Do you believe the Gnostic Texts? (Nag Hammadi library)?

I studied the gnostic texts extensively in graduate school- and wrote many papers on gnosticism. Gnosticism resonates with a person deeper than christianity- it appears to bring peace and wholeness- but it is deceiving. It has always been Christianities rival and it always will be.
Christianity is a much harder road but it is true and that is the reason it should be followed and gnosticism rejected.
I do not have the time to argue my case - only bottom lines. Sorry.

Religion has been created by man for the purpose of control, and ego. Each religion has a share of what the truth is, however, truth is not in question, it is the "INTERPERTATION" of said truth.

Bottom line here is this. Jeremiah 31:33 clearly states that GOD has placed HIS commands and laws within our hearts, no one will have to teach who GOD is because everyone will know.

So do we need religion, or do we need GOD?

If the gnostic texts ring true to your heart, why question it if it brings you closer to GOD.

No I dont, because Gnosticism accepts that Jesus was some kind of Spirit being. But they do not accept the humanity of Christ. They reject the fact that there is Sin and therefore also reject the need for a Saviour. They do not believe that Jesus came as a human being and he suffered on the cross as a human. When we deny that Jesus was human being, then there is no foundation for salvation.

1. Sins can be forgiven only by shedding of blood
2. Our substitute should be a man because he was taking the place of human beings. Adam - a human being, sinned and led us automatically into a cursed life - open to sin, sickness and poverty. So, the person who comes to redeem us out of the curse also has to be a human being, so that whoever accepts him as their sacrifice - can move on into the blessed life
3. The man must be exposed to temptations as a human being but commit no sin (be perfectly Sinless) to qualify as our substitute

- and if Jesus was not human - then he cannot meet the criteria as a Spirit being cannot have blood, A spirit being cannot subsitute for human beings and a spirit being cannot be exposed to human temptations in order to qualify to be our subsitute.

Hence, the Gnostics are in error. But God loves them too!

Someone named Gnostic texted me earlier and said "lolwtfbbq!" and I was confused. So... I now believe in Gnostic texts.

Actually there is some controversy there. It is possible the Gospel of Thomas was written as early as 30AD, but as late as 200AD. Compare that to the Gospel of John which was written between 90AD and 140AD. If you were to replace the Gospel of John with the Gospel of Thomas, Christianity would be a completely different religion.

Thomas:
"The [Father's] imperial rule is inside you and outside you"

John:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

It has even been suggested that the Gospel of John was written specifically to discredit Thomas (which could make the argument that Thomas would have been written first).
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2004/february4/pagels-24.html

Remember, the bible was assembled by the council of Nicea around 325 AD, what they chose to include and exclude would have been based on their beliefs that evolved over the 3 centuries after Jesus died (and resurrected).

Read Elaine Pagels if you want more insight on the Gnostic texts, she has written several books on the subject.

As for what I believe, I do not think that any one book can provide all of the answers (or any one religion for that matter). However, I find Matthew, Mark, Luke and Thomas more credible than John.

If you really want to turn your view of Jesus on its head, read the Gospel of Philip.

Great question! I live and breathe by this. "The kingdom of God is within you and all around you..."

Yes, yes, yes!

www.myshepherdess.com