Writing by early Christians that give accounts of Jesus and his teachings, the nature of God, or the teachings of his apostles and of their lives, separate from the Biblical Canon.
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Reveals how the Virgin Mary and other holy women were part of an ancient sacred order of priestesses trained in the practice of divine conception * Explains how Mary was born into a lineage of powerful women who cultivated and passed on the ability to consciously conceive elevated beings * Includes a complete translation of the Infancy Gospel of James and reveals the hidden codes it contains relating to the practice of miraculous conception * Shows how Mary was trained and initiated in the "womb mysteries" and reveals the esoteric techniques she used to conceive Jesus Delving into one of the Virgin Mary's forgotten gospels, the Infancy Gospel of James, Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., reveals a truth that has been suppressed for nearly two millennia: that Mother Mary was not a passive bystander to her own pregnancy but an advanced member of a sacred order of women trained in divine conception. Unlocking the hidden codes of Mary's gospel and other ancient source texts, the author reveals how Mary conceived Jesus through a careful process that she willed and initiated. She explains how Mary was born into a family of powerful priestesses, women who possessed, cultivated, and passed on the ability to consciously conceive elevated beings to help the planet. This lineage included Mary's own mother, Anne, who conceived Mary with this method, her relative Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist), and the biblical matriarch Sarah, the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. These women were schooled in the shamanic "womb mysteries," secret knowledge of the capacity of the womb. Decoding the Infancy Gospel of James, the author shows how Mary was trained and initiated, reveals the esoteric techniques she used to conceive Jesus, and explores the birth itself and the mind-altering reality that accompanied it. By revealing the Virgin Mary as a trained holy woman and a conscious actor in the conception of Jesus, the author corrects the impression we have been given of a passive and bewildered girl who had no idea how or why she was pregnant. She also restores Mary as the empowered feminine orchestrator of these significant events, paralleling the redemption of Mary Magdalene in recent years. Explaining how and why virgin birth was accomplished, this book allows us to make sense of miraculous conception and reveals the power that lies in all women's wombs. https://www.sevensistersmysteryschool.com/mary-magdalene-priestess-training/ https://www.sevensistersmysteryschool.com/mary-book-meditations/ https://www.facebook.com/SevenSistersMysterySchool
In the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we have many stories about the public ministry of Jesus. We know of his teaching and preaching and miracles. We know of his last supper, washing his disciples' feet, and his arrest, torture and crucifixion. We know of his resurrection from the dead and his encounters with his disciples and his ascension. But we know precious little about his life as a child and young person. In these Sundays following Christmas, we will explore three stories about Jesus the baby, the boy, and the adolescent.Today, we hear about Jesus the boy. Our scripture readings are Matthew 2:13-23 and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas 2. Support the showContact Village Presbyterian Churchvillagepres.orgcommunications@villagepres.org913-262-4200Have a prayer request? pastoral-care@villagepres.orgFacebook @villagepresInstagram @villagepreschurchYouTube @villagepresbyterianchurchTo join in the mission and ministry of Village Church, go to villagepres.org/giving
The date of this recording was Christmas Eve, 12-24-2021. I'm repeating this episode now because although not particularly "gnostic," it does shed light on the birth of Jesus Christ. And I know a lot of people reject Jesus as the Christ. They don't even like the idea of there being a Christ. But I have to remind you that the Christ is a, we could call it in our modern terminology, a correcting algorithm for our human selves, for our human DNA, even. And it is thought, primarily by me, and I'm sure other people probably share this point of view, that by saying that Jesus is both fully human and fully God, what was meant by that is that Jesus shares our human DNA. Yet the DNA of Jesus is perfect. It is as designed. Jesus was a perfectly constructed human. There was no epigenetic changes, no degradation of his DNA and its various functions. He didn't inherit any congenital problems from his parental lineage. And being fully God means that the perfection of the Pleroma, the perfection of the Fullness of God, filled this body, this DNA, and the Self of Jesus. We all have the same one Self. We all share the same Self that comes from the Fullness of God. But for most of us, well, for all of us really, our Self is hidden. It's covered over by this shroud of memes that we have acquired in this lifetime and in prior lifetimes that come down to us from our human societies, from various personal problems and misunderstandings and hang-ups. Particularly, we have been under attack by the Demiurge and the archons of the Demiurge. The Demiurge does not care for humans. Humans challenge the authority of the Demiurge, because we claim to be from the Fullness of God. And the Demiurge, of course, believes that he is the Fullness of God. He does not acknowledge the God Above All Gods or the Pleroma above, because he has a case of amnesia at the moment. Eventually, everything will be redeemed by the Christ. That was the purpose of the Christ. And the Christ pre-exists Jesus of Nazareth. The Christ is not exactly the same as Jesus. The Christ is a supernatural power that lives up there in the Pleroma. The Christ is the Fullness of God plus the willpower of the Son with the blessing of the Father. So the Christ embodies the entire lineage of the Holy Spirit without interruption. And the Christ was sent down to this Earth, presumably in the body of Jesus of Nazareth, in order to implant this correction, this correcting algorithm, onto us humans who have fallen away from the perfection of our original design, either spiritually, because of the archonic attacks and the memes that we hold, or physically, because of our human DNA that is shared with the body of the Jesus. And that's why Jesus had to have a virgin birth, because Mary was the vessel. However, the Fullness of God was the parental unit that gave this perfect human to the Earth for correction and assistance. Earlier in the year, I heard an interview with a very interesting woman named Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, and she has written a book called The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception, Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births. And what Marguerite does in this book is show that there was a tradition of virgin birth—that actually Mary was not the first and only woman on Earth to give birth to a baby with no male semen involved. And in this book of hers, she goes through various other religious writings from various traditions and shows how such a thing is possible. This idea of virgin birth—there's actually a scientific name for it. It's called parthenogenesis. And it is not a fairy tale. As it turns out, creatures on Earth can have parthenogenesis. Animals in zoos have been observed to become pregnant and have babies without any male creature around. So there is such a thing as parthenogenesis, and this is what we're talking about when we're talking about Mary and Jesus. Now, since it's Christmas, I thought I would just go ahead and read to you out of one of the ...
