Gnostic Challenge to Orthodoxy.pdf

The Gnostic Challenge to Orthodoxya theological essay by Sheila T. Harty he Gnostic literature, suppressed and lost 1,600 years ago, then discovered buried like treasure in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, is as compelling as a good conspiracy theory. The actual writing even reads like code—and that’s after the Coptic has been translated into English! Coptic is Egyptian with Greek letters. I don’t read Coptic or Greek. Theologian Elaine Pagels at Princeton University reads both. Pagels reports—as would anyone who reads these texts—that they sound Zen. 1 You know, as in enigma and paradox! An American who studied with a Zen master told Pagels: “If I had known the Gospel of Thomas, I wouldn’t have had to become a Buddhist.” 2 Here’s an example of Gnostic catechism: If they ask you, ‘What is the sign of your Father in you?’ Say to them, ‘It is movement and repose.’ 3 The cryptic phrasing in most Gnostic texts only makes this conspiracy theory more intriguing. Were these texts purposefully written in an obscure style to evade understanding? Was this a challenge for initiates, a shibboleth for adherents, or a defense against opponents? Whichever, esoteric meaning hides suggestively beneath the text. The word “gnosis” means knowledge, although the “Greek language distinguishes between scientific and reflective knowledge.” 4 The use of gnosis by 1st and 2nd century Christian Gnostics was the reflective kind of knowledge, better translated as insight or intuition. A key component of Gnosticism was “secret knowledge” privy only to an elite who had “advanced philosophical understanding.” 5 Gnosis was particularly “knowledge of ourselves.” 6 One famous Gnostic 7 described how the person gifted with a mature spiritual nature would find ecclesiastical teaching ”unnourishing” and “inadequate” to quench spiritual thirst. 8 The Gnostics told such “seekers of enlightenment” that they were among the elect who are impelled by the spirit to seek the deeper things of God. 9 Generally, what we call Gnosticism was a kind of dualistic, transcendent nihilism characterized by alienation from the material world and by spiritual redemption through self-enlightenment. Its dualism expressed itself in acknowledging the feminine element of the divine 10 and in perceiving spirit trapped in malignant matter. Its transcendence expressed itself in revolt against the creator God of the Old Testament 11 1 T Last page of Gospel of Thomas “as cryptic and compelling as Zen koans.” Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels (New York NY: Random House, 1979), pg. xv, quoting Gilles Quispel, Professor of History of Religion, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. 2 Elaine Pagels, Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas (New York NY: Random House, 2003), pg. 74, quoting Richard Baker from Boston who entered a Buddhist monastery in Kyoto, Japan, as a student of the Zen master Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. 3 “Gospel of Thomas,” James M. Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi Library in English, Revised (New York NY: Harper & Row, 1988), pg. 132. 4 Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, pg. xix. 5 Karen L. King, What is Gnosticism? (Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press, 2003), pg. 165, quoting Clement of Alexandria. 6 Bart D. Ehrman, Lost Christianities: The Battle for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew (New York NY: Oxford University Press, 2003), pg. 114. 7 Heracleon, student of Valentinus, who was the most notable of the Christian Gnostics, a sophisticated theologian, and a poet. 8 Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters (Harrisburg PA: Trinity Press International, 1992), pg. 158. 9 Ibid., pg. 159. 10 Referring to God as Father and Mother and to the Holy Spirit as feminine. Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels, pg. 49. 11 Pheme Perkins, Gnosticism and the New Testament (Minneapolis MN: Fortress Press, 1993), pg. 30, quoting Hans Jonas, The Gnostic Religion: The Message of the Alien God and the Beginnings of Christianity (Boston MA: Beacon Press, 1963). EGYPT I n 1945. 20 THE DISCOVERY IN NAG HAMMADI. 19 Gnosticism. quoting Hans Jonas.” 14 Other scholars liken Gnosticism to modern “existentialism. 20 Barnstone and Meyer. 18 Barnstone and Meyer. 26 Bart Ehrman. pg. 65. 222. an ascetic community that set itself apart from official Judaism. and greedy antiquity dealers. 3. 25 Some of these Gnostic texts were never known before. 9. The usage is similar to how the word “pagan” identified anyone not Jewish or Christian. pp.” 15 Still. The discovery of the Nag Hammadi manuscripts reveals a similar stance by Christian Gnostics apart from what became official Christianity. Op. Pagan Gnostics. 25 Robinson. 17 Ibid. Jewish Gnostics. 22 By the early 1960s. Although copied in Coptic. 1970). 2. Professor James Robinson. 19 King. and bodily passions. Op. pp. and “gnosticism. pg. the word “gnostic.12 One scholar sees in Gnosticism an “Orientalizing” of Christianity. a wealth of Gnostic literature was among 13 papyrus manuscripts found in a mountain cave near Nag Hammadi. 14 Ibid. The Gnostic Religion. 23 The United Nations Educational. others were known but no copies existed. What is Gnosticism?. pg. then. I was already out of graduate school in theology. and fragments of the Gospel . Cit. pp. 1961). What is Gnosticism?. King. so I never even read this treasure trove until recently.. 21. as well as Christian Gnostics. privately circulated copies to scholars around the world in order to breach the monopoly. 48. 12 13 Ibid. and Cultural Organization. 16 That’s because there was no religion in antiquity called Gnosticism. Christian forgery has a long and distinguished history. pg.. 27 For example. Steely (Nashville TN: Abingdon Press. 24 Most of the texts were finally translated and published between 1972 and 1977. and the Act of Peter) were discovered in 1896. pp. the texts were originally composed in Greek. 300 miles south of Cairo. pg. some were found prior and some were found since.” infrequent use. Cit. pg. the Sophia of Jesus Christ. Harty The Gnostics Challenge to Orthodoxy Page 2 and belief in a higher supreme God. four Gnostic texts (parts of the Gospel of Mary. This discovery equals—if not surpasses—that of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Qumran caves of Jordan in 1947. Its nihilism expressed itself through an ascetic renunciation of family. The Gnostic Bible: Gnostic Texts of Mystical Wisdom from the Ancient and Medieval World (Boston MA: Shambala. The Gnostic Bible. Unfortunately. 22 Pagels. quoting Wilhelm Bousset. Scientific. impatient scholars who after two decades still had no access to the Nag Hammadi discoveries asked UNESCO 23 to intervene by appropriating the manuscripts for the public domain. xxiv-xxvii. pg. 95. 24 Pagels. citing Adolf Von Harnack. 12. pp. pp. The Nag Hammadi Library. 70 and 157. 27 To trump that. Egypt. The Nag Hammadi Library. Director of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity in Egypt and the only American on the UNESCO committee. pg. The Dead Sea Scrolls revealed a previously unsuspected diversity within 1st century Judaism represented by the Essenes. wealth.” none at all. Lost Scriptures: Books That Did Not Make It into the New Testament (New York NY: Oxford University Press. 13 another its “Hellenizing. 26 but we know that these manuscripts are not forgeries by evidence from other discoveries of biblical archeology.. 7-19 and pg.. Gnosticism was syncretic. 16 King. fragments of the Gospel of Thomas were discovered in 1890. These 13 manuscripts bound 45 separate titles. 21 Why the Nag Hammadi manuscripts are not as well known as the Dead Sea scrolls is a sad story of scholarly competitiveness. The Gnostic Gospels. 15 Willis Barnstone and Marvin Meyer. Among the Nag Hammadi manuscripts. a brief section of Plato’s Republic is among the Nag Hammadi corpus. What is Gnosticism?. Kyrios Christos: A History of the Belief in Christ from the Beginning of Christianity to Irenaeus.. 2003). 2. I (New York NY: Dover Publications. most definitively. 11. 17 The word “gnosis” had wide use in the ancient world. 7. government obfuscation. translated by John E. pg. 227-228.S. 18 Modern scholars use the term “Gnosticism” as shorthand for categorizing diverse religious movements throughout the Hellenistic world that did not evolve into orthodox Christianity. ed. Graeco-Roman Gnostics. includes Muslim Gnostics. History of Dogma. the Apocryphon of John. 2003). 21 Robinson. society.T. Robinson’s edition of The Nag Hammadi Library in English was published in 1978. What is Gnosticism?. the Nag Hammadi manuscripts are often called “apocrypha. Pagels. polemical attacks on opposing ideas. so that they may be preserved for a long time. the Exegesis of the Soul. 1990).” because these Gnostic texts were excluded from the orthodox Christian canon. Robinson. the identity and motivation of the copiers may be more telling than the actual authors. the Gospel of Philip. 228. 2003). pp. Consequently. 30 Sometimes it’s in the title. however. which means they ascribe authorship to some past saint or disciple in order to claim credibility.S. Perfect Mind. 28 Ehrman. the Gospel of the Egyptians. and What is Gnosticism?. Even so. the Testimony of Truth.” 28 But that term would also apply to the New Testament gospels. 1119. Ancient Christian Gospels. reflect some artistic care. pg. . and put them in an erathenware pot.” a Greek term meaning “written under a false name. the Apocryphon of John.” The Jerusalem Bible (Garden City NY: Doubleday. The Dialogue of the Savior. pg. and the Gospel of Truth. pg. these manuscripts are sometimes called “pseudepigrapha. 80. as the Nag Hammadi Library was a bound and hidden collection. which is what Jeremiah 32:14 recommended for the preservation of evidence. 33 He thinks that the Gospel of Thomas was probably 1st century and that some of the Gnostic texts likely predate the beginnings of Christianity.. 21. exposition of religious ideas. of Mary were also later found in Egypt. Lost Scriptures. Harty The Gnostics Challenge to Orthodoxy Page 3 Many Nag Hammadi texts are pseudonymous. another and perhaps simpler term is “noncanonical. Luke. xvi-xvii. like the Gospel of Thomas. Some covers include simple tooling of crosses or the acrostic fish symbol for Jesus Christ. and John were not the authors of the gospels attributed to them. pg. the Apocalypse of Paul. is used loosely. 43-48. The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle (Sonoma CA: Polebridge Press. 29 Ibid. The Gnostic Gospels. 7-11.T.” 29 However. Karen L. as were the Dead Sea Scrolls. 37 Ibid. 35 Some of the leather covers also were reinforced with cartonnage for a hardback effect with an overlapping leather flap and a leather thong attached to hold the codex closed. pp. pg. The unusually long length of the papyrus sheets reflects a “technological feat for that time. th Nevertheless. 34 Their leather covers. The word “gospel. 34 “Jeremiah 32:14: “Take these deeds. 36 The papyrus sheets were written on both sides—an improvement over scrolls. Mark. the texts can be dated earlier—from the 1st to the 2nd centuries. sometimes in the text. collected sayings of Jesus. 30 Helmut Koester. The codices were discovered hidden in earthenware jars. the sealed deed of purchase and its open copy. The Nag Hammadi Library is truly a remarkable find. Ancient Christian Gospels: Their History and Development (Harrisburg PA: Trinity Press International. 31 King. and a poem called Thunder. 31 The papyrus sheets and leather bindings can be dated to the 4 century. or. 14.” 37 indicating the importance of these manuscripts for those who produced and hid them. the Gospel of Peter. 36 Ibid. 35 Ibid. is still in dispute.” a Greek term for “hidden books. 33 Koester. 4... pg. King. although not ornate. these Gnostic “gospels” are not all biographies of Jesus. the Proto-Gospel of James. as biblical scholars know that Matthew. pg. the Sophia of Jesus Christ. or sometimes appended. 11. pg. The Nag Hammadi Library. There’s more. the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. 18. Consequently. metaphysical reflections on the meaning of existence or the origin of the universe.” however. 32 The New Testament scholar Helmut Koester of Harvard Divinity School writes that evidence shows that the rise of Gnosticism must be dated earlier than the 2nd century. the Secret Gospel of Mark. apocalyptic writings. Besides the more well known Gospel of Thomas. Other titles include the Apocryphon of James. there were also the Gospel of Mary. secret revelations of Jesus to select disciples. Some texts are poetry and hymns. pp. 32 50 CE to 150 CE. Their dating. 1970). pg. 83-84. whereas. the Treatise on the Resurrection. and the Acts of Peter. 40 Robinson. 42 By the 4th century. The Gnostic texts also give entirely different interpretations of what became basic Christian belief: virgin birth. Karen L. but Christianity didn’t.S. 43 The same Athanasius who campaigned for the trinity against Arius. . Op. to reject all other books. providing evidence of conflicting perspectives on what the Christian message was. 39 What the discovery of the Nag Hammadi manuscripts reveals is that “primitive Christianity was not itself a unified movement. Bishop of Lyons. Lost Christianities. 43 Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. John in Ephesus. Jesus and his followers may have existed in the 1st century. What is Gnosticism?. or taught. pg. Robinson. pg. 6. pg. These early followers of Jesus had no canon or creed.. Ehrman.T. The Nag Hammadi Library. and also King. 48 Robinson. priest. Matthew in Antioch. King. 48 Specifically. No consensus existed back then. Thomas and Mary in Egypt. Philip in Syria. 3. By the 3rd century. By the 2nd century. especially monks. 46 The Christian monk Pachomius founded many monasteries in the 4th century. Before the Nag Hammadi discovery. pg. most of what had been known about the Gnostics was what these early Church Fathers wrote in their polemics against the Gnostic heresy. and other 44 Church Fathers. sin. Op. the Gnostics interpreted as metaphor much of what was written or told about U 38 39 Ibid. 44 Most notably. The Nag Hammadi Library. pg. but also Tertullian of Carthage. Irenaeus. Pagels. as surely as other Christians considered them heretics. 41 Other rituals evolved among the Christians gathered together as they shared what they had heard about what Jesus said. 38 They considered themselves the faithful core. Gnostic Christians and their teachings were denounced as heretical by several prominent bishops who feared the loss of unity among dispersed communities. The Gnostic texts reflect a challenge to an emerging orthodoxy from the 1st through the 3rd century.. 45 Pagels theorizes that some monks at the Pachomian 46 monastery just three miles from Nag Hammadi “decided to defy Athanasius’ order” and instead preserve their library by burying more than 50 books where they were found 1. pg. What is Gnosticism?. 20. The Gospel of Mary. 16-22. What became Christianity was forged from the 2nd to the 4th century. 45 Pagels. 176-177. did. Cit. The latter was a familiar ritual in the Graeco-Roman world among pagan mystery religions. 47 Clearly.600 years later. pg. these Gnostic authors were Christian. pg. pp. But against what? Only a different theological view. The freedom and diversity among early Christian communities changed when an institutional structure emerged with a hierarchy of deacon. The Destruction and Overthrow of Falsely So-Called Knowledge. To enforce an orthodoxy. 42 Bishop Ireneas wrote a five-volume treatise entitled. Beyond Belief. which culminated in the Nicene Creed. pg. Each Christian community differed in some respects from every other Christian community. and bishop. were campaigning tirelessly against the sects we now call Gnostic. Harty The Gnostics Challenge to Orthodoxy Page 4 RADICAL CULT OR PROGRESSIVE THEOLOGIANS ndeniably. Beyond Belief. resurrection. 41 The Persian sun god Mithras and the Greek god of wine Dionysius. 19.” 40 The only commonalities were baptism with water and a commemorative meal of bread and wine. The Gnostic Gospels fill in omissions within the master story as received—significant omissions. Athanasius. each had its own preferred gospel of Jesus: Mark in Rome. Cit. King. the Gnostics were too radical for the evolving orthodoxy that became normative Christianity. Clement and Origen of Alexandria. Athanasius compiled the first known list of the 27 books of the New Testament and urged all Christians. 