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The Challenges of The Gnostics PDF
The Challenges of The Gnostics PDF
By Michael Segers
Copyright 2005 by Michael Segers
All rights reserved
Msegers@Gmail.com
Contents
Vocabulary
The Challenges of the Gnostics
Notes on the Gospel of Thomas
Web-ography
Vocabulary
I believe that today more people are
familiar with the word agnostic than with
the word gnostic. Although they sound
alike, they have very different meanings,
just like the words theist and atheist.
A theist believes in a theos, a god,
while an atheist believes in a-theos, no
god.
Similarly, a gnostic believes in
gnosis, the direct knowledge of God,
while an agnostic believes in a-gnosis,
that is, in no knowledge of God, that we
cannot say anything about Him or Her or
It, not even that She or He or It exists.
A group of Communists,
having a demonstration,
were met by a group
opposed to them. In the
fracas that ensued, the
police began to arrest
everyone.
One demonstrator
objected, But I am an
anti-communist.
As he slapped handcuffs
onto the demonstrator, a
policeman said, I dont
care if you are an uncle
communist, I have no use
for any of you reds!
Who is Jesus/Christ?
In the canonical (New Testament)
Gospels, it is recorded that Jesus asked his
disciples, Who do men say that I am?
We can come up with two answers to that
question that are totally at odds with each
other.
First, there is the answer that Jesus is
a physical being, and nothing more, a
Jewish teacher or rabbi, Joshua ben Joseph
(son of Joseph), as far as we know, a
good man, a great ethical teacher, who, in
his early thirties, got into trouble with the
Apocalypse of Peter
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou
unto them in parables? 11He answered and said unto them,
Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12For whosoever
hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance:
but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that
he hath. 13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they
seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they
understand. 14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias,
which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand;
and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. Matthew 13
the same time and, for some reason, more captured the attention
of the public, although both sets of texts are available in English
translation in print and on line.)
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Jesus said, "If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom
is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they
say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you.
Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you.
When you come to know yourselves, then you will become
known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the
living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in
poverty and it is you who are that poverty." The Gospel of
Thomas
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Web-ography
I. Gnostics
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01
Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I - includes Irenaeus, "Against the
Heresies" (complete)
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl.html
The Nag Hammadi Library
http://www.gnosis.org
The Gnostic Archive (probably the best single source for Gnostic
writings)
http://www.cbel.com/gnosticism/
134 Gnosticism Resources, which show the varieties of Gnostic
experience today
http://www.gnostic-church.org/
The Apostolic Gnostic Church in America, which says it subscribes
to the teachings of the Nag Hammadi texts.
III. General Christian resources
Dont be surprised by the inclusion of the Catholic Encyclopedia.
Although it has a definite bias, sometimes it has the most information
on the topics.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/
Early Christian Writings
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen
The Catholic Encyclopedia
http://www.ccel.org
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/noncanon/acts.htm
Non-Canonical Literature from Northwest Nazarene University
http://fam-faerch.dk/pseudigrapher/gnostic/gnosi.htm
Gnostic, pseudepigrapha, apocrapha, apocrypha, gnostic and other
scriptures from the worlds religions
IV. General religion resources
http://www.sacred-texts.com
Internet Sacred Text Archive
http://www.religioustolerance.org
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
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