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Apocalypse of James: Lost original Greek text of banned Bible book found at Oxford University
News.com AU ^ | December 2, 2017 | Jamie Seidel

Posted on 12/01/2017 6:05:11 PM PST by sparklite2

“The Lord said, ‘James, after these things I shall reveal to you everything, not for your sake alone but for the sake of the unbelief of men, so that faith may exist in them’,” a Coptic fragment reads.

He seeks to reassure his brother everything is as it should be. He describes heaven. He gives James the passwords necessary to guarantee his entry. He gives advice on fighting supernatural challenges. He foretells future events. He warns James of the circumstances surrounding his own martyrdom.

Many other Early Christian texts, some of them immensely popular, were among those banned. Names include the Epistle of Barnabas, The Shepherd of Hermas, The Magdalene Gospel and The Gospel of Judas. Yet others were attributed to more familiar authors — including Matthew, Mark, John and Peter.

But chief among them was likely to be one key concern: Was it the real deal? Three hundred and thirty years is a lot of time for fan fiction to rise and circulate, after all.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...


TOPICS: Current Events
KEYWORDS: apocalypseofjames; epigraphyandlanguage; faithandphilosophy; gnosticgospels; godsgravesglyphs; history; naghammadi; oxforduniversity
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To: Slyfox
The Early Church Fathers knew what they were doing. To second guess them now is foolish.

And yet...



As regards the oft-quoted Mt. 16:18, note the following Early Church Fathers promise in the profession of faith of Vatican 1:

 • Basil of Seleucia, Oratio 25:

'You are Christ, Son of the living God.'...Now Christ called this confession a rock, and he named the one who confessed it 'Peter,' perceiving the appellation which was suitable to the author of this confession. For this is the solemn rock of religion, this the basis of salvation, this the wall of faith and the foundation of truth: 'For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.' To whom be glory and power forever. — Oratio XXV.4, M.P.G., Vol. 85, Col. 296-297.

Bede, Matthaei Evangelium Expositio, 3:

You are Peter and on this rock from which you have taken your name, that is, on myself, I will build my Church, upon that perfection of faith which you confessed I will build my Church by whose society of confession should anyone deviate although in himself he seems to do great things he does not belong to the building of my Church...Metaphorically it is said to him on this rock, that is, the Saviour which you confessed, the Church is to be built, who granted participation to the faithful confessor of his name. — 80Homily 23, M.P.L., Vol. 94, Col. 260. Cited by Karlfried Froehlich, Formen, Footnote #204, p. 156 [unable to verify by me].

Cassiodorus, Psalm 45.5:

'It will not be moved' is said about the Church to which alone that promise has been given: 'You are Peter and upon this rock I shall build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.' For the Church cannot be moved because it is known to have been founded on that most solid rock, namely, Christ the Lord. — Expositions in the Psalms, Volume 1; Volume 51, Psalm 45.5, p. 455

Chrysostom (John) [who affirmed Peter was a rock, but here not the rock in Mt. 16:18]:

Therefore He added this, 'And I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; that is, on the faith of his confession. — Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Homily LIIl; Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.LII.html)

Cyril of Alexandria:

When [Peter] wisely and blamelessly confessed his faith to Jesus saying, 'You are Christ, Son of the living God,' Jesus said to divine Peter: 'You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.' Now by the word 'rock', Jesus indicated, I think, the immoveable faith of the disciple.”. — Cyril Commentary on Isaiah 4.2.

Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Book XII):

“For a rock is every disciple of Christ of whom those drank who drank of the spiritual rock which followed them, 1 Corinthians 10:4 and upon every such rock is built every word of the church, and the polity in accordance with it; for in each of the perfect, who have the combination of words and deeds and thoughts which fill up the blessedness, is the church built by God.'

“For all bear the surname ‘rock’ who are the imitators of Christ, that is, of the spiritual rock which followed those who are being saved, that they may drink from it the spiritual draught. But these bear the surname of rock just as Christ does. But also as members of Christ deriving their surname from Him they are called Christians, and from the rock, Peters.” — Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Book XII), sect. 10,11 ( http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/101612.htm)

Hilary of Potier, On the Trinity (Book II):

Thus our one immovable foundation, our one blissful rock of faith, is the confession from Peter's mouth, Thou art the Son of the living God. On it we can base an answer to every objection with which perverted ingenuity or embittered treachery may assail the truth."-- (Hilary of Potier, On the Trinity (Book II), para 23; Philip Schaff, editor, The Nicene & Post Nicene Fathers Series 2, Vol 9.

61 posted on 12/02/2017 4:27:40 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Don W
The Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach


62 posted on 12/02/2017 4:32:45 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Lurker; Harmless Teddy Bear
HTB: “They are not in the cannon because they were not inspired and never pretended to be.”

L: According to whom?

If they were canon, they would have been included 2,000 years ago.

"Prots" come under fire regularly for (which is a false accusation BTW) for claiming to have truth the church didn't have for 1500 years and making stuff up.

And now these writings are suddenly supposed to be canon 2,000 year later?

They weren't considered canon or Scripture at the time of their writing. If someone wants to consider them canon now, the burden of proof is on THEM to demonstrate that they should have been considered canon all along.

63 posted on 12/02/2017 4:36:21 AM PST by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: circlecity; teppe; Normandy; StormPrepper
You can trust your bible as inerrant and sufficient.

