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The Gnostic Gospels QUOTES

The Gnostic Gospels QUOTES

41 " Gnosis offers nothing less than a theological justification for refusing to obey the bishops and priests! The initiate now sees them as the “rulers and powers” who rule on earth in the demiurge’s name. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

42 " But what remains is astonishing: some fifty-two texts from the early centuries of the Christian era—including a collection of early Christian gospels, previously unknown. Besides the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Philip, the find included the Gospel of Truth and the Gospel to the Egyptians, which identifies itself as “the [sacred book] of the Great Invisible [Spirit]. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

43 " Other texts indicate that their authors had wondered to whom a single, masculine God proposed, “Let us make man [adam] in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Since the Genesis account goes on to say that humanity was created “male and female” (1:27), some concluded that the God in whose image we are made must also be both masculine and feminine—both Father and Mother. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

44 " But every one of these—the canon of Scripture, the creed, and the institutional structure—emerged in its present form only toward the end of the second century. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

45 " But some gnostic Christians went so far as to claim that humanity created God—and so, from its own inner potential, discovered for itself the revelation of truth. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

46 " Another newly discovered text from Nag Hammadi, Trimorphic Protennoia (literally, the “Triple-formed Primal Thought”), celebrates the feminine powers of Thought, Intelligence, and Foresight. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

47 " For, they argued, this creator was a derivative, merely instrumental power whom the Mother had created to administer the universe, but his own self-conception was far more grandiose. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

48 " In the words of another Valentinian, since human beings created the whole language of religious expression, so, in effect, humanity created the divine world: “…  and this [Anthropos] is really he who is God over all. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

49 " This conviction—that whoever explores human experience simultaneously discovers divine reality—is one of the elements that marks gnosticism as a distinctly religious movement. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

50 " Paul describes the resurrection as “a mystery,”16 the transformation from physical to spiritual existence. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

51 " if there were no other one, of whom would he be jealous?4 "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

52 " Christian from Asia Minor, Marcion was struck by what he saw as the contrast between the creator-God of the Old Testament, who demands justice and punishes every violation of his law, and the Father whom Jesus proclaims—the New Testament God of forgiveness and love. Why, he asked, would a God who is “almighty”—all-powerful—create a world that includes suffering, pain, disease—even mosquitoes and scorpions? Marcion concluded that these must be two different Gods. The majority of Christians early condemned this view as dualistic, and identified themselves as orthodox by confessing one God, who is both “Father Almighty” and “Maker of heaven and earth, "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

53 " Nag Hammadi, On the Origin of the World, tells a variant of the same story:  … he boasted continually, saying to (the angels) … “I am God, and no other one exists except me.” But when he said these things, he sinned against all of the immortal ones … when Faith saw the impiety of the chief ruler, she was angry.… she said, “You err, Samael (i.e., “blind god”). An enlightened, immortal humanity [anthropos] exists before you!”3 "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

54 " The Hypostasis of the Archons describes Eve as the spiritual principle in humanity who raises Adam from his merely material condition: And the spirit-endowed Woman came to [Adam] and spoke with him, saying, “Arise, Adam.” And when he saw her, he said, “It is you who have given me life; you shall be called “Mother of the living”—for it is she who is my mother. It is she who is the Physician, and the Woman, and She Who Has Given Birth.” … Then the Female Spiritual Principle came in the Snake, the Instructor, and it taught them, saying, “…  you shall not die; for it was out of jealousy that he said this to you. Rather, your eyes shall open, and you shall become like gods, recognizing evil and good.” … And the arrogant Ruler cursed the Woman … [and] … the Snake. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

55 " This letter marks a dramatic moment in the history of Christianity. For the first time, we find here an argument for dividing the Christian community between “the clergy” and “the laity. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels

56 " The orthodox Christian saw Christ not as one who leads souls out of this world into enlightenment, but as “fullness of God” come down into human experience—into bodily experience—to sacralize it. "

― Elaine Pagels , The Gnostic Gospels