Posted on 06/16/2006 6:26:23 PM PDT by restornu
BANNED FROM THE BIBLE
The Stories That Were Deleted From Biblical History
When Jesus was a boy, did he kill another child? Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute -- or an apostle? Did Cain commit incest? Will there be an apocalypse or is this God's trick to scare us? The answers to these questions aren't found in the Bible as we know it, but they exist in scriptures banned when powerful leaders deemed them unacceptable for reasons both political and religious. BANNED FROM THE BIBLE reveals some of these alternative tales and examines why they were "too hot for Christianity." The two-hour world premiere BANNED FROM THE BIBLE airs on Christmas, Thursday, December 25 at 9 pm ET/PT.
The Life of Adam and Eve, The Book of Enoch, The Book of Jubilees, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Mary, The Apocalypse of Peter...these are just a few of the books that were left out of the Bible. The reasons why they were excluded provide astonishing insight into the concerns of church leaders and scholars responsible for spreading the faith an illuminating look at early Christian and religious history.
One hundred and fifty years after the birth of Jesus, a man named Marcion decided that a Christian Bible was needed to replace the Hebrew Bible. Church leaders opposed Marcion's banning of the Hebrew books, but they did agree that Christians should have a Bible to call their own. After Constantine the Great converted to Christianity in the 4th century, a serious effort was made to compile a Christian Bible, one that included both the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament) and Christian manuscripts (the New Testament). It took another 40 years before a final list of New Testament books was officially canonized by the church. Many of the most popular were excluded. Upon examination today, many of these writings attempt to resolve inconsistencies and questions raised from reading the Bible.
BANNED FROM THE BIBLE examines the stories in some of these books, how they were rediscovered and what they might mean to us today. Included are:
* The Life of Adam and Eve: A more detailed story of creation than what is found in Genesis, this book includes jealous angels, a more devious serpent, and more information about Eve's fall from grace from her point of view.
* The Book of Jubilees: This obscure Hebrew text offers an answer to a question that has vexed Christians for centuries -- if Adam and Eve only had sons, and if no other humans existed, who gave birth to humanity? This text reveals that Adam and Eve had nine children and that Cain's younger sister Awan became his wife. The idea that humanity was born of incest would have been radical -- and heretical.
* The Book of Enoch: This scripture reads like a modern day action film, telling of fallen angels, bloodthirsty giants, an earth that had become home to an increasingly flawed humanity and a divine judgment to be rendered though denied a place in most Western Bibles; it has been used for centuries by Ethiopian Christians. Large portions of this book were found as part of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
* The Infancy Gospel of Thomas: The only book that deals with young Jesus, it indicates that Jesus was a strong-willed child who one historian describes as "Dennis the Menace as God." The book reveals that at age five, Jesus may have killed a boy by pushing push him off a roof and then resurrected him. Perhaps too disturbing for inclusion in the Bible, this book seems to contain traditions, also known to the Koran.
* The Protovangelion of James: This book offers details of the life of the Virgin Mary, her parents, her birth and her youth, stories not found in the New Testament Gospels but was beloved by many early Christians.
* The Gospel of Mary: This Gnostic Text reveals that Mary Magdalene may have been an apostle, perhaps even a leading apostle, not a prostitute. While some texts in the Bible seem to deny women a voice in the Christian community, this texts helps spark the debate about the role of women in the church.
* The Gospel of Nicodemus: This is the story of Jesus's trial and execution and his descent into hell. According to this gospel the Savior asserts his power over Satan by freeing patriarchs such as Adam, Isaiah and Abraham from Hell.
* The Apocalypse of Peter: Peter's apocalypse suggests that there is a way out of punishment for evildoers and implies that the threat of the apocalypse is a way for God to scare people into living a moral life, and committing fewer sins.
These books are just a sampling of the hundreds that were never included in the Holy Bible. Perhaps there are more to be found. Whether one believes these alternative stories or not, they do provide an interesting perspective of the religious culture and propensities of the time.
BANNED FROM THE BIBLE features commentary from Bible experts and historians including Marvin Meyer, PhD, Professor of Bible and Christian Studies, Chapman University; Daniel Smith-Christopher, Ph.D, Professor of Religious Studies, Bluffton College; Anthea Butler, Ph.D, Department of Theological Studies Loyola Marymount University; and John Dominic Crossan, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus, DePaul University.
Well, I tend to think it is far simpler than that.
If one reads it, believes it, lives by it, points of contention are not really relevent.
BTW, I once saw someone (a deeply committed fundamentalist) give a detailed account of the Creation story, word for word, and it was fascinating beyond words.
It was about 20 years ago, so I don't remember much, but there is far more there than meets a casual read.
A casual reader will, in fact, see a literal 24 hour day period for each day of creation; but the creation began before earth was formed and, therefore, no 24 hour day existed.
Also, seeing as how God is not limited by time -- a picosecond is as a trillion years -- puts a whole 'nother spin on a literal interpretation.
Freedom of Religion - yahoo!!!!!!!
Personally, IMO, you might as well not bother reading the Bible if you're going to edit it for what you don't believe. Contradictions? There aren't any.
Maybe you should try the Koran...
There are many. I went to private religious operated schools from grade 1 through college. It's not like I haven't had thousands of hours of instruction in the Bible.
I believe its overall theme, but it contradicts itself numerous times.
The Bible is work of inspired men, but fallible men. If God wanted to shoot us a copy of His actual manual, I don't think that would be a problem for him.
He hasn't done that.
I can still be a God-fearing Christian in spite of the stupid hateful attitude of mean-spirited Bible thumpers like you.
Amazing, isn't it?
