Muslims have suggested on the basis of this verse that Judas was crucified in Jesus’ stead . This is a very Gnostic idea , that Jesus just appeared to be crucified and proves without a doubt that Islam was influenced by Gnosticism
didn’t you think before that may be this sect is the right sect !
Few christians are aware that Thomas belongs to the Gnostic sect
The Literalist Christians followed Paul, a man who never met Jesus. During the centuries of persecution, burning of books, and assassination of characters, the Gnostics were defeated:
These can be broadly categorized into two different schools. On the one hand there were those we will call Literalists, because what defines them is that they take the Jesus story as a literal account of historical events. It was this school of Christianity that was adopted by the Roman Empire in the fourth century CE, becoming Roman Catholicism and all its subsequent offshoots. On the other hand, however, there were also radically different Christians known as Gnostics.’ These forgotten Christians were later persecuted out of existence by the Literalist Roman Church with such thoroughness that until recently we knew little about them except through the writings of their detractors. Only a handful of original Gnostic texts survived, none of which were published before the nineteenth century.
(Timothy Freke, The Jesus Mysteries: Was the “Original Jesus” a Pagan God? p. 7)
According to modern scholarship, Paul was a Gnostic:
Many Gnostic groups claimed Paul as their founding father and Gnostics calling themselves “Paulicians” continued to flourish, despite persistent persecution from the Roman Church, until the end of the tenth century. Paul wrote his letters to churches in seven cities, which are known to have been centers of Gnostic Christianity during the second century. These Christian communities were led by the Gnostic sage Marcion, for whom Paul was the only true apostle. One thing is for sure: if Paul really were as anti-Gnostic as the Literalists claim, then it is astounding how many Gnostic texts quote him or are actually attributed to him. The followers of Marcion even had a gospel, which they claimed was written by Paul. (ibid, p. 160)
according to you , you will hold the idea that mohammed (pbuh) studied gnostic releigion and influenced by it then wrote the quran ( where only 2 verses from entire quran proof to you how far he was influenced by gnostic sect of christianity)
according to us (muslims) , we will hold the idea that this knowledge is from God directly not from gnostic knowledge
and we will hold the idea that between hundreds of gospeles and canons and scets existed through the first 3 century , there should be some of these sects have the truth ( which we find it’s teaching common with islam)
what i wanna to say that similarities between islam and gnostic proof nothing to muslims , it just proof that through first century there were christians hold the same beliefs muslims have about jesus (pbuh)