Now our FRMormons have a slightly different view of the bible...


See Number 8 from MORMONism's own creed:

 
 

Articles of Faith

The Articles of Faith outline 13 basic points of belief of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Prophet Joseph Smith first wrote them in a letter to John Wentworth, a newspaper editor,
in response to Mr. Wentworth's request to know what members of the Church believed.
They were subsequently published in Church periodicals.
They are now regarded as scripture and included in the Pearl of Great Price.

 
THE ARTICLES OF FAITH
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
History of the Church, Vol. 4, pp. 535—541
 
 

  1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
  2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
  3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
  4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
  5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
  6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
  7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
  8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
  9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
  10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
  11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
  12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
  13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Joseph Smith


 

64 posted on 12/02/2017 4:36:47 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: circlecity; teppe; Normandy; StormPrepper
... our FRMormons have a slightly different view of the bible...


But it STILL gets printed in every Quad that rolls off of the presses.

65 posted on 12/02/2017 4:37:41 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: sparklite2

Matthew IS Scripture.

The only things that need to be supported by Scripture are claims of things NOT found in Scripture.

Since Matthew IS Scripture, that demand for being supported by Scripture does not apply.


66 posted on 12/02/2017 4:38:50 AM PST by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: Southack
The passwords are to pass by the 3 soul stealers. You answer their question of who you are by saying that you are a son of the Pre-Existent Father, for one example.

o.........k............

67 posted on 12/02/2017 4:40:57 AM PST by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: stockpirate
The group who put the new testement together were not lovers of the Lord.

And away we go!

68 posted on 12/02/2017 4:41:30 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: metmom
They weren't considered canon or Scripture at the time of their writing. If someone wants to consider them canon now, the burden of proof is on THEM to demonstrate that they should have been considered canon all along.

I see what you did here!

69 posted on 12/02/2017 4:42:44 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: sparklite2

Pretty much any translation is inexact, to one degree or another. It’s just hard to translate idioms or, as inn this case, words that might have multiple meanings (or at least multiple shades of meaning.)


70 posted on 12/02/2017 6:13:06 AM PST by TBP (Progressives lack compassion and tolerance. Their self-aggrandizement is all that matters.)
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To: sparklite2

That being the case, why commit suicide??


71 posted on 12/02/2017 6:57:12 AM PST by ravenwolf (If the Bible does not say it in plain words, please don`t preach it to me.)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

The Shepherd of Hermas and the Epistle of Barnabas are perfectly nice pieces of Christian literature. They just didn’t make the cut to become part of the NT.


72 posted on 12/02/2017 7:02:34 AM PST by Campion (Halten Sie sich unbedingt an die Lehre!)
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To: RegulatorCountry
From what I can tell RC’s seem to think it’s a physical object imbued with some sort of magical power.

You can't really "tell" very much, can you? You won't find any discussion of "physical objects" imbued with magical power in the catechism. The "keys" are a symbol of dynastic authority taken straight from Isaiah 22:22, not a physical object.

73 posted on 12/02/2017 7:05:06 AM PST by Campion (Halten Sie sich unbedingt an die Lehre!)
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To: circlecity

***There is virtually no reference of them or manuscripts prior to the late second or early third century.***

I have read that one or more of the anti-Christian emperors ordered the destruction of all Christian bibles and scriptures. So, the Christians hid their real scriptures and turned in their fake “gospels” for destruction, but a few of the fakes, such as the Nag Hamidi, must have survived.

After a new emperor came to power, the real scriptures were brought out of hiding. That is the ones in the Bible.


74 posted on 12/02/2017 7:37:08 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: TBP
"It would be interesting to compile these in one place."

They are still in the old Catholic Reims-Douay Bible in their original places. The RSV Catholic Bible has them, as well. The Ignatius and Oxford editions of the RSV have them. They are not banned, nor are they "hidden knowledge." They are simply books of the Bible that were removed at some point in the much more recent past.

75 posted on 12/02/2017 8:41:15 AM PST by redhead (Pray for children in pedophile pipeline, destined for neglect, torture, and even sacrifice...)
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To: Lurker
According to themselves.
76 posted on 12/02/2017 8:42:15 AM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (Not a Romantic, not a hero worshiper and stop trying to tug my heartstrings. It tickles! (pink bow))
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To: longfellowsmuse

Try this: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”


77 posted on 12/02/2017 8:42:47 AM PST by redhead (Pray for children in pedophile pipeline, destined for neglect, torture, and even sacrifice...)
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To: freepertoo
Pretty much but I wanted to point out that while “fanfic” is a good name for some of them part of them are not fiction but histories. That they were not inspired does not make them fiction.
78 posted on 12/02/2017 8:44:28 AM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (Not a Romantic, not a hero worshiper and stop trying to tug my heartstrings. It tickles! (pink bow))
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To: ravenwolf

What being the case?


79 posted on 12/02/2017 10:57:01 AM PST by sparklite2 (I hereby designate the ongoing kerfuffle Diddle-Gate.)
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To: sparklite2

Maybe I am missing the point but I thought
He was doing it because of unbelief.

Rather than by agreement, seems the reaction would be different


80 posted on 12/02/2017 11:19:33 AM PST by ravenwolf (If the Bible does not say it in plain words, please don`t preach it to me.)
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