Christians, how can you be sure that the "New Testament" isn't Pagan influenced also?

Question

Whatever happened to Mary Magdalene's gospel, I wish to read it. And also Phillip and maybe some others who were ACTUALLY there when Jesus was there.

Answer 1

Don't forget the gospel of judas as well. The early church threw them all out in favour of five, with one more removed at a later date.

Answer 2

The Gospel of Phillip and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene were not written by phillip and mary. They are Gnostic Gospels witten by Gnostic between 150 and 250 AD. They are part of the Nag Hammadi gospels. Just go to any big bookstore and ask for the Nag Hammadi gospels.

http://www.johnankerberg.org/Articles/theological-dictionary/TD0506W4.htm

Answer 3

What you refer to is the Gnostic Scriptures. There were 40 original gospels that were reduced to 4 by the Roman Emporer Constantine. Also, I believe Christianity was influenced by the pagan religeons that also had a diety born of a virgin. The link is to a page with some Gnostic writings.

Also, It is true that none of the Gnostic texts were written in the same generation as Christ. But the earliest gospel we can date is the book of John written in the 3rd century. Judas was written about the same time.

Answer 4

The Gnostic gospels are available to read, the books of Mary, Thomas, Phillip and many others, look them up on-line. They are much more mystical and concerned with knowledge than the traditional gospels.

Answer 5

wow... I was just thinking about something along this very line...

I don't know what "pagan" influence would mean... but I can tell you this... although from the youngest age almost anyone can tell you the bible was written by man, with divine guidance... they usually gloss over the "written by man" part....
I think there were things in the bible that today would have been considered pagan of some sort;
these are some things I have been told, and I can not find valid reason nor proof to not believe:

references to reincarnation were at one point in there... and someone showed me once where.. lost that bible (I marked it) can not remember the passage but there is still one or two references....

references to Jesus appearing in more than one place at the same time... before death/rebirth and after....

flames... you know, I should remember the term and all... but.. too late at night maybe.. or, I do keep looking to the heavens here.. like I am sharing secrets others are supposed to hunt down on their own.. but the night he passed the flames and they all spoke in tongues... was a secret shared with them about eternal life... and the expunging of the original sin in them....... the details were at one point in the bible....

Mary's teaching, gospels.... ahh.. I found out about those when I was in CCD a few years ago... at the church I used to go to the parents went to a class once a month... a Francescan brother would be more acurate..since, events happening more recently would be remembered more acurately....
I found that the sect of St. Francis; which is catholic, looked a lot like wicca... giving more reverance even to the mother... and to Mary Magdalene.... she was Jesus' right hand according to what we learned... and that she would have been the one who was teaching and preaching the head of the church if history were more accurate itself.... she traveled spreading the word.. even to Roman empire... we were told that while there Ceasar said that Jesus could no more have risen from the dead than this egg of mine can change color... she took it and it changed to purple... which is supposedly why we have easter eggs... and why we color them...

kay, I am sure this answer is waaaayyyy too long at this point and I did not even touch on other gospels..but, same applies.. they do exist... not sure all the places.. only one.. Vatican

the sect that originally would have been the "followers of the gospel of Mary" are a part of one of the middle eastern sects.. I do not think it was Zion... ? but like I said.. will look and see if I can find it..

it was the pagan (by today's meaning) that they tried their best to remove.. not influenced by
they could not have an ever expanding huger than life book (bible) so they did leave a lot of good teachings out....
back in the very beginnings of the movement, the teachings followed one gospel writer.. each family/group having a favorite.. gathering in each others homes to hear it

Answer 6

The Bible certainly has been Pagan influenced , and anything that has been unearthed in the last 60 or more years that go against the claptrap in the Bible at present is classified as heresy by the Vatican.. They know the truth I expect but keep up the pompous charade as they don't want to lose their high powered positions and wealth... I have answered many questions about Paganism and the Bible,look them up for yourself if you wish as to type the sort of information I hold is very lengthy.. I could write screeds on the subject... Blessed Be )O(

Answer 7

The writers of the New Testmanet were devout Jews,who would not stand paganism.In addition,Christian beliefs are also derived from the Old Testament.
The Gospel of Phillip was not written by someone who was actually there,you are wrong.It was written in the third century by a Gnostic.
The Gospel of Mary was also dated to the third century,and was not written by Mary.
No,NEITHER of thos books were written by people who were actually there.

Meowzer,you are very wrong.The NT is not based on,or influenced by paganism.

Answer 8

I say you look for them.

The Council of Nicea came together to determine what books they felt should be in the Bible. Those scriptures aren't touched by god. They are touched by greasy fingered politicians and religious leaders looking to find a way to make Jesus seem "less human, and more divine." They had to do this. They needed another scare tactic for the people.

This is a fact. So thumbs down me all you want.

Answer 9

Those "books" are not in the New Testament because they were written several hundred years later, by people who were NOT the the original followers whose names they were using. The books in the present New Testament were all written within a single generation of Jesus, by the disciples or their close followers......theBerean

Answer 10

FAITH.

The bottomline is that the bible we have today--is sufficient. It lays it all out and lets the reader discern whether or not GOD inspired it. HE DID INSPIRE IT, as holy men were carried along by the Holy Spirit in their writings. So far as the Canon goes....once again, all I can say is : FAITH!~
Imagine what one would have to go thru to find all written accounts of their experiences with JESUS. Personal scripts, even devout disciples who helped build the "Church: aka the BODY OF CHRIST aka DISCIPLES DISCIPLE TO MAKE MORE DISCIPLES....etc). One would be more apt to win the lottery, get struck by lightning or things of the like!

Trust in the WORD OF GOD~ For why would HE put out HIS message, and then allow it to get LOST IN TRANSLATION? Is GOD not powerful enough to get this thing right>
Be in prayer, and leave the impossibles alone, that is all I have to offer.