Gnostic Writings of Jesus
Gnostic writings of Jesus portray him as a heavenly redeemer made less of flesh than of spirit. The emphasis of Jesus' importance is not on his physical humanness but rather, on his ability to show people the way to the kingdom. Jesus put on flesh in order to give people gnosis and reveal to them where they come from and where they will eventually return. When it is time for Jesus to return to his heavenly home, he is crucified and resurrected before he finally ascends. His body's lack of importance in some Gnostic texts gives this series of events a different connotation than other versions of the story more common today. The Gnostic understanding of Jesus gives us better knowledge of what will happen to us when we leave the body and world in which we are currently trapped. This understanding also gives us insights into the realm in which we belong. The lack of concern for the body is also connected with the Gnostic view that anything that happens on this earth or in this realm is irrelevant. I will argue that the issue of flesh is very significant in some Gnostic views of Jesus, citing examples from selected Gnostic texts including, the Gospel of Thomas, the Second Treatise of the Great Seth, Hypostasis of the Archons, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Truth, the Treatise on the Resurrection and the Hymn of the Pearl. Most Gnostic books show Christ to be of heavenly origin. The books either explicitly say that he is from the father and heaven above or imply it by saying that he descended into earth. He is part of the "…heavenly triad with the Father and the Mother…"(Franzmann, 39). In the Second Treatise of the Great Seth, the author who is supposedly Christ says, "I am from above the ...
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...nt theme in many Gnostic writings. Some Gnostics have hatred for flesh based on the importance of the outer realm rather than the inner realm. The gods of the inner realm know that we have spirit and they want to keep us from understanding this. They are jealous of us and want to steal the spirit from us because it is the only thing in the inner realm that is worth anything. Having spirit is the only way to have access to the outer realm, which is perfect in every way. Our bodies keep us from realizing that we have something inside us that is more important. The world around us keeps us from looking inside ourselves. A docetic Christ, shows the importance of the word rather than earthly actions. By examining Christ's journey, we can have a better idea of our own soul's journey. When we achieve gnosis, we will gain entrance to the kingdom with God as well as Christ.
In this first chapter of Jesus and the Disinherited , the author Howard Thurman describes
One of the main principles of Christianity is the belief in both the divinity and humanity of Jesus, that these two natures are combined harmoniously in one being. In general, all modern Christians believe that Jesus was human, he was considered to be “The Word was made flesh” (John, I: 14). However, Jesus was more than just a human, despite being subjected to pain, suffering and death like all other human beings, he was sinless and also possessed the power to heal and to defy death in order to ascend, both body and spirit, into heaven. He was all man and all God, a combination of these two elements, remaining distinct but united in one being. The deity of Jesus is a non-negotiable belief in Christianity, which is referred to in many parts of scripture, “God was revealed in the flesh” (I Timothy, 3:16). The Christian faith does not perceive Jesus as God but rather a reincarnation of God, a mysterious deity who is the second person of the Holy Trinity. Throughout history, controversy has surrounded the issue of the humanity and divinity of Jesus, leading to the formation of Docetism, the belief that Jesus was fully divine but not fully human, Arianism, that Jesus was superior to all of creation, but less divine than God, and Nestorius, that there were two separate persons within Jesus. This the proportion of the divine and human within Je...
The Gospel of Thomas is considered to be a non-canonical collection of sayings of Jesus that reportedly have been dictated to the apostle Thomas. Some of the statements within the Gnostic Scriptures are extremely bizarre and could not have possibly been said by Jesus of Nazareth. In contrast, some of the statements parallel with parables or statements that are present in the New Testament of the bible. While not all are included, some statements that readers can conclude came from the Jesus of Nazareth are described and their parallel to the New Testament is explored.
The Meaning of Jesus begins with Borg speaking about how we know about Jesus. Borg explains that the gospels have two natures. First, they are a developing tradition and second, the gospels are a mixture of history “remembered” and history “metaphorized”. Borg believes that some of the material is from Jesus and some is from the Christian community. The material from the Christian community should be considered metaphors, so this material is history metaphorized. Borg also states that there are two ways to refer to Jesus: pre and post-Easter Jesus; human and divine. The importance of pre-Easter Jesus is that, according
Jesus Christ became human and walked with men and women. The Creator of heaven and earth became a creature and entered the creation that he made into existence. God made himself known so humanity could have the most basic understanding of who he was and Christ there would be no Christianity. Jesus taught mankind a high view of Scripture and inspired his followers and others to uphold it as God’s Word. (A Starting Point for Wisdom by Jason Hiles and Anna Faith
In the parables and teachings of Jesus in the book of Matthew, when Jesus is faced with describing how one should judge others he states, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way that you judge, you will be judged…” (Matthew, pg. 179). To Jesus withholding judgement was crucial to stemming hypocrisy and empowering his followers to self-reflect. When thinking of the philosophical implications of Jesus’ teachings it is important to ask what the principles upon which he defines goodness are. How might his teachings differ from the works of Aristotle when it comes to defining relationships and defining what makes people good or bad?
