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Colossians 2:8 (ESV)-See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
The religious group known as the Gnostics began their rise to power and prominence near the end of the first century A.D. They attempted to combine elements of Christianity with paganism, creating several different schools of thought and practice. It is estimated that there were at least 22 different Gnostic groups!
In 1945, a huge library of Gnostic books was discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt. Since this Gnostic library is central to the issues raised by the Da Vinci Code and the question of the relationship between Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene,, I would like to provide you with an overview of the books that were there discovered. The following information is from James L. Garlow with Timothy Paul Jones and April Williams, The DaVinci Codebreaker: An Easy-To-Use Fact Checker, 142-146 (Kindle Edition); Minneapolis, Minnesota; Bethany House.
Acts Of Peter And The Twelve (A.D. 150-1250) Tale of a pearl merchant who turns out to be Jesus; not to be confused with the Christian writing Acts Of Peter from the late second century.
Allogenes (A.D. 300-350) Refers to Gnostics as members of the race of Seth (allogenes means “from another race”)
Apocalypse Of Adam (A.D. 160-300) Adam tells Seth how he and Eve became more powerful than their Creator, never explicitly meant ions any Christian themes or characters.
Apocalypse Of James 1 (AD 200-300) Supposed dialogue between Jesus and James the brother Jesus.
Apocalypse Of James 2 (AD 150-180) Supposed dialogue between Jesus and James the brother of Jesus, ending with James’ martyrdom.
Apocryphon Of James (AD 140-160) Mildly Gnostic letter, claiming to come from James the brother of Jesus.
Apocryphon Of John (AD 160-200) Presents the deity of the Old Testament and creator of the physical universe as an evil demigod.
Asclepius (Time of writing uncertain) Greek philosophical tracate.
Authoritative Teaching (AD 150-200) Gnostic tracate, urging people to avoid physical pleasures.
Book Of Thomas The Contender (AD 150-225) Supposed ‘secret words’ spoken by Jesus to Thomas and recorded by Matthias; perhaps connected to the Gospel of Matthias.
Concept Of Our Great Power (AD 300-390) Gnostic description of salvation and of the world.
Coptic Apocalypse Of Paul (AD 160-260 perhaps later) Describes Paul’s supposed ascension through several layers of Heaven.
Coptic Apocalypse Of Peter (AD 250-300) Describes Jesus as if He possessed no physical body.
Coptic Gospel Of The Egyptians (AD 200-300) Presents Jesus as the reincarnation of Seth, third son of Adam and Eve.
Dialogue Of The Savior (AD 150-200) Found only in fragments, which present a consistently negative view of sexuality and of women.
Discourse On The Eighth And Ninth (A.D. 150-200) Guide for Gnostics to experience the mystical realm.
Epistle Of Peter To Philip (AD 180-220) Supposed letter, followed by a Gnostic discourse concerning the nature of Jesus Christ.
Eugnostos The Blessed (Time Of Composition Uncertain) Presentation of Gnostic cosmology; some elements may be pre-Christian.
Exegesis On The Soul (A.D. 200-250) Short story; recounting the Gnostic myth of the soul’s fall from Heaven.
Gospel Of Philip (AD 160-300) Collection of Gnostic sayings from several previous writings, apparently reflecting the teachings of Valentines.
Gospel Of Thomas (AD 130-150) List of suppose sayings of Jesus.
Gospel Of Truth (AD 250-350) Gnostic reworking of the Creation and of the ministry of Jesus.
Hypostatis Of The Archons (A.D. 250-350) Mythological presentation of Gnostic cosmology.
Hypsiphrone (Time Of Composition Uncertain) Fragments of text describe the descent of a heavenly figure similar to Sophia.
Interpretation Of Knowledge (AD 160-200) Valentinian reinterpretation of the teachings of Jesus and Paul.
Marsanes (A.D. 200-300) Descriptions of Gnostic experience and rituals.
Melchizedek (AD 200-300) Fragments of text seem to provide a Gnostic reinterpretation of the Old Testament account of Melchizedek.
Origin Of The World (A.D. 290-330) Presentation of Gnostic theology.
Paraphrase Of Shem (Time Of Composition Uncertain) Fragments, presenting a negative view of sexuality.
Prayer Of Thanksgiving (AD 150-250) Brief prayer of gratitude for having received gnosis.
Prayer Of The Apostle Paul (A.D. 160-300) Brief prayer with similarities to Three Steles Of Seth and Gospel of Philip.
Republic (Plato) (Time Of Composition Uncertain) Gnostic adaptation of the philosopher Plato’s classic work.
Sentences Of Sextus (Time Of Composition Uncertain) List of wise sayings.
Sophia Of Jesus Christ (Time of composition uncertain, may seem from the late first or early second centuries) List of supposed questions rom the apostles, to which Jesus provides Gnostic answers; probably an adaptation of Eugnostos.
Teachings Of Silvanius (A.D. 160-220) Unlike other Nag Hammadi documents; not a Gnostic text; emphasizes spiritual growth through self-denial.
Testimony Of Truth (A.D. 180-220) Polemic against competing Gnostic groups.
Thought Of Norea (A.D. 180-240) Depicts a feminine savior, apparently the counterpart of the biblical figure Seth.
Three Steles Of Seth (A.D. 220-260) Includes many Gnostic hymns and prayers.
Thunder, Perfect Mind (Time Of Composition Uncertain) A divine female figure, ‘Thunder,’ sings hymns about herself; not clearly Gnostic, Jewish, or Christian in origin.
Treatise Of The Great Seth (Time Of Composition Uncertain) Supposedly the words of Jesus to a group of Gnostic believers; Simon of Cyrene is crucified instead of Jesus.
