Responses to Christians. IIN - 2
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐡𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭
A recurrent objection is the claim that “it is apocrypha,” as though this assertion alone resolves the matter. However, such an objection exposes an internal inconsistency: the same apocryphal material is treated as sufficiently credible by various Christian traditions when identifying the names of Mary’s parents.
A comparable issue arises with respect to the criteria by which certain texts were admitted into, or excluded from, the fallible canon of the Gospels. If one rejects information from the Protevangelium of James, it becomes necessary to articulate the methodological basis for doing so and to explain the principles by which some elements are accepted while others are dismissed.
This inconsistency becomes particularly evident when Muslims cite the apocryphal Protevangelium of James to highlight that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is described as being twelve years old at the time of her marriage to an elderly Joseph, traditionally said—according to the same text—to be approximately ninety years of age.
Such citations are often met with strong criticism, despite the fact that the same text is utilised within Christian tradition to support other historical claims, including the identification of Mary’s parents. This selective use reflects a methodological inconsistency and raises important questions regarding the standards applied in evaluating apocryphal sources.
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