0
Some scholars believe that the community in which John's Gospel was written, was a mildly Gnostic Christian community and that the Gospel was originally much more gnostic in flavour than the version we have today. Looking especially at 1 John, written in the same community, it appears that the community split after disagreement over theology, shortly after the Gospel was written. One group joined a separate community that followed a Christian belief more aligned to the synoptic gospels, while the other group joined a probably more definitely Gnostic community. The group that joined the 'centrist' community altered its Gospel to remove much of the more obvious Gnostic content of that Gospel. This hypothesis is supported by the extent to which the Gospel seems to have been reworked.
The passion story in John's Gospel differs significantly from that in the synoptic gospels, and contains much more striking symbolism of Jesus as the paschal lamb. John shows evidence of having been influenced by Hermas' Pastor, a known Gnostic work. It also parallels the Gospel of Thomas in some areas - Thomas was also a Gnostic gospel.
'Light' was a Gnostic concept related to spirituality. Both John's Gospel and 1 John frequently refer to Jesus as the Light, for example:
John 1:4: In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 1:5: And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 1:7: The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
John 1:8: He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John 1:9: That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John Glyndwr Harris (Gnosticism: Beliefs and Practices) says that the current of ideas that runs through Johnprobably reflects a diversified mix of different aspects of Judaism, Hellenism, Roman and pagan philosophy, as well as gnosticism.
What else can I help you with?
How did the Renaissance scholar's differ from those of medieval scholar's?
Renaissance scholars focused on humanism, individualism, and a revival of classical learning and culture, while medieval scholars were more centered on theology, scholasticism, and religious teachings. Renaissance scholars were more interested in the arts, literature, and science, while medieval scholars focused on deciphering and interpreting religious texts and doctrines.
What is a religious faction?
A religious faction is a subgroup within a larger religious community that holds distinct beliefs, practices, or interpretations of faith. These factions may differ from the mainstream teachings of the religion and can sometimes lead to internal conflicts or divisions within the religious community.
Why is the Gospel of Saint Thomas kept secret?
There have been a number of threads discussing the reasons why this manuscript, and other Gnostic scripts such as those of Philip and Judas are not in the common bible. People argue that the Gospel of St. Thomas was not a secret - and yet it was only unearthed in 1945. Further, it is one of the only 'known' documents that purports an eye witness account of Christ as detailed by one of his disciples. It has been translated by different scholars and is a 'tangible' document available in its original form for all to see. None of the Gospels contained in today's modern bible exist in their origin form. As such, there can be no validity in arguing that today's common bible is 2000 years old. It's age is unknown, as the 4 pillars of this text cannot be shown to exist in the absolute. This is a fundamental issue, as there is no true provenance that what is written in the bible, is what the original authors, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, intended their viewers to read. Would this document be used in a court of law, it would have a limited validity as there is no documented source. In other words, it is hearsay. This is a reality, and in the age of reason and science, when heresy is no longer punishable by death, one must examine the facts as is, rather than take as gospel the words of an organization that has knowingly instructed scholars to create a text that conforms to the viewpoint of individuals and political will. Like Chinese whispers, one could argue (but cannot prove because the original gospels do not exists), throughout the centuries the original bible has been shaped, molded and modified, such that when compared to the Gospel of St. Thomas today, there is both similarity and stark contrast in the core message being transmitted. Indeed, any religions greatest enemy, are its followers seeing the light. As such, the Gnostic view, hidden until 1945, may actually be the correct interpretation of Christ's words, and that Mathew Mark Luke and John may also have shared in this viewpoint and written as such in their own Gospels in their original form. Until those documents are produced and open to public scrutiny, no argument can be made to the contrary.AnswerIt was hardly a secret, it was a book passed around and read. If you mean why isn't it considered more important, the early church did not consider it inspired and did not add it to the cannon of the New Testament. Gospel of St. Thomas - What Is It?The "Gospel of St. Thomas" is a collection of teachings that some attribute to Jesus of Nazareth. Portions of Greek versions of the text were found at Oxyrhynchus, Egypt in the late 1800's. A complete version in Coptic (an Egyptian language derived from the Greek alphabet) was found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. The complete text has been dated to about 340 AD, while some of the Greek fragments have been dated as far back as 140 AD.Gospel of St. Thomas - Who Wrote It?Scholars aren't sure who wrote the Gospel of St. Thomas. The first lines of the text refer to "didymos Judas thomas" as the author. The word "didymos" is Greek for twin and the word "thomas" is Aramaic for twin. It appears the author's name was Judas, and his nickname was "the twin" (set forth in two languages). The canonical Gospels of the Holy Bible mention a man named Thomas, who John called "didymos thomas." There are also several people named Judas mentioned in the New Testament other than the well-known Judas Iscariot. There is no mention of a Judas in the New Testament who was also nicknamed Thomas, "the twin."Gospel of St. Thomas - What Does It Say?The Gospel of St. Thomas declares that the Kingdom of God exists upon the earth today if people just open their eyes. There is "divine light" within all of us, which allows us to see the Kingdom of God in our physical surroundings. The Image of God at the beginning of creation (Genesis 1) still exists today. We can assume that Image still, which is different than the image of fallen man (Adam) in Genesis 2. The Gospel of St. Thomas reveals that mankind can and should restore their identities to the image of God now, and see the Kingdom of God on earth now. This text treats the first two chapters of Genesis in a non-traditional way. It holds that there were two separate creations of mankind -- the first was perfect and the second was flawed. Rather than wait for a future end-time Kingdom to come, the writer of this book exhorts people to return to the perfect Kingdom conditions of Genesis 1 now.Gospel of St. Thomas - Why isn't it in the Bible?The Gospel of St. Thomas is considered "Gnostic" in origin and viewpoint by many fundamental Christians, and is possibly the reason why the book was kept from the original canon of the Holy Bible (if the text was even known by early Christian followers at all). Generally, Gnostics hold that salvation of the soul comes from a quasi-intuitive knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and of secret formulae indicative of that knowledge. Since Christians view the Bible as a supernaturally-inspired collection of God's word to humans, which is totally integrated in thought and doctrine, there is no such thing as a "lost book" of the Bible with special secrets for the wise. Even from a non-supernatural perspective, if the Bible that we have read for the past 2,000 years reflects the beliefs of original Christianity, then any texts that were originally rejected, discarded or "lost" are not books of the Christian Bible, by definition. A church that adds the Gospel of St. Thomas to its scriptures would move outside the simple lines of fundamental Christianity, and we know of no established denomination that has any notion of doing so... nor should they.There are many reasons why religions do not accept this Gospel into the modern bible, which include what's not written in the Gospel of St. Thomas, as much as what is. Remember, this is the written testimony of Didymos, who witnessed first hand the life and death of Jesus Christ, and yet fails to mention a single miracle or the resurrection. This is a problem for any religion that has resurrection and miracles as a cornerstone to their foundation.
