I have the book somewhere. One of the many I intend to read. This guy explains why certain books of the bible were banned or buried. Interesting theory. Don't worry, he only reads one small part
I listened to the video so maybe I'll talk about it later when I have more time. Today I've been posting while working out and cooking.
I have a copy of the Gnostic Bible, together with The Acts of Jesus, but I think the mainstream view of the Biblical canon is correct.
It's been a while. I read The Gnostic Gospels when Elaine Pagels first wrote it, and then against a couple of times over the years. I've since passed it on to a friend. I don't think early Christians were very nice to the Gnostics.
All followers of Jesus had and have the same instructions to follow. "2 John 1:10 Beware of Deceivers …Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him. Whoever greets such a person shares in his evil deeds.… Berean Study Bible · Download"
I have a copy here, along with some other extra-canonical and pseudepigrapha texts. I paged through it after buying it, but I don't remember much about it.
Are you saying that the Gnostics were deceivers? Couldn't you make the argument that the church was protecting its power base? Heck, I think most mainstream denominations are deceivers...but you are more well-versed in this than I.
As I understand it from long ago studies, the Gnostics were out to destroy "traditional" Christianity and replace it as a dominant theology. That is why the Church fought against the philosophy and eventually triumphed. That is why the Gnostic gospels were excluded from the Canon.
Thank you for that, Don. My cursory long-ago reading on the subject said that the gnostics were the more "educated" Christians who--like the disciples--were on a level of understanding where parables were not required (gnostic meaning "knowledge.") I thought they were "a subset of" Christianity, not its enemy. edit to add: So did the Gnostics do this out of pernicious intent, or did they think they were serving God by putting forth a higher truth? Or is this even known?
The 'main stream' as you call it, and the gnostics, were both/all deceivers, not ever abiding in Christ nor obeying the Father the way Jesus taught His Own disciples to be and to do . They had a way "man thought was right" that led to , and still leads to , destruction, as they know not Scripture nor the Power of God, as written about them. They persecuted and still persecute and extinguish when they can, all over the world including usa, any who are truly abiding in Jesus, any who stand for the truth, any who follow Jesus. All as God's Word, Jesus, and the Apostles and Prophets and set apart ones of God have warned and exposed all along as God Revealed and Planned. "2 Peter 2 Revised Standard Version False Prophets and Their Punishment 2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. "
From what I have read, the Gnostics were the "Progressives" of their day--the experts who knew what was better for the "plebeians". I think they grew from a branch of Greek philosophy. I don't know if they were actually more educated, as there were quite a number of well-educated people in the early Church, but they may well have thought themselves more intelligent, as do many of today's academics and college professors.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:26 KJ21 For ye see in your calling, brethren, how not many wise men according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. =========================================================================== Matthew 11 25 At that time Jesus declared, “I praiseYou, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.… Berean Study Bible · Download
NOW I understand. That's a different context than I recall. From what little I read, I recall that they not only believed they had been given the same insight as the disciples, they discounted some of the disciples' first-hand accounts of Jesus performing literal miracles, claiming that such accounts were mere allegories (walking on water = light in spirit.) But I just viewed that as putting a contemporary intellectual interpretation on that which was written for the understanding of the masses of the time (as Jesus alluded to when explaining why he spoke in parables.) My reading on this subject is limited to that Pagels book (and maybe a smattering of other stuff), but I later came to understand that she may have had an agenda. If she did, it was not obvious to me while reading her book.
My reading was was some years ago but was from different sources...and I have an unconventional view of Christianity anyway.