It agrees in its dogmatics with Gregory of Nyssa, and is valuable on account of the numerous excerpts from the writings of the pagan opponent of Macarius.
Macarius does not directly name the "Hellene" he is quoting from and criticizing, but it is most commonly speculated to be the philosopher Porphyry, who wrote a lost work called Against the Christians.
[3] The quotation of the Apocalypse of Peter is interesting to modern audiences, as the work was ultimately not included in the eventual list of what would be the New Testament.
Similarly, there is no quotation of the General Epistles, 2 Peter, or the Apocalypse of John (Revelation), although it is possible the Hellene did address them, yet Magnes did not quote these attacks, or that they were discussed in Books 1 or 5.
In the fourth century, the canon list was still in flux, and the Apocriticus provides some insight into both what works the mysterious pagan "Hellene" considered important enough to Christianity to attack, as well as what Macarius Magnes felt should be defended.