|
LAYTON'S IDEAS ON GNOSTICISM:
If we could say, metaphorically, that Hans Jonas showed us the 'TRUNK' of the GNOSTIC elephant, while Elaine Pagels elongated the understanding of its 'TAIL,' then perhaps Bentley Layton is describing the varied textures of its 'SKIN.' On this web page, we will examine some of this texture,inviting the viewer to please read his full text for the fuller flavor....
The author reviews at least FIVE schools of gnostic thought: SETHIAN; VALENTINIAN; ST. THOMAS; BASILIDES; HERMETIC. Of these,the school of Valentinus will be focused on, with mention of SETIAN & the influence of ST. THOMAS, especially in light of THE NAG HAMMADI material, only found in 1945. [[I have organized some of the particular subjects of this material, which will be presented on COLUMN II of this web page.]]
The various schools can best be described (like an elephant) ~~ i.e. not wholly Christian, nor Jewish, nor secular culture, but rather an eclectic collection of the best minds of primarily the 2nd & 3rd centuries A.D., although not wholly limited to these times frames. The word "SYNCRETISM" had been used by Hans Jonas on the first page of this website to describe the putting together of ideas of "mixed cultures."
Thus the gnostic material showed different "slants" of understanding, depending upon the point of view of the gnostic author, SIMILAR TO WHY the writings of the New Testament, for instance, seemingly have the same story but with varied details, dependent upon the "purpose" of its author, and what "audience" the material was presented to(Jewish-Roman-Greek,etc.,).
[[RELIGIOUS IDEAS WERE NOT MEANT TO BE READ LITERALLY, OR TO BE TAKEN AS "STRICT" HISTORY. THIS CONCEPT HAD ALREADY BEEN ALLUDED TO when Jesus spoke to his disciples about the nature of the Kingdom of God in 'The Gospel of Thomas,' as related by Elaine Pagels on the "GOSPELS" web page.]]
SOME OF THE TENETS OF GNOSTICISM and why THEY WERE CONSIDERED SO CONTROVERSIAL:
LAYTON LISTS THE FOLLOWING: The gnostics were HOSTILE to the God of Israel; they had different views on Jesus' resurrection; incarnation; Jesus' suffering. The author tries to show how the VALENTINIANS tried to "bridge the gap" of these differences within the Western church; [[this latter concept was also focused on in the Pagels' material.]]
According to the author, the gnostics were influenced by the PLATONIC school as to the interpretation of the myth of creation...where the Greek thought also felt that humans had the "capacity" to attain knowledge; GNOSIS, PER SE = THE ACQUAINTANCE WITH KNOWLEDGE. [[I have heard the term ~ "divine knowledge" OR "divine intuition" as characterizing TRUE GNOSIS; therefore, it is not a natural condition in & of itself, but something must cause a change in a person to allow this knowledge to enter, such as "the complete purifying of the inner spirit;" for instance, as was found with CERTAIN of the early Christian ascetics.]] In any event,there were those capable of gnosis, and those that were not....
LAYTON suggests that the complete gnostic tale is reflected in at least one of the tractates of THE NAG HAMMADI, namely, The Secret Book of John (The Apocryphon of John) which will be referred to in full on "MY RADIO gnostic DISCUSSION" web page, where I had given this information over the air waves; the author also mentions The Gospel of the Egyptians as being another tractate where the gnostic story unfolds. {{MOST OF THE 52 TRACTATES OF The Nag Hammadi Library, are the bits & pieces one must sift through~often many times~to get a true sense of what is contained within this GNOSTIC elephant!!!}}
PART OF THE GNOSTIC TALE: Yaltabaoth "stole" the power from his mother and it must be retrieved. This is the reason the LOGOS must descend. [[To focus on this part of the gnostic tale, read the tractate, 'The Hypostasis of the Archons,' i.e. THE REALITY OF THE RULERS. It may also begin your thinking on the MANY things between you and the ETERNAL UNBEGOTTEN!]]
WHO GAVE THE GNOSTICS SUCH A BAD REPUTATION???
These "shameful" heretics were especially debased by three of the HERESIOLOGISTS: Irenaeus; the other two were Hippolytus & Epiphanius. [This latter personage will be highlighted subsequently ....
[[Irenaeus took particular delight in casting the gnostics in a poor light, since, as had been mentioned on another web page, the political considerations of vying for WHO WOULD BE THE LEADERS OF THE EMERGING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY were very sensitive and threatening to "orthodox" prelates like IRENAEUS ~~ similar to a government debunker of UFOs, who may know that what he is saying is UNTURE, but the motive is not knowledge, but control of the POPULACE!?! This is hardly the opinion of LAYTON, since I do not know his opinion on this subject, BUT I ASSURE YOU, that it bears a close analogy ~~~ simply because I have documented it on two other websites, my byron lebeau poetry & prose website AS WELL AS my manuscript: "THE BUD & THE BLOSSOM."
REMEMEBER: Nothing in our TOTAL REALITY happens in a vacuum!]]
So Irenaeus uses the following similes to describe the "debased" gnostics [[terrorists of a religious kind}}:
They are like "mushrooms" that grow out of the ground....He goes on to call them "LIARS" but doesn't
seem to give a good reason why...[[banking,perhaps,on his own political & prestigious influence...again just like our present-day debunkers with many prestigious degrees, BUT ARE THEY TELLING YOU THE TRUTH???]]
The author mentions another one of the ILK of Irenaeus, but even more despicable in the picture he paints of these "mushrooms." His name, EPIPHANIUS. He speaks of the gnostics, as those who have "almost been erdicated from the world." [[As I read & quoted this in my notes on Bently Layton's book, the only image that came to mind was that of the lowly COCKROACH!!!]] In a work called, "THE ARCHONTICS" he goes so far as to accuse the gnostics of being "CANNIBALS"...who would have sex with one another but because they did not want any children, if a woman got pregnant, THEY WOULD ALLEGEDLY EAT THE INFANT!!!
[[I think there should be a special place in the "2nd dimension" for people like EPIPHANIUS----beginning with the changing of his name to----EPI-de-Fame-'em~~~where he will have to reflect on his outrageous "PROBABLE" libel, but in any wise, SLANDEROUS!!! Anyone who is familiar with these holy people, KNEW that what he was saying was pure BUNK!!!---but BUNK-with a purpose of gaining ascendency for himself and his ILK, ~ ONLY THE MOTIVATIONS OF ONE EMERSED IN The Kingdom of Man - not THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!!
SCHOOL OF THOMAS:
St. Didymus Jude Thomas (The Apostle of the East)~ converted north Mesopotamia & India to Christianity. The author relates that while in an Indian prison, Thomas chanted
"THE HYMN OF THE PEARL." [[This became the basis for John Davidson's "THE ROBE OF GLORY," subsequently; the HYMN can be found in its entirety in G.R.S.Mead's book, "FRAGMENTS OF A FAITH FORGOTTEN."]]
SPECIAL NOTE:{{{'The Gospel of Thomas' is so important, that it will be featured on COLUMN II of this very web page.}}}
The other three schools may be surveyed by going directly to either this text OR consulting Mead's book, mentioned above, especially for a SETHIAN writing called, THE ACTS OF JOHN, which, I personally found to be quite revealing & inspiring;[['the Apocryphon of John' would be considered part of the Sethian material of which James Robinson gives a good perspective on in his introduction to THE NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY ; Mead also has some interesting insights into BASILIDES, but THIS does not directly reflect the focus of MY website; the same maybe said about the Hermetic writing, since the focus of this site will be the deeper understanding of CHRISTIAN GNOSTICISM...which I focused on in my essays as can be found on Eve Lorgen's website, which also will be enumerated on the "FINAL COMMENTS" PAGE.... I ASKED FOR BREAD
I asked for bread; God gave a stone instead.
Yet, while I pillowed there my weary head,
The angels made a ladder of my dreams,
Which upward to celestial mountains led.
And when I woke beneath the morning's beams,
Around my resting place fresh manna lay;
And, praising God, I went upon my way,
For I was fed.
God answers prayers; sometimes, when hearts are weak,
He gives the very gifts believers seek.
But often faith must learn a deeper rest,
And trust God's silence when He does not speak;
For He whose name is Love will send the very best.
Stars may burn out, nor mountain walls endure,
But God is true, His promises are sure
For those who seek. 
|
|
|  |
|
|
|
|
|
KEY Tractates in THE NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY
[[The information below is arranged by KEY subject matter. It is only meant as as a sample of the TREASURE CHEST known as THE NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY.]]
