E
ERose
Guest
The problem that you will always have is that everyone has an agenda one way or the other. The “gnostic” scholars attempt to make it more than it was to validify the reasons why they are spending so much time studying and writing upon these writings. It is human nature. We all want to believe that what we are doing is important.Hi ERose: I am a proponent of gathering information and presenting it. There has been a lot of scholarly work done on gnostic texts that simply state what they say and present historical background - period… I’m sure there have been other writers on the same subject who have an agenda, as you’ve noted, but not all of them. I always recommend checking the credentials of the person being published. I think it’s incumbent on anyone who wants to explore such things in any serious way to read as much available material as possible. From there, one can draw their own conclusions. For many, it will always be a matter of faith, or defending faith if you have one to defend. I am convinced that there is some truth in all of the gospels, gnostic or otherwise. As for stretching to get to a point, my mind sees that happening everywhere, whether it’s mainstream religion or alternative theories. Somewhere therein lies the truth, but I can’t say what that is. Personally I tend to lend more credibility to sources that have no stake in the conclusions, and then apply the best reasoning I can. I also feel that if one does have a stake or vested interest in the conclusions, this is a wonderful thing, but I wonder why such people would trouble their minds at all with exploration into other areas. In other words, if I thought I had found “The Rock” I probably wouldn’t venture off of it in any regard. Actually, that’s exactly what I’m working toward in my own search, but first I have to find it.
When you see the worse of scholars show up on TV shows on the history & discovery channels spewing out assumptions as if they were history it makes my skin crawl. There is no proof whatsoever that would make a rational individual believe that gnosticism was ever a true threat to the early Christians. There are only a few references of the Apostles speaking out on this heresy. The only one I can think of right off the bat is in 1 John 4:1-5 *Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. By this is the spirit of God known. Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God: And every spirit that dissolveth Jesus, is not of God: and this is Antichrist, of whom you have heard that he cometh, and he is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome him. Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore of the world they speak, and the world heareth them. *
One of the teachings of the gnostics is that Jesus did not come in the flesh because matter is evil and that which comes from the true God could not become one with ‘evil’ matter. That being said this does show that gnostics were around while the Apostles where still alive.
From the New Testament writings it is obvious that the only alternative teaching that was the most hotly contested had to do with the Judaizers that believed that the Gentiles must become Jew first before they could become Christian. This was opposed by Paul and Peter and resulted in the “Council of Jerusalem” to settle the matter. Of course even after this council Paul spent much time and energy opposing the believe throughout the Church as many of his writings show particulary Romans & Galatians.
It is amazing how I am able to detach from that subject, now.