Treatise On The Resurrection (A.D. 180-200) Brief letter denying the physical resurrection of believers.
Trimorphic Protennoia (A.D. 160-200) Description of the descent of “the First Thought”of God into the world.
Tripartite Tracate (A.D. 200-250) Gnostic description of salvation history and cosmology.
Valentinian Exposition On Baptism, Anointing, And The Eucharist (A.D. 150-180) Gnostic reinterpretation of Christian rituals.
Zostrianos (A.D. 260-300) Description of Gnostic cosmology.
As we prepare to delve deeper into the questions raised by the Da Vinci Code, please take these three thoughts with you.
First, the issues we are studying deal with Scripture. The New Testament Scriptures are much older then the Gnostic scriptures, and were written by those who are direct eyewitnesses of Jesus. The differences between the Bible and the Gnostic scriptures are incredible. The inspired authors of the New Testament are quite adamant that they are writing down historical facts that can be examined and verified (cf. Luke 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). Carefully consider these words from Geisler:
“In addition to these, Luke gives correct titles for the following officials: Cyprus, proconsul (13:7–8); Thessalonica, politarchs (17:6); Ephesus, temple wardens (19:35); Malta, the first man of the island (28:7; Yamauchi, 115–19). Each of these has been confirmed by Roman usage. In all, Luke names thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, and nine islands without an error. This led the prominent historian Sir William Ramsay to recant his critical views: I began with a mind unfavorable to it [Acts], for the ingenuity and apparent completeness of the Tubingen theory had at one time quite convinced me. It did not lie then in my line of life to investigate the subject minutely; but more recently I found myself often brought into contact with the book of Acts as an authority for the topography, antiquities, and society of Asia Minor. It was gradually borne in upon me that in various details the narrative showed marvelous truth. [Ramsay, 8] In full agreement, Roman historian A. N. Sherwin-White says, “For Acts the confirmation of historicity is overwhelming…. Any attempt to reject its basic historicity must now appear absurd. Roman historians have long taken it for granted” (Sherwin-White, 189).” (Norman Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Baker Reference Library), 47 (Kindle Edition): Baker Books)
When one reads the Gnostic scriptures, he sees quite a difference with the Bible. The Nag Hammadi books are a strange mixture of pagan religion , philosophy, and cosmology, with a smattering of New Testament characters added in to try and “Christianize” what is being said. Consider some examples from the Gnostic book, the gospel of Thomas:
Thomas 3b-“The Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty.”
Thomas 29-“If the flesh came into being because of spirit, it is a wonder. But if spirit came into being because of the body, it is a wonder of wonders. Indeed, I am amazed at how this great wealth has made its home in this poverty.”
Thomas 114-“Simon Peter said to them, ‘Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.’ Jesus said, ‘I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven.”
See the differences?
Second, remember as we go forward that these Gnostic books acknowledge the existence and authority of the preexisting New Testament. Several translators of the Gnostic library at Nag Hammadi point this out. For instance:
“This impressive composition, which adroitly chains together and inventively elaborates a series of striking images in a discourse interwoven with subtle allusions to New Testament texts, is no doubt the work of an important figure.” (Einar Thomassen & Marvin Meyer, Introduction To Gospel Of Truth, Marvin W. Meyer & James M. Robinson, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: The Revised and Updated Translation of Sacred Gnostic Texts Complete in One Volume, 33 (Kindle Edition); HarperCollins E-Books)
“As Michel Tardieu suggests, the author of the tractate has utilized his source, Eugnostos, within an artificial framework borrowed from the New Testament and apocryphal literature emphasizing the revelation of Christ to his disciples after the resurrection.” (Madeleine Scpello, Introduction To The Wisdom Of Jesus Christ, inMarvin Meyer & James M. Robinson, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: The Revised and Updated Translation of Sacred Gnostic Texts Complete in One Volume, 285 (Kindle Edition); HarperCollins E-Books)
“The vocabulary of the Gospel of Philip includes expressions drawn from both the New Testament and the Jewish scriptures.” (Madeline Scopello & Marvin Meyer, Introduction To Gospel Of Philip, Marvin Meyer & James M. Robinson, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: The Revised and Updated Translation of Sacred Gnostic Texts Complete in One Volume, 159 (Kindle Edition); HarperCollins E-Books)
“As Michel Tardieu suggests, the author of the tractate has utilized his source, Eugnostos, within an artificial framework borrowed from the New Testament and apocryphal literature emphasizing the revelation of Christ to his disciples after the resurrection.” (Madeline Scopello & Marvin Meyer, Introduction To The Wisdom Of Jesus Christ, Marvin Meyer & James M. Robinson, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: The Revised and Updated Translation of Sacred Gnostic Texts Complete in One Volume, 285 (Kindle Edition); HarperCollins E-Books)
“It is interesting that most of these reinterpretations of the Christology of the apostolic church in Three Forms of First Thought seem to depend on key passages from the Gospel of John to score their point in any acute fashion.” (John D. Turner, Introduction To Three Forms Of First Thought, in Marvin W. Meyer & James M. Robinson,The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: The Revised and Updated Translation of Sacred Gnostic Texts Complete in One Volume by Marvin W. Meyer, James M. Robinson, 713 (Kindle Edition); HarperOne)
This all reminds us that the New Testament Scriptures were around before the Gnostic books, were well-known, and were considered authoritative, even by the enemies of Christianity.
Third, remember this: the true Jesus revealed in the New Testament is vastly different from the “Jesus” revealed in the Gnostic books!
In our next study, we will examine two passages from the Gnostic scriptures which many believe teache that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married.
Father, continue to help us as we navigate these confusing currents. Thank You for the Bible, the tried and true Word which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Help strengthen our faith, and give us opportunity to share these truths with those who are searching. Amen.