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WHAT ABOUT THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS AND THE APOCRYPHA?!!
An agnostic is someone who isn't certain of what they know specifically with regard to religion hence the Gnostic's claimed to have a higher revealed secretive knowledge. Both believers and non-believers have asked me what about these other accounts and why are they not included in the canon of scripture?
The Roman Catholics do have the Apocrypha within their canon of scripture and regard it as inspired, whereas protestants usually understand it as being a useful historical record although not inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus never quoted from the Apocrypha and neither is it quoted anywhere in the Old or New Testament. The Apocrypha occupies the time period between the Old and New Testament and includes the Maccabean revolt against Antiochus Ephipanes.
It is a popular argument at present to argue that at the Council of Nicea in AD 325 the canon of Scripture which we have today was established and decided upon by the Emperor Constantine and accounts for what we regard as 'inspired scripture' today'. Furthermore certain writings that were controversial or didn't fit in with the council's commonly held opinions were conveniently edited.
The above statement is not strictly true. Firstly the Early Church Fathers wrote way before this time confirming the books that were recognised as inspired.
Clement of Alexandria wrote...
'So when I visited the East and reached the place where all these things were proclaimed and done, I gained accurate information about the Old Testament books that I send you herewith:
Five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy
Joshua (son of Nun), Judges, Ruth
Kings (four books) Chronicles (two books)
The Psalms of David
The Proverbs (Wisdom) of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job
The Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Twelve in a single book, Daniel, Ezekiel, Ezra'
(p162 Eusebius The Church History Paul L. Maier)
Furthermore regarding the Gospels Iraneus wrote as follows...
'Matthew composed a written Gospel for the Hebrews in their own language, while Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel in Rome and founding the church there. After their deaths, Mark too, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, handed onto us in writing the things proclaimed by Peter. Luke the follower of Paul, wrote down in a book the Gospel preached by him. Then John the disciple of the Lord who has rested on his breast, produced a gospel while living at Ephesus in Asia.'
(P183 Eusebius The Church History Paul L.Maier)
The Council of Nicea only recorded what books were already recognised as being in the canon of scripture, they didn't establish what should be included and what should be omitted.
The Gnostic Gospels preached what Paul would describe as another Gospel. Some Gnostic teachers taught that Jesus was Divine but not human, others the exact opposite and some that He never actually died on the cross but another died in His place. Really? Apparently so, but the problem is that an imperfect sacrifice would not atone for our sins and would also contradict prophecy from the established canon of Scripture!
Some of the Gnostic beliefs were part and parcel of the Greek philosophy of that time. The Gnostic Gospels preached a kind of two tier system of Christianity where knowledge is esteemed above faith. These were essentially gospels of so called hidden knowledge rather than grace! What did Paul write to the Galatians?
'BUT EVEN IF WE, OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN, PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL TO YOU THAN WHAT WE HAVE PREACHED TO YOU, LET HIM BE ACCURSED. AS WE HAVE SAID BEFORE, SO I NOW SAY AGAIN, IF ANYONE PREACHES ANY OTHER GOSPEL TO YOU THAN WHAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED, LET HIM BE ACCURSED.' (Galatians 1v8-9)
And what did Paul write to the Ephesians about grace through faith?
'FOR BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH, AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, NOT OF WORKS LEST ANYONE SHOULD BOAST.' (Ephesians 2v8-9)
Gnostic beliefs were in circulation when John was writing his epistles also and he wrote.
'Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they be of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.' (1 John 4v2)
Obviously many false prophets denied that Jesus was the Messiah or that He was fully God and human or that He is equal with the Father!
Matthew 24v5 warns us that many will pretend to be the Messiah. It's not too different now. Consider how many cults such as Jehovah's Witness, Mormons, Christadelphians, Christian Science etc. arose a little less than two hundred years ago and whilst they advocate a range of unorthodox practises the common denominator is that they all attack the Person and Deity of Jesus the Messiah as does the Da Vinci code which may appear to be factual and at the least is historically inaccurate and at worst is a heresy consisting of cleverly devised fables, lies and half truths!
Finally if you believe in a sovereign, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient and just God do you think it is a difficult thing for Him to preserve the Holy Scriptures and separate dark from light and truth from error?
Let's let Paul have the last word in his letter to Timothy...
'and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.' (2 Tim 3v15-17)
Amen! |
