The Lost Scriptures – books that did not make it into the New Testament.

The Gospel of the Savior

“Those who want to set the world against me are plotting against me because I am a stranger to it. So behold, now I am grieving on account of the sins of the world. But I am rejoicing on your account, because (you have….) well in (the world). So become acquainted with (yourselves), that you might profit me, and I will rejoice over your work! “I am the king” – “Amen”. “I am the (son) of the king.” (“Amen”).

“O cross, do not be afraid! I am rich. I will fill you with my wealth. (I) will mount you, O Cross. (I) will be (hung) upon you ……(“Amen”).

One of the more recent gospels to be discovered is the Gospel of the Savior. Again, as with many old manuscripts, there are a lot of holes in the content – so much of the text has been destroyed. From what we have we know this gospel was once an interesting account of the last hours of Jesus’ life. What exists are instructions from Jesus to his disciples.

And in another place Jesus addresses the cross itself: “I am rich. I will fill you with my wealth. A little while, O cross, and what has fallen will rise.”

The author of this gospel most likely had the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of John and possibly Revelation at his disposal. What is intriguing is the way Jesus speaks about himself. He calls himself “a blazing fire” and “I am the king”. We know from Old Testament accounts that no one could see G-d and live – for his countenance was too awesome. Here we also have a different “I Am” statement than those that appear in the gospel of John. Whoever wrote this gospel shares the high Christology of John’s gospel.

The fact that Jesus speaks to the actual cross in this text is truly amazing. It is as if even the cross is a piece of living history – as much a voice in the plans of salvation as Pilate and Caiaphas. And the conversation Jesus has with the cross is one of planning, control and purpose – Jesus is in control of his final days, just as the Gospel of John portrays Jesus in his Gospel. Jesus is the king, and Jesus gives us the fire of the Spirit – and Jesus is even in control of the cross – these are amazing accounts of the life and death of Jesus.

Pastor Dave

The Lost Scriptures – books that did not make it into the New Testament.

The Gospel of Truth

“The gospel of truth is joy to those who have received from the Father of truth the gift of knowing him by the power of the Logos, who has come from the Pleroma and who is in the thought and the mind of the Father; he it is who is called “the Savior,” since that is the name of the work which he must do for the redemption of those who have not known the Father. For the name of the gospel is the manifestation of hope, since that is the discovery of those who seek him, because the All sought him from whom it had come forth. You see, the All had been inside of him, that illimitable, inconceivable one, who is better than every thought. This ignorance of the Father brought about terror and fear. And terror became dense like a fog, that no one was able to see. Because of this, error became strong. But it worked on its hylic substance vainly, because it did not know the truth. It was in a fashioned form while it was preparing, in power and in beauty, the equivalent of truth. This then, was not a humiliation for him, that illimitable, inconceivable one. For they were as nothing, this terror and this forgetfulness and this figure of falsehood, whereas this established truth is unchanging, unperturbed and completely beautiful.

For this reason, do not take error too seriously. Thus, since it had no root, it was in a fog as regards the Father, engaged in preparing works and forgetfulnesses and fears in order, by these means, to beguile those of the middle and to make them captive. The forgetfulness of error was not revealed. It did not become light beside the Father. Forgetfulness did not exist with the Father, although it existed because of him. What exists in him is knowledge, which was revealed so that forgetfulness might be destroyed and that they might know the Father, Since forgetfulness existed because they did not know the Father, if they then come to know the Father, from that moment on forgetfulness will cease to exist.

That is the gospel of him whom they seek, which he has revealed to the perfect through the mercies of the Father as the hidden mystery, Jesus the Christ.”

This text has become known as a wonderful example of Gnostic saving knowledge, or what they call Gnosis. The source of Gnosis is the saving work of Jesus Christ. And this source could possibly have written by Valentinus, the most famous Christian Gnostic of the second century.

Valentinus was a second century Christian mystic and poet. He is sometimes referenced as a “Gnostic” teacher and writer because of the importance that special knowledge or “Gnosis” plays in his thought. Valentinus was born in upper Egypt about 100 AD and educated in nearby Alexandria. There he became a disciple of the Christian teacher Theudas who had been a disciple of Saint Paul. He claimed that Theudas taught him secret wisdom or “Gnosis” that Paul had taught privately to his inner circle. Like many early Christian mystics, Valentinus claimed that he had a vision of the risen Christ. Following his vision, he began his career as a Christian teacher at Alexandria around 120AD.

This Gospel, the Gospel of Truth, focuses on the “truth” that brings humans redemption from the darkness of ignorance in which they languish. And Jesus Christ is the one to reveal this understanding.

What do we know as the truth? Jesus says “I am the way, and the truth and the life – no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6) Instead of Jesus having some secret knowledge that contains the truth for our salvation, Jesus himself is the truth – and he is the one who brings us salvation, through his death and resurrection.  The understanding we gain through scripture gives us the knowledge we need to live the Christ-like life.

Pastor Dave