What is Pious Fraud and give examples?

Answer 1

Pious fraud in relation to the New Testament era and that of the early church refers to the practice of passing off a writing as that of someone else in order to give it added authority. People would choose the name of an authority such as an apostle in order to get their work have greater credibility. By definition, as the name suggests, such activity is by nature fraudulent . Since the early Christians were particularly careful about knowing who wrote what they made sure the correct titles were on all the works of the New Testament. In the second century AD a church officer was dismissed for passing off his otherwise orthodox work as that of the apostle Peter (who was of course dead by this time).

Allegations of pious fraud have frequently been made against various works of the New Testament canon. Often this is done without consideration of all the facts in an attempt to cast doubt upon the work itself. It must be remembered that works were not accepted unless the author was known for certain and this uncertainty was one of the factors which delayed the acceptance of the Book of Revelation for a time. THE BAPTISMAL FORGERY The contradictory "baptismal formulas," the simple "in the name of the Lord" of Peter in Acts, and the elaborated forgery of Matthew, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," are sufficiently branded with falsity in the preceding paragraphs, and may be dismissed without further notice. This "Trinitarian Formula" is most palpably a late forgery, never uttered by Jesus Christ; for the Holy "Trinity" was not itself officially invented until the Council of Constantinople, in 381 A.D.

THE FORGED GOSPEL ENDINGS "The conclusion of Mark (xvi, 9-20) is admittedly not genuine.

THE "WOMAN IN ADULTERY" FORGERY The CE. has admitted that the so-called pericope adulterae, was regarded as spurious until the Council of Trent, in 1546, declared it divine truth;

THE "LORD'S PRAYER" FORGERY As may be seen by mere comparison, the "Doxology" at the end of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew (vi, 13): "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen," is an interpolation into the original text, and is omitted as spurious by the Revised Version;

THE "UNKNOWN GOD" FORGERY Paul's use of the pretended inscription on the statue on Mars' Hill, "To the Unknown God," on which is based his famous harangue to the Athenians: "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." This omits the truth, for the whole inscription would have been fatal to his cause.

THE FORGED EPISTLES, ETC. But the entire "Pauline group" is in the same forged class with Hebrews, says EB. after exhaustive consideration of the proofs, internal and external:

THE "EPISTLE OF PETER" FORGERIES THE "GOD MANIFEST" FORGERY THE "THREE HEAVENLY WITNESSES" FORGERY

for full text see link, "The Forged Gospel Endings"