The Third Epistle to the Corinthians is believed to be a pseudepigraphical text under the name of Paul of Tarsus. It originally formed part of the Acts of Paul, from which it was later detached, and was framed as Paul's response to the Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul. Pseudepigrapha (from the Greek words pseudos = lie and epigrapho = write) is a text or a number of texts whose claimed authorship or authenticity is incorrect. ... Saul, also known as Paul, Paulus, and Saint Paul the Apostle, (AD 3–67) is widely considered to be central to the early development and spread of Christianity, particularly westward from Judea. ... The Acts of Paul and Thecla (Acta Pauli et Theclae) is an apocryphal story of St Pauls influence on the young virgin, Thecla. ... The Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul is a work from the New Testament apocrypha. ...

In the West it was not considered canonical in the fourth century AD, becoming part of the New Testament apocrypha. In the East Ephraem of Syria apparently accepted it as canonical, for he wrote a commentary on it, and the Doctrine of Addai includes it, however it was not included in the Syriac Peshitta translation of the Bible (nor were 2-3 John, 2 Peter, Jude, or Revelation). Although part of the Oskan Armenian Bible of 1666, it is not found in the Zohrab Armenian Bible of 1805 which follows the Vulgate canon and it is not currently considered part of the Armenian Orthodox New Testament [1]. Iit was not part of the canon list of Anania Shirakatsi in the 7th century but is part of the canon lists of Mechitar of Ayrivank` in the 13th and Gregory Tat`ew in the 14th [2]. In 2000, Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian, Pastor of the Armenian Church of Holy Martyrs in Bayside, New York, published his Fordham University Ph.D. dissertation as Third Corinthians: Reclaiming Paul for Christian Orthodoxy, ISBN 0820445274. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Biblical canon is an exclusive list of books written during the formative period of the Jewish or Christian faiths; the leaders of these communities believed these books to be inspired by God or to express the authoritative history of the relationship between God and his people (although there may... The category of New Testament apocrypha reminds the modern reader of the wide range of responses that were engendered in the interpreting of the message of Jesus of Nazareth during the first several centuries of the Common Era, as mainstream Christianity emerged. ... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... Ephrem the Syrian was a prolific Syriac language hymn writer and theologian of the 4th century. ... The Doctrine of Addai is a controvercial book about Saint Addai. ... The Peshitta is the standard version of the Bible in the Syriac language. ... The Vulgate Bible is an early 5th century translation of the Bible into Latin made by St. ... The Armenian Apostolic Church, sometimes called the Armenian Orthodox Church is one of the original churches, having separated from the then-still-united Roman Catholic/Byzantine Orthodox church in 506, after the Council of Chalcedon (see Oriental Orthodoxy). ...

The text is structured as an attempt to correct alleged misinterpretations of the earlier First and Second Epistle to the Corinthians of which the author (usually called "pseudo-Paul") has become aware due to the (similarly dubious) Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul. According to the preceding part of the Acts of Paul, when the letter was written Paul was in prison, on account of Stratonice, the wife of Apollophanes. In particular the epistle seeks to correct the interpretation of the phrase "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" by which some taught that the resurrection of the dead could not be physical. The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... See also: First Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul is a work from the New Testament apocrypha. ... The Acts of Paul and Thecla (Acta Pauli et Theclae) is an apocryphal story of St Pauls influence on the young virgin, Thecla. ... Stratonice is the name of several ancient Macedonian women: Stratonice (wife of Antigonus), the wife of Antigonus Monophthalmus Stratonice of Syria, the wife of Seleucus I Nicator and Antiochus I Soter Stratonice of Macedonia, the wife of Demetrius II of Macedon Stratonice was also another name for the Carian town... Silver drachm of king Apollophanes (r. ... It has been suggested that Resurrection of the dead be merged into this article or section. ...

Gnostics were known for quoting this part of 1 Corinthians, infuriating Christians such as Irenaeus who wished to claim that the dead were physically, rather than spiritually, resurrected. Irenaeus remarked "All heretics always quote this passage". It is thought that the argument of the Gnostics won so much ground that orthodox Christians felt the need to forge 3 Corinthians to counter them. Gnosticism is a blanket term for various religions and sects most prominent in the first few centuries A.D. General characteristics The word gnosticism comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis (γνῶσις), referring to the idea that there is special, hidden mysticism (esoteric knowledge) that only a few possess. ... An engraving of Saint Irenaeus (ca. ...

Other pseudepigraphical epistles include Epistle to the Laodiceans found in some Vulgates, Didache, Apostolic Constitutions, 2nd Epistle of Clement, additional letters of Ignatius of Antioch, the spurious letter of Jesus to King Abgarus of Edessa and many others. In 1960, Robert M. Grant in Journal of Theological Studies called the 5th through 7th centuries the era of "aggressive forgeries" in Christian texts. Wikisource has original text related to this article: Epistle to the Laodiceans An Epistle to the Laodiceans, consisting of 20 short lines, is found in some editions of the Vulgate, known only in Latin, purporting to be the epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans mentioned in the Epistle to the... The Vulgate Bible is an early 5th century translation of the Bible into Latin made by St. ... The Didache ( in Koine Greek) or Teaching— short for Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles by the Twelve Apostles () — is a brief early Christian treatise ( 70–160 CE), containing instructions for Christian communities. ... A 4th century collection, in 8 books, of independent, though closely related, treatises on Christian discipline, worship, and doctrine, intended to serve as a manual of guidance for the clergy, and to some extent for the laity. ... The Epistles of Clement often referred to as 1 Clement and 2 Clement were not accepted in the canonic New Testament but they are part of the Apostolic Fathers collection. ... Icon of Ignatius being eaten by lions St. ... Tenth-century icon of Abgar with the mandylion, the image of Christ Abgar V or Abgarus V of Edessa (4 BC - AD 7 and AD 13 - 50) is a historical ruler of the kingdom of Osroene, holding his capital at Edessa. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... (4th century - 5th century - 6th century - other centuries) Events Rome sacked by Visigoths in 410. ... ( 6th century - 7th century - 8th century - other centuries) Events Islam starts in Arabia, the Quran is written, and Arabs subjugate Syria, Iraq, Persia, Egypt, North Africa and Central Asia to Islam. ...

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia: The Catholic Encyclopedia (also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia today) is an English-language encyclopedia published in 1913 by the The Encyclopedia Press, designed to give authoritative information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action and doctrine. // History The writing of the encyclopedia began on January 11...

The ancient Syrian (Edessene) Church revered as canonical a Third Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, which is accompanied by a letter from the pastors of that Church, to which it is an answer. But about the beginning of the fifth century the Syrian Church fell under the influence of the Greek, and in consequence the spurious letter gradually lost its canonical status. It was taken up by the neighbouring Armenians and for centuries has formed a part of the Armenian New Testament. Latin and Greek writers are completely silent about this pseudograph, although Greek and Latin copies have been found. It was obviously suggested by the lost genuine Pauline letter referred to in I Cor. v, 9; vii, 1. It was composed by a Catholic presbyter about l60-170, and is a disguised attack on some of the leading errors of Gnosticism. This correspondence long had an independent circulation, but recently it has been proved that the document was incorporated into the Acts of St. Paul (q.v.).

The Acts of Paul and Thecla (Acta Pauli et Theclae) is an apocryphal story of St Pauls influence on the young virgin, Thecla. ...

See also

• First Epistle to the Corinthians
• Second Epistle to the Corinthians
• Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul