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Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave His followers a clear mission: “You will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth” — a calling they boldly began to live out on the day of Pentecost and that we are called to continue today.But witnessing isn't one-size-fits-all.In this series, we'll explore the lives of different evangelists and missionaries throughout history and discover that while the methods may vary, the mission remains the same: to help disconnected people become connected to Christ.

Bishop Nathan Wilson pt.1 Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Hey, this week I interviewed Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and it was a good long interview, so I’ll be breaking it up probably into three segments for the next three weeks here. Bishop Wilson earned a diploma of ministry from the Gnostic Catholic Union, and then he later went on to create The Gnostic Union, and he’ll tell you about that in this week’s episode. Here I’ll read you the intro from their website. “The Gnostic Union is an independent sacramental assembly of Gnostic Christian communities and individuals. It exists to uphold the Gnostic Christian traditions and to encourage and promote the work of Christ and the Holy Sophia in the world.As an international, independent, autonomous, non-political organization, the Gnostic Union is in no way dependent upon any other authority outside of its own administration. We are neither Roman Catholic, Orthodox, nor Protestant. We are Gnostic Christians that encourage self-development and connecting with the spirit within to build a personal relationship with God, the Monad, the Father. Our bishops, priests, and deacons are merely guides to help you on your spiritual journey. The Gnostic Union aligns itself with the history and teachings of the first Christians of early first century Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel of Thomas. We encourage new members to read from the Nag Hammadi and to understand how different early Christianity is from modern mainstream Christianity. We welcome all people, regardless of past religious backgrounds or faiths. Gnosis means knowledge, not just simple intellectual knowledge, but deep spiritual knowledge within you. Knowledge from the Spirit, from the Holy Spirit, and from and of God.” You see, I felt that that really went along with what we talk about here at Gnostic Insights, and so when Bishop Wilson reached out to me via our Substack Gnostic Reformation site, I was more than happy to engage in conversation with him, and I thought that having a talk with him along with you and then broadcasting it would be helpful to all of us. Here’s the last little bit that it says on their Gnostic Union homepage, which is only one page long. It’s still in development. It says, “Gnostic Christian theology differs greatly from Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Gnostic Christianity does not depend upon the authority of a Pope or the Church. Instead, it emphasizes being reborn in Spirit, building a personal spiritual relationship with God, and becoming Christ-like by enacting the teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives. Gnostic Christianity began from earlier Gnostic traditions, such as Hermeticism and Mysticism, which arose from Jewish mystics. Gnosticism itself is much older than Judaism, and traces back to the Hermetics of ancient Egypt, the Druids, and the ancient Greeks. Although many Gnostic Christian theologies differed, they shared a common theme of a trapped spiritual essence within the material body, the divine spark, the soul, or the spark of Sophia. The ultimate goal for Gnostic Christians was to become like Jesus, to be reborn in Spirit, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Sophia, and to know thyself, reflecting the divine essence within.” As you know, here at Gnostic Insights and the Gnostic Reformation, I stay away from the histories, because it seems to me that what is important is the here-and-now relationship we have with the Christ and with the Fullness of God. And so, I’m just not all that interested in history, but as you’ll hear from these ongoing interviews with Bishop Wilson, he’s all about history. So, for those of you who have been missing that strain of thought in our Gnostic Insights here, you’ll get an earful for the next three weeks. So without further ado, here's part one of my interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. Cyd: Well, such a pleasure to see you. You have such a nice smile. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. It’s a pleasure. It’s always lovely to meet other Gnostics, other spiritual people, all those with open hearts and open minds. It’s always lovely to see. Cyd:Yes. Yes. Yes, it’s true. I wish I had more of these people close around me. Do you have neighbors who are Gnostic? Do you have people you can actually face-to-face with? Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’ve met a priest that I can now speak face-to-face, which was really good. So, it was the first real Gnostic I got to speak to face-to-face. Mostly, I was speaking to many online in other parts of the world, and I kind of felt like I was the only one here in Adelaide, Australia. So, I kind of felt like the one odd villager out. So, it was lovely to meet some other people. I’ve trained people, and other people have done what they wanted. Other people carried on as undercover Gnostics in this world. So, yeah. Cyd:Let me get a formal introduction to you here going. This is Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and we have connected through Substack, although you don’t have a Substack presence, do you? You don’t have a site? Bishop Nathan Wilson:No, no. We have got a website in the works, but it’s still in development. I’m not too tech-savvy, but we’ve got other people that are. So, we’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube at the moment. Cyd:Well, wonderful. Now, tell me the difference between the Gnostic Catholic Union and just the Gnostic Union. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we used to be the Gnostic Catholic Union as well until I basically got in charge, and then I removed the Catholic part, which they only had for the Latin reasons, meaning universal, but not everyone knows that Latin subject. They’re just going to see Catholic, and usually today’s world, when you have a Catholic Union, it’s mostly those who have been brought up with a Catholic background that have now found Gnosis, and in turn, carry on those old traditions, which I don’t find anything wrong with. I think there’s many different ways to experience Gnosis. Gnosis doesn’t belong to any religion. It’s something you find within. It’s what you experience, spiritual knowledge gifted to you by what’s divine, by God, by the Father, by the Mother-Father, whichever term you like. The Source. It could even be referenced to, given you to by divine beings, by angels, angelic forces. So, Gnosis is something that you experience. So, it’s yours. It’s personal. It’s intimate. So, it’s a beautiful thing. So, with the Gnostic Union, we are more open to different Gnostic schools of thoughts. So, you could be a Sethian, a Valentinian. You could be a Carpucratian Gnostic, whichever. It doesn’t matter. You could be a Jewish Christian. Whichever the path is—we’re not really dogmatic. So, we appreciate all those who come into this spiritual life, seeking answers, and respecting each other’s beliefs, which is also rare. We have to remember, when we looked at the ancient schools of thought regarding Gnosticism, the ancient Gnostics got along. They didn’t kill each other. They didn’t fight. They had some disagreements, but they shared each other’s writings, which is fantastic. So, that’s very rare when you see that in a religious or even a spiritual school of thought. Many people can be my way only. So, that’s where Gnosis comes in, that inner spiritual experience. So, one’s own personal relationship with what’s divine. The Gnostic Union wants to encourage that, not to be bound by traditions. That’s mostly the difference between the Gnostic Union and the Gnostic Catholics, where they will be more bound by tradition, more bound by a dogmatic experience. We’re not really about that, not dissing any of that. We don’t mind, but we’re more open. Cyd:So, the Gnostic Catholics are still going on? That church is still active, but you have stepped away from them then, in that sense? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, pretty much. So, we’ve done our own independent thing. So, that way we can have more schools of thought. I prefer it like that, so we can all grow from each other, which is something that I’m more about. So, that’s why I went into more of the Gnostic Union sense of things and removing the Catholic part. Some people didn’t like Catholic. Some people liked it and others were stoked that I removed that term from the group. I much prefer it. It’s less of a mouthful as well. I like things nice and simple as well. Cyd:Yes. So, it’s union—it's unity. That’s what the union means in the name, not like a labor union, but the union of Gnostics. That’s lovely. That’s very lovely. So, how many people are associating with the Gnostic Union at this point? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we have a couple of other different groups from different parts of the world. We have a Gnostic Catholic group. I think they’re Gnostic Catholic Unitarians located in the Philippines. Then, we have other groups as well that associate with us. Within the Union itself, we have a couple of different ones. We have also side branches as well that used to be a part of the Gnostic Catholic Union, but there was some theological difference. So, some splitting went on. So, there’s other groups. We still recognize each other. Within the Gnostic Union at the moment. There is Bishop Jason, me, Bishop Nathan Wilson, Bishop Lorenzo, David and Michael, Randall over in South Africa. There’s also Priest Jeremy and Edgar and Rus. So, there’s quite a few. At the moment, it’s mostly men. We’re hoping to have some females join as well. We did have a couple of female members back in the Gnostic Catholic Union, but they ultimately retired. So, we’re hoping to expand. So, the Gnostic Union is kind of fresh on the scene. So, everything’s still building. Cyd:How fresh is it? How long have you been in existence here? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, in the Union itself, probably about almost two years now. It’s still maybe a year, year and a half, something like that there. So, it’s still growing in a sense. So, we’re doing okay, which is not too bad. We’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube. So, we do our online masses and group gatherings and stuff like that online as well. And mostly, just support each other’s individual works as well as promote each other’s work. And sometimes, I might edit a couple of videos of all of us together, give it to other people with their own channels, their own independent use, and then I’ll put it onto, say, the Union sites. Other people can go check it out as well. Cyd:I’ll be putting this up on my site. I’m going to post this to YouTube and make it for my audio podcast. But I’ll also give you the recording so that you can use it at your site if you’d like. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Oh, lovely. Lovely. I’d enjoy that as well. And again, thanks for reaching out to me. I very much enjoy speaking to like-minded individuals as well. And regarding even my translations that you brought me on to discuss as well, that’s relatively new as well. It took me about two years to fully actually translate. So, to get it all together, I use encyclopedias, I used Greek, Koine Greek dictionaries, as well as I used Bill Mounce, which is one of the top Koine Greek-speaking people in the world. I have a few friends that can speak Koine Greek as well as modern Greek as well. So, that also came in handy. So, it took me a while. I started doing that while I was still with the Gnostic Catholic Union and I didn’t finish it until the Gnostic Union. Cyd:So, tell us about, you’re speaking of your translation, tell us about that. It’s your New Testament, is it? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yeah, I did the New Testament Gospels. I used Codex Sinaiticus because that was the oldest complete text, but then I wanted to do non-canonical. I didn’t know any Coptic at all, so I didn’t want to use any other people’s work. I just went to the Koine Greek, used what knowledge I did know, and I also used experts as well. So, I was able to look at every definition of the word and term and use. I did the Gospel of Thomas, which I actually first messed up on because I found out that the version I was looking at first was actually inspired by the Coptic version put into Koine Greek, and I realized it’s not the text. So, I went to the actual fragments themselves, and so I translated from there. It’s not very long. I didn’t use any AI recovery, so anything that wasn’t visible to our naked eye, I did not touch. So, I didn’t want to have any guessing involved. So, I just put what it was, and I did the Greek Gospel of Mary, as well as the Gospel of James, the Gospel of Peter, and I did three unknown Gospels, and they are little fragments, and they are Papyrus Oxyrhynchus. I have the names here. Actually, I better put that in—5072, and the other one was Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840 and the other one is Egerton Gospel. So, they’re little fragments. The titles are missing. We don’t know who wrote them, so they’re unknown, but they could and likely do predate the Gospels that we do have. So, they predate the fragments we have. So, that’s interesting. So, all the fragments we have are second century. It’s likely they predate the fragments that we have. So, I chose to do them, but the interesting side was the Egerton gospel, which was actually a two-sided text, and Bart D. Ehrman actually did side two, and I did side one. So, he didn’t realize that there was a side on one. So, that means he was only looking at digital copy only, just like me. So, he didn’t actually look at the actual Papyrus itself, and so when I did one-sided, I didn’t realize there was a double side to that text, and so otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. So, the interesting thing is side one has not been publicly released for public domain, where side two has been released, which is very suspect, if you ask me, and I didn’t like that. So, I thought I’d introduce some texts that are very little looked at that were very Gnostic, such as Jesus insulting the Pharisees for dipping in waters that pigs jumped into and making themselves look like prostitutes to attract men. Cyd:They’re highly offensive, yes. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, and that’s why they really want to release that publicly. So, you have to pay a scholar for their works, and that’s not really fair. All this knowledge should be for free, especially when you’re looking at our own religious or spirituality or the text involved in that. Otherwise, we’re limiting ourselves, and that’s definitely not fair. So, I think we should be more open, and the text should be up for public display, public domain for everyone to have access to. So, that’s what I ultimately believe in. It’s one reason I chose to share my translations and make accessible for free digital copies. I didn’t want people to just buy my work rather than download the digital text and just read it for themselves. Go to the library, print it out. It might be cheaper. So, when I do sell my texts, I donate it, like some of it’s a charity anyway, to Make-A-Wish Foundation. So, that’s something I do on my end. So, everything I do, I try not to make money just for myself. I try to do other things with it because I’m not really materialistic. I live very much a monk lifestyle, so I read a lot. Cyd:Yeah. Yeah, I do too. I live like a nun, I say. I’ve got a little cloister where I sleep. I live in a one-room place, so it’s very interesting. Would you explain to us the difference between the Koine Greek and the Coptic Greek and which was written and why are there two different versions? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Okay, well the Coptic, when you see Coptic Greek, that’s devolving into Coptic. So, very early proto-Coptic is what scholars term, is the developing into it. You see it with Greeks in the very language. Otherwise, Coptic language very much is a mixture of Greek and Egyptian. So, Egyptian hieroglyph turned into writing basically, but mixed in with Greek. So, Greek was like the English of the past back then. Hebrew also borrowed from the Greek during the second temple period of Jesus’ time. So, the word Judaism and synagogue are Greek words, for instance. So, a lot of borrowing, but the Greeks also borrowed from the Canaanites, such as the Phoenician language or the alphabet. So, that’s also fascinating. So, the ancient past, it was all about borrowing and making it your own, you know. But yeah, with Greek as well, that would be also evolving as well. So, you have, within the gospel itself, you might have one word being spelt slightly different, but ultimately meaning the same thing. And all that is, is one dialect from another speaking from one coastal region to a different coastal region. Obviously, saying the same thing, it just might be the accent. So, that’s played different in the language. So, it’s like we see hilios or hilion, but it’s the same root message. It’s just one person’s pronouncing it in the market different from this region, because he’s closer to the shore and other ones closer to the inner cities. And that’s basically all. So, Greek’s very advanced. You can have one word that can mean ultimately different meanings. And some words you come across can have hundreds of meanings, and that can make things difficult when translating. So, with the Koine Greek, we only know 70% to 90% of the language. We know the 100% of the alphabetical, but we don’t know every context of use. So, because of that difficulty, I had to add alternative English translations. So, I realized then that every translation we’re reading is just based on someone else’s interpretation of that translation. And it’s like, oh, that kind of sucks, so I put them all in there. So, when you come across the word aftos, for he, she, it, they, them, this one, I leave it as all of that, so, you can choose what that means. Because Jesus is speaking to diverse audiences. He’s speaking to males and females, not just men. And that’s what people forget. It’s like the word for spirit is also very feminine in Hebrew. In Greek, it’s masculine and feminine. So, it’s used as both, which is fascinating as well for the spirit within us, you know. So, but again, that’s going back to that root meaning of feminine, because when you add in the word hagion pneuma you now have the Holy Spirit, but that’s a feminine word of it. Otherwise, the root word of masculine is hagios, but the female name or the feminine version of that concept is hagion. Cyd:Ah, that’s fascinating. Yeah. You run into the same problem when translating Chinese, because Chinese pictograms can just mean many, many things. So, I’ve studied the Tao Te Ching quite a bit, and everybody’s book that’s famous of the Tao Te Ching, it’s their translation out of a hundred choices for every word. So, it’s, I understand quite a bit what you’re saying there. Well, tell me this, what makes you a bishop? How is it that you’re calling yourself bishop? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, I was ordained by, well, back when it was the Gnostic Catholic Union, I was ordained by Bishop Bill Thomas, and he was the bishop of a church in Florida. He was running a church. He was an older man, so he’s kind of, he retired for a bit, and now he’s more of a wandering bishop, because he had trouble with the funds of running a church. It’d be quite expensive. So, he was part of an organization that was the Gnostic Catholic Union. A lot of members retired as well, then he took over, and then it kind of went on for a few years, and then they started retiring, and then I joined from there, and I was ordained, and I took up a course with them, started off as a deacon, then became a priest, and then as they were retiring, I was made bishop, basically, and so then I was left with a little bit of the reins. So, it was from there, it was a lot more—more churches were involved. So, some of that has also, a lot of them have also retired or ultimately changed theologies. One of the original members of the Gnostic Catholic Union, I believe, is now either an Orthodox priest or joined the Orthodox Church, and he renounces all his old Gnostic past, which is kind of a shame. So, sometimes that does happen. So, people become wanderers because of, people basically rely solely on one priest, oftentimes, which is also sad, and when one priest moves, people lose passion, and sometimes that’s how it is. So, I prefer to have people more independently on their own, not just say rely on me, I make other people bishops so they can carry on with their own, and from there, expand it. So, someone might have, say, the coin enough to start their own church, and from there, maybe, from there, do whatever they need. So, it inspires, and still something to bring a bit of community in, and have a little bit of recognition from other people, basically. So, I kept that term. I was almost considering to remove the title, bishops and priests, but a lot of the old members wanted to keep it as well, and some of the young ones did as well. So, I thought, well, I’ll keep the term for them in their sake. Otherwise, I was going to keep it as teachers, or brothers and sisters, but I still encourage our members to, when dealing with each other, not just sit there and call each other bishops, or bishopettes, or priests, or priestess, whichever term they prefer. I prefer to call us brothers and sisters, which is more stressed. Even with the outfit some people are talking about, I would tell them, remember that Jesus wouldn’t be wandering around with fancy robes, or wearing collared shirts, or wearing gold jewelry, and say, I’m doing now, in a sense. He was out in the wilderness, gathering with community. So, as blessed as those who are poor, you know, so, which was rare. So, a lot of people wanted money back then. So, he was very much for the poor, which is beautiful to see. There were rich Christians. It doesn’t mean that was strictly only for poor people only. There were ones who were shipfarers, and in turn, would carry their message throughout the ports, or from region to region. Cyd:I was just wondering–you are obviously a Christian Gnostic, as am I. I know that you’re open to all Gnosticism, but Gnostics who reject the notion of the Christ, or the need for the Christ, doesn’t that create some kind of difficulty, let’s say? Bishop Nathan Wilson:It would conflict a little bit, yes. I haven’t really come across ones that more reject the Christ. I wouldn’t mind. I have come across ones who have debated me over it in a sense, which I don’t mind in a sense, but I would also encourage them to say, look at the message. Ultimately, it’s about finding the Christ within, being Christ-like for yourself. It goes back to that root word of the first Christians for Christanos, being little Christs, little anointed ones. So, those who were taken on their masters teaching to be Christ-like. But say we have ones that don’t believe Jesus existed. I don’t mind that, because ultimately it is the message, but I will tell them I do believe because I have reasons. I would say for them to look up, say, Judas Kriakos, which is a grandson of Jesus, which is recorded in history. We have church father writings that actually whinged about Jesus’ family being Jewish Christians and not Catholic. So, that’s interesting. So, why would you whinge about a family if the man did not exist? For instance like that. But ultimately, there were some Gnostics that didn’t believe that Jesus existed, but was rather a spirit or was the myth that you took on yourself. So, I’m okay with that, as long as we don’t conflict with each other, with our hearts, as long as we’re not hating each other. So, we can have separate beliefs, as long as we respect those beliefs. Ultimately, that’s what would stop the disheartening and also the conflictions. end part one of interview Okay, we’re going to stop for this week. This is a good place to stop because next, Bishop Wilson goes on to discuss his translation of the New Testament and also some other Gnostic texts. So, we’ll spend next week talking about his translation that he calls the Gnostic Christian Truth Bible, and we’ll get into that. Also, I did record this entire interview as a Zoom video, and as soon as I get that edited, I’ll be posting it to YouTube so you will be able to find it and watch the interview as Bishop Nathan Wilson and I discuss these things. So, I hope to see you there, and thank you for listening this week, and we’ll pick it up again next week. Until then, God bless us all, and onward and upward. The Gnostic Union Facebook The Gnostic Union YouTube Channel

Bishop Nathan Wilson pt.1 Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Hey, this week I interviewed Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and it was a good long interview, so I’ll be breaking it up probably into three segments for the next three weeks here. Bishop Wilson earned a diploma of ministry from the Gnostic Catholic Union, and then he later went on to create The Gnostic Union, and he’ll tell you about that in this week’s episode. Here I’ll read you the intro from their website. “The Gnostic Union is an independent sacramental assembly of Gnostic Christian communities and individuals. It exists to uphold the Gnostic Christian traditions and to encourage and promote the work of Christ and the Holy Sophia in the world.As an international, independent, autonomous, non-political organization, the Gnostic Union is in no way dependent upon any other authority outside of its own administration. We are neither Roman Catholic, Orthodox, nor Protestant. We are Gnostic Christians that encourage self-development and connecting with the spirit within to build a personal relationship with God, the Monad, the Father. Our bishops, priests, and deacons are merely guides to help you on your spiritual journey. The Gnostic Union aligns itself with the history and teachings of the first Christians of early first century Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel of Thomas. We encourage new members to read from the Nag Hammadi and to understand how different early Christianity is from modern mainstream Christianity. We welcome all people, regardless of past religious backgrounds or faiths. Gnosis means knowledge, not just simple intellectual knowledge, but deep spiritual knowledge within you. Knowledge from the Spirit, from the Holy Spirit, and from and of God.” You see, I felt that that really went along with what we talk about here at Gnostic Insights, and so when Bishop Wilson reached out to me via our Substack Gnostic Reformation site, I was more than happy to engage in conversation with him, and I thought that having a talk with him along with you and then broadcasting it would be helpful to all of us. Here’s the last little bit that it says on their Gnostic Union homepage, which is only one page long. It’s still in development. It says, “Gnostic Christian theology differs greatly from Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Gnostic Christianity does not depend upon the authority of a Pope or the Church. Instead, it emphasizes being reborn in Spirit, building a personal spiritual relationship with God, and becoming Christ-like by enacting the teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives. Gnostic Christianity began from earlier Gnostic traditions, such as Hermeticism and Mysticism, which arose from Jewish mystics. Gnosticism itself is much older than Judaism, and traces back to the Hermetics of ancient Egypt, the Druids, and the ancient Greeks. Although many Gnostic Christian theologies differed, they shared a common theme of a trapped spiritual essence within the material body, the divine spark, the soul, or the spark of Sophia. The ultimate goal for Gnostic Christians was to become like Jesus, to be reborn in Spirit, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Sophia, and to know thyself, reflecting the divine essence within.” As you know, here at Gnostic Insights and the Gnostic Reformation, I stay away from the histories, because it seems to me that what is important is the here-and-now relationship we have with the Christ and with the Fullness of God. And so, I’m just not all that interested in history, but as you’ll hear from these ongoing interviews with Bishop Wilson, he’s all about history. So, for those of you who have been missing that strain of thought in our Gnostic Insights here, you’ll get an earful for the next three weeks. So without further ado, here's part one of my interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. Cyd: Well, such a pleasure to see you. You have such a nice smile. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. It’s a pleasure. It’s always lovely to meet other Gnostics, other spiritual people, all those with open hearts and open minds. It’s always lovely to see. Cyd:Yes. Yes. Yes, it’s true. I wish I had more of these people close around me. Do you have neighbors who are Gnostic? Do you have people you can actually face-to-face with? Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’ve met a priest that I can now speak face-to-face, which was really good. So, it was the first real Gnostic I got to speak to face-to-face. Mostly, I was speaking to many online in other parts of the world, and I kind of felt like I was the only one here in Adelaide, Australia. So, I kind of felt like the one odd villager out. So, it was lovely to meet some other people. I’ve trained people, and other people have done what they wanted. Other people carried on as undercover Gnostics in this world. So, yeah. Cyd:Let me get a formal introduction to you here going. This is Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and we have connected through Substack, although you don’t have a Substack presence, do you? You don’t have a site? Bishop Nathan Wilson:No, no. We have got a website in the works, but it’s still in development. I’m not too tech-savvy, but we’ve got other people that are. So, we’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube at the moment. Cyd:Well, wonderful. Now, tell me the difference between the Gnostic Catholic Union and just the Gnostic Union. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we used to be the Gnostic Catholic Union as well until I basically got in charge, and then I removed the Catholic part, which they only had for the Latin reasons, meaning universal, but not everyone knows that Latin subject. They’re just going to see Catholic, and usually today’s world, when you have a Catholic Union, it’s mostly those who have been brought up with a Catholic background that have now found Gnosis, and in turn, carry on those old traditions, which I don’t find anything wrong with. I think there’s many different ways to experience Gnosis. Gnosis doesn’t belong to any religion. It’s something you find within. It’s what you experience, spiritual knowledge gifted to you by what’s divine, by God, by the Father, by the Mother-Father, whichever term you like. The Source. It could even be referenced to, given you to by divine beings, by angels, angelic forces. So, Gnosis is something that you experience. So, it’s yours. It’s personal. It’s intimate. So, it’s a beautiful thing. So, with the Gnostic Union, we are more open to different Gnostic schools of thoughts. So, you could be a Sethian, a Valentinian. You could be a Carpucratian Gnostic, whichever. It doesn’t matter. You could be a Jewish Christian. Whichever the path is—we’re not really dogmatic. So, we appreciate all those who come into this spiritual life, seeking answers, and respecting each other’s beliefs, which is also rare. We have to remember, when we looked at the ancient schools of thought regarding Gnosticism, the ancient Gnostics got along. They didn’t kill each other. They didn’t fight. They had some disagreements, but they shared each other’s writings, which is fantastic. So, that’s very rare when you see that in a religious or even a spiritual school of thought. Many people can be my way only. So, that’s where Gnosis comes in, that inner spiritual experience. So, one’s own personal relationship with what’s divine. The Gnostic Union wants to encourage that, not to be bound by traditions. That’s mostly the difference between the Gnostic Union and the Gnostic Catholics, where they will be more bound by tradition, more bound by a dogmatic experience. We’re not really about that, not dissing any of that. We don’t mind, but we’re more open. Cyd:So, the Gnostic Catholics are still going on? That church is still active, but you have stepped away from them then, in that sense? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, pretty much. So, we’ve done our own independent thing. So, that way we can have more schools of thought. I prefer it like that, so we can all grow from each other, which is something that I’m more about. So, that’s why I went into more of the Gnostic Union sense of things and removing the Catholic part. Some people didn’t like Catholic. Some people liked it and others were stoked that I removed that term from the group. I much prefer it. It’s less of a mouthful as well. I like things nice and simple as well. Cyd:Yes. So, it’s union—it's unity. That’s what the union means in the name, not like a labor union, but the union of Gnostics. That’s lovely. That’s very lovely. So, how many people are associating with the Gnostic Union at this point? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we have a couple of other different groups from different parts of the world. We have a Gnostic Catholic group. I think they’re Gnostic Catholic Unitarians located in the Philippines. Then, we have other groups as well that associate with us. Within the Union itself, we have a couple of different ones. We have also side branches as well that used to be a part of the Gnostic Catholic Union, but there was some theological difference. So, some splitting went on. So, there’s other groups. We still recognize each other. Within the Gnostic Union at the moment. There is Bishop Jason, me, Bishop Nathan Wilson, Bishop Lorenzo, David and Michael, Randall over in South Africa. There’s also Priest Jeremy and Edgar and Rus. So, there’s quite a few. At the moment, it’s mostly men. We’re hoping to have some females join as well. We did have a couple of female members back in the Gnostic Catholic Union, but they ultimately retired. So, we’re hoping to expand. So, the Gnostic Union is kind of fresh on the scene. So, everything’s still building. Cyd:How fresh is it? How long have you been in existence here? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, in the Union itself, probably about almost two years now. It’s still maybe a year, year and a half, something like that there. So, it’s still growing in a sense. So, we’re doing okay, which is not too bad. We’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube. So, we do our online masses and group gatherings and stuff like that online as well. And mostly, just support each other’s individual works as well as promote each other’s work. And sometimes, I might edit a couple of videos of all of us together, give it to other people with their own channels, their own independent use, and then I’ll put it onto, say, the Union sites. Other people can go check it out as well. Cyd:I’ll be putting this up on my site. I’m going to post this to YouTube and make it for my audio podcast. But I’ll also give you the recording so that you can use it at your site if you’d like. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Oh, lovely. Lovely. I’d enjoy that as well. And again, thanks for reaching out to me. I very much enjoy speaking to like-minded individuals as well. And regarding even my translations that you brought me on to discuss as well, that’s relatively new as well. It took me about two years to fully actually translate. So, to get it all together, I use encyclopedias, I used Greek, Koine Greek dictionaries, as well as I used Bill Mounce, which is one of the top Koine Greek-speaking people in the world. I have a few friends that can speak Koine Greek as well as modern Greek as well. So, that also came in handy. So, it took me a while. I started doing that while I was still with the Gnostic Catholic Union and I didn’t finish it until the Gnostic Union. Cyd:So, tell us about, you’re speaking of your translation, tell us about that. It’s your New Testament, is it? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yeah, I did the New Testament Gospels. I used Codex Sinaiticus because that was the oldest complete text, but then I wanted to do non-canonical. I didn’t know any Coptic at all, so I didn’t want to use any other people’s work. I just went to the Koine Greek, used what knowledge I did know, and I also used experts as well. So, I was able to look at every definition of the word and term and use. I did the Gospel of Thomas, which I actually first messed up on because I found out that the version I was looking at first was actually inspired by the Coptic version put into Koine Greek, and I realized it’s not the text. So, I went to the actual fragments themselves, and so I translated from there. It’s not very long. I didn’t use any AI recovery, so anything that wasn’t visible to our naked eye, I did not touch. So, I didn’t want to have any guessing involved. So, I just put what it was, and I did the Greek Gospel of Mary, as well as the Gospel of James, the Gospel of Peter, and I did three unknown Gospels, and they are little fragments, and they are Papyrus Oxyrhynchus. I have the names here. Actually, I better put that in—5072, and the other one was Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840 and the other one is Egerton Gospel. So, they’re little fragments. The titles are missing. We don’t know who wrote them, so they’re unknown, but they could and likely do predate the Gospels that we do have. So, they predate the fragments we have. So, that’s interesting. So, all the fragments we have are second century. It’s likely they predate the fragments that we have. So, I chose to do them, but the interesting side was the Egerton gospel, which was actually a two-sided text, and Bart D. Ehrman actually did side two, and I did side one. So, he didn’t realize that there was a side on one. So, that means he was only looking at digital copy only, just like me. So, he didn’t actually look at the actual Papyrus itself, and so when I did one-sided, I didn’t realize there was a double side to that text, and so otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. So, the interesting thing is side one has not been publicly released for public domain, where side two has been released, which is very suspect, if you ask me, and I didn’t like that. So, I thought I’d introduce some texts that are very little looked at that were very Gnostic, such as Jesus insulting the Pharisees for dipping in waters that pigs jumped into and making themselves look like prostitutes to attract men. Cyd:They’re highly offensive, yes. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, and that’s why they really want to release that publicly. So, you have to pay a scholar for their works, and that’s not really fair. All this knowledge should be for free, especially when you’re looking at our own religious or spirituality or the text involved in that. Otherwise, we’re limiting ourselves, and that’s definitely not fair. So, I think we should be more open, and the text should be up for public display, public domain for everyone to have access to. So, that’s what I ultimately believe in. It’s one reason I chose to share my translations and make accessible for free digital copies. I didn’t want people to just buy my work rather than download the digital text and just read it for themselves. Go to the library, print it out. It might be cheaper. So, when I do sell my texts, I donate it, like some of it’s a charity anyway, to Make-A-Wish Foundation. So, that’s something I do on my end. So, everything I do, I try not to make money just for myself. I try to do other things with it because I’m not really materialistic. I live very much a monk lifestyle, so I read a lot. Cyd:Yeah. Yeah, I do too. I live like a nun, I say. I’ve got a little cloister where I sleep. I live in a one-room place, so it’s very interesting. Would you explain to us the difference between the Koine Greek and the Coptic Greek and which was written and why are there two different versions? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Okay, well the Coptic, when you see Coptic Greek, that’s devolving into Coptic. So, very early proto-Coptic is what scholars term, is the developing into it. You see it with Greeks in the very language. Otherwise, Coptic language very much is a mixture of Greek and Egyptian. So, Egyptian hieroglyph turned into writing basically, but mixed in with Greek. So, Greek was like the English of the past back then. Hebrew also borrowed from the Greek during the second temple period of Jesus’ time. So, the word Judaism and synagogue are Greek words, for instance. So, a lot of borrowing, but the Greeks also borrowed from the Canaanites, such as the Phoenician language or the alphabet. So, that’s also fascinating. So, the ancient past, it was all about borrowing and making it your own, you know. But yeah, with Greek as well, that would be also evolving as well. So, you have, within the gospel itself, you might have one word being spelt slightly different, but ultimately meaning the same thing. And all that is, is one dialect from another speaking from one coastal region to a different coastal region. Obviously, saying the same thing, it just might be the accent. So, that’s played different in the language. So, it’s like we see hilios or hilion, but it’s the same root message. It’s just one person’s pronouncing it in the market different from this region, because he’s closer to the shore and other ones closer to the inner cities. And that’s basically all. So, Greek’s very advanced. You can have one word that can mean ultimately different meanings. And some words you come across can have hundreds of meanings, and that can make things difficult when translating. So, with the Koine Greek, we only know 70% to 90% of the language. We know the 100% of the alphabetical, but we don’t know every context of use. So, because of that difficulty, I had to add alternative English translations. So, I realized then that every translation we’re reading is just based on someone else’s interpretation of that translation. And it’s like, oh, that kind of sucks, so I put them all in there. So, when you come across the word aftos, for he, she, it, they, them, this one, I leave it as all of that, so, you can choose what that means. Because Jesus is speaking to diverse audiences. He’s speaking to males and females, not just men. And that’s what people forget. It’s like the word for spirit is also very feminine in Hebrew. In Greek, it’s masculine and feminine. So, it’s used as both, which is fascinating as well for the spirit within us, you know. So, but again, that’s going back to that root meaning of feminine, because when you add in the word hagion pneuma you now have the Holy Spirit, but that’s a feminine word of it. Otherwise, the root word of masculine is hagios, but the female name or the feminine version of that concept is hagion. Cyd:Ah, that’s fascinating. Yeah. You run into the same problem when translating Chinese, because Chinese pictograms can just mean many, many things. So, I’ve studied the Tao Te Ching quite a bit, and everybody’s book that’s famous of the Tao Te Ching, it’s their translation out of a hundred choices for every word. So, it’s, I understand quite a bit what you’re saying there. Well, tell me this, what makes you a bishop? How is it that you’re calling yourself bishop? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, I was ordained by, well, back when it was the Gnostic Catholic Union, I was ordained by Bishop Bill Thomas, and he was the bishop of a church in Florida. He was running a church. He was an older man, so he’s kind of, he retired for a bit, and now he’s more of a wandering bishop, because he had trouble with the funds of running a church. It’d be quite expensive. So, he was part of an organization that was the Gnostic Catholic Union. A lot of members retired as well, then he took over, and then it kind of went on for a few years, and then they started retiring, and then I joined from there, and I was ordained, and I took up a course with them, started off as a deacon, then became a priest, and then as they were retiring, I was made bishop, basically, and so then I was left with a little bit of the reins. So, it was from there, it was a lot more—more churches were involved. So, some of that has also, a lot of them have also retired or ultimately changed theologies. One of the original members of the Gnostic Catholic Union, I believe, is now either an Orthodox priest or joined the Orthodox Church, and he renounces all his old Gnostic past, which is kind of a shame. So, sometimes that does happen. So, people become wanderers because of, people basically rely solely on one priest, oftentimes, which is also sad, and when one priest moves, people lose passion, and sometimes that’s how it is. So, I prefer to have people more independently on their own, not just say rely on me, I make other people bishops so they can carry on with their own, and from there, expand it. So, someone might have, say, the coin enough to start their own church, and from there, maybe, from there, do whatever they need. So, it inspires, and still something to bring a bit of community in, and have a little bit of recognition from other people, basically. So, I kept that term. I was almost considering to remove the title, bishops and priests, but a lot of the old members wanted to keep it as well, and some of the young ones did as well. So, I thought, well, I’ll keep the term for them in their sake. Otherwise, I was going to keep it as teachers, or brothers and sisters, but I still encourage our members to, when dealing with each other, not just sit there and call each other bishops, or bishopettes, or priests, or priestess, whichever term they prefer. I prefer to call us brothers and sisters, which is more stressed. Even with the outfit some people are talking about, I would tell them, remember that Jesus wouldn’t be wandering around with fancy robes, or wearing collared shirts, or wearing gold jewelry, and say, I’m doing now, in a sense. He was out in the wilderness, gathering with community. So, as blessed as those who are poor, you know, so, which was rare. So, a lot of people wanted money back then. So, he was very much for the poor, which is beautiful to see. There were rich Christians. It doesn’t mean that was strictly only for poor people only. There were ones who were shipfarers, and in turn, would carry their message throughout the ports, or from region to region. Cyd:I was just wondering–you are obviously a Christian Gnostic, as am I. I know that you’re open to all Gnosticism, but Gnostics who reject the notion of the Christ, or the need for the Christ, doesn’t that create some kind of difficulty, let’s say? Bishop Nathan Wilson:It would conflict a little bit, yes. I haven’t really come across ones that more reject the Christ. I wouldn’t mind. I have come across ones who have debated me over it in a sense, which I don’t mind in a sense, but I would also encourage them to say, look at the message. Ultimately, it’s about finding the Christ within, being Christ-like for yourself. It goes back to that root word of the first Christians for Christanos, being little Christs, little anointed ones. So, those who were taken on their masters teaching to be Christ-like. But say we have ones that don’t believe Jesus existed. I don’t mind that, because ultimately it is the message, but I will tell them I do believe because I have reasons. I would say for them to look up, say, Judas Kriakos, which is a grandson of Jesus, which is recorded in history. We have church father writings that actually whinged about Jesus’ family being Jewish Christians and not Catholic. So, that’s interesting. So, why would you whinge about a family if the man did not exist? For instance like that. But ultimately, there were some Gnostics that didn’t believe that Jesus existed, but was rather a spirit or was the myth that you took on yourself. So, I’m okay with that, as long as we don’t conflict with each other, with our hearts, as long as we’re not hating each other. So, we can have separate beliefs, as long as we respect those beliefs. Ultimately, that’s what would stop the disheartening and also the conflictions. end part one of interview Okay, we’re going to stop for this week. This is a good place to stop because next, Bishop Wilson goes on to discuss his translation of the New Testament and also some other Gnostic texts. So, we’ll spend next week talking about his translation that he calls the Gnostic Christian Truth Bible, and we’ll get into that. Also, I did record this entire interview as a Zoom video, and as soon as I get that edited, I’ll be posting it to YouTube so you will be able to find it and watch the interview as Bishop Nathan Wilson and I discuss these things. So, I hope to see you there, and thank you for listening this week, and we’ll pick it up again next week. Until then, God bless us all, and onward and upward. The Gnostic Union Facebook The Gnostic Union YouTube Channel

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Anthony's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave His followers a clear mission: “You will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth” — a calling they boldly began to live out on the day of Pentecost and that we are called to continue today.But witnessing isn't one-size-fits-all.In this series, we'll explore the lives of different evangelists and missionaries throughout history and discover that while the methods may vary, the mission remains the same: to help disconnected people become connected to Christ.

New Realities with Alan Steinfeld Disclosure Day, Higher Frequencies, and the Threshold of a New Human Reality Guests, Dr. J.J. Hurtak and Dr. Desiree Hurtak, Linda Moulton Howe Spielberg's Disclosure Day Opens a Bigger Conversation In this episode of New Realities, host Alan Steinfeld gathers a panel to review Steven Spielberg's newly released film Disclosure Day. Alan is joined by longtime UFO investigator Linda Moulton Howe, along with Dr. J.J. Hurtak and Dr. Desiree Hurtak, who bring perspectives from UFO research, consciousness studies, spirituality, ancient texts, and the wider disclosure movement. Alan frames the film as perhaps one of the most anticipated cinematic events in modern UFO culture, because it deals not simply with science fiction, but with the possibility that humanity is being prepared for a deeper truth about non-human intelligence. Frequencies, Clicking Sounds, and Consciousness Communication Linda Moulton Howe begins by emphasizing the importance of frequency in the film. She connects Spielberg's use of clicking sounds and nonverbal communication to government documents, abduction cases, and reports she has heard from experiencers over decades of research. Dr. J.J. Hurtak also highlights the film's treatment of language, sound, and consciousness, contrasting it with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, where communication was centered more on tones and music. In Disclosure Day, the panel says Spielberg brings in the human element more fully, suggesting that extraterrestrial contact may involve mind-to-mind communication, frequency, empathy, and higher consciousness rather than ordinary speech alone. From Science Fiction to a Disclosure Bridge Alan and the panel repeatedly stress that they do not see Disclosure Day as merely another science fiction movie. They argue that Spielberg has gathered decades of UFO, UAP, consciousness, government secrecy, telepathy, cover-up, and experiencer material into a film that functions as a bridge between old disbelief and a new cultural acceptance. Alan says Spielberg seems to have been a serious student of the phenomenon, including many familiar themes from UFO research: government secrecy, private industry involvement, recovered craft, mind control, empathy, and the question of whether the public has a right to know. Government, Corporations, and the Machinery of Secrecy A major part of the discussion focuses on the film's depiction of government secrecy and private industry. Alan references the fictional corporation Wardex, which is tied to retrieval and extraction programs, and connects that to real-world claims associated with figures such as Lieutenant Colonel Philip J. Corso. Linda and the Hurtaks discuss how governments may have transferred recovered technologies or sensitive programs into corporate hands to create plausible deniability. Linda traces this secrecy back to World War II and Eisenhower-era briefings, while Alan says the film dramatizes the tension between those who hide the truth and those who believe humanity has a right to know. Fear, Love, and the Human Right to the Truth The panel describes the film as a contest between fear-based secrecy and the higher message of empathy, love, and transcendence. Alan says humanity is caught between fear and higher consciousness, and that the film presents empathy as a key to humanity's future. Linda is especially moved by the final minutes, saying she felt empathy not only for extraterrestrials but also for humanity, because people have not been told the truth as a species. The panel agrees that disclosure should not merely be informational; it should be transformational, helping humans understand themselves as part of a larger cosmic family. Religion, Creation, and the Many Mansions of the Universe The film's spiritual themes are also central to the panel's review. Alan, Linda, and the Hurtaks discuss the Catholic sister character in the film, who recognizes that the universe is too vast to exist only for humanity. They connect this idea to the Book of Genesis, Christ consciousness, the New Testament phrase about “many mansions,” ancient Coptic and Greek texts, and the idea that creation includes many levels of life and intelligence. Rather than seeing extraterrestrial intelligence as opposed to spirituality, the panel presents it as part of a larger divine creation story in which humanity must expand its understanding of soul, consciousness, and cosmic purpose. What Spielberg Shows — and What He Leaves for Later The group praises Spielberg's restraint but also discusses what the film does not fully show. Linda says she wished Spielberg had introduced more kinds of non-human intelligences, including tall whites, Nordics, reptilians, plasma beings, and other forms she has encountered through witness testimony. Alan suggests Spielberg may be taking the public slowly by first introducing one or two categories of extraterrestrial presence before expanding into a wider range of beings. The panel agrees that the film is likely only the beginning of a broader cultural process and that future films, government releases, or public disclosures may reveal a more complicated landscape. Disclosure, Timing, and a Planet Under Pressure The panel repeatedly asks why this film and this moment are happening now. Linda suggests the timing may relate to future geophysical changes, solar activity, rising oceans, environmental instability, and the possibility that extraterrestrial assistance may become necessary for humanity's survival. Alan connects the timing to recent government disclosures and the public release of UFO/UAP information, while Dr. J.J. Hurtak frames the moment as a sociological, psychological, economic, planetary, and spiritual convergence. The group agrees that humanity is being prepared for contact because the old reality is no longer sufficient. The Soul, Empathy, and the Next Stage of Humanity A major theme in the latter part of the program is the soul. Linda shares memories from childhood of feeling a protective pressure in her chest while looking at an image of Christ with lambs, a feeling she still associates with soul, protection, and love. Dr. J.J. Hurtak describes the soul as the inner architecture of life, a field of consciousness that continues beyond the body. Dr. Desiree Hurtak adds that different beings may have different levels of soul evolution, and that humanity is learning to access abilities such as remote viewing, telepathy, and higher-dimensional awareness. Alan says these gifts of the spirit may allow humans to meet non-human intelligences on a more equal footing. “Listen”: The Word at the Doorway The panel gives special attention to the film's final message: listen. They interpret the word as a call to listen to extraterrestrials, higher intelligence, divine purpose, inner senses, compassion, and one another. For Dr. J.J. Hurtak, this connects to sacred language and the ancient call to hear the divine frequency. Alan sees Spielberg's film as a “signifying agent,” a cultural bridge that helps people move from an old reality into new realities. The episode closes with a shared prayer from Linda, “May the thought that dwells in the light protect us forever,” followed by Alan's disclosure-themed song, “Did You See It?”, which he presents as an anthem for this new moment.

New Realities with Alan Steinfeld Disclosure Day, Higher Frequencies, and the Threshold of a New Human Reality Guests, Dr. J.J. Hurtak and Dr. Desiree Hurtak, Linda Moulton Howe Spielberg's Disclosure Day Opens a Bigger Conversation In this episode of New Realities, host Alan Steinfeld gathers a panel to review Steven Spielberg's newly released film Disclosure Day. Alan is joined by longtime UFO investigator Linda Moulton Howe, along with Dr. J.J. Hurtak and Dr. Desiree Hurtak, who bring perspectives from UFO research, consciousness studies, spirituality, ancient texts, and the wider disclosure movement. Alan frames the film as perhaps one of the most anticipated cinematic events in modern UFO culture, because it deals not simply with science fiction, but with the possibility that humanity is being prepared for a deeper truth about non-human intelligence. Frequencies, Clicking Sounds, and Consciousness Communication Linda Moulton Howe begins by emphasizing the importance of frequency in the film. She connects Spielberg's use of clicking sounds and nonverbal communication to government documents, abduction cases, and reports she has heard from experiencers over decades of research. Dr. J.J. Hurtak also highlights the film's treatment of language, sound, and consciousness, contrasting it with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, where communication was centered more on tones and music. In Disclosure Day, the panel says Spielberg brings in the human element more fully, suggesting that extraterrestrial contact may involve mind-to-mind communication, frequency, empathy, and higher consciousness rather than ordinary speech alone. From Science Fiction to a Disclosure Bridge Alan and the panel repeatedly stress that they do not see Disclosure Day as merely another science fiction movie. They argue that Spielberg has gathered decades of UFO, UAP, consciousness, government secrecy, telepathy, cover-up, and experiencer material into a film that functions as a bridge between old disbelief and a new cultural acceptance. Alan says Spielberg seems to have been a serious student of the phenomenon, including many familiar themes from UFO research: government secrecy, private industry involvement, recovered craft, mind control, empathy, and the question of whether the public has a right to know. Government, Corporations, and the Machinery of Secrecy A major part of the discussion focuses on the film's depiction of government secrecy and private industry. Alan references the fictional corporation Wardex, which is tied to retrieval and extraction programs, and connects that to real-world claims associated with figures such as Lieutenant Colonel Philip J. Corso. Linda and the Hurtaks discuss how governments may have transferred recovered technologies or sensitive programs into corporate hands to create plausible deniability. Linda traces this secrecy back to World War II and Eisenhower-era briefings, while Alan says the film dramatizes the tension between those who hide the truth and those who believe humanity has a right to know. Fear, Love, and the Human Right to the Truth The panel describes the film as a contest between fear-based secrecy and the higher message of empathy, love, and transcendence. Alan says humanity is caught between fear and higher consciousness, and that the film presents empathy as a key to humanity's future. Linda is especially moved by the final minutes, saying she felt empathy not only for extraterrestrials but also for humanity, because people have not been told the truth as a species. The panel agrees that disclosure should not merely be informational; it should be transformational, helping humans understand themselves as part of a larger cosmic family. Religion, Creation, and the Many Mansions of the Universe The film's spiritual themes are also central to the panel's review. Alan, Linda, and the Hurtaks discuss the Catholic sister character in the film, who recognizes that the universe is too vast to exist only for humanity. They connect this idea to the Book of Genesis, Christ consciousness, the New Testament phrase about “many mansions,” ancient Coptic and Greek texts, and the idea that creation includes many levels of life and intelligence. Rather than seeing extraterrestrial intelligence as opposed to spirituality, the panel presents it as part of a larger divine creation story in which humanity must expand its understanding of soul, consciousness, and cosmic purpose. What Spielberg Shows — and What He Leaves for Later The group praises Spielberg's restraint but also discusses what the film does not fully show. Linda says she wished Spielberg had introduced more kinds of non-human intelligences, including tall whites, Nordics, reptilians, plasma beings, and other forms she has encountered through witness testimony. Alan suggests Spielberg may be taking the public slowly by first introducing one or two categories of extraterrestrial presence before expanding into a wider range of beings. The panel agrees that the film is likely only the beginning of a broader cultural process and that future films, government releases, or public disclosures may reveal a more complicated landscape. Disclosure, Timing, and a Planet Under Pressure The panel repeatedly asks why this film and this moment are happening now. Linda suggests the timing may relate to future geophysical changes, solar activity, rising oceans, environmental instability, and the possibility that extraterrestrial assistance may become necessary for humanity's survival. Alan connects the timing to recent government disclosures and the public release of UFO/UAP information, while Dr. J.J. Hurtak frames the moment as a sociological, psychological, economic, planetary, and spiritual convergence. The group agrees that humanity is being prepared for contact because the old reality is no longer sufficient. The Soul, Empathy, and the Next Stage of Humanity A major theme in the latter part of the program is the soul. Linda shares memories from childhood of feeling a protective pressure in her chest while looking at an image of Christ with lambs, a feeling she still associates with soul, protection, and love. Dr. J.J. Hurtak describes the soul as the inner architecture of life, a field of consciousness that continues beyond the body. Dr. Desiree Hurtak adds that different beings may have different levels of soul evolution, and that humanity is learning to access abilities such as remote viewing, telepathy, and higher-dimensional awareness. Alan says these gifts of the spirit may allow humans to meet non-human intelligences on a more equal footing. “Listen”: The Word at the Doorway The panel gives special attention to the film's final message: listen. They interpret the word as a call to listen to extraterrestrials, higher intelligence, divine purpose, inner senses, compassion, and one another. For Dr. J.J. Hurtak, this connects to sacred language and the ancient call to hear the divine frequency. Alan sees Spielberg's film as a “signifying agent,” a cultural bridge that helps people move from an old reality into new realities. The episode closes with a shared prayer from Linda, “May the thought that dwells in the light protect us forever,” followed by Alan's disclosure-themed song, “Did You See It?”, which he presents as an anthem for this new moment.

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Timothy's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Coptic Christians, the largest Christian minority in Egypt, have maintained a distinct religious and cultural identity for centuries, but they often face challenges living as a minority in a predominantly Muslim society. They frequently encounter social discrimination, periodic outbreaks of sectarian violence, and economic or political marginalization, especially in rural areas. Despite constitutional protections, bureaucratic hurdles, such as difficulties obtaining permits to build or repair churches, continue to affect daily religious life. Yet the Coptic community remains resilient, playing a significant role in Egypt's history, culture, and professional life while working to preserve its traditions and secure equal participation in public life. And at the same time, those Coptics who are able to migrate to the U.S. have faced a significant amount of discrimination, as many Arab Christians (along with Indian Hindus, Sikhs, etc.) are taken for Muslims. In these episodes Fred Stella speaks to Dr. Candace Lukasik from Mississippi State University to continue to talk about her documentation of this issue in the book Martyrs and Migrants. Theme music "Nigal."

Listen to Fr. Timothy's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave His followers a clear mission: “You will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth” — a calling they boldly began to live out on the day of Pentecost and that we are called to continue today.But witnessing isn't one-size-fits-all.In this series, we'll explore the lives of different evangelists and missionaries throughout history and discover that while the methods may vary, the mission remains the same: to help disconnected people become connected to Christ.

Did the ancient Egyptians have B major, or were they just really into papyrus condoms? This week, Andrew and his resident logic-botherer Sam attempt to dissect the musical history of ancient Egypt, mostly concluding that three thousand years of history can't quite be summed up by Bruce Dickinson or an overly loud 90s metal kick drum. Expect a completely uncalled-for bass-tuning intermission, a deep dive into why the 'Woke Police' banned The Bangles after 9/11, and the shocking revelation that ancient Greek war music sounds a bit too much like an Offspring track. We also listen to some genuine electronic pioneer madness involving barking dogs and celestial shapes, plus a bit of Coptic embalming music that sounds exactly like a knife going into some pharaoh's guts. It's educational, it's chaotic, and Andrew actually learns what a pentatonic scale is (sort of).

Family rituals face pressure from digital distractions while Patrick examines the sway of social media over young adults, and as listeners call in, he grapples with misunderstandings around Jewish identity and explores the subtle boundaries between faith traditions, generational conflict, and societal expectations. A man crashed a stolen car outside St. Joseph Shrine. Then he bolted. The Rector heard the crash, and someone yelled "stop him." So, Rev. Jean-Baptiste Commins — in full cassock — tackled him, and held him until the police came. - https://x.com/acloudofsaints/status/2062167287327510734 (01:35) Roland (email) - Is it okay for me to attend my 24-year-old daughter’s immediate-family-only reception the day after her private Catholic church wedding (with only siblings as witnesses), even though my wife questions the marriage’s validity and we’re both disappointed by the no-guests decision amid ongoing mother-daughter tensions? (06:23) Josh - I want to drill down on people saying, 'the Jews'. There isn't one consensus among the Jews. You get many varied viewpoints and people need to understand that. Also, I struggle with faith because of antisemitism. Any advice? (17:45) Audio: This college professor (Sam Richards, a sociology professor at Penn State University) speaks out amazed at 'how many people hate Jews' - https://x.com/DangerousThinkg/status/2036529945350992288Joel (26:16) Joel (14-years-old) - How does it make sense for Christians to be antisemitic when Jews wrote most of the Bible? (28:36) Albert - I grew up Catholic. Why are men and boys entering Church wearing shorts? (30:45) Mark Swartzberg joins the conversation (36:31) Kurt - Why are Coptic, Catholic and Orthodox Churches being destroyed in southern Lebanon. Israeli soldiers defile icons. (40:13) Michael - In our culture, we are kind of focused on the powers that be and blaming them for our problems. Why can't we focus on our problems? What can we do as neighbors? (48:57)

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave His followers a clear mission: “You will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth” — a calling they boldly began to live out on the day of Pentecost and that we are called to continue today.But witnessing isn't one-size-fits-all.In this series, we'll explore the lives of different evangelists and missionaries throughout history and discover that while the methods may vary, the mission remains the same: to help disconnected people become connected to Christ.

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Timothy's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

We don't have to look to hard to find persecution of Christians in the world today. Perhaps you saw the photo of the 21 Coptic martyrs a few years back as they were led across the sand before being beheaded by their Islamic captors. Or, more recently, you may have heard of the atrocities being perpetuated…

His name in his native Coptic, Pachom, means "eagle." He was an Egyptian pagan who entered the Roman army at a young age. While quartered at Thebes, he was amazed at the kindness of the local Christians, who brought food and drink to the soldiers. Learning who they were, he believed in Christ and vowed, once released from the army, to serve him for the rest of his life. At the end of his military service, he was baptised and became the disciple of the hermit Palamon, with whom he lived for ten years.   At a place called Tabennisis an angel appeared to him dressed in the robes of a monk and gave him a tablet on which was written a rule for a cenobitic monastery — one in which the brethren live communally rather than as hermits, something that had not been seen before among Christians. The angel commanded him to found such a monastery. Pachomius set to work, building many cells though there was no one to live there but himself and his brother John. When John questioned the unnecessary building, Pachomius only said that he was following God's command, without saying who would live there or when.   But soon men began to assemble there, and in time so many came to be his disciples that he eventually founded nine monasteries housing thousands of monks. The rule that he gave (or had been given) for these monasteries became the model for all communal Christian monasticism thereafter. St Pachomius reposed in 346, before his great Egyptian fellow-strugglers St Anthony the Great and St Athanasius the Great.   Entertaining angels unawares: Christian believers' simple acts of kindness toward their pagan oppressors may have seemed foolish to many, but it was such acts that opened the eyes of Pachomius to the light of Christ, and which bore incalculably great fruit: the founding of the monastic life which is still the backbone of Christ's Church.

Choice Classic Radio presents Sherlock Holmes, featuring today's episode titled “The Singular Affair of the Coptic Compass.” Please consider supporting our show by becoming a patron at http://choiceclassicradio.com We hope you enjoy the show!

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Anthony's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Timothy's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

A wise man once said, "Show me your friends and I'll show you your future". In this series, we'll discover what Scripture teaches about choosing the right friends, building meaningful community, and surrounding ourselves with relationships that help us find success in life. Because as Proverbs reminds us, “He who walks with wise men will be wise”—and the people we walk with today will help determine where we end up tomorrow.Or in other words, show me your friends and I'll show you your future..https://www.youtube.com/stsachurchhttps://www.stsa.church/the-well

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Timothy's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

A wise man once said, "Show me your friends and I'll show you your future". In this series, we'll discover what Scripture teaches about choosing the right friends, building meaningful community, and surrounding ourselves with relationships that help us find success in life. Because as Proverbs reminds us, “He who walks with wise men will be wise”—and the people we walk with today will help determine where we end up tomorrow.Or in other words, show me your friends and I'll show you your future..https://www.youtube.com/stsachurchhttps://www.stsa.church/the-well

A @Christadelphians Video: **Ai Summary** [Inspiring] We, as Christadelphians, found this fourth instalment in the ‘So many versions of the Bible...Why?' series absolutely outstanding and wonderfully revealing. Jason Hensley takes us on an insightful journey into the world of *hapax legomena* – words that appear only once in Scripture. This thought-provoking exposition explains why translation must constantly be revised, how our growing knowledge of ancient languages (like Ugaritic and Koine Greek) unlocks meaning, and why humility is essential when handling God's Word. We explore the fascinating contrast between the simple vocabulary of John the fisherman and the technical terms of Luke the physician. The video also highlights the honest approach of the King James translators, who admitted uncertainty rather than dogmatising. If you've ever wondered why Bibles differ, this is a must-watch.**Chapters** 00:00 – Introduction 01:10 – Challenging words & translation philosophy 03:46 – What is *hapax legomena*? (Definition) 06:00 – Frequency in the New Testament (1,672 times!) 08:02 – Author backgrounds: John vs. Luke vs. Paul 10:30 – The translator's dilemma: no other passages to compare 12:42 – Using the Septuagint and extra-biblical sources 14:38 – BDAG lexicon & early Christian literature 15:29 – King James Version preface: humility and margins 17:14 – Cognate languages: Ugaritic, Akkadian, Arabic, Coptic 18:46 – Conclusion: why ongoing discovery matters **Bible Verse Category**

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Timothy's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Timothy's Lazarus Saturday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Melanie interviews Dr. Grant White, a senior lecturer at the Sankt Ignatios College in Sweden. Sankt Ignatios is an inter-Orthodox graduate school that teaches the different Orthodox traditions and participates in interfaith dialogues. It is currently the only Orthodox institution in the world to offer education in the Byzantine, Coptic, Syriac, and Tewahedo traditions.

Listen to Fr. Anthony's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Orthodox Easter this year was a week later than Western Christianity. I was able to take a unique journey into Orthodox Easter traditions and the historical resilience of early Christianity. https://youtu.be/h8xYSNU9e6o It was a fascinating experience to visit St. Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church in Clearfield, Utah, after meeting a California member named Daniel Michalski. Unlike Western traditions, the Coptic Easter service is held on Saturday night and can last up to four hours, featuring a blend of English, Coptic, and Arabic chanting. One of the most striking rituals is the procession of the icon of Christ, which is buried in roses during Holy Week and then “resurrected” as the lights are turned on, accompanied by the unique sound of cymbals. Beyond the personal experience, we dove into the history of the Coptic Church, which split from Western Christianity in 451 AD following the Council of Chalcedon over complex theological debates regarding the nature of Christ. This history is framed within a broader discussion of the early Christian era, moving from the movement’s roots as a persecuted sect to its establishment as the Roman state religion under Constantine. Most Mormons are familiar with the death and resurrection of Christ and Constatine's ascension in the 4th century,  but know little about history of Christianity in the centuries in between. I discussed various early factions, such as the Gnostics, who prioritized secret wisdom over the physical resurrection, with the orthodox view that eventually triumphed. We also touched on the following key points: LDS Perspectives: We emphasized the physical resurrection of Jesus, citing recent General Conference messages regarding the victory of the empty tomb. Calendar Differences: The discrepancy between Western and Orthodox Easter dates were explained by the use of the Julian calendar versus the Gregorian calendar. Coptic Practices: Insights into infant baptism by immersion, the practice of closed communion, and the fact that Coptic priests can be married are also highlighted. Community Highlights: The episode concludes with a book giveaway of Holiness to the Lord and a teaser for a future discussion with Dr Matthew Bowman on the “Christian” roots of basketball.   Part 1: Personal Experience and the Coptic Orthodox Easter Service 0:00 – Introduction and Book Giveaway: 2:00 – Meeting Daniel Michalski: 5:00 – Attending the Coptic Service in Clearfield: attending a four-hour Saturday night Easter service, including observations on the small congregation and the use of English, Coptic, and Arabic. 10:00 – The Resurrection Ritual: An explanation of the dramatic liturgical moment where an icon of Christ is “resurrected” from a bed of roses, accompanied by chanting and cymbals. Part 2: History of Early Christianity 15:00 – The Great Schism of 451: includes a discussion on the Council of Chalcedon and how a theological dispute over a preposition regarding the nature of Christ led the Coptic Church to split from Western Christianity. 19:00 – Historical Jesus and the Temple: The host analyzes the cleansing of the temple as a political act of subversion that directly led to Jesus’s execution. 23:00 – The Crucifixion and Gospel Narratives. 27:00 – Mechanics of Crucifixion. Part 3: Early Factions and the Rise of Orthodoxy 29:00 – The Gnostics and Secret Wisdom, including a mention of the Gospel of Judas. 32:00 – Marcionites and the Canon:. 34:00 – Bishop Irenaeus and “Straight Thinking”: The origins of the term “Orthodox” and the establishment of the four-gospel rule. 37:00 – Eras of Roman Persecution: Christian martyrs, including the story of Perpetua. Part 4: Constantine and the Modern Church 41:00 –Constantine Transformation. 45:00 – LDS Perspectives on Easter. 47:00 – Coptic Practices Explained. Part 5: Conclusion and Teasers 53:00 – Book Giveaway Results. 54:00 – The Future of “Church Ball”: Upcoming interview about the Christian roots of basketball and the role of Mormon missionaries in spreading the sport. 56:00 – Calendar Discrepancies: explanation of why Orthodox Easter often falls on a different date due to the Julian vs. Gregorian calendars.

Three discoveries, one shifting landscape: a mysterious buried structure beneath the ancient city of Buto, the newly identified tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II near the Valley of the Kings, and the remains of a massive Coptic monastery at Al-Qalaye. We dig into what the finds reveal about Egypt's long arc—from dynastic power to Christian communities—and how modern tools are changing what archaeologists can see. Links Mysterious Structure Found Buried Beneath an Ancient Egyptian City The last missing tomb from this wealthy Egyptian dynasty has been found Archaeologists Discovered the Remains of One of the Largest Christian Monasteries Ever Contact Chris Webster chris@archaeologypodcastnetwork.com Rachel Roden rachel@unraveleddesigns.com RachelUnraveled (Instagram) ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN Discord: https://discord.com/invite/CWBhb2T2ed APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fr. Andrew Iskander- Homily for the 7th Sunday of Lent. A reflection on the three icon offerings on Palm Sunday. Click the icon below to listen.

Tony Soliman- A reflection for the Eve of Thursday of Holy Pascha. Click the icon below to listen.

Fr. Kyrillos Ibrahim- Homily for Great Friday. Click the icon below to listen.

Randy Fanous- A reflection for the Eve of Thursday of Holy Pascha. Click the icon below to listen.

In 1837, deep within the Great Pyramid of Giza, British army officer Colonel Richard W. Howard Vyse made a claim that would define Egyptology for generations: the “discovery” of painted hieroglyphs, including the royal cartouche of Khufu, the pyramid's builder. This single event helped cement forever the idea that the Great Pyramid and all other pyramids at Giza were merely royal tombs.Yet when the surviving notebooks, sketches, and first-hand accounts from Vyse's time are carefully examined, a different and deeply unsettling picture begins to emerge. These accounts reveal troubling discrepancies—erasures, manipulated dates, and contradictory statements—suggesting that the famous “Khufu cartouche” may not be ancient at all, but the product of a Victorian deception.In The Great Pyramid Hoax II, IT engineer and independent researcher, Scott Creighton, returns to the original 1837 evidence to conduct a forensic re-evaluation of what really happened inside those hidden chambers of the Great Pyramid.Through detailed textual, epigraphic, and contextual analysis, he demonstrates how Colonel Vyse's actions—whether through ambition, desperation, or misunderstanding—effectively set Egyptology down a wrong path; a path from which it has never (yet) found its way back.But if the Giza pyramids weren't simple tombs, then what were they? Creighton revisits the ancient Legend of Surid, preserved in early Coptic and Arabic sources, in which a pre-diluvian Egyptian king builds the pyramids to safeguard the wisdom of his age against a looming cataclysm. When this “legend” is read alongside the physical and astronomical layout of the Giza complex, a striking and compelling coherence begins to take shape.What emerges is a radical reappraisal of both the pyramid's function and humanity's own deep history—a reminder that beneath centuries of scholarly orthodoxy may lie the echo of an ancient science, and a warning recorded in stone by a civilization determined that its message should survive the apocalyptic Earth cataclysm that would bring its demise.Meticulously researched and boldly reasoned, The Great Pyramid Hoax II is an inquiry into how one nineteenth-century hoax helped shape our present understanding of Egypt's most ancient past—and how its unraveling may yet reshape our own future.“Egyptologists consider the ochre-painted Khufu cartouche in the Great Pyramid as the ultimate proof that this pyramid belongs to the Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu. But much controversy surrounds its authenticity. If the Khufu cartouche is indeed a hoax, then the implications are tremendous. Scott Creighton has undertaken a very bold and meticulous investigation into this mystery. The Great Pyramid Hoax is a must-read book for all seekers of truth.” Robert Bauval, author of The Soul of Ancient Egypt ― Robert Bauval, author of The Soul of Ancient Egypt“An intriguing narrative, The Great Pyramid Hoax expertly weaves its way through the sands of time, as it revisits one of Egyptology's most contentious issues--the dating of the Great Pyramid. In the best traditions of alternative research Creighton takes the reader on a personal journey of exploration, skillfully weaving powerful themes upon clear emotional expression, as he attempts to uncover the veracity behind one of Egypt's most endearing mysteries. A must-read for those searching for the truth.” ― Lorraine Evans, Egyptologist, death historian, and author of Kingdom of the Ark"A powerfully-argued demolition of the 'facts' on which Egyptologists base their claim that the Great Pyramid was built by the Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu. Scott Creighton's excellent new book The Great Pyramid Hoax is a first-class forensic investigation that Egyptologists should really be paying a great deal of attention to, because it pulls the rug of their chronology right out from under their feet." ― Graham Hancock, author of Fingerprints of the GodsAbout the AuthorScott Creighton is an engineer whose extensive travels have allowed him to explore many of the world's ancient sacred sites. The host of the Alternative Egyptology forum on AboveTopSecret.com, he is the author of The Secret Chamber of Osiris and coauthor of The Giza Prophecy. He lives in Glasgow, Scotland.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.

Listen to Fr. Abraham's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church

Listen to Fr. Anthony's Sunday sermon.www.stsa.church