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN:
The father was in the son and the son in the father. This is [the] kingdom of heaven. (Gospel of Philip)
THE ROOT OF EVIL:
[Judas] said, "Tell me, Lord, what the beginning of the path is." He{{{Jesus}}} said, "Love and goodness. For if one of these existed among the governors, wickedness would never have come into existence." (Dialogue of the Savior)
"LAUGHINGSTOCKS" (((Those ignorant of the TRUTH))):
'For Adam was a laughingstock, since he was made a counterfeit type of man by the Hebdomad, as if he had become stronger than I(((Jesus))) and my brothers. We are innocent with respect to him since we have not sinned. And Abraham and Isaac and Jacob were laughingstock, since they, the counterfeit fathers, were given a name by the Hebdomad, as if he had become stronger than I and my brothers. We are innocent with respect to him, since we have not sinned. David was a laughingstock, in that his son was named the Son of Man, having been influenced by the Hebdomad, as if he had become stronger than I and the fellow members of my race. But we are innocent with respect to him; we have not sinned. Solomon was a laughingstock, since he thought that he was Christ, having become vain through the Hebdomad, as if he had become stronger than I and my brothers. But we are innocent with respect to him. I have not sinned. The twelve prophets were laughingstocks since they had come forth as imitations of the true prophets. They came into being as counterfeits through the Hebdomad, as if he had become stronger than I and my brothers. But we are innocent with respect to him, since we have not sinned. Moses, a faithful servant,was a laughingstock, having been named "the Friend," since they perversely bore witness concerning him, who never knew me. Neither he, nor those before him, from Adam to Moses and John the Baptist, none of them knew me nor my brothers....
'For the Archon was a laughingstock because he said, "I am God, and there is none greater than I. I alone am the Father, the Lord, and there is no other beside me. I am a jealous God, who brings the sins of the fathers upon the children of three and four generations." As if he had become stronger than I and my brothers! But we are innocent with respect to him, in that we have not sinned, since we mastered his teaching. Thus he was in an empty glory. And he does not agree with our Father, for he was a laughingstock and judgment and false prophecy. (The Second Treatise of the Great Seth)
ON THE NECESSITY OF SUFFERING:
One of the apostles inquired: "If he our Lord, suffered, then how much (must) we (suffer)?"
Peter answered saying, "He suffered on (our) behalf, and it is necessary for us too to suffer because of our smallness.' Then a voice came to them saying, "I have told you many times: It is necessary for you to suffer. It is necessary that they bring you to synagogues and governors, so that you will suffer...." (The Letter of Peter to Philip)
THE VARIOUS "REALMS" OF THE HEAVENS
The first [and the] second and the [third] are the worldly and the material. I have [informed]you concerning these...
The fourth [and the] fifth which are above, [these] you have come to know [...divine]....
But the sixth, concerning the self-begotten ones, concerning the incorporeal being which exists partially, together with those who exist in the truth of the All....
And the [seventh] concerning the self-begotten power, which [is the] third [perfect...] fourth, concerning salvation [and] wisdom. And the eighth, concerning the mind which is [male, which] appeared [in the beginning], and (concerning) the being [which is incorporeal] and the [intelligible] world. The ninth [...] of the power [which] appeared [in the beginning. The] tenth, [concerning Barbelo, the] virgin [...] of the Aeon. [The eleventh] and [the twelfth] speak of the Invisible One who possesses three powers and the Spirit which does not have being, belonging to the first Unbegotten (fem.). The thirtenth speaks concerning [the] Silent One who was not[known] and the primacy of [the one who] was not distinguished. (MARSANES)
"NECESSARY FERTILIZER" {{My expression for need of ARCHONS,INC.}}
In this very way we exist in this world, like fish. The adversary spies on us, lying in wait for us like a fisherman, wishing to seize us, rejoicing that he might swallow us. For [he places] many foods before our eyes, (things) which belong to this world. He wishes to make us desire one of them and to taste only a little, so that he may seize us with his hidden poison and bring us out of freedom and take us into slavery. For whenever he catches us with a single food, it is indeed necessary for <us> to desire the rest. Finally then, such things become the food of death. (AUTHORITATIVE TEACHING)
THE POLLUTED SOUL BARS NOTHING!!!
(348/349) Unclean demons do lay claim to a polluted soul; a faithful (and) good soul evil demons will not be able to hinder in the way of God. (SENTENCES OF SEXTUS)
SPECIAL NOTE:[[Think of a polluted soul, not as one who sins, since we all have that propensity, but rather -ONE WHO LOVES SIN; As Bernadette Soubirous said: SINNERS LOVE SIN; the implication : SAINTS LOVE TO DO GOOD....Why don't we just do good every day, so nothing OR no one can hinder our journey to get back to our God???]]
SPIRITUAL GROWTH: As from a bud to a BLOSSOM
Farming in the world requires cooperation of four essential elements. A harvest is gathered into the barn only as a result of the natural action of water, earth, wind, and light. God's farming likewise has four elemnts - faith, hope, love, and knowledge. Faith is our earth, that in which we take root. [And] hope is the water through which we are nourished. Love is the wind through which we grow. Knowledge then is the light through which we [ripen].