The date of this recording was Christmas Eve, 12-24-2021. I'm repeating this episode now because although not particularly "gnostic," it does shed light on the birth of Jesus Christ. And I know a lot of people reject Jesus as the Christ. They don't even like the idea of there being a Christ. But I have to remind you that the Christ is a, we could call it in our modern terminology, a correcting algorithm for our human selves, for our human DNA, even. And it is thought, primarily by me, and I'm sure other people probably share this point of view, that by saying that Jesus is both fully human and fully God, what was meant by that is that Jesus shares our human DNA. Yet the DNA of Jesus is perfect. It is as designed. Jesus was a perfectly constructed human. There was no epigenetic changes, no degradation of his DNA and its various functions. He didn't inherit any congenital problems from his parental lineage. And being fully God means that the perfection of the Pleroma, the perfection of the Fullness of God, filled this body, this DNA, and the Self of Jesus. We all have the same one Self. We all share the same Self that comes from the Fullness of God. But for most of us, well, for all of us really, our Self is hidden. It's covered over by this shroud of memes that we have acquired in this lifetime and in prior lifetimes that come down to us from our human societies, from various personal problems and misunderstandings and hang-ups. Particularly, we have been under attack by the Demiurge and the archons of the Demiurge. The Demiurge does not care for humans. Humans challenge the authority of the Demiurge, because we claim to be from the Fullness of God. And the Demiurge, of course, believes that he is the Fullness of God. He does not acknowledge the God Above All Gods or the Pleroma above, because he has a case of amnesia at the moment. Eventually, everything will be redeemed by the Christ. That was the purpose of the Christ. And the Christ pre-exists Jesus of Nazareth. The Christ is not exactly the same as Jesus. The Christ is a supernatural power that lives up there in the Pleroma. The Christ is the Fullness of God plus the willpower of the Son with the blessing of the Father. So the Christ embodies the entire lineage of the Holy Spirit without interruption. And the Christ was sent down to this Earth, presumably in the body of Jesus of Nazareth, in order to implant this correction, this correcting algorithm, onto us humans who have fallen away from the perfection of our original design, either spiritually, because of the archonic attacks and the memes that we hold, or physically, because of our human DNA that is shared with the body of the Jesus. And that's why Jesus had to have a virgin birth, because Mary was the vessel. However, the Fullness of God was the parental unit that gave this perfect human to the Earth for correction and assistance. Earlier in the year, I heard an interview with a very interesting woman named Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, and she has written a book called The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception, Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births. And what Marguerite does in this book is show that there was a tradition of virgin birth—that actually Mary was not the first and only woman on Earth to give birth to a baby with no male semen involved. And in this book of hers, she goes through various other religious writings from various traditions and shows how such a thing is possible. This idea of virgin birth—there's actually a scientific name for it. It's called parthenogenesis. And it is not a fairy tale. As it turns out, creatures on Earth can have parthenogenesis. Animals in zoos have been observed to become pregnant and have babies without any male creature around. So there is such a thing as parthenogenesis, and this is what we're talking about when we're talking about Mary and Jesus. Now, since it's Christmas, I thought I would just go ahead and read to you out of one of the ...
This week we dive into an early christian book which cover's Jesus' childhood.
Segment 1: • Parents Matter: Kids with involved, sacrificial parents turn out happier and healthier. • Social Media's Damage: Liberal girls lead the depression epidemic, spending 56+ hours/week online. • Dads Step Up: Fathers who discipline and engage at home raise more content, grounded children. Segment 2: • "Get Off Your Phone": Excessive screen time, especially for teens, correlates with higher depression rates. • Feelings vs. Reality: Gen Z is taught that feelings drive truth, creating a fragile worldview. • Parental Role: Replace damaging messages with biblical truth and model healthier habits. Segment 3: • Unintentional Leadership: Fathers influence their homes, even when unaware of it. • Modeling Matters: How dads treat their wives and interact with their kids teaches lasting lessons. • Encouragement Over Criticism: Make sure your children know you're proud of them; they're watching closely. Segment 4: • Jesus as a Child: The Bible provides only a glimpse into His early years in Luke 2. • Why So Little?: Speculations like “The Infancy Gospel of Thomas” show why the canon was carefully curated. • A Divine Perspective: Imagine living with full knowledge of your future suffering—how would it shape your life? ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn't be more thankful for you if we tried!
I discuss lost and banned books of the bible and detail WHY they were left out. Gospel of Thomas, Judas, Magdalene, Enoch, Solomon, and everything in between. What's your favorite? Which one should we dive deeper on? Happy Sunday and welcome to RELIGION Camp
The Case for voting 3rd Party ... GUEST Bob Stevenson ... husband, father of 4 and serves as Lead Pastor of Village Baptist Church in ? ... He writes at Medium (bobstevenson.net) and on Twitter (@bobstevenson). The Gifts of Scarcity ... GUEST Myles Werntz ... Director of Baptist Studies and Associate Professor of Theology, Abilene Christian Univ. What's the Earliest Record of Jesus's Childhood? Evaluating a New Manuscript of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas ... GUEST Dr Michael J. Kruger ,,, president of Reformed Theological Seminary's campus in Charlotte NC where he also serves as prof of New Testament ... author of “Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College” and “Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church” ... blogs regularly at Canon Fodder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Case for voting 3rd Party ... GUEST Bob Stevenson ... husband, father of 4 and serves as Lead Pastor of Village Baptist Church in ? ... He writes at Medium (bobstevenson.net) and on Twitter (@bobstevenson). The Gifts of Scarcity ... GUEST Myles Werntz ... Director of Baptist Studies and Associate Professor of Theology, Abilene Christian Univ. What's the Earliest Record of Jesus's Childhood? Evaluating a New Manuscript of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas ... GUEST Dr Michael J. Kruger ,,, president of Reformed Theological Seminary's campus in Charlotte NC where he also serves as prof of New Testament ... author of “Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College” and “Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church” ... blogs regularly at Canon Fodder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dave Brisbin 6.30.24 Ever wondered what Jesus would have been like growing up? People have been wondering that ever since the generation who grew up with him died out. One of the many gospels that didn't make it into the bible, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, assumes Jesus had all his powers from birth, but had to grow into them. Portrayed at age five as a child who could be hot tempered, a boy bumps into him running by…Jesus calls out angrily, and the boy falls down dead. Days later, he is playing on a roof with other children when a boy falls off and is killed. Accused of pushing him, Jesus raises the boy from the dead asking him to tell his accusers the truth. But by age eight, we see him helping his carpenter father by pulling a board cut too short to the proper length, healing his brother James who was bitten by a viper, and raising his dead cousin back to life to ease his family's suffering. Obviously, these stories are not to be taken seriously, but their point remains: Jesus had to grow up into a devoted member of his family and an empathic healer. Jesus grew up, yet spends his entire ministry telling us to live like children, that if we can't be childlike, we will never enter God's presence. In his wilderness experience, Jesus learns to be a child again, bringing his grown-up empathy with him as he grows back down into his Father's childlike presence. In overcoming the three symbolic temptations—to be relevant, powerful, spectacular—he learns that we are not great because of our accomplishments, we are great when present to God's presence. But we can't be present as long as we're seeking great accomplishment as prerequisite for meaning in life and approval by God. Those who didn't grow up with Jesus, imagined him powerful from birth, having to grow up into those powers. But those who did grow up with Jesus were amazed to see he had grown back down into childlikeness, into the apparent powerlessness of servanthood. They resisted the growing down, and we do too. A child is pre-egoic; doesn't know it's naked. Until we grow back down into such spiritual unknowing, we'll never trust the greatness in Presence.
Dave Brisbin 6.30.24 Ever wondered what Jesus would have been like growing up? People have been wondering that ever since the generation who grew up with him died out. One of the many gospels that didn't make it into the bible, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, assumes Jesus had all his powers from birth, but had to grow into them. Portrayed at age five as a child who could be hot tempered, a boy bumps into him running by…Jesus calls out angrily, and the boy falls down dead. Days later, he is playing on a roof with other children when a boy falls off and is killed. Accused of pushing him, Jesus raises the boy from the dead asking him to tell his accusers the truth. But by age eight, we see him helping his carpenter father by pulling a board cut too short to the proper length, healing his brother James who was bitten by a viper, and raising his dead cousin back to life to ease his family's suffering. Obviously, these stories are not to be taken seriously, but their point remains: Jesus had to grow up into a devoted member of his family and an empathic healer. Jesus grew up, yet spends his entire ministry telling us to live like children, that if we can't be childlike, we will never enter God's presence. In his wilderness experience, Jesus learns to be a child again, bringing his grown-up empathy with him as he grows back down into his Father's childlike presence. In overcoming the three symbolic temptations—to be relevant, powerful, spectacular—he learns that we are not great because of our accomplishments, we are great when present to God's presence. But we can't be present as long as we're seeking great accomplishment as prerequisite for meaning in life and approval by God. Those who didn't grow up with Jesus, imagined him powerful from birth, having to grow up into those powers. But those who did grow up with Jesus were amazed to see he had grown back down into childlikeness, into the apparent powerlessness of servanthood. They resisted the growing down, and we do too. A child is pre-egoic; doesn't know it's naked. Until we grow back down into such spiritual unknowing, we'll never trust the greatness in Presence.
We continue investigating the mid-to-late second century apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman podcast at https://amzn.to/46zMgCx Bart Ehrman books available at https://amzn.to/46EU0U4 Christopher A. Frilingos books https://amzn.to/3KnIMsQ Infancy Gospel of Thomas https://amzn.to/3wIW9ko Protevangelium or Gospel of James available at https://amzn.to/3ZwTm81 THANKS for the many wonderful comments, messages, ratings and reviews. All of them are regularly posted for your reading pleasure on https://patreon.com/markvinet where you can also get exclusive access to Bonus episodes, Ad-Free content, Extra materials, and an eBook Welcome Gift when joining our growing community on Patreon or Donate on PayPal at https://bit.ly/3cx9OOL and receive an eBook GIFT. SUPPORT this series by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at no extra charge to you). It costs you nothing to shop using this FREE store entry link and by doing so encourages & helps us create more quality content. Thanks! Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Mark's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 YouTube Podcast Playlist: https://www.bit.ly/34tBizu TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@historyofnorthamerica Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Linktree: https://linktr.ee/WadeOrganization Audio Credit: Misquoting Jesus podcast with Bart Ehrman (episode 56, 14nov2023, titled: He's a Very Naughty Boy: The Infancy Gospel of Thomas) with guest Christopher A. Frilingos. Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Let's further explore the Infancy Gospel of Thomas—one of the most peculiar and intriguing non-canonical accounts of Jesus' life from outside the New Testament. Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman podcast at https://amzn.to/46zMgCx Bart Ehrman books available at https://amzn.to/46EU0U4 Christopher A. Frilingos books https://amzn.to/3KnIMsQ Infancy Gospel of Thomas https://amzn.to/3wIW9ko Protevangelium or Gospel of James available at https://amzn.to/3ZwTm81 THANKS for the many wonderful comments, messages, ratings and reviews. All of them are regularly posted for your reading pleasure on https://patreon.com/markvinet where you can also get exclusive access to Bonus episodes, Ad-Free content, Extra materials, and an eBook Welcome Gift when joining our growing community on Patreon or Donate on PayPal at https://bit.ly/3cx9OOL and receive an eBook GIFT. SUPPORT this series by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at no extra charge to you). It costs you nothing to shop using this FREE store entry link and by doing so encourages & helps us create more quality content. Thanks! Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Mark's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 YouTube Podcast Playlist: https://www.bit.ly/34tBizu TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@historyofnorthamerica Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Linktree: https://linktr.ee/WadeOrganization Audio Credit: Misquoting Jesus podcast with Bart Ehrman (episode 56, 14nov2023, titled: He's a Very Naughty Boy: The Infancy Gospel of Thomas) with guest Christopher A. Frilingos. Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Infancy gospels or protoevangelions are a genre of religious texts that arose in the 2nd century. They are part of New Testament apocrypha, and provide accounts of the birth and early life of Jesus. The texts are of various and uncertain origin, and are generally non-canonical in major modern branches of Christianity. They include the Gospel of James, which introduces the concept of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas (not to be confused with the unrelated Gospel of Thomas), both of which cover many miraculous incidents from the life of Mary and the childhood of Jesus that are not included in the canonical gospels. Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman podcast at https://amzn.to/46zMgCx Bart Ehrman books available at https://amzn.to/46EU0U4 Christopher A. Frilingos books https://amzn.to/3KnIMsQ Infancy Gospel of Thomas https://amzn.to/3wIW9ko Protevangelium or Gospel of James available at https://amzn.to/3ZwTm81 THANKS for the many wonderful comments, messages, ratings and reviews. All of them are regularly posted for your reading pleasure on https://patreon.com/markvinet where you can also get exclusive access to Bonus episodes, Ad-Free content, Extra materials, and an eBook Welcome Gift when joining our growing community on Patreon or Donate on PayPal at https://bit.ly/3cx9OOL and receive an eBook GIFT. SUPPORT this series by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at no extra charge to you). It costs you nothing to shop using this FREE store entry link and by doing so encourages & helps us create more quality content. Thanks! Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Mark's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 YouTube Podcast Playlist: https://www.bit.ly/34tBizu TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@historyofnorthamerica Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Linktree: https://linktr.ee/WadeOrganization Audio Credit: Misquoting Jesus podcast with Bart Ehrman (episode 56, 14nov2023, titled: He's a Very Naughty Boy: The Infancy Gospel of Thomas) with guest Christopher A. Frilingos. Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Let's explore the childhood of Jesus, using the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas. Jesus in Egypt: Discovering the Secrets of Christ's Childhood Years by Paul Perry available at https://amzn.to/4ax9utK Infancy Gospel of Thomas https://amzn.to/3wIW9ko Protevangelium or Gospel of James available at https://amzn.to/3ZwTm81 THANKS for the many wonderful comments, messages, ratings and reviews. All of them are regularly posted for your reading pleasure on https://patreon.com/markvinet where you can also get exclusive access to Bonus episodes, Ad-Free content, Extra materials, and an eBook Welcome Gift when joining our growing community on Patreon or Donate on PayPal at https://bit.ly/3cx9OOL and receive an eBook GIFT. SUPPORT this series by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at no extra charge to you). It costs you nothing to shop using this FREE store entry link and by doing so encourages & helps us create more quality content. Thanks! Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Mark's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 YouTube Podcast Playlist: https://www.bit.ly/34tBizu TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@historyofnorthamerica Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Linktree: https://linktr.ee/WadeOrganization Source: Jesus in Egypt: Discovering the Secrets of Christ's Childhood Years by Paul Perry (Ballantine Books, Random House, 2003).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An Interview with Dr. Tony Burke If the Secret Gospel of Mark turns out to be authentic, it could provide important insights into early Christian thought and practices. Popular theory claims it is mere forgery, however, created and circulated due to pro-homosexual motives. Professor Tony Burke explains the origin of the text, its content, the basis for the doubt, and the reasons for his own support of the theory of authenticity. He sees a more mystical interpretation than an erotic one. Dr. Tony Burke is a Professor in the Department of the Humanities at York University in Toronto, where he focuses on the study of Christian biographical literature of the second century, children and the family in Roman antiquity, and extracanonical Jewish and Christian writings. His special interest is the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, and hs book, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas in the Syriac Tradition won the 2018 Frank W. Beare Award for outstanding book in the area of Christian Origins. Tony is the co-founder of the North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature (NASSCAL), and he is editor of Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of the series New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. It is a collection of little-known and never-before-published texts in English translation. Look for a complete summary of the podcast on the Early Christian Texts website. https://earlychristiantexts.com/secret-gospel-mark-real-or-forgery/
Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥarīrī was an Arab poet, scholar and Seljuk government official who died in 1122CE aged 68 years old. His work al-Maqāmāt, a compilation of 50 highly-stylised comic anecdotes about the exploits of trickster Abū Zayd, received widespread renown in his time across the Muslim world and is regarded as a high point of Arabic literature. We are pleased to be joined by Nasim Hassani in Tehran. Ms. Hasani hold a master's degree in Islamic Studies from Shahid Beheshti University,Tehran, Iran, where her dissertation was an Analysis of Mary and Jesus' Birth and Early Life in Quran and Apocrypha: James and Infancy Gospel of Thomas. She has a number of articles and translations in publication. This is an unusual episode in that despite attempts at Zoom calls, the internet is currently too unstable in Iran, so instead I have sent audio files of my questions which she has kindly edited together for our presentation. TIMESTAMPS: 02:29 Al-Ḥarīrī was born in Basra 1054CE. He was descended from a companion of the Prophet Muḥammad. His family was wealthy. Before we look at his work, what do we know about the author's life and socio-political context? 14:23 Before we speak about his al-Maqāmāt and this specific illustrated edition, tell us about this genre of Arabic literature. 20:00 Before we dive into this specific illustrated edition, give us an overview of al-Ḥarīrī's al-Maqāmāt. 25:55 Now tell us more about this specific illustrated edition. 31:00 And finally before we end tell us where listeners can turn next to learn more about today's topic and what are other current projects that listeners can anticipate? Edited and produced by Nasim Hassani For more on our guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nasimhassani SPONSOR: We are sponsored by IHRC bookshop. Listeners get a 15% discount on all purchases online and in-store. Visit IHRC bookshop at shop.ihrc.org and use discount code AHP15 at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Contact IHRC bookshop for details. IslamicHistory #MedievalHistory #AbbasidHistory #Poetry #ArabicPoetry #Literature #WorldLiterature #Seljuk https://linktr.ee/abbasidhistorypodcast
The heresy of docetism evolved into a complicated web of schools of mythology, which we lump together under the name of gnosticism. These all still denied the real humanity of Christ, though in two distinct ways. Docetic gnosticism continued the trend of seeing Christ as a phantom, with no real tangible body. “Hybrid” gnosticism made concessions to the accounts of a tangible body of Jesus, but called it an ethereal, or luminous, body - in other words, not a true material flesh and blood body. Links For more information on Clement of Alexandria, listen to Mike Aquilina's Episode 16: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/clement-alexandria-teacher-in-new-kind-school/ To read Clement of Alexandria's Exhortation to the Heathen: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1658&repos=8&subrepos=0&searchid=2371968 For more information on Irenaeus of Lyons, listen to Mike Aquilina's Episode 10: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/irenaeus-lyon-putting-smack-down-on-heresy/ To read Irenaeus of Lyons' Demonstration of the Apostolic Teaching: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/irenaeus_02_proof.htm For more information on Hippolytus, listen to Mike Aquilina's Episode 17: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/ep-17the-long-strange-trip-hippolytus-rome/ To read Hippolytus' Refutation of All Heresies: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1706&repos=8&subrepos=0&searchid=2371969 and: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1717&repos=8&subrepos=0&searchid=2371969 For more information on the gnostic gospels, listen to Mike Aquilina's episode “Apocrypha Now!…”: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/apocrypha-now-on-myth-lost-gospels/ To read some of the gnostic writings, see the Primary Sources tab on Dr. Papandrea's home page (scroll down to Infancy Gospel of Thomas and following): https://jimpapandrea.wordpress.com/primary-sources-links/ For more detail on the heresy of gnosticism, see the books: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/reading-the-church-fathers/ and The Earliest Christologies: Five Images of Christ in the Post-Apostolic Age: https://www.ivpress.com/the-earliest-christologies For more on gnosticism (and the other heresies) and Science Fiction, see the book: From Star Wars to Superman: Christ Figures in Science Fiction and Superhero Films: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/from-star-wars-to-superman/ For more on the doctrine of the Resurrection Body and its relationship to anthropology, see the book: What Really Happens After We Die?: There WILL Be Hugs in Heaven: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/what-really-happens-after-we-die/ SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's Newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters/ DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginalChurch Join the Original Church Community on Locals: https://theoriginalchurch.locals.com/ Dr. Papandrea's Homepage: http://www.jimpapandrea.com Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed: https://www.ccwatershed.org/
Please enjoy this special BONUS episode, where Meghan reads the Infancy Gospel of James, a telling of the Nativity from the perspective of James, a step-brother to Jesus. Read the apocryphal account HERE. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas! Have you heard about the first-of-its-kind online temple class, "House of Learning: Understanding the Doctrine of the Temple"?! Registered students receive access to 19 lessons, over 6 hours of video/audio content, and list of over 50 additional resources, all geared towards helping you know and live what the temple aims to teach us. Click HERE to register now! Want to view the whole November Awake and Ascend conference? Recordings and transcriptions are available! Registration for All Access gets you the full two-day conference, including 9 presentations and the recorded Q&A session.
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas is one of the most intriguing and peculiar non-canonical accounts of Jesus' life from outside the New Testament. The New Testament itself provides only one story about Jesus as a boy (as a twelve-year old, in Luke 2); this later account contains intriguing stories of the mischievous Son of God from ages 5-12. Is he an uncontrollable supernatural being who hasn't yet learned to control his power? Or a Savior already confronting the evils of the world? Or a prime example of a resident family problem? In this special episode Bart interviews Christopher Frilingos, professor of Early Christianity at Michigan State, an expert in the non-canonical Gospels with an unusual theory about the Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Let's face it the New Testament probably calls Jesus God (or god) a couple of times and so do early Christian authors in the second century. However, no one offers much of an explanation for what they mean by the title. Did early Christians think Jesus was God because he represented Yahweh? Did they think he was God because he shared the same eternal being as the Father? Did they think he was a god because that's just what they would call any immortalized human who lived in heaven? In this presentation I focus on the question from the perspective of Greco-Roman theology. Drawing on the work of David Litwa, Andrew Perriman, Barry Blackburn, and tons of ancient sources I seek to show how Mediterranean converts to Christianity would have perceived Jesus based on their cultural and religious assumptions. This presentation is from the 3rd Unitarian Christian Alliance Conference on October 20, 2023 in Springfield, OH. Here is the original pdf of this paper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5Z3QbQ7dHc —— Links —— See more scholarly articles by Sean Finnegan Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan? Read his bio here Introduction When early Christian authors called Jesus “god” (or “God”) what did they mean?[1] Modern apologists routinely point to pre-Nicene quotations in order to prove that early Christians always believed in the deity of Christ, by which they mean that he is of the same substance (homoousios) as the Father. However, most historians agree that Christians before the fourth century simply didn't have the cognitive categories available yet to think of Christ in Nicene or Chalcedonian ways. If this consensus is correct, it behooves us to consider other options for defining what early Christian authors meant. The obvious place to go to get an answer to our initial question is the New Testament. However, as is well known, the handful of instances in which authors unambiguously applied god (θεός) to Christ are fraught with textual uncertainty, grammatical ambiguity, and hermeneutical elasticity.[2] What's more, granting that these contested texts[3] all call Jesus “god” provides little insight into what they might mean by that phrase. Turning to the second century, the earliest handful of texts that say Jesus is god are likewise textually uncertain or terse.[4] We must wait until the second half of the second century and beyond to have more helpful material to examine. We know that in the meanwhile some Christians were saying Jesus was god. What did they mean? One promising approach is to analyze biblical texts that call others gods. We find helpful parallels with the word god (אֱלֹהִים) applied to Moses (Exod 7.1; 4.16), judges (Exod 21.6; 22.8-9), kings (Is 9.6; Ps 45.6), the divine council (Ps 82.1, 6), and angels (Ps 8.6). These are texts in which God imbues his agents with his authority to represent him in some way. This rare though significant way of calling a representative “god,” continues in the NT with Jesus' clever defense to his accusers in John 10.34-36. Lexicons[5] have long recognized this “Hebraistic” usage and recent study tools such as the New English Translation (NET)[6] and the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary[7] also note this phenomenon. But, even if this agency perspective is the most natural reading of texts like Heb 1.8, later Christians, apart from one or two exceptions appear to be ignorant of this usage.[8] This interpretation was likely a casualty of the so-called parting of the ways whereby Christianity transitioned from a second-temple-Jewish movement to a Gentile-majority religion. As such, to grasp what early postapostolic Christians believed, we must turn our attention elsewhere. Michael Bird is right when he says, “Christian discourses about deity belong incontrovertibly in the Greco-Roman context because it provided the cultural encyclopedia that, in diverse ways, shaped the early church's Christological conceptuality and vocabulary.”[9] Learning Greco-Roman theology is not only important because that was the context in which early Christians wrote, but also because from the late first century onward, most of our Christian authors converted from that worldview. Rather than talking about the Hellenization of Christianity, we should begin by asking how Hellenists experienced Christianization. In other words, Greco-Roman beliefs about the gods were the default lens through which converts first saw Christ. In order to explore how Greco-Roman theology shaped what people believed about Jesus as god, we do well to begin by asking how they defined a god. Andrew Perriman offers a helpful starting point. “The gods,” he writes, “are mostly understood as corporeal beings, blessed with immortality, larger, more beautiful, and more powerful than their mortal analogues.”[10] Furthermore, there were lots of them! The sublunar realm was, in the words of Paula Fredriksen, “a god-congested place.”[11] What's more, “[S]harp lines and clearly demarcated boundaries between divinity and humanity were lacking."[12] Gods could appear as people and people could ascend to become gods. Comprehending what Greco-Roman people believed about gods coming down and humans going up will occupy the first part of this paper. Only once we've adjusted our thinking to their culture, will we walk through key moments in the life of Jesus of Nazareth to hear the story with ancient Mediterranean ears. Lastly, we'll consider the evidence from sources that think of Jesus in Greco-Roman categories. Bringing this all together we'll enumerate the primary ways to interpret the phrase “Jesus is god” available to Christians in the pre-Nicene period. Gods Coming Down and Humans Going Up The idea that a god would visit someone is not as unusual as it first sounds. We find plenty of examples of Yahweh himself or non-human representatives visiting people in the Hebrew Bible.[13] One psalmist even referred to angels or “heavenly beings” (ESV) as אֱלֹהִים (gods).[14] The Greco-Roman world too told stories about divine entities coming down to interact with people. Euripides tells about the time Zeus forced the god Apollo to become a human servant in the house of Admetus, performing menial labor as punishment for killing the Cyclopes (Alcestis 1). Baucis and Philemon offered hospitality to Jupiter and Mercury when they appeared in human form (Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.26-34). In Homer's Odyssey onlookers warn Antinous for flinging a stool against a stranger since “the gods do take on the look of strangers dropping in from abroad”[15] (17.534-9). Because they believed the boundary between the divine realm and the Earth was so permeable, Mediterranean people were always on guard for an encounter with a god in disguise. In addition to gods coming down, in special circumstances, humans could ascend and become gods too. Diodorus of Sicily demarcated two types of gods: those who are “eternal and imperishable, such as the sun and the moon” and “the other gods…terrestrial beings who attained to immortal honour”[16] (The Historical Library of Diodorus the Sicilian 6.1). By some accounts, even the Olympian gods, including Kronos and Uranus were once mortal men.[17] Among humans who could become divine, we find several distinguishable categories, including heroes, miracle workers, and rulers. We'll look at each briefly before considering how the story of Jesus would resonate with those holding a Greco-Roman worldview. Deified Heroes Cornutus the Stoic said, “[T]he ancients called heroes those who were so strong in body and soul that they seemed to be part of a divine race.” (Greek Theology 31)[18] At first this statement appears to be a mere simile, but he goes on to say of Heracles (Hercules), the Greek hero par excellence, “his services had earned him apotheosis” (ibid.). Apotheosis (or deification) is the process by which a human ascends into the divine realm. Beyond Heracles and his feats of strength, other exceptional individuals became deified for various reasons. Amphiarus was a seer who died in the battle at Thebes. After opening a chasm in the earth to swallow him in battle, “Zeus made him immortal”[19] (Apollodorus, Library of Greek Mythology 3.6). Pausanias says the custom of the inhabitants of Oropos was to drop coins into Amphiarus' spring “because this is where they say Amphiarus rose up as a god”[20] (Guide to Greece 1.34). Likewise, Strabo speaks about a shrine for Calchas, a deceased diviner from the Trojan war (Homer, Illiad 1.79-84), “where those consulting the oracle sacrifice a black ram to the dead and sleep in its hide”[21] (Strabo, Geography 6.3.9). Though the great majority of the dead were locked away in the lower world of Hades, leading a shadowy pitiful existence, the exceptional few could visit or speak from beyond the grave. Lastly, there was Zoroaster the Persian prophet who, according to Dio Chrysostom, was enveloped by fire while he meditated upon a mountain. He was unharmed and gave advice on how to properly make offerings to the gods (Dio Chrysostom, Discourses 36.40). The Psuedo-Clementine Homilies include a story about a lightning bolt striking and killing Zoroaster. After his devotees buried his body, they built a temple on the site, thinking that “his soul had been sent for by lightning” and they “worshipped him as a god”[22] (Homily 9.5.2). Thus, a hero could have extraordinary strength, foresight, or closeness to the gods resulting in apotheosis and ongoing worship and communication. Deified Miracle Workers Beyond heroes, Greco-Roman people loved to tell stories about deified miracle workers. Twice Orpheus rescued a ship from a storm by praying to the gods (Diodorus of Sicily 4.43.1f; 48.5f). After his death, surviving inscriptions indicate that he both received worship and was regarded as a god in several cities.[23] Epimenides “fell asleep in a cave for fifty-seven years”[24] (Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 1.109). He also predicted a ten-year period of reprieve from Persian attack in Athens (Plato Laws 1.642D-E). Plato called him a divine man (θεῖος ἀνήρ) (ibid.) and Diogenes talked of Cretans sacrificing to him as a god (Diogenes, Lives 1.114). Iamblichus said Pythagoras was the son of Apollo and a mortal woman (Life of Pythagoras 2). Nonetheless, the soul of Pythagoras enjoyed multiple lives, having originally been “sent to mankind from the empire of Apollo”[25] (Life 2). Diogenes and Lucian enumerate the lives the pre-existent Pythagoras led, including Aethalides, Euphorbus, Hermotimus, and Pyrrhus (Diogenes, Life of Pythagoras 4; Lucian, The Cock 16-20). Hermes had granted Pythagoras the gift of “perpetual transmigration of his soul”[26] so he could remember his lives while living or dead (Diogenes, Life 4). Ancient sources are replete with Pythagorean miracle stories.[27] Porphyry mentions several, including taming a bear, persuading an ox to stop eating beans, and accurately predicting a catch of fish (Life of Pythagoras 23-25). Porphyry said Pythagoras accurately predicted earthquakes and “chased away a pestilence, suppressed violent winds and hail, [and] calmed storms on rivers and on seas” (Life 29).[28] Such miracles, argued the Pythagoreans made Pythagoras “a being superior to man, and not to a mere man” (Iamblichus, Life 28).[29] Iamblichus lays out the views of Pythagoras' followers, including that he was a god, a philanthropic daemon, the Pythian, the Hyperborean Apollo, a Paeon, a daemon inhabiting the moon, or an Olympian god (Life 6). Another pre-Socratic philosopher was Empedocles who studied under Pythagoras. To him sources attribute several miracles, including stopping a damaging wind, restoring the wind, bringing dry weather, causing it to rain, and even bringing someone back from Hades (Diogenes, Lives 8.59).[30] Diogenes records an incident in which Empedocles put a woman into a trance for thirty days before sending her away alive (8.61). He also includes a poem in which Empedocles says, “I am a deathless god, no longer mortal, I go among you honored by all, as is right”[31] (8.62). Asclepius was a son of the god Apollo and a human woman (Cornutus, Greek Theology 33). He was known for healing people from diseases and injuries (Pindar, Pythian 3.47-50). “[H]e invented any medicine he wished for the sick, and raised up the dead”[32] (Pausanias, Guide to Greece 2.26.4). However, as Diodorus relates, Hades complained to Zeus on account of Asclepius' diminishing his realm, which resulted in Zeus zapping Asclepius with a thunderbolt, killing him (4.71.2-3). Nevertheless, Asclepius later ascended into heaven to become a god (Hyginus, Fables 224; Cicero, Nature of the Gods 2.62).[33] Apollonius of Tyana was a famous first century miracle worker. According to Philostratus' account, the locals of Tyana regard Apollonius to be the son of Zeus (Life 1.6). Apollonius predicted many events, interpreted dreams, and knew private facts about people. He rebuked and ridiculed a demon, causing it to flee, shrieking as it went (Life 2.4).[34] He even once stopped a funeral procession and raised the deceased to life (Life 4.45). What's more he knew every human language (Life 1.19) and could understand what sparrows chirped to each other (Life 4.3). Once he instantaneously transported himself from Smyrna to Ephesus (Life 4.10). He claimed knowledge of his previous incarnation as the captain of an Egyptian ship (Life 3.23) and, in the end, Apollonius entered the temple of Athena and vanished, ascending from earth into heaven to the sound of a choir singing (Life 8.30). We have plenty of literary evidence that contemporaries and those who lived later regarded him as a divine man (Letters 48.3)[35] or godlike (ἰσόθεος) (Letters 44.1) or even just a god (θεός) (Life 5.24). Deified Rulers Our last category of deified humans to consider before seeing how this all relates to Jesus is rulers. Egyptians, as indicated from the hieroglyphs left in the pyramids, believed their deceased kings to enjoy afterlives as gods. They could become star gods or even hunt and consume other gods to absorb their powers.[36] The famous Macedonian conqueror, Alexander the Great, carried himself as a god towards the Persians though Plutarch opines, “[he] was not at all vain or deluded but rather used belief in his divinity to enslave others”[37] (Life of Alexander 28). This worship continued after his death, especially in Alexandria where Ptolemy built a tomb and established a priesthood to conduct religious honors to the deified ruler. Even the emperor Trajan offered a sacrifice to the spirit of Alexander (Cassius Dio, Roman History 68.30). Another interesting example is Antiochus I of Comagene who called himself “Antiochus the just [and] manifest god, friend of the Romans [and] friend of the Greeks.”[38] His tomb boasted four colossal figures seated on thrones: Zeus, Heracles, Apollo, and himself. The message was clear: Antiochus I wanted his subjects to recognize his place among the gods after death. Of course, the most relevant rulers for the Christian era were the Roman emperors. The first official Roman emperor Augustus deified his predecessor, Julius Caesar, celebrating his apotheosis with games (Suetonius, Life of Julius Caesar 88). Only five years after Augustus died, eastern inhabitants of the Roman Empire at Priene happily declared “the birthday of the god Augustus” (ἡ γενέθλιος ἡμέρα τοῦ θεοῦ)[39] to be the start of their provincial year. By the time of Tacitus, a century after Augustus died, the wealthy in Rome had statues of the first emperor in their gardens for worship (Annals 1.73). The Roman historian Appian explained that the Romans regularly deify emperors at death “provided he has not been a despot or a disgrace”[40] (The Civil Wars 2.148). In other words, deification was the default setting for deceased emperors. Pliny the Younger lays it on pretty thick when he describes the process. He says Nero deified Claudius to expose him; Titus deified Vespasian and Domitian so he could be the son and brother of gods. However, Trajan deified Nerva because he genuinely believed him to be more than a human (Panegyric 11). In our little survey, we've seen three main categories of deified humans: heroes, miracle workers, and good rulers. These “conceptions of deity,” writes David Litwa, “were part of the “preunderstanding” of Hellenistic culture.”[41] He continues: If actual cases of deification were rare, traditions of deification were not. They were the stuff of heroic epic, lyric song, ancient mythology, cultic hymns, Hellenistic novels, and popular plays all over the first-century Mediterranean world. Such discourses were part of mainstream, urban culture to which most early Christians belonged. If Christians were socialized in predominantly Greco-Roman environments, it is no surprise that they employed and adapted common traits of deities and deified men to exalt their lord to divine status.[42] Now that we've attuned our thinking to Mediterranean sensibilities about gods coming down in the shape of humans and humans experiencing apotheosis to permanently dwell as gods in the divine realm, our ears are attuned to hear the story of Jesus with Greco-Roman ears. Hearing the Story of Jesus with Greco-Roman Ears How would second or third century inhabitants of the Roman empire have categorized Jesus? Taking my cue from Litwa's treatment in Iesus Deus, I'll briefly work through Jesus' conception, transfiguration, miracles, resurrection, and ascension. Miraculous Conception Although set within the context of Jewish messianism, Christ's miraculous birth would have resonated differently with Greco-Roman people. Stories of gods coming down and having intercourse with women are common in classical literature. That these stories made sense of why certain individuals were so exceptional is obvious. For example, Origen related a story about Apollo impregnating Amphictione who then gave birth to Plato (Against Celsus 1.37). Though Mary's conception did not come about through intercourse with a divine visitor, the fact that Jesus had no human father would call to mind divine sonship like Pythagoras or Asclepius. Celsus pointed out that the ancients “attributed a divine origin to Perseus, and Amphion, and Aeacus, and Minos” (Origen, Against Celsus 1.67). Philostratus records a story of the Egyptian god Proteus saying to Apollonius' mother that she would give birth to himself (Life of Apollonius of Tyana 1.4). Since people were primed to connect miraculous origins with divinity, typical hearers of the birth narratives of Matthew or Luke would likely think that this baby might be either be a descended god or a man destined to ascend to become a god. Miracles and Healing As we've seen, Jesus' miracles would not have sounded unbelievable or even unprecedent to Mediterranean people. Like Jesus, Orpheus and Empedocles calmed storms, rescuing ships. Though Jesus provided miraculous guidance on how to catch fish, Pythagoras foretold the number of fish in a great catch. After the fishermen painstakingly counted them all, they were astounded that when they threw them back in, they were still alive (Porphyry, Life 23-25). Jesus' ability to foretell the future, know people's thoughts, and cast out demons all find parallels in Apollonius of Tyana. As for resurrecting the dead, we have the stories of Empedocles, Asclepius, and Apollonius. The last of which even stopped a funeral procession to raise the dead, calling to mind Jesus' deeds in Luke 7.11-17. When Lycaonians witnessed Paul's healing of a man crippled from birth, they cried out, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men” (Acts 14.11). Another time when no harm befell Paul after a poisonous snake bit him on Malta, Gentile onlookers concluded “he was a god” (Acts 28.6). Barry Blackburn makes the following observation: [I]n view of the tendency, most clearly seen in the Epimenidean, Pythagorean, and Apollonian traditions, to correlate impressive miracle-working with divine status, one may justifiably conclude that the evangelical miracle traditions would have helped numerous gentile Christians to arrive at and maintain belief in Jesus' divine status.[43] Transfiguration Ancient Mediterranean inhabitants believed that the gods occasionally came down disguised as people. Only when gods revealed their inner brilliant natures could people know that they weren't mere humans. After his ship grounded on the sands of Krisa, Apollo leaped from the ship emitting flashes of fire “like a star in the middle of day…his radiance shot to heaven”[44] (Homeric Hymns, Hymn to Apollo 440). Likewise, Aphrodite appeared in shining garments, brighter than a fire and shimmering like the moon (Hymn to Aphrodite 85-89). When Demeter appeared to Metaneira, she initially looked like an old woman, but she transformed herself before her. “Casting old age away…a delightful perfume spread…a radiance shone out far from the goddess' immortal flesh…and the solid-made house was filled with a light like the lightning-flash”[45] (Hymn to Demeter 275-280). Homer wrote about Odysseus' transformation at the golden wand of Athena in which his clothes became clean, he became taller, and his skin looked younger. His son, Telemachus cried out, “Surely you are some god who rules the vaulting skies”[46] (Odyssey 16.206). Each time the observers conclude the transfigured person is a god. Resurrection & Ascension In defending the resurrection of Jesus, Theophilus of Antioch said, “[Y]ou believe that Hercules, who burned himself, lives; and that Aesculapius [Asclepius], who was struck with lightning, was raised”[47] (Autolycus 1.13). Although Hercules' physical body burnt, his transformed pneumatic body continued on as the poet Callimachus said, “under a Phrygian oak his limbs had been deified”[48] (Callimachus, Hymn to Artemis 159). Others thought Hercules ascended to heaven in his burnt body, which Asclepius subsequently healed (Lucian, Dialogue of the Gods 13). After his ascent, Diodorus relates how the people first sacrificed to him “as to a hero” then in Athens they began to honor him “with sacrifices like as to a god”[49] (The Historical Library 4.39). As for Asclepