show_no_mercy

Not sure if this belongs in BC&H, but I figure this is where the most people have read the gnostic gospels (and other NT apocrypha).

So which is your favorite?

bacht

The Generations of Jesus, a late Jewish work of satire, portraying Peter as the chosen hero of the Jews against the evil deceiver Paul - Peter spent several years atop a pillar to avoid contamination from Christians


[sorry, not gnostic really, just apocryphal]

DCHindley

Gospel of Philip, far and away.

Don't know why, but I like the way the author thinks.

That doesn't mean I have any idea what he was saying ...

DCH

gurugeorge

It's a toss up between Thunder: Perfect Mind (though that may well not be strictly Gnostic of course), the Gospel of Truth and the Gospel of Thomas (though again, that might not be strictly Gnostic).

I guess the Gospel of Truth if you're being strictly Gnostic Gnostic.

Toto

Gnostic Gospels on line.

I have to say that the gnostic gospels are sometimes poetic, but often seem to be as coherent as modern rock lyrics, especially gThomas.

Roger Pearse

The texts used by the Borborites.

rlogan

Thomas.

Just sayings.


And for the HB Proverbs gets the nod.

mountainman

Dear Show_no_mercy,

I will champion them all as popular Hellenistic romantic fictions which have been used by the gnostic authors to take pot shots at the entire concept of the new testament canon as a divinely inspired writ. They are a reaction to the canon, since they all cite many of the canonical gospels and acts.

The links below deal with an examination of the corresponding tracts with the view that they have been authored purposefully with an intent to seditious to the authority of the canon. They appear to be quite full of jokes ....

Syriac Acts of Philip[/url]: Is Philip illiterate?%20The%20wind%20arises%20behind%20Philip%20praying,%20after%20Ananius%20the%20jew%20%22blasphemes%22%20against%20the%20Christ,%20he%20is%20hung%20by%20his%20big%20toe%20from%20the%20top%20of%20a%20mast%20in%20a%20200%20kmh%20gale,%20Philip%20resurrects%20Ananias%20from%20the%20Synogogue,%20using%20a%20sick%20ox%20which%20talked.%20[url=%22http://www.mountainman.com.au/essenes/taopatta.htm" target="_blank">TAOPATTA: NHC 6.1 The Acts of Peter and the (11, 12 or was it 13?) Apostles? Who is Lithargoel? Every man and his dog thinks Lithargoel is revealed as none other than "The one and only christian Jesus Christ". But is this necessarily the case. Could we in fact have a clever gnostic who on the face of things writes a tract for christians, yet underneath is portaying a support for the gnostic pathway to the city of nine gates, where therein rests the pearl of great price? Do the apostles enter the city? No they do not. They stop short. They are forgetful and in a complete reverie. The city of 9 gates is a cite from the Gita. How novel!

The Acts of Andrew and Matthew: An exiting rescue mission to the Land of the Cannibals; Captain Jesus at your service! Welcome aboard!

The Acts of Peter and Andrew - The Apostles as aggressive wizards, putting camels literally through the eye of a needle. Yeah right!

The Acts of Thomas: Thomas refused to preach to the Indians - since their truth is very great, Jesus orders him to go to India, Thomas point blank refuses to obey Jesus' orders; so Jesus sells him into slavery. Gnostic jokes on Jesus and the apostle are mixed with genuine gnostic heritage texts, cleverly embedded within the narrative: see A number of translations of "The Hymn of the Pearl".

The (Coptic) Act of Peter: Peter forgets to heal his own daughter.*

The Gospel of Peter: The walking talking Cross that says "YES", the figures with their heads in and above the heavens, pilate stands up because the Jews wont wash their hands.

The Gospel of Judas: The Apostles cannot confront Jesus eye to eye, they cannot confront him except Judas, who must look away from the eyes. Is Jesus a sorcerer or magician in this text? Deconick says its a parody.

The Acts of John: Docetic to the extreme of having the apostle say" I could never see any footprint of Jesus, and I could not touch him".

The Acts of Paul: Talking animals, marvelous powers of the apostles, destroying the ancient temples by single commands.

The list is long. I am working on it. I am dealing with the chronology of the individual nt apcryphal tractates, and their witnesses in the patristic literature in another thread

Best wishes,


Pete