Posted on 12/05/2017 11:12:13 AM PST by servo1969
Biblical scholars have discovered the first-known original Greek copy of an ancient forbidden Christian text that purportedly describes Jesus’ secret teachings to his “brother” James, an early leader of the Church.
Geoffrey Smith and Brent Landau, religious studies scholars at The University of Texas at Austin, located the rare text in Oxford University archives earlier this year. The experts found several fifth- or sixth-century A.D. Greek fragments of the First Apocalypse of James, one of the books from an ancient collection known as the Nag Hammadi library. Previously, the text was thought to be preserved only via translations in the Egyptian Coptic language.
Only a small number of texts from the Nag Hammadi library, a collection of 13 Coptic Gnostic books discovered in Egypt in 1945, have been found in Greek, their original language of composition. Also known as the “Gnostic Gospels,” the books are seen as key documents for understanding Gnosticism, an ancient belief system.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Title is misleading. It even says in the article that brother is not to be taken as blood relative.
Hey, these texts were written by Joel Osteen so you know it’s legit!
who found them wanting? Those who had skin and money involved of course
This discovery is of the earliest known copies of the texts.
I’m not sure what the article means by “forbidden”. They just were not considered reliable or scripture. Nor were they actually written by the apostles or relayed by the apostles.
Denies the Deity of Christ. Denies that one of the Names of God is the Lord Jesus. Teaches there are other "gods".
States Jesus needs Redemption rather than being the Perfect Sinless sacrifice.
Introduces false "She" God power. Possible to bring back a Roman Goddess.
There are a myriad of Major problems with this text.
This might have interesting historical value. But any Biblical scholar worth his weight will tell you that Jesus’s brother wasn’t even a believer When Jesus Ministered.
Wow... so Jesus was able to text back then?
Does it?
So then a Catholic wrote this.
All. Righty. Then.
“Jesus half-bothers”
LOL!
As though Joseph would dare enter the vessel of Christ and the Holy Spirit...
Standard Gnostic foolishness.
There are many who would disagree with you on that.
Hold yer fire there, Hoss! If you have a problem, take it up with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Oh, and Paul, too.
Jesus’ Brothers, Sisters & Mother
Jesus’ siblings are mentioned as accompanying Jesus and his mother to Capernaum after the marriage at Cana (John 2:12). Later Mary and these brothers are recorded as seeking an audience with Jesus (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21). Toward the end of Jesus’ ministry, His brethren are mentioned as urging Jesus to prove His Messiahship, which they themselves doubted (John 7:3-5). That they were later converted is clear, for they are described in Acts as uniting with the disciples and others in “prayer and supplication” prior to Pentecost (Acts 1:13-14). Paul implies that they were all married (1 Corinthians 9:5).
Many commentators hold that the author of the epistle of Jude, who identifies himself as the “brother of James,” was one of these brothers (Jude 1). It is also generally believed that the leader of the church at Jerusalem was James the brother of Jesus, (see Acts 12:17; 15:13). This seems to be confirmed by Paul’s reference to his visit to Jerusalem, in which he states that he saw only Peter, and “James, the Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:18-19).
The article said there were multiple interpretations of the term brother.
From the article:
“James, also known as “James the Just” was a leader of the early church - one interpretation of “brother” may thus be a close spiritual relationship as opposed to a fraternal biological link. The First Apocalypse of James describes James as not Jesus’ brother “materially.””
Brian Williams was there when it was found, so it must be true.
Mary, a virgin Jewess betrothed to Joseph, a faithful Jew, gave birth to Jesus. Jesus had a brother James. No second wife is mentioned for Joseph, Earthly father of Jesus. Some church doctrine says that Mary, Mother of Jesus remained virgin all her life. But Jewish law requires consummation for a marriage to be valid.
(From Chabad.org) This first stage of marriage is not a preliminary agreement to contract a marriage at a future date (like the western concept of engagement), but an integral component of the two-step marriage process. The betrothal portion is a sort of inchoate marriage; from that point onward, the couple is considered married. Until the second step is taken, however, the bride may not cohabit with the groom (or any other man). In this social suspension that marks the difficult transition from the single life to the married state, the couple is together yet apart. Until the twelfth century, this first stage of marriage lasted up to one year in order to make preparations for the final step. The second stage of the marriage process is the consummation. It is alternatively termed nissuin, meaning elevation of status, from nassa, coming by carriage from the father’s home to the groom’s; or chuppah, wedding canopy.
The Bible begins to use the term kichah as a preliminary to marital intercourse only after the Torah is received at Sinai. From this time forward, all Jewish marriages must have both components in order to be valid. The Rabbis, in order to make this perfectly clear to the couple, framed the betrothal blessing to read: “...who has forbidden us the betrothed [arusot], and permitted us those who are married to us by chuppah and kiddushin.”(end Chabad.org)
The church doctrine appears to conflict with the Torah.
What it means is "please click on this".
Who decides exactly what is legit, and what is not? And what are the criteria?
There re Gnostic Christians and non-Christian Gnostics. Iv’e read some scholars who say that they are Christians.
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