Blog #177--An Alternate Perspective on Christianity

Did you know the words “heresy” and “hearsay” once held the same meaning? In other words, both represented information gained secondarily from a source other than first-hand knowledge. Of course, the word “heresy” has come to mean something much more sinister. Many thousands of people have been killed for this offense by the Catholic church alone.

With a background both in journalism and Christianity, I feel no shame in reporting on findings from highly credible sources that do not coincide 100% with “The Church.” But I have no doubt some will call me a heretic and discredit my work. That’s okay with me. After all, if they followed the teachings of Jesus, they would turn the other cheek and allow me freedom of religion. Anyway, what I report on in this article has been discussed many times in the recent past by a large number of sources.

Namely, I wish to discuss Gnostic Christianity. We would likely know nothing about this religious variant except for two things. One, early church fathers were so fearful of its effect on the general population, they wrote large volumes attacking it. For many centuries, their quotes were the only writings available about a sect of people many assumed had died out long ago. Some scholars now conclude it was primarily Gnostic Christians who were fed to the lions in Rome. Second, in 1946 a peasant discovered 52 scrolls near the town of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt which gave it rebirth.

Included in these writings was the “Gospel of Thomas,” likely the best known work and possibly written by the twin brother of Jesus. In addition, there was a “Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)” and much more. It is believed these 1500 year old volumes were translations of much earlier works, with some dating their origin to within 100 years or so of the life of Jesus, making them as close or closer to actual events than those ultimately selected for inclusion in the Bible.

The Gnostics claimed to represent the teachings of Jesus’s disciples, who were encouraged to share what they learned from the Master with those willing to listen, while the present-day Christian faith relies in great part on the teachings of Paul, who was not a disciple. The Bible quotes Jesus as saying all can do what he did and more, indicating we are all sons of God. But the orthodoxy changed from that view several centuries after the fact to one that claimed only Jesus was a son of God. Gnostics believed one could share a gnosis (literally a “knowing”) with their Master as his equal, while orthodox Christians continue to believe they are inferior and must seek salvation through the Church.

The Gnostics believe the disciples taught them things shared by Jesus in secret. Jesus spoke in parables for the general population since they were not highly educated and understood stories and mental pictures better than detail. But those who could comprehend the deeper mysteries were given much more. Of course, some of the most prominent political, corporate and financial leaders alive in the 21st century claim Jesus secretly taught that people like themselves were superior and put on Earth to rule over the rest. Given that Jesus overturned the money changers' (bankers') tables and taught compassion for those in need, that version seems highly unlikely.

Opposing views on whether we are all sons of God is a primary difference between the two perspectives, but it is certainly not the only one. In the “Gospel of Philip,” Mary Magdalene is described as being far different than the persona perpetuated by orthodox church fathers (the words following in brackets are considered the best interpretations of words on the scroll damaged due to aging and fire):

“...the companion of the [Savior is] Mary Magdalene. [But Christ loved] her more than [all] the disciples, and used to kiss her [often] on her [mouth]. The rest of [the disciples were offended]...They said to him, “Why do you love her more than all of us?”

As many saw in the popular book and later movie by Dan Brown called “The da Vinci Code,” these writings seem to indicate that Mary Magdalene was intimate with Jesus. Brown’s work was historical fiction, but he took much of it from Gnostic writings. One of those at the table painted by Leonardo da Vinci as representing “The Last Supper” was a woman sitting at his right hand. There is a church still in existence in France dedicated to Mary Magdalene, and the man named Jesus Justus in the Bible may represent one of their offspring. If true, the concept of Jesus being celibate is refuted.

Some of the writings discovered at Nag Hammadi show similarity to older versions of the Bible, making them more credible. But the differences between the two are stark and too numerous to include in this short article. One I find especially interesting is found in the “Testimony of Truth.” Elaine Pagels, author of the book “The Gnostic Gospels” summarizes eloquently a story that is quite a departure from that found in “Genesis” in the Bible:

“...tells the story of the Garden of Eden from the viewpoint of the serpent! Here the serpent, long known to appear in gnostic literature as the principle of divine wisdom, convinces Adam and Eve to partake of knowledge while “the Lord” threatens them with death, trying jealously to prevent them from attaining knowledge, and expelling them from Paradise with they achieve it.”

Most Christians are raised to believe the serpent tricked Eve and Adam into taking a bite from a forbidden apple, forcing the Lord to expel them from Eden. This version claims the true Lord is the snake. The earliest references indicate it was not an apple tree but the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,” found in the exact center of the garden. Those who have read my book “It’s a Secret, So Pass It On: a Toolbox For Life” may remember a description of a snake as representing the energy that spirals up and down our bodies and connects us to eternity. And the middle ground is where we are most likely to find the balance necessary to recognize our oneness with the universe and our creator.

If one examines “the Lord” in Genesis, one sees not only a jealous Lord but a spiteful, vengeful, egoistic one as well. Is this how a creator said by Jesus to be a God of love would behave? The creation story in Genesis and the rest of the Bible has been modified multiple times, and errors translating the story from one language to another to another, etc., can change meanings and understandings over time.

But many people have found inspiration in the Nag Hammadi writings and have developed spiritually.

So regardless of the exact details, there is value in Gnostic literature. It is up to each of us to decide for ourselves the merit of the writings, which is possible if we look upon it without prior judgment or bias but with an open mind and heart. We don’t have to agree with everything to find value in parts of it.

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