The Missing Ministry of the Risen Christ

One of the greatest mysteries in the New Testament is the forty-day ministry of the resurrected Jesus Christ. The Gospels tell us it happened—but provide almost no details about what He taught during that sacred period.

Beyond the biblical canon, however, dozens of ancient Christian texts preserve traditions about Christ's post-resurrection ministry. Though many of these writings were set aside by mainstream Christianity, they contain remarkable themes that invite closer examination.

In The Missing Ministry of the Risen Christ, Jonah R. Barnes explores these ancient sources through a Latter-day Saint lens, uncovering striking parallels between the teachings attributed to the risen Christ and restored temple theology. Rather than treating these similarities as mere curiosities, Barnes examines what they may reveal about the ancient roots of sacred ordinances and the Restoration.

This thought-provoking study invites readers to wrestle with important questions:

• What did Jesus teach during the forty days between His Resurrection and Ascension?
• Do ancient Christian writings preserve authentic echoes of those teachings?
• How do these texts illuminate restored temple doctrine?
• What do they reveal about the continuity of God's work throughout history?

Drawing from biblical scholarship, apocryphal literature, and Restoration scripture, The Missing Ministry of the Risen Christ offers a fresh perspective on one of the New Testament's most intriguing mysteries and invites readers to consider what may have been hidden in plain sight for centuries.