In the fifth discourse, the Son of God is described to further reflect himself about his unique and intimate eternal activity. First the author describes the production of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is said to be the bond between the divine persons. And the Son of God wanted his own person to be the producer. This would be the bond between the human and the divine being. The author describes the Holy Spirit as being a person that proceeds from the Holy Trinity. It is the bond that creates a sense of unity among the divine Persons and that they are perfectly united in the “unity of the Holy Spirit” yet they still are able to maintain their distinct natures (pg 134). The author also mentions two mysteries. The first mystery is described as having a divine person whom we adore, uniting two persons. And the second mystery is described as having a divine person whom we adore by uniting the two natures, one which is divine and the other being human. “He contemplates, adores and imitates the unity of the Holy Spirit, who is the third Person in the order of the Holy Trinity and who, by his nature, is the eternal bond between the two Persons from whom he proceeds.” (pg 135). All together the Son of God is our personal love and sacred unity. He is uniquely expressed and distinctly represented by “the states and qualities of this divine mystery, which is in a perfect relationship with what is ineffable in eternity, as well as being a living portrait of God” (135).
The Latin Cross displayed in nearly most if not all Protestant Churches throughout the world tells the story that Jesus is no longer on the cross but has risen. Jesus conquering death is the proclamation of our faith. The death and resurrection tells only some of the story. In the book Resurrection: The power of God for Christians and Jews, gives any reader the deeper meaning of what the kingdom of God means to us today, what it meant to Christians in antiquity and what it meant to the Jews primarily during the Second Temple period. Many of the things I was taught or learned throughout my Christian life have been challenged, as I will sprinkle some of them in this book review. As challenging as it was, this also provided me answers to questions
His body, soul, mind, and spirit were of human origin. Chapter five expresses the truth that Jesus died and resurrected. Jesus was mortal and humble and, with His human nature, he suffered on the cross. Christians believe Jesus rose again on the third day. Chapter six expresses that after His resurrection, He ascended into heaven. Scripture says that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to earth to be with those who follow Christ. Saint Augustine explained in chapter seven that Jesus, following His ascension, sits at the right hand of God the Father. This does not suggest that God is in human form and literally has a right and left hand. To sit at the right hand means to have power. Jesus had power after his ascension into heaven. One example of this power is that Jesus will be the Judge in the final days. Chapter eight expresses Christ’s coming to judgment. Jesus Christ will come and judge the quick and the dead. The quick are those who are still living when the second coming occurs, and the dead are those who passed previous to the second coming of Christ. The eternal Son of God will be the ultimate Judge of all people. The next truth in which Saint Augustine describes, in chapter nine, is the Holy Spirit and the mystery of the
Throughout history, Christianity has been molded, hardened, melted, refined and shaped into the different sects that are witnessed today. While many different controversies and thinkers have influenced Christianity, Gnosticism contains the supreme importance in influencing Christianity. The Gnostic Conflict influenced church history into the culture it is today by spurring much of the intellectual foundations of faith by making claims in the subordinationism of the trinity and the incarnation of Christ, as well as producing some of the first sects in Christianity through Marion. By claiming that there are lesser and higher divinities in the universe, this set the tone for much of the arguments made for subordinationism in the upcoming centuries.
The pagan and Christ share a great deal in common, particularly from a metaphysical perspective, and the profound influence of pagan philosophy on Christian theology and mysticism is well documented. Nevertheless, this essay will attempt to identify a few basic differences between pagan and Christian religion and religious practice. We will begin with a brief overview the pagan, using Plotinus as our exemplar, and then we will offer an account of how Christ fundamentally differed from the pagans.
that Jesus was brought to Earth as God but in the form of man. It
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a topic that many scholars have discussed and debated upon and yet some still cannot come up with a sure understanding of what exactly happened during the resurrection and what did it truly means. There are many interpretations that people have regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this paper, the background of the resurrection will be discussed including the events that led up to the resurrection and the occurrence of the resurrection itself. Along with the historical background, an interpretation of how the resurrection of Jesus Christ is viewed will be discussed. This interpretation will focus on an interpretation from that of a Christian perspective based on Paul’s understanding of the resurrection
Gnosticism, which was viewed as a threat to early Christian beliefs can be defined as the “thought and practice especially of various cults of late pre Christian and early Christian centuries distinguished by the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis (King, p.5).” Besides the dictionary’s condensed definition summarizing Gnosticism, “Gnosticism” is a much more complex belief composed of numerous myths defining humans and God and viewed as an ancient Christian heresy. Gnosticism is rather a term invented in the early modern period to aid in defining the boundaries of normative Christianity. Yet, it has been mistakenly come to be thought of as a distinctive Christian heresy or seen as a religion in its own right (King, p.1)
In the book One the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius it talks about why Jesus became human for our salvation. Jesus had no reason not to enter into the world as a human, because “it was right that they should be thus attributed to his as man, in order to show that his body was a real one and not merely an appearance” (Athanasius 15). Showing that it was important for Jesus to be a human and spread his knowledge among us; to help us learn and be able to teach other through oral and written tradition. It was now necessary for Jesus to come for our salvation because “had he surrendered his body to death and then raised it at once…which showed him to be not only a man, but also a God the word” (Athanasius 14). This connects back to by why Jesus wants humans to believe that he died a human death.