The canon of truth and the triumph of John - Part 3

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

We concluded Part 2 with the following words of Elaine Pagels:

 

(p.120) The Gospel of Truth, too, pictures human existence, apart from God, as a

nightmare, in which people feel

 

as if...they were fleeing, or, without strength they come from having chased

after others; or they are...striking blows, or...receiving blows themselves; or

they have fallen from high places, or they take off into the air, though they do

not even have wings;...or as if people were murdering them, though there is no

one pursuing them, or they themselves are killing their neighbors, for they have

been stained with their blood. [19]

 

But 'unlike' Arnold, the author of this gospel believes that we can awaken from

horror to discover God's presence here and now; and when we wake up, the terror

recedes, for the divine breath--the spirit--runs after us, " and, having extended

a hand, lift [us] up to stand on [our] feet. " [20] Thus, the Gospel of Truth

continues, echoing John's prologue, the " 'word' of the Father,...Jesus of the

infinite sweetness...goes forth into all things, supporting all things, " and

finally restores all things to God, " bringing them back into the Father, and

into the Mother. " [21]

Beyond Belief (The Secret Gospel of Thomas), Chapter 4, p.120.

Notes:

[19] Gospel of Truth 29.9-25, in NHL 43.

[20] Ibid., 30.16-21, in NHL 43.

[21] Ibid., 24:5-9, in NHL 41.

Here now, is Part 3.

Enjoy,

violet

The canon of truth and the triumph of John - Part 3

(p.120) The Gospel of Truth also says that what we see in Jesus--or God--depends

on what we need to see, and what we are capable of seeing. For although the

divine is " ineffable [not describable], unimaginable, " our understanding is

bound by words and images, which can either limit or extend what we perceive.

(P.121) So, although God is, of course, neither masculine or feminine, when

invoking the image of God the Father, this author also speaks of God the Mother.

Moreover, while drawing upon images of Jesus familiar from the gospels of

Matthew and Luke (the " good shepherd " ) [22] and from Paul, who speaks of

wisdom's " hidden mystery, " [23] as well as from John ( " the word of the Father " ),

this author offers other visions of Jesus as well. Acknowledging that believers

commonly see Jesus " nailed to the cross " as an image recalling sacrificial

death, this author suggests seeing him instead as " fruit on a tree " --none other

than the " tree of knowledge " in Paradise. [24] But instead of destroying those

who eat the fruit, as Adam was destroyed, 'this' fruit, " Jesus the Christ, "

conveys 'genuine' knowledge--not intellectual knowledge but the knowing of

mutual recognition (a word related to the Greek term 'gnosis')--to those whom

God " discovers...in himself, and they discover him in themselves. " [25]

This gospel takes its name from the opening line: " The gospel of truth is joy,

to those who receive from the Father the grace of knowing him, " [26] for it

transforms our understanding of God and ourselves. Those who receive this gospel

no longer " think of [God] as petty, nor harsh, nor wrathful " --not, that is, as

some biblical stories portray him-- " but as a being without evil, " loving, full

of tranquility, gracious, and all-knowing. [27] The Gospel of Truth pictures the

holy spirit as God's breath, and envisions the Father first breathing forth the

entire universe of living beings ( " his children are his fragrant breath " ), then

drawing all beings back into the embrace of their divine source. [28] Meanwhile,

he urges those who " discover God in themselves, and themselves in God " to

transform 'gnosis' into action:

(p.122)

Speak the truth to those who seek it,

And speak of understanding to those who have

committed sin through error;

Strengthen the feet of those who have stumbled;

Extend your hands to those who are sick;

Feed those who are hungry;

Give rest to those who are weary;

And raise up those who wish to rise. [29]

Those who care for others and do good " do the will of the Father. "

Beyond Belief (The Secret Gospel of Thomas), Chapter 4, p.120-122

Elaine Pagels

Vintage Books, New York, U.S.A

ISBN: 0-375-70316-0

Notes:

For fuller and more technical discussions of the research summarized in this

chapter, see Elaine Pagels, " Irenaeus, the 'Canon of Truth' and the Gospel of

John: 'Making a Difference' Through Hermeneutics and Ritual, " in 'Vigiliae

Christianae' 56.4 (2002), 339-371; also Pagels, " Ritual in the Gospel of

Phillip, " in Turner and McGuire, 'Nag Hammadi Library After Fifty Years',

280-294; " The Mystery of Marriage in the Gospel of Phillip, " in Pearson, 'Future

of Early Christianity', 442-452; and 'Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis'.

[22] Matthew 18:2-4; Luke 15:3-7.

[23] 1 Corinthians 2:7.

[24] Gospel of Truth 18:24-29, in NHL 38.

[25] Ibid., 18.29-34, in NHL 38.

[26] Ibid., 16.31-33, in NHL 37.

[27] Ibid., 42.1-10, in NHL 48.

[28] Ibid., 33.35-34.35, in NHL 44.

[29] Ibid., 32.35-33.30.