GOSPEL OF THOMAS (new translation)

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

'Fire and brimstone or eternal damnation' was never a Hebrew/Jewish. etc. teaching nor was it a teaching of Jesus. As Jesus had predicted, false teachers would enter as wolves in sheep clothing and distort the original teachings.

As you mentioned. "Jesus never said the name of God or said that we are separate from him."

There is evidence that Jesus did repeat scriptures that had God's name in it, but I never found any evidence as you mentioned, that Jesus used the word other then as a quote which I have always found to be perplexing.

Because Jesus wasn’t referring to a being sitting on a throne. Again where according to GOT is heaven?

Also, from a personal view/experience Yahweh is real. Just like Shiva, Shakti, Kuan Yin, etc. Think of them as realized beings that like to help others.

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

PART 3.

As for "Motion and rest", this apparently was a Greek teaching handed down from Aristotle. Aristotle considered Metaphysics to be the science concerning that substance which has the principle of motion and rest that is inherent to itself.

Why Greek view when none of these spiritual teachings came from Europe. Nor is there any being of spiritual depth from western nations to have a direct understanding.

Motion and rest is the same as void and form in Buddhism or Shakti and Shiva in Hinduism, Yin and yang in Taoism. They are all pointing people inwards.

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by janielee

Is that a New Testament thing, or a Jesus thing? (genuine question)

New Testament is a Jesus thing right? Christians should follow Jesus and his teachings.

For example. In the Old Testament homosexuality was a sin, cities were destroyed by God because of the sins of the people. The earth was covered in water and all but a very few survived because everyone else was wicked.

Nothing like that from Jesus. Judge not, love others as yourself, forgive those who hurt you. God is one of love and forgiveness not of judgment.

[RabbiO]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

New Testament is a Jesus thing right? Christians should follow Jesus and his teachings.

For example. In the Old Testament homosexuality was a sin,......

Your basis for that?

Originally Posted by jonesboy

New Testament is a Jesus thing right? Christians should follow Jesus and his teachings.

For example. In the Old Testament homosexuality was a sin, cities were destroyed by God because of the sins of the people. The earth was covered in water and all but a very few survived because everyone else was wicked.

Nothing like that from Jesus. Judge not, love others as yourself, forgive those who hurt you. God is one of love and forgiveness not of judgment.

Thanks; the Old Testament does seem like a very cruel document. I'm not surprised if there are Christians who today follow this outdated viewpoint of the men who wrote it at the time.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by janielee

Thanks; the Old Testament does seem like a very cruel document. I'm not surprised if there are Christians who today follow this outdated viewpoint of the men who wrote it at the time.

Have you read the Old Testament?

Have you read the exploits of one of Buddhist's greater if not greatest contributor and that is King Asoka?

Compare the 'two'.

Then compare how modern day Christians view the Old Testament and how Western Buddhist today view King Asoka?

It is 'easy' to see the problems of other people 's belief system but it takes a wise person to see the problems of their own belief system, don't you agree?

नमस्ते

[BigJohn]

The Gospel of Thomas was never canonized.

GOSPEL OF THOMAS

  VERSE 51

(51)
              His disciples said to him,
  “When will the rest for the dead take place?
       When will the new world come?"

               He said to them,
          "What you are looking for
             has already come
          but you do not recognize it."

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by RabbiO

Your basis for that?

The Bible is my basis.

I was James The Just and the gospel of thomas says you're supposed to come to me to lead you but I don't see how thats possible in this world of false prophets, false religions, fake everything.

God is real, he does not exist within your belief and never will, but you can cling onto your own beliefs in place of the Truth as long as you want. - The amount of time you do this is the definition of hell. I see the need for the apocalypse, but Hitler was supposed to win the war he was the anti-christ which would've then triggered the apocalypse, since that didn't happen I'm not sure what will.

And if the apocalypse were to happen it wouldn't be like a fairy tale, angels wouldn't come down and rescue believers, that is all bull. Its purpose would be to kill off all of you so that only the Ascended, those who have entered heaven before death would survive and inherit the planet. So if you want to be part of the golden age I suggest you pull your head out your butt and focus on what is actually real and True. And stop pretending that you know already when you don't at all. A religious person thinking they know God is like an ant thinking it knows rocket science.

[Gemini46]

Originally Posted by sky123

I was referring to the meaning of the word Gnosis....

It is hidden until you experience it, we can read and study Scripture but without the personal experience it remains hidden in the ' Words '

That's how I understand it anyway but others will disagree and see it another way...

If they are ' Secret ' words they surely wouldn't have been written and stashed away.

That is exactly what I thought when I read the 2 contrasting perspectives being debated on here. They go hand in hand. I was trying to figure out to explain it but you word it much better. There are 2 sides to each coin, but they are still of the same coin. Just a different expression of the same thing. That is the best analogy I could think of anyway.