Ancient Catholic documents unlocked

  • Thread starter Thread starter Maranatha
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
40.png
Maranatha:
Thousands of previously illegible manuscripts (some Christian)containing work by some of the greats of classical literature are being read for the first time . . .
Click to expand...
If they proove to be too Catholic, they’ll just get blown off as the writings of men and forgeries or some such baloney…LOL

We just can’t be right…we’re the Catholic Church
 
The thousands of remaining documents, which will be analysed over the next decade, are expected to include works by Ovid and Aeschylus, plus a series of Christian gospels which have been lost for up to 2,000 years.
Click to expand...
Let’s remember that we have already found some of these “lost gosples” in the Nag Hamaddi library – most of them forged or dramatically edited documents created to “prove” Gnosticism. I suspect some of the Christian documents will fall into that category – although I am anxious to see what they have.
 
vern humphrey:
Let’s remember that we have already found some of these “lost gosples” in the Nag Hamaddi library – most of them forged or dramatically edited documents created to “prove” Gnosticism. I suspect some of the Christian documents will fall into that category – although I am anxious to see what they have.
Click to expand...
Agreed!
 
I agree completely…but you have to wonder what if there are some authentic Gospels among them…which I doubt…but what if???
vern humphrey:
Let’s remember that we have already found some of these “lost gosples” in the Nag Hamaddi library – most of them forged or dramatically edited documents created to “prove” Gnosticism. I suspect some of the Christian documents will fall into that category – although I am anxious to see what they have.
Click to expand...
 
40.png
dumspirospero:
I agree completely…but you have to wonder what if there are some authentic Gospels among them…which I doubt…but what if???
Click to expand...
I think first of all, we have to ask ourselves, “What is an authentic gospel?”

It’s unlikely to find one in an Apostle’s orginal handwriting (and how could we tell if it was?), so authenticity would really mean “Is it orthodox?” A gospel attributed to say, Andrew or Peter that differed radically from the four Canonical Gospels would not likely be authentic.

Far more likely are documents shedding a bit of light on early Church activities – there are various documents that we know existed only because other ancient writers mention them. It would be exciting to find one of these, and be able to read it in full.
 
vern humphrey:
Let’s remember that we have already found some of these “lost gosples” in the Nag Hamaddi library – most of them forged or dramatically edited documents created to “prove” Gnosticism. I suspect some of the Christian documents will fall into that category – although I am anxious to see what they have.
Click to expand...
I so totally agree. Some neophyte Oxford professor is probably planning a career in the footsteps of Dan Brown as I write.

Am I bitter? Is the Pope Catholic?
 
vern humphrey:
Let’s remember that we have already found some of these “lost gosples” in the Nag Hamaddi library – most of them forged or dramatically edited documents created to “prove” Gnosticism. I suspect some of the Christian documents will fall into that category – although I am anxious to see what they have.
Click to expand...
The counterfeit gospels are all dated well after the first century. If there’s a document that’s reliably dated to the first century, I fully expect it to be orthodox.
 
I suspect that there are no other true gospels save the canonical ones because if they were regarded as universally true, they would have never been forgotten or lost in the first place.
 
40.png
Maranatha:
The counterfeit gospels are all dated well after the first century. If there’s a document that’s reliably dated to the first century, I fully expect it to be orthodox.
Click to expand...
I recommend you read Irving Wallace’s “The Word.”

This is a fictional novel about a new bible translation that is to contain a newly discovered gospel (the Gospel of James.) Read it and think about it.

The “authenticity” of such a gospel would not MAKE it orthodox, it’s orthodoxy would be part of the process of authentication.
 
Technical question:

If a Gospel is not Canonized is it therefore not true?
 
Not cananonized does not necessarily equate with FALSE. Rather, we cannot give non-canonized writings the faith we give the canon. On the other hand, some writings may be quite valid and useful in shedding light on scriptural theology. For example, although non-canonical, many scholars do look at the gospel of Thomas, realizing its limitations.
 