The reason the Bible seems to contradict its self is because their are two laws that are being talked about and the mainstream refuses to acknowldge it unless the learn says it so!
When one studies Moses you will again the Lord is given Moses the written word which is called a dispensation there have been serveral for the word keeps getting diluted by the slopful and the wolf in sheep clohting!
The first covenant Moses receive was rejected by the people it was called the higher law the restored covenant of Abraham which was for all eternity!
Than the second one Moses got which is called the Law of Moses was for time only meaning from the lesser law or covenant!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1644446/posts?page=278#278
Some of these post do discuss the two type of Laws and why they seem to contradict if you don't know that there are two laws being talked about!
If Jesus as talking to those who favored the Law of Moses than he told them what they could expect as a reward and if it was for time they could have no increaseZ!
In Matt 19 you get a glimpse of eternity as talked about in verse 29 of Matt 9.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
In Matt 22 there is no way one could bound things on earth and heaven if they were living the lesser law!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1644446/posts?page=209#209
Maybe they weren't included because they weren't true? And they actually tried to include only books that there was evidence for?
Just because someone wrote it does not make it true.
The gospel according to Mel
Really?
Matthew claims Jesus drove out the money changers and then cursed the fig tree the next morning.
Mark claims Jesus cursed the fig tree one morning, and then drove out the money changers later that same day.
Which is it?
And your point is?
Do we have to debate about the gnostic gospels, again?
(whining)
A casual reader will, in fact, see a literal 24 hour day period for each day of creation; but the creation began before earth was formed and, therefore, no 24 hour day existed.
What is your take then on the words "and there was evening and there was morning, the first day." And then again the second day...etc...Is there ANY reason to say that a normal 24 hour day does not include evening and morning and further, what would be the purpose of knowing that there was morning and evening if the timeframe was more than an actual 24 hour period? Has there ever, in all of known history been a day that has morning and evening and was not 24 hours?
I look forward to your answers...thanks.
Sounds like a snide reply, and maybe it is, but it's also a good question.
I suppose my point is that people are often too dogmatic and simplistic in their understanding of things like faith. First, they follow the word of some Bible teacher (usually whoever happened to be speaking at whatever church they happened to grow up in), and they believe it wholeheartedly.
There's nothing wrong with that, I suppose. And it's perfectly natural: people desperately want life to wrapped up all clean and simple and decisively and 100% certain (which is why cults have such an appeal).
Most people don't go the "cult" route in life. But I can tell you this: To my observation, a lot of people decide, "Hey, WE'VE got the TRUTH." And then they take that and it becomes an enormous source of pride for them. Which is not really a good thing. Especially when they then use their sense that they're the people with the "truth" to set themselves, in their minds, above other people.
My point isn't to try and destroy anybody's faith. But just realize this: Any time somebody tries to wrap up faith in a cut-and-dried little box, well, it's fine for you to believe the cut-and-dried version if you want, but in my experience God and faith can't be reduced to a cut-and-dried little statement of dogma and doctrine.
When the earth was being formed there was no corporal time you are right that did not start until after Adam and Eve fell did corporal time start ticking!
Maybe you should try the Koran...
The point is someone revised and edit the galley before we got the final copy!
it is so obvious to those of us who are not indoctrinate!
It is one thing to be a believer but if they have not received a witness of the Holy Spirit, why are they so committed?
They say they believe the Bible yet they are afraid of the Holy Spirit!
They would perfer to believe 2000 tradition and than to exercise faith and receive a witness from the Holy Spirit!
1Cor.2
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.!
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.!
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.!
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.!
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.!
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.!
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.!
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.!
You think because you make a blanket statement as being all gnostic that is the end of it!
It is not all gnostic this is done to discredit when an article like this is written instead of just including those articles that are gnostic free!
In this day and age beyond you or me much will surface for the stones cry out!
To put it another way, I would venture to say that you are like a person looking at the racing form and newsletters, but you haven't quite gone up to the window and made your bet. Would that be fair?
As to Noah's flood and things of that kind, I guess people of a literalist persuasion would say that my faith is misplaced. (And I would say theirs is.)
But wasn't the original topic about whether the Table of Contents, so to speak, of the Bible was faxed from above, or, more precisely, what it meant that it wasn't faxed from above. The article is about books that were (cue dramatic music) "banned" from the Bible. This raises the question, "Who do those people think they are to say this book is in and that book is out? What gives THEM the right, huh?"
And that, I think, just shows that questions about the nature and authority of Scripture sooner or later lead to questions about the nature and the authority of the Church and then about the activity of the Holy Spirit. In the word's of Cher, from Clueless,"It's a big old mess!"
It probably looks that way to other people, but I don't see it that way.
Here's my perspective, and I'm not trying to persuade anyone else to adopt it:
The truth is the truth and it would be so whether or not the Bible ever existed. Reading the Bible can't be the entrance exam for heaven or all those who couldn't read in world history, or lived before the Bible was written, or never were given the opportunity to read it, would be automatically disqualified.
That would be unfair, and since I believe God is fair, something more basic is the criteria.
The alternative to that is that God is unfair, in which case there is no way to guess who will be the winners or losers will be.
Given that I have that perspective, I view the Bible as one tool to use to discover God's truths. But since it was compiled by men, there are errors. Those don't really bother me because in the overall scheme of things, it doesn't matter whether I believe in Noah's Flood 4,000 years ago, or whether I believe it never happened and that life, including human life, evolved on this planet over hundreds of millions of years.
Those are interesting side issues.
So, I'm not a biblical literalist and I don't have to jump through hoops to argue that everything in there is consistent with itself, with science, or with history and reality.
That approach works for me, and I know it doesn't work for others who need a more structured philosophy.
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