic fragment).

Bibliography-guide and open resources

• Nag Hammadi (list and English translations): portal of the Gnostic Society (translations of Grant, Wisse, etc).
• Compendium of academic: The Nag Hammadi Library in English (ed. J. M. Robinson).
• Panarion of Epiphanius (primary source for titles lost as Eva/Perfection).
• Gospels judeo-christian (critical synthesis and distinctions).
• Datasets and context of the finding (Britannica; Biblical Archaeology) for the dating of manuscripts.

“They say they have a superior knowledge, but do not know they are lost in the darkness of his own mind.”
— Irenaeus of Lyon, Against Heresies, I, 11.

Final notes classification

• “Gnosticism” is an umbrella historiography: Thomas and Mary show reception gnostic in certain circles, although it does not fit evenly in the systems setians/valentinians. That's why the best practice is to describe affiliation doctrinal, source text and community use (as above) instead of forcing them to tags.
• Many “gospels” are known by appointments only patristic; your actual content may have been more extensive or different from what the controversy is preserved (case of Eva and Perfection).

“The one who is looking for with the heart pure, although't miss it, it's closer to the truth than those who repeat it without thinking.”
— Clement of Alexandria.

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of salvation.”
— Hippolytus of Rome, Refutation of all heresies.