ON PERFECTION
As in the case of the ignorance of a person, when he comes to have knowledge, his ignorance vanishes of itself, as the darkness vanishes when light appears, so also the dificiency vanishes in the perfection...within knowledge he will purify himself from multiplicity into Unity, consuming matter within himself like fire, and darkness by light, death by life.(THE GOSPEL OF TRUTH)
THE NEED TO BE PERFECT!!!
Verily, I (Jesus) say unto you,no one will ever enter the kingdom of heaven at my bidding, but only because you yourselves are full...and he who has been filled attains due perfection. Therefore, you must be in want while it is possible to fill you (pl.),and be full while it is possible to be in want, so that you may be able [to fill] yourselves the more. Hence become full of the Spirit, but be in want of reason, for reason <belongs to> the soul; (THE APOCRYPHON OF JAMES)
IDENTIFYING WHO WE REALLY ARE & WHAT IS OUR DESTINY!!!
[[BOTH QUOTES come from separate parts of the
TRIPARTITE TRACTATE]]
"...since he is the Father of the All, out of his laboring for those who exist, having sown into their thought that[they] might seek after him....
"Now the promise possessed
the instruction and the return to what they are from the first, from which they possess the drop, so as to return to him, which is that which is called "the redemption." And it is the release from the captivity and the acceptance of freedom. In its place the captivity of those who were slaves of ignorance holds sway. The freedom is the knowledge of the truth which existed before the ignorance was ruling for ever without beginning and without end, being something good, and a salvation of things and a release from the servile nature in which they have suffered.
[[MANY OTHER GEMS OF WISDOM ARE COVERED IN THE SAYINGS OF 'The Gospel of Thomas' which we will focus on BELOW....]] The Gospel of Thomas:
[[THIS IS POSSIBLY THE MOST IMPORTANT GOSPEL THAT IS
CONTAINED WITHIN THE NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY, and the possible
"recipe" FOR ASCENSION!!! THEREFORE ~~ IT GETS SPECIAL
ATTENTION as in ~~~~ THE THIRD EYE OF THE GNOSTIC
ELEPHANT!!!]]
cf. my web page: "GNOSTIC ESSAYS" for related essays on this gospel....
[[SOURCE MATERIAL]]: There are two excellent annotated books
of this gospel that I have used beneficially:
(1)-THE FIFTH GOSPEL by Robert Winterhalter
(2) THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus,
with an Introduction & Notes by Marvin Meyer.
{{{SPECIAL NOTE}}}: The opening lines of this gospel
PROMISES that you will NOT taste DEATH if you
understand &
execute all 114 SAYINGS of this gospel....These two
annotated sources, go a long way in the understanding
department....THE EXECUTION IS UP TO YOU!!!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE SAYINGS:
#24~~~His disciples said to him, : Show us the place where
you are, since it is necessary for us to seek it.
He said to them, "Whoever has ears to hear. There is a light
within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If
he does not shine, he is darkness.
#25~~~Jesus said, "Love your (sg.) brother like your soul,
guard him like the pupil of your eye."
#37~~~His disciples said, "When will you become revealed to us
and when shall we see you?"
Jesus said, "When you disrobe without being ashamed and
take up your garments and place them under your feet like
little children and tread on them, then [will you see]
the son of the living one, and you will not be afraid."
#42~~~Jesus said, "Become passers-by."
#49~~~Jesus said, "Blessed are the simple and elect,
for you will find the kingdom. For you are from it, and to
it will you return."
#56~~~Jesus said, "Whoever has come to understand the world
has found (only) a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse
is superior to the world."
#58~~~Jesus said, "Blessed is the man who has suffered and
found life."
#75~~~Jesus said, "Many are standing at the door, but it is
the solitary one who will enter."
#82~~~Jesus said, "He who is near me is near the fire, and he who
is far from me is far from the kingdom."
#90~~~Jesus said, "Come unto me for my yoke is easy and my lordship
is mild, and you will find repose for yourselves."
#103~~Jesus said, "Fortunate is the man who knows where the
brigand will enter, so that [he] may go up, muster his domain,
and arm himself before they invade."
#106~~Jesus said,"When you make the two one, you will become
the sons of man, and when you say, 'Mountain, move away,' it will
move away."
#108~~Jesus said, "He who will drink
from my mouth will become like me. I myself shall
become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him."
AND LASTLY....
#111~~Jesus said, "The heavens and the earth will be rolled up
in your presence. And the one who lives from the living one
will not see death." Does not Jesus say, "Whoever finds himself
is superior to the world"?
[[Please see my essay called, "SPIRITUAL JOB OPPRORTUNITY"
which is noted on the web page: "GNOSTIC ESSAYS" for what I have
reduced to the possible ESSENCE of this beautiful gospel.]] 
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
