֍ ARE THERE OTHER SACRED SCRIPTURES/BOOKS BESIDE THE BIBLE? ֎

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by sky123

It's copied from ' On the origin of the world ' Neil.....

.............and if you had read posit #88, you would have seen I clearly stated where that quote came from.

[neil]

Originally Posted by sky123

It's copied from ' On the origin of the world ' Neil.....

I had been aware of that..Ta.

[BigJohn]

The initial creation account the Gnostic writer wrote about eliminated God and his son (Jesus) from the creation accounts. Late on, after creation, God came into existence.

Pistis (faith) had a 'defect' which produced a 'fearful product'. "And the disturbance appeared, as a fearful product; it rushed to her in the chaos. She turned to it and blew into its face in the abyss, which is below all the heavens." This became 'Yaldabaoth' and he gained authority over matter. 'Yaldabaoth' only saw Pistis' (faith) image in the water. He never saw her. He heard a voice but did not know it was Pistis (faith). Pistis (faith) withdrew her light and let 'Yaldabaoth' become God.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Another book, apparently of Gnostic origin, was The Second Treatise of the Great Seth. Odd, there has never been any mention of there being a First Treatise. Most authorities claim this document was written in the third century.

This book was never canonized. As might be expected, the book puts a spin on Christian teachings while at the same time presenting Gnostic beliefs. For example: "I am Christ, the Son of Man, the one from you who is among you. I am despised for your sake, in order that you yourselves may forget the difference. And do not become female, lest you give birth to evil and its brothers: jealousy and division, anger and wrath, fear and a divided heart, and empty, non-existent desire. But I am an ineffable mystery to you." (Translated by Roger A. Bullard and Joseph A. Gibbons)

I re-read this post and found it interesting.
This is what I noticed:
The Lambdin translation of the 114th (last) verse of the Gospel of Thomas reads:

"Simon Peter said to him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life."
Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven."

When the cited verse from The Second Treatise of the Great Seth is compared with the 114th verse from the GoT, a new meaning of the 114th verse emerges.

Unfortunately, it appears the Gnostic view of women was not favorable.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

The initial creation account the Gnostic writer wrote about eliminated God and his son (Jesus) from the creation accounts. Late on, after creation, God came into existence.

Pistis (faith) had a 'defect' which produced a 'fearful product'. "And the disturbance appeared, as a fearful product; it rushed to her in the chaos. She turned to it and blew into its face in the abyss, which is below all the heavens." This became 'Yaldabaoth' and he gained authority over matter. 'Yaldabaoth' only saw Pistis' (faith) image in the water. He never saw her. He heard a voice but did not know it was Pistis (faith). Pistis (faith) withdrew her light and let 'Yaldabaoth' become God.

As for Yaldabaoth, Ariael is the name the perfect called him because he was like a lion. When Yaldabaoth began to have authority over matter, "Pistis Sophia withdrew up to her light".

Next Heaven was created as an abode and Earth was created as a foot stool.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

As for Yaldabaoth, Ariael is the name the perfect called him because he was like a lion. When Yaldabaoth began to have authority over matter, "Pistis Sophia withdrew up to her light".

Next Heaven was created as an abode and Earth was created as a foot stool.

Continuation:
On The Origin Of The World, the Gnostic writer wove new concepts into a new creation account while at the same altering and dismissing parts of the Genesis account(s).

Next, the creator, Yaldabaoth created an androgyne (having both male and female characteristics) by verbal expression. The androgyne might not have been a true androgyne because the scriptures go on to speak of a second and third son leading one to believe that the androgyne was also a son. The androgyne said to Yaldabaoth, after Yaldabaoth opened his eyes by cooing to him, "Eee" in which Yaldabaoth named him Eee-a-o ('Yao').

Yaldabaoth created the second son and cooed to him. When he opened his eyes, the son said "Eh" and Yaldabaoth named him "Eloai".

Yaldabaoth created the third son and cooed to him. When he opened his eyes, the son said "Asss" and Yaldabaoth named him "Astaphaios".

