[LadyDoc]

No, this isn't "early Christianity", these are the writings of the third century gnositc offshoots that mixed chirsitanity with their elitist beliefs.

The reason they are now so "popular" is that they affirm the gnositicm of modern USA. And a lot of it is due to modern theologians such as those in the "jesus seminar" who want to make a new scripture.

You might want to read Phillip Jenkins in his book "the Hidden gospels: How the search for Jesus lost it's way".

I don't know scripture studies but did a few courses in ancient history. A lot of his historical comments make sense to me. He points out that the gospels tell us a lot about first century culture, customs, and correspond to the intellectual trends of those days. And mnay of the new testament writings were quoted by early church fathers who are well documented on where they worked and where they were martyred, and whose writings CAN be historically dated thanks to Roman documents (Jesus' death was a routine execution, whereas Jestin Martyr had written to pagan philosophers, for example, and was better known to the intelligencia of his day)

These "gnostic gospels tell almost nothing about first century Judean culture, let alone first century Roman culture. Instead, they are fulll of mystical wishy washy stuff similar to writings in the late second and third century.

It would be like taking a nihilistic novel like Cold Mountain and claiming it was actually written after the civil war: but if it HAD been written then, the same story would have been written much differently, probably closer to "gods and generals": in cold mountain, the people acted and spoke like late twentieth century upper class new yorkers, not like southerners back then or even southerners today. So Jenkin's arguments make sense to me.

[Walkin Man]

No, this isn't "early Christianity", these are the writings of the third century gnositc offshoots that mixed Christianity with their elitist beliefs.

The reason they are now so "popular" is that they affirm the gnosticism of modern USA. And a lot of it is due to modern theologians such as those in the "jesus seminar" who want to make a new scripture.

I agree and this may be a fulfillment of prophecy.

2 Timothy 4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.