What do you think about the Gnostic books?

Question

The Gospel of Mary, Philip and Thomas: Are they true words of Yeshua (Jesus) and were they purposely left out of the Bible? Also, many people these days read the Bible, NKJV (New King James Version) but are unaware that King James changed the text and used it as his own book of laws over his own people. . .Why follow this book, knowing that the original Bible has obviously been altered by additions, omissions and changes?

Most of you don't understand. Trying to quote the "bible" will get you nowhere.
What you quote is NOT was was written down 2000 years ago...can you honestly believe that it is as pure today as it once was when it was first written? You quote a book that has been changed over the course of time and have nothing to back it up with except faulty verses which no one can prove!

To digintothepast, and anyone else who said they were written 300 years after Christ.
So were Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. . .

Next argument.

Answer 1

It is my understanding that:

Actually, NONE of the gospels are the direct words of Jesus. They were all written a couple generations after (Luke and Mark weren't even apostles!).

The Gnostic Gospels were not included into the bible because they preach a more self-sufficient version of Christianity, where the person, not the church, is responsible for their relationship with God. They refer to Christianity in a similar sense as modern buddhism.

It is MY belief (and I emphasize belief, as no one knows for sure) that the gnostic gospels were excluded from the bible because:

- They de-emphasize the church...therefore leaving less influenece, power, and control over the religion for the church

- They emphasize a more "inner religion", where its not about what the religion as a whole wants or believes, but rather the individual person. This can be deeply fulfilling for an individual, or very unnerving as there would be little unison and coordination in the religion.

- They did not properly imply the possibility that Jesus was God.

Answer 2

You have to look at the Gnostic texts individually.

The Gospel of Mary. The theology of this text is radically different from that of the synoptic gospels. It is also slightly different from that of the Gospel of John. If, as some have proposed, that it is a continuation of the Gospel of John, then the differences are more due to shift in emphasis, than theology.

The Gospel of Thomas. The theology of this gospel is fairly consistent with that of the synoptic Gospels. The big difference is saying 114.

The Gospel of Phillip. The theology of this gospel is different from that of the other gospels. It does elaborate on some aspects of Pauline Theology.

The biggest difference between the KJV, and previous translations, was that it omitted all footnotes, per the request of King James.

Whilst the Bible has been altered over time, by additions, deletions, and changes, those differences are no greater than those found in an oral legend, preserved by an oral culture.

Why follow this book?
Because it provides spiritual strength and comfort.

Answer 3

I'm curious where you got your information that King James altered the Bible for his own purposes? Are you familiar with the practices of the scholars who transcribed Scriptures? Or with the fact that scrolls found in the 20th century proved the accuracy to which our current translations have been passed down? The Gnostic books have never been widely accepted as Scripture since they were written by people who lived 300 years or more after Christ. I think if you did a little research you would be very surprised at the facts that you will find. I typed in "breaking the da vinci code" in my search engine and found lots of great sites. Even if it doesn't change your mind, you will be more informed about this topic.

Answer 4

The use of gnostic gospels were condemned by Paul with a double-anathema in Galatians 1:8-9.

Example:
In the gospel of Thomas is found the following perversion of a Messianic prophecy from Psalm 118

From the gospel of Thomas - http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gthlamb.html
(66) Jesus said, "Show me the stone which the builders have rejected. That one is the cornerstone."

In all three true gospels, Jesus is quoting directly from the scriptures in Mt 21:42, Mr 12:10, Lu 20:17. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, identified who this was “[ Jesus Christ of Nazareth] is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’
Paul in Ephesians identifies the stone that the builders rejected..."having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone."

So if Jesus was quoting from the Tonakh, which has been proven to be accurate and unchanged, then how could Constantine have changed the text in the true gospels to mean something else? Looks like the real distorted text is the gnostic Thomas gospel.

Answer 5

anybody who has unquestionably study an significant component of the Bible and an significant component of the numerous Gnostic books realizes that there is not any assessment. most of the Gnostic books are written as a itemizing of sayings or proverbs. There are actually not any geographical or historic info presented which could be examined. many times speaking the gnostic books have few manuscripts little fee and not something of interest for the follower of Jesus.

Answer 6

The bible basically had a monopoly on christ for two millennia. All this changed since the Nag Hammadi library was found. Gnostics no longer have to rely on the bible for information, they are free to read the gnostic scriptures which present a radically different christ than the one the church preached. I read all scripture including the bible, but the gnostic writings touch my spirit like no other writings. They are profoundly spiritual, abstract, and honest. Those who truly understand what gnosticism is about will have no difficulty identifying the Jesus of the bible as a great gnostic.

Apart from the gnostic theology/cosmology, there is also "the gnosis" which is a state of mind. And the Nag Hammadi teaches its readers about this state very nicely.

Answer 7

The Gospel of Mary, Philip and Thomas is apocryphal. They cause doubt in the Holy Bible because they contradict God's Word. God's Word is true without other doctrines.

I'm a born again spirit filled Christian and My Savior loves His book and reveals Himself in it. He hates other doctrines. Read what Jesus said to the 7 churches in Revelations.

Answer 8

If you asking Cristians then it would be wrong. MOst of them have no idea that out of 53 proposed books were only 27 selected. They would not even heard about Infancy of Tomas or Gospel OF mary, GOspel of Adam and Eve. Church never gave them that information tough vatican has them all and there is a reason for it.
Most ppl reads the bible and can't even figure out wtf that is. They need some one interpretation to realise what it says. Imagine you one day they will know that thier word of GOD was selected by Bishops in 397 AC? And humans corrupted bishops choose what text should be there. They can't damage their own religion so they just have to avoid those books and tthe truth who wrote the bible.
Therefore GOD exists. Cristianity is the way to go. ( so we can manipulated ppl easily)

Answer 9

The gnostic books were written hundreds of years after Christ, and obviousy that means that no one who actually knew Him had anything at all to do with writing these books.

Answer 10

The scriptual books in the Bible have the internal sense or the parables and metaphors that God speaks in. Any book that does not have the internal sense is not the Word.