What are the two major groups into which bible readers split?
Bible readers are typically split into two major groups: those who view the Bible as the literal and inerrant word of God, and those who interpret it more symbolically or metaphorically. These groups often differ in their beliefs about the origins of the Bible, its teachings, and its applications to modern life.
How do your sermons differ from those of more traditional ministers?
Our sermons focus on practical applications of spiritual teachings to everyday life, delivering messages that are relevant and relatable to our congregation. We prioritize inclusivity, diversity, and acceptance in our sermons, welcoming all beliefs and backgrounds. Additionally, we often incorporate mindfulness practices and meditation techniques to help individuals connect with their inner selves and find peace and clarity.
How do the landmarks of China and India differ from or resemble those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia?
How do the landmarks of China and India differ from (or resemble) those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
How does Mahayana Buddhism resemble and differ from devotional Hinduism?
It differs in a way
How did the enlightenment both resemble and differ from the scientic revolution?
The enlightenment and the scientific revolution resemble each other in that they both are ways that humans of that time assess their place in the natural world.æ They differ in that one is based on scientific measuresæand one is based on religous or philosophical measures.æ
How do you lymphatic vessels and veins differ in structure?
Lymphatics resemble veins in structure but have thinner walls and more valves.
How the two branches of Islam differ?
They differ in only minor details but not in the basic Islam teachings and faith. Refer to question below for more information.
How Christian teachings about the origins of humanity differ from scientific theories about evolution?
just read the Bible
What was the youth culture of the 1950s and how did it resemble or differ from the larger culture?
it wasnt very good as many people called it the era of the fools.
How did the rule of the Muslims differ from that of Ferdinand and Isabella?
All Islam teachings are based on Quran that is the holy book revealed by God (the Creator) and are based on prophet Muhammad teachings not based on personnel or people.
What is the difference between the synoptic gospels and John's Gospel?
Another answer from our community:John differs from the synoptic Gospels because it is not just listing events in the life of Jesus and reporting His teachings. John is more thematic in nature and provides more theological discourse on the person and work of Christ. John also focus' on events in Judea rather than the Galilean ministry. The synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are called such because they contain a brief review, summary or synopsis of Jesus' life and teachings. John is recognized as somewhat different with a lot less detail in terms of coverage of events but a much greater degree of theological detail focused around people's reactions to Jesus work and teachings and ensuing discussions. Thus John's different structure which is more theological and not a summary of all Jesus said and did is classified as non-synoptic.Another answerThere are four gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Three gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, are called the synoptic gospels because they agree moderately well on the life and teachings of Jesus, although each is a little different from the other two.John's Gospel is quite a good deal different from the other gospels. Some scholars believe that John was originally written in a Gnostic community and was subsequently edited to remove some of the more clearly Gnostic material, although the gospel still has a Gnostic flavour. John is the only gospel that states Jesus to be God and to have been pre-existing. John also contains a good deal of material that is not in the other gospels, including a much longer account of the appearances of the risen Jesus. Although some say that this gospel is concerned with themes rather than the chronological order of events, it is nevertheless true that events are certainly placed in a different sequence compared to the other gospels.Scholars have noted that the events in the mission of Jesus, as described by the synoptic gospels, could have taken place in as little as one year, but the events described in John's Gospel would require four years. John appears to differ from the other three gospels in several ways. For example, in John the ministry of Jesus seems to last several years, whereas in the other gospels it appears to be limited to about one year. Also, John give an important role to the un-named "disciple whom Jesus loved", but the other gospels don't even mention such a person. Also, in John, Jesus performs several major miracles that aren't recorded in the other gospels, such as the resurrection of Lazarus and the changing of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. John depicts Jesus somewhat differently than the other gospels do. Some people have said that this is because John tries to show the spiritual side of Jesus, whereas the other gospels mainly try to show his human side.
How did temperance groups and purity crusaders differ from charity social gospel and settlement movements?
by saying hello nice to meet you lol :)
How did the social Darwinist and member of the social gospel movement differ in their views of individual in the industrialized society?
Improving conditions for the working class
How did the social Darwinist and members of the social gospel movement differ in their views of individuals in industrial society?
Improving conditions for the working class