47 Pagels. 2. The Church Fathers called them heretics. 20. etc. 121. Luke in Caesarea. such as the intimate relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus (the Gospel of Philip) as well as the contentious relationship between Mary Magdalene and Peter (The Gospel of Philip and the Gospel of Mary). and Hippolytus of Rome. 156. Thus began the power structure for control of content. the Gnostic Jesus comes as a guide to open access to spiritual understanding. who is “the virgin who came down. not like the light one sees. The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament (New York NY: Oxford University Press. such as Peter. 1993).” 55 Thus. as Jesus was first born to Joseph and Mary but later born again at his baptism. one of the polemicists against Gnosticism among the early Church Fathers. 2. 54 Pagels. Instead of coming to save us from sin. the Gnostic meaning of the virgin birth is that we too are first born physically and then may be born again spiritually. Harty The Gnostics Challenge to Orthodoxy Page 5 what Jesus did or said. They say that God is light. For example. Islamic. Egypt. 27-29. 51 From 80 to 200 ce. and Thomas. pg. Andrew. and Mary Magdalene. The Gnostic Bible. 164. referencing Edward Conze. 54 The most radical elements within the Gnostic texts are where basic Christian beliefs are criticized or rejected. pp. pg. Klijn..’ They are in error.” (55:23-24) Philip explains that the virgin birth is not something that happened once to Jesus but something that may happen to anyone who is baptized and so born again through the Holy Spirit. xx. The Gnostic Gospels. 78. not that which finds expression in articulate sounds. sister of Martha and Lazarus. James. Zoroastrian. There is. They “denied any ultimate authority to the literal words” of gospels then circulating and “sought to uncover the true meaning embedded allegorically within them. 53 Despite these provocative influences to Gnostic thinking. Ehrman. They do not know what they are saying. dissimilarities also exist. Mary of Bethany. Hippolytus of Rome. wrote about Indian Brahmins in Rome in the early 3rd century and included their teachings among sources of heresy.T. 1. 131. xxi. their Zen-like enigma—may be because many of these diverse Gnostic communities tended toward mysticism and studied sacred texts from Egyptian. Ancient Christian Gospels. 51 The Acts of Thomas. 50 Barnstone and Meyer. or like the sun nor fire. 53 Ibid. and Buddhist traditions. pg. The Acts of Thomas: Introduction. pg.. quoting Hippolytus. 56 49 T Bart D. The Gnostic Gospels. pg. referencing Paul-Hubert Poirer. As Pagels points out: The living Jesus of these texts speaks of illusion and enlightenment not of sin and repentance like the Jesus of the New Testament. Commentary (Leiden NL: Brill. 50 Trade routes between the GraecoRoman world and the Far East opened at the time Gnosticism was flourishing.F.” (7:13) The Gospel of Philip is similarly succinct on the virgin birth: “Some said: ‘Mary conceived by the holy spirit.among the Indians a heresy of those who philosophize among the Brahmins. 39. However. and to the women. 131. 381-400. The Gospel of Mary states succinctly “The Savior said: There is no sin. Levi. 55 Pagels. Beyond Belief. the Gnostic Gospels reference the Hebrew scriptures of the Old Testament as well as the gospels of Matthew. 52 Buddhists missionaries were also known in Alexandria. such as the virgin birth or the heritage of sin. and John and the letters of Paul. “The Writings Ascribed to Thomas and the Thomas Tradition. Judaic.. 56 Ibid.. quoting the Gospel of Philip 71:6. 1997). Refutationis Omnium Haeresium.J. . but that of knowledge (gnosis) through which the secret mysteries of nature are perceived by the wise. Buddhism and Gnosis (Leiden: Brill. 