[davidmartin]

And do not become female, lest you give birth to evil and its brothers: jealousy and division, anger and wrath, fear and a divided heart, and empty, non-existent desire. But I am an ineffable mystery to you."

This is because the Gnostics saw the orthodox Christians as a female church, and they were the male church
It is saying 'don't join the orthodox church'
The Gnostics always opposed Mary Magdalene
It's also saying dont join the valentinian gnostics either, because they taught that each Christian is a female awaiting it's reunification with it's male heavenly counterpart
Welcome to 2nd century church politics :)

[BigJohn]

On The Origin Of The World, the Gnostic writer wove new concepts into a new creation account while at the same altering and dismissing parts of the Genesis account(s).

Next, the creator, Yaldabaoth created an androgyne (having both male and female characteristics) by verbal expression. The androgyne might not have been a true androgyne because the scriptures go on to speak of a second and third son leading one to believe that the androgyne was also a son. The androgyne said to Yaldabaoth, after Yaldabaoth opened his eyes by cooing to him, "Eee" in which Yaldabaoth named him Eee-a-o ('Yao').

Yaldabaoth created the second son and cooed to him. When he opened his eyes, the son said "Eh" and Yaldabaoth named him "Eloai".

Yaldabaoth created the third son and cooed to him. When he opened his eyes, the son said "Asss" and Yaldabaoth named him "Astaphaios".

Continuation:

What is written next is hard to express or explain. Therefore I will quote it as it is written:

"Seven appeared in chaos, androgynous. They have their masculine names and their feminine names. The feminine name is Pronoia (Forethought) Sambathas, which is 'week'.
And his son is called Yao: his feminine name is Lordship.
Sabaoth: his feminine name is Deity.
Adonaios: his feminine name is Kingship.
Elaios: his feminine name is Jealousy.
Oraios: his feminine name is Wealth.
And Astaphaios: his feminine name is Sophia (Wisdom).
These are the seven forces of the seven heavens of chaos. And they were born androgynous, consistent with the immortal pattern that existed before them, according to the wish of Pistis: so that the likeness of what had existed since the beginning might reign to the end. You will find the effect of these names and the force of the male entities in the Archangelic (Book) of the Prophet Moses, and the names of the female entities in the first Book of Noraia."

An exert from the Archangelic (Book) of the Prophet Moses reads:

"As the archangel MIKHAÊL descended from heaven, he came upon an uncleanspirit who was hairy up to her legs , having burning eyes and the archangel MIKHAÊL said unto her‘whence comest thou, and whither goest thou? The filthy one answered, saying to him:
Ι enter the house as a snake, as a dragon, as a serpent, fourlegged beasts (cattle). I wreak destruction wheresoever I enter (or when I leave). I inflict wounds on women, making their hearts ache, causing their milk to dry, the hair of the householder to fall fromfear, and again I make them grow and then I slay them. My name is PAXAREA and thus I am called. When holy Mary bore the Word of Truth, I betook myself to her, caused her to falter, wonder, and bedeceived."

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by davidmartin

This is because the Gnostics saw the orthodox Christians as a female church, and they were the male church
It is saying 'don't join the orthodox church'
The Gnostics always opposed Mary Magdalene
It's also saying dont join the valentinian gnostics either, because they taught that each Christian is a female awaiting it's reunification with it's male heavenly counterpart
Welcome to 2nd century church politics :)

INTERESTING POINTS

Most people do not seem to realize that Gnosticism had/has many sects and are not harmonious in their position on certain things. In most of the Gnostic scriptures, Heaven is replaced with the Upper Aeons and Hell is where the Lower Aeons is.

[BigJohn]

Another Gospel that did not get in the Bible is The Gospel of Barnabas. Of the 'Gospels', The Gospel of Barnabas is probably the longest.

This Gospel is attracted to Gnostics because of its anti-Paul rhetoric and its dismissal of the Trinity Doctrine.

Being we are in the Christmas season, The Gospel of Barnabas speaks about the 3 magi. That part ends very interestingly. It reads:

"Whereupon, while sleeping, they [the magi] were warned by the child not to go to Herod : so departing by another way they returned to their own home, announcing all that they had seen in Judaea."