40.png
trailblazer:
Not cananonized does not necessarily equate with FALSE. Rather, we cannot give non-canonized writings the faith we give the canon. On the other hand, some writings may be quite valid and useful in shedding light on scriptural theology. For example, although non-canonical, many scholars do look at the gospel of Thomas, realizing its limitations.
Click to expand...
And the gospel of Thomas may be based on a genuine, eye-witness account, but much embellished and edited by the Gnostics.

One thing to remember, a researcher once said, “People who research the Pseuepgraphia usually find what they are looking for.”

Elane Pagels (the translator of the Nag Hamaddi library) is a good example – she found that Lo, and Behold! Third Century Gnostics were actually 20th Century Feminists. http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon12.gif
 
vern humphrey:
And the gospel of Thomas may be based on a genuine, eye-witness account, but much embellished and edited by the Gnostics.
Click to expand...
vern humphrey:
Elane Pagels (the translator of the Nag Hamaddi library) is a good example – she found that Lo, and Behold! Third Century Gnostics were actually 20th Century Feminists. http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon12.gif
Click to expand...
What, all of them?
I think the Nag Hamaddi library is essential reading. The idea of gnosticism is very interesting and goes a long way to help us understand the Church in the first few centuries. I found Pagels book ‘The Gnostic Gospels’ very well written and very interesting.
 
40.png
trailblazer:
Not cananonized does not necessarily equate with FALSE. Rather, we cannot give non-canonized writings the faith we give the canon. On the other hand, some writings may be quite valid and useful in shedding light on scriptural theology. For example, although non-canonical, many scholars do look at the gospel of Thomas, realizing its limitations.
Click to expand...
If a work is not canonized, it means that it did not pass muster with regards to its inspiration. Some part of it was considered flawed or its authorship considered spurious.
 
40.png
FightingFat:
What, all of them?
I think the Nag Hamaddi library is essential reading. The idea of gnosticism is very interesting and goes a long way to help us understand the Church in the first few centuries. I found Pagels book ‘The Gnostic Gospels’ very well written and very interesting.
Click to expand...
The value in reading it is historical, and as an exercise in indentifying how an agenda may be inserted in an otherwise orthodox document.

The danger is falling into the hole Pagels fell into.
 
vern humphrey:
The value in reading it is historical, and as an exercise in indentifying how an agenda may be inserted in an otherwise orthodox document.

The danger is falling into the hole Pagels fell into.
Click to expand...
Could you elaborate Vern? I am very interested in this subject and my Parish Priest has a special interest also.
I have found reading Pagel’s book has enriched my own faith and would much like to hear your opinions!
 
40.png
FightingFat:
Could you elaborate Vern? I am very interested in this subject and my Parish Priest has a special interest also.
I have found reading Pagel’s book has enriched my own faith and would much like to hear your opinions!
Click to expand...
Read what she writes – for example, her admiration for the "Gospel of Mary (Magdalen) is based not on orthodoxy nor on provinence, but on her political twist. She is a groupie of the “Jesus Seminar” (That Dominic Crossan is so sexy!)

You realize that Gnosticism was an attempt to hijack Christianity and the Catholic Response was the distillation of the fundamental doctrines of the Church – such as the Apostolic Succession?
 
Will we get more proof that Catholic teaching is true?

We have no “proof” at all. We have evidence, that’s all; our belief in the truths of Catholicism is all a matter of faith, a faith which God has bestowed upon us.

If “proof” were available, how could anyone refuse to accept Catholic teaching? They could not.
 
40.png
Richardols:
Will we get more proof that Catholic teaching is true?

We have no “proof” at all. We have evidence, that’s all; our belief in the truths of Catholicism is all a matter of faith, a faith which God has bestowed upon us…
Click to expand...
Dead on. We may get some additional insights into some issues. We may get more knowledge of the hetrodox movements (Gnosticism in particular.) But “proof” we will not get.
40.png
Richardols:
If “proof” were available, how could anyone refuse to accept Catholic teaching? They could not.
Click to expand...
Don’t bet on it – when anyone produces fool-proof evidence, an evidence-proof fool will inevatibly appear.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon12.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top