52 Koester. References are also made to Jesus Christ throughout and to familiar disciples. Text.” 49 HOW UNORTHODOX WAS GNOSTICISM? he stylistic oddity of these Gnostic texts—that is.24. Mark.. pg. Pagels. referencing A. pg. 1962). 1967). claimed that Thomas evangelized India. Luke. written in 200 CE. but to them God is discourse. pp. much similarity exists between the Gnostic Gospels and the New Testament gospels.S. pg..” The Nag Hammadi Library After Fifty Years (New York NY: Brill Academic Publishers.. Beyond Belief. Mary the mother of Jesus. and Pagels. S. 62 Ehrman.. 58 King.T.. 67 Koester. such as the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus.” 63 Peter speaks of his confusion when witnessing the crucifixion: What do I see. 59 Philip quotes Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians in support of this interpretation.. If one does not first attain the resurrection. Who is this one above the cross who is glad and laughing? 64 The Gnostics claim that “Jesus and the Christ were two distinct beings. 82:27–83:5. 65 Ehrman. physical resurrection. 62 During the crucifixion scene in the Gospel of Peter.. 61 John 6:53. Ancient Christian Gospel. 70 The saving nature of the cross is tied directly to an assumption of sin and consequent need for 57 The Eleusian mysteries of Demeter and Persephone.. Paul wrote: “flesh and blood shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” 60 Thus. Lost Christianities. consequently. pg. those who receive baptism of the Holy Spirit are not only born again but also raised from the dead. he will not die. Secret Gospels: Essays on Thomas and the Secret Gospel of Mark (Harrisburg PA: Trinity Press International. that his death is the key to salvation. Marvin Meyer. For example: The Resurrection T he resurrection of the dying savior is a motif borrowed from the pagan mystery religions adapted by Christianity. 58 Those who say that the Lord died first and then rose up are in error for he rose up first and then died.. 68 The Gospel of Peter 81:16-23. 66 The Gospel of Peter has a passion narrative like the Synoptic gospels but here the Savior says to Peter: 67 He whom you see on the cross glad and laughing is the living Jesus. but with infuriatingly different interpretations. 164. But he into whose hands and feet they drive nails is his fleshly part. Therefore. .. pp. even quoting shared authorities in support. and death.. 66 Ibid. The Gospel of Mary.” 65 The Christ entered into Jesus at his baptism and left him before the crucifixion. pg. pg. which is the substitute. he pointed out the obviously metaphoric words of Jesus at the last supper: “eat my flesh and drink my blood” 61 The Crucifixion G nostics did not hold the orthodox belief that Jesus died for our sins and. 171. that it is you yourself whom they take. The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture. The early Church Fathers were particularly irked when these Christian Gnostics espoused the same beliefs. He stands joyfully looking at those who did him violence. 186-187. is not something that occurred in the past but is something that happens to each person who undergoes spiritual transformation. 8 and 88. 69 The Apocalypse of Peter and the Testimony of Truth also oppose the centrality of a theology of the cross. 59 The Gospel of Philip 56:16-19. 64 Ibid. The true Christ is beyond pain. he laughs at their lack of perception. like his virgin birth. In support. 230. 63 The Gospel of Peter 1:10. 69 Ibid. 124. 81:6-13. 57 The Gospel of Philip and the Gospel of Mary both argue that Jesus’ resurrection. 2003). pg.. 68 But he who stands near him is the living Savior. Philip explains that the metaphoric use of “flesh” had been misconstrued to mean “rise in the flesh”— that is. suffering. the primal part in him whom they seized and he has been released. knowing that they are born blind. pg. O Lord. Jesus is “silent as if he had no pain. Harty The Gnostics Challenge to Orthodoxy Page 6 Other dissimilarities are when the Gnostic texts develop familiar New Testament stories toward entirely different meanings. 60 I Corinthians 15-50. 77 Pagels. Helmut Koester compared the crucifixion event in all gospel narratives (canonical and noncanonical). 72 The Gospel of Peter 1:39-42. not the Gospels of Matthew. 82 Baptized Christians who were newcomers to Gnostic communities received a catechetical grilling to determine who had the capacity to understand higher truths. 74 Ibid. 79 The Testimony of Truth. She is the correction of a deficiency 74 and restores him to his fullness. 30. pg.” he has borrowed the name at interest.. 73 The Apocryphon of John (20:15-25). in that moment. he has the name as a gift. 218 and 230. they discriminated between a first baptism for common Christians and a second baptism for the spiritual elite. the Hypostasis of the Archons. 76 Ibid. pp. 21:16. 83 Ibid.the Son of Man did not baptize his disciples. In a creative act. 138. received a second baptism or apolutrosis. Luke. who in the ancient world represented the principle of divine wisdom. but of him who has borrowed it at interest. Lost Scriptures. A voice from heaven asks the cross: “Have you preached to those who are sleeping?” The cross answers: “Yes. which means redemption or dismissing a ransom paid. 75 Ibid. His linguistic analysis and text-critical exegesis determined that the Gospel of Peter preserved the original narrative version of the tradition. 167-168.. the luminous Epinoia appeared and she lifted the veil which lay over his mind. Beyond Belief. The Apocryphon (or Secret Book) of John 73 interprets the origin of Eve from Adam’s side as the awakening of his spiritual capacity. 23:4-8. 164. Ibid. 84 The Gospel of Philip 64:22-25. ..” 85 70 71 A King. An animated cross follows the resurrected Jesus as he leaves the tomb. criticizes the creator God for jealously forbidding Adam and Eve from eating of the Tree of Knowledge and then expelling them from paradise for doing so.. Those who could. pg.. pp. after a long period of preparation. 81 Ibid. 82 Pagels.T. 83 The Gospel of Philip explains: If one go down into the water and come up without having received anything and says. Harty The Gnostics Challenge to Orthodoxy Page 7 redemption. Indeed. 85 Testimony of Truth 69:8-16. pg. the Mother-Father God felt compassion for Adam and sends him a helper. three other Gnostic texts 79 have a radically different Garden of Eden story told from the serpent’s point of view: 80 The serpent. pg.. “I am a Christian. pp. “luminous Epinoia. The Gnostic Gospels. pg. The Gospel of Mary. the serpent’s promise comes true: their eyes were open and death was not imminent.” 77 And he Adam saw the woman beside him and.” Eve in the Garden nostics had a completely different Garden of Eden story. 78 In addition to the Apocryphon of John. 136-137. 71 In fact. 167. Mark. neither were beliefs of Gnostic Christians. xvii.S.. or John. But if he receive the holy spirit. pg. Beyond Belief. 31-32. 81 G Baptism lthough Christian Gnostics performed baptisms. Ancient Christian Gospel. and On the Origin of the World. 75 “She is the one to awaken his thinking. and Koester. He who has received a gift does not have to give it back. 20:21. 80 Pagels. 84 The Testimony of Truth boldly pointed out: “. Ehrman.” 76 “Eve symbolizes the gift of spiritual understanding. payment is demanded.” Greek for creative consciousness. one incident 72 with the cross is stark evidence that Gnostics interpreted the crucifixion metaphorically. 20:28. 78 The Apocryphon of John.. pg. former U. Gnostics interpreted words and events in the life of Jesus as metaphors for deeper spiritual meaning.h a r t y . 4. The Gnostic Gospels.” Gnostics proclaimed self-knowledge as the means of salvation. 93 They initiated debate over what would later become the central problems of Christianity resulting from dogmatic literalism. 88 Such enlightenment took Western Christian theology much longer to discern.. Surgeon General C. the Congressional Budget Office.” 95 Power over content. the United Nations University. she taught “Business Ethics” at University College Cork. Because you have drunk. On sabbatical from Nader. 92 Surely. 3e. unconscious thoughts that any orthodoxy requires its adherents to repress.. c o m 86 87 Robinson. The Gospel of Thomas 108. you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring that I have tended. 96. pg. She moved to St. s h e i l a . Harty The Gnostics Challenge to Orthodoxy Page 8 God Is Within You F inally.t . quoting Adolf von Harnack. I myself shall become that person. the motives of the early Church Fathers in insisting upon these literal interpretations: they served “an essential political function” to ”legitimize authority. xxxv. saying “Lo here!” or “Lo there!” For the Son of Man is within you. 87 The Gospel of Mary reinforces this perspective when Jesus says to his disciples: Beware that no one lead you astray. Sheila Harty. where she also works as a freelance writer and editor. © Copyright.” working for 20 years in Washington DC as a public interest policy advocate. and the International Organization of Consumers Unions in The Hague. 86 As Jesus promises in the Gospel of Thomas: He who will drink from my mouth will become as I am. 92 Barnstone and Meyer. If you do not know yourselves. pg. Hucksters in the Classroom. Harty employed her theology degrees in the political arena as “applied ethics.S. She can be reached by e-mail at s h e i l a h a r t y @ c o m c a s t . including ten years with Ralph Nader. 91 Ibid.T. the World Bank. Her first book. 90 The Gospel of Thomas 13e. but to look inside themselves for the kingdom. the National Adult Education Assn in Dublin. Attorney General Ramsey Clark.S. In the Apocalypse of Peter. 93 Pagels.. 91 As “religious mystics. pg. The Gnostic Bible. Gnostic ideas fascinated Carl Jung who thought that they expressed “the other side of the mind”— “the spontaneous. Jesus says: They will cleave to the name of a dead man. a basic belief of Christian Gnosticism is that God is within you. which allowed them to “know God directly without any need for mediation” by religious authorities. in 1996 to care for her aging parents. pg. won the 1980 George Orwell Award for Honesty & Clarity in Public Language..” 94 Pagels astutely points out the practical effects and. Augustine.. she also worked for U. 94 Ibid. Ireland. Follow after him. Her major was in Catholicism. “a concentrated inwardness” was a means to merge one’s own “spark of the divine” with the All. Florida. Her website is h t t p : w w w . She was a consultant with the Centre for Applied Studies in International Negotiations in Geneva. In DC. 89 In the Gospel of Thomas. The Nag Hammadi Library. and her thesis in scriptural Judaism. Everett Koop. 89 Apocalypse of Peter 74:13. n e t . 95 Ibid. historian of Christianity. Jesus says: I am not your master. then you live in poverty. That is. 2011 Sheila Harty is a published and award-winning writer with a BA and MA in Theology. In contrast.S. thinking they will become pure. and the mysteries will be revealed to him. . 1. the Gnostics were the first theologians. 6. therefore. and the American Assn for the Advancement of Science. her minor in Islam. 88 The Gospel of Mary 8:16-20. 90 Jesus cautions the disciples not to follow a leader. No wonder Gnostic texts were in code. 1995).. 2003). 1997). 2003). Pagels. Christian. An Introduction to the New Testament (New York NY: Doubleday. 2003). 1990).. Perkins. Willis. Pheme.. Rudolf. 1998). Bart D. The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle (Sonoma CA: Polebridge Press.. The Nag Hammadi Library in English. Helmut. Mack. Mandalean. Secret Gospels: Essays on Thomas and the Secret Gospel of Mark (Harrisburg PA: Trinity Press International. and McGuire. Meyer. Raymond E. 1993). Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas (New York NY: Random House. 1979). Gnosticism and the New Testamen (Minneapolis MN: Fortress Press. Brown. The Christian Myth: Origins. 2003). and Meyer. ed. Rhetoric and Ethic: The Politics of Biblical Studies (Minneapolis MN: Fortress Press. ______Lost Scriptures: Books That Did Not Make It into the New Testament (New York NY: Oxford University Press. Lost Christianities: The Battle for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew (New York NY: Oxford University Press. 1993). ______Who Wrote the New Testament? 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