Gnostics and John's Community

I wanted to post this snippet from First John. Having read through so many of the gnostic writings and their oblique way of talking about their faith, I thought it would be helpful to recall that they were not alone in this habit. Like I said, we look back at Christian beginnings through 2000 years of stained glass. We assume that Christianity today is the only possible outcome, and we assume a surrounding culture that is at least accepting of some form of Christianity.

In fact, the future of Christianity was in doubt at least up until the Constantinian revolution in the early 300s, and it was dangerous to be any kind of Christian until then...and even more dangerous to be a "non-orthodox" Christian afterwards.

So, here's what the teacher writes in First John:

1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge [gnosis]. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.

26 I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him.

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Reflecting on Our unBible Study

I spent just a bit of time at our last meeting on an overview of what we had considered this semester, from the scope of apocalyptic literature, with which Jesus would have been intimately familiar, to the gnostic explorations of the meaning of Jesus' life and ministry. We saw the connections these two genres share, as well as much that seperates them.

I don't want to simply recap what I said then. Rather, I would like to underscore what I feel are the two most important aspects about our study, and why I think it was a worthwhile venture.
First as I said from the start, while we don't know exactly what Jesus read, we can confidently say that the writings - particularly the apocalyptic books - are exactly the kinds of things that would have been on the minds of Jesus, his followers, and many of his opponents. An increasing understanding of the cultural context of the Jesus "event" makes us more keenly aware of the possible nuances of the scriptures that we have often just accepted "on faith" in the past. I am guessing that none of us will look at the parable of the good shepherd and the runaway sheep the same way again.

This is not an exercise in esoterica, nor is it an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of canonical scripture. Rather, if we genuinely accept that Jesus is in some mystical way an embodied revelation of the Divine force that animates our universe, we must leave no stone unturned seekingevery possible understanding of that man Jesus and all of his followers. We have precious little information to understand the Infinite Divine; we ought to make THOUGHTFUL and CRITICAL use of all that is available to us.

Second, James Walters, New Testament professor at Boston University, is fond of saying that we are looking at Jesus and the early Jesus movement through "2,000 years of stained glass." It is too easy to assume that the current outcome is the only possible result of the Jesus' revelation. In fact, the earliest church may well have been a minority of believing Jesus followers.

Looking at these texts that surrounded Jesus gives us a clearer view of those years...which is to say, it complicates things infinitely! That's a good thing. New viewpoints challenge us to clarify what we believe and what we think scripture means.

More importantly, we have seen that thoughtful people in the ancient world chose different points of God's reality to focus upon, and these decisions greatly changed the way they told their stories, both of God and of Jesus. For example, the author of Baruch denied that humans couldn't change things by their own efforts, as Baruch and jeremiah were "walls" around Jerusalem that even limited God's actions. Equally, the authors of the Gospels of Mary and Truth seem to reject the body-soul-spirit model of huamnity because of the geneder limitations it imposes. Instead, they seem to be experimenting with a notion of mind as a pivotal force available to both women and men. By recognizing that these are thoughtful - and often thought-provoking - repsonses to their world, we can apreciate the promise of such ideas as well as their impact on the Christian movement we have come to know.

Still more importantly, however, is something I have left unsaid: In spite of the arguments of countless bishops, popes, and heresy hunters, these ideas are still current in the church today. What was often labeled as heresy in many ways simply went underground. Like us, ancient believers were challenged by these alternate explanations and endings. They didn't 'jump ship' and commit themselves to a new church; rather, they incorporated the ideas that seemed most fruitful into their faiths...as we still do to this day.

Turning away for a moment from the small collection of data that modern Christians call dogma, Christianity is still a vibrant response to the ultimate questions of life: What is good? Whence comes evil? Of what are we made? Where are we going? What is our place in this world?

In a changing world, we have come not to ask, Is Christianity still dominant? but, Ought it be dominant? Jesus came to say there is another way, but we seem too often to embrace the way of the Pharisee, Saducee, Zealot, and - more importantly and tragically - Roman.

These writings, from both before and after Jesus' ministry, challenge us to define what we mean by the answers we give to these ultimate questions. They challenge us to be sure where our feet are planted and to reconsider what it means to be faithful to the our rabbi. Read more on 'Reflecting on Our unBible Study'

Readings from the Gospel of Truth

Rather than include a lot of commentary, here are the readings we went over in our last meeting from the Gospel of Truth. These are random pieces (but in order) from the Attridge translation, although I have made some changes in that translation, esp. capitalization of personified entities.

The gospel of truth is joy for those who have received from the Father of Truth the grace of knowing Him, through the power of the Word that came forth, the one who is in the thought and the mind of the Father....

When the totality went about searching for the one from whom they had come forth ... ignorance of the Father brought about anguish and terror; and the anguish grew solid like a fog, so that no one was able to see. For this reason, Error became powerful; it worked on its own matter foolishly, not having known the Truth. It set about with a creation, preparing with power and beauty the substitute for the Truth.

The gospel of the one who is searched for, which revealed to those who are perfect, through the mercies of the Father, the hidden mystery, Jesus the Christ, enlightened those who were in darkness through oblivion. He enlightened them; He showed (them) a way; and the way is the Truth which He taught them. For this reason, Error grew angry at Him, persecuted Him. He was nailed to a tree (and) He became fruit of the knowledge of the Father. It did not, however, cause destruction because it was eaten, but to those who ate it, it gave (cause) to become glad in the discovery, and He discovered them in Himself, and they discovered Him in themselves.

[Jesus] became a guide, restful and leisurely. He appeared in schools; He spoke as a teacher. Men came, wise in their own estimation, putting Him to the test. He confounded them, because they were foolish. They hated Him, because they were not really wise. After all these, there came the little children also, those to whom the knowledge of the Father belongs. Having been strengthened, they learned about the impressions of the Father. They knew; they were known. They were glorified; they glorified. There was manifested in their heart the Living Book of the Living - the one written in the thought and the mind of the Father - which no one was able to take, since it remains for the one who will take it to be slain. No one could have become manifest from among those who have believed in salvation unless that Book had appeared. For this reason, the merciful one, the faithful one, Jesus, was patient in accepting sufferings until He took that Book, since He knows that His death is life for many.

For this reason Jesus appeared; He put on that book; He was nailed to a tree; He published the edict of the Father on the cross. O such great teaching! He draws Himself down to death, though life eternal clothes Him. Having stripped Himself of the perishable rags, He put on imperishability, which no one can possibly take away from Him.

The place where there is envy and strife is deficient, but the place where (there is) Unity is perfect.

If indeed these things have happened to each of us, then we must see above all to keep the house holy and silent for the Unity – it is like some people who moved out of dwellings having jars that were not good. They would break them, and the master of the house would not suffer loss. Rather, he is glad, because in place of the bad jars there are full ones which are made perfect, for such is the judgment which has come from above. It has passed judgment on all; it is a drawn sword, with two edges, cutting both ways. When the Word appeared, a great disturbance took place among the jars, because some had been emptied, others filled; some had been supplied, others poured out; some purified, others broken. All were shaken and disturbed…. Error was upset, not knowing what to do; it was grieved, in mourning, afflicting itself because it knew nothing. When knowledge drew near it - this is the downfall of Error and all its emanations - Error is empty, having nothing inside.

Blessed is he who has opened the eyes of the blind.

[Jesus] became a way for those who were gone astray, and knowledge for those who were ignorant, a discovery for those who were searching, a support for those who were wavering, and purity for those who were defiled. He is the shepherd who left behind the ninety-nine sheep which were not lost. He went searching for the one which had gone astray. He rejoiced when He found it, for ninety-nine is a number that is in the left hand. But when the one is found, the entire number passes to the right (hand)...(and) draws what was deficient and takes it from the left-hand and brings (it) to the right.

Say, then, from the heart, that you are the perfect day, and in you dwells the light that does not fail. Speak of the Truth with those who search for it, and of knowledge to those who have committed sin in their error. Make firm the foot of those who have stumbled, and stretch out your hands to those who are ill. Feed those who are hungry, give repose to those who are weary, raise up those who wish to rise, and awaken those who sleep, for you are the understanding that is drawn forth.

That is why Christ was spoken of in their midst, so that those who were disturbed might receive a bringing-back, and He might anoint them with the ointment. This ointment is the mercy of the Father, Who will have mercy on them. But those whom He has anointed are the ones who have become perfect. For full jars are the ones that are usually anointed. But when the anointing of one is dissolved, it is emptied…, but from him who has no deficiency, no seal is removed, nor is anything emptied, but what he lacks, the perfect Father fills again. He is good. He knows his plantings, because it is He who planted them in His paradise. Now His paradise is His place of rest.

For the rest, then, may they know, in their places, that it is not fitting for me, having come to be in the resting-place, to speak of anything else. But it is in it that I shall come to be, and (it is fitting) to be concerned at all times with the Father of the all, and the true brothers, those upon whom the love of the Father is poured out, and in whose midst there is no lack of Him. They are the ones who appear in Truth, since they exist in true and eternal life, and (since they) speak of the light which is perfect, and (which is) filled with the seed of the Father, and which is in His heart and in the Pleroma, while His Spirit rejoices in it and glorifies the One in Whom it existed, because He is good. His children are perfect and worthy of His name, for He is the Father; it is children of this kind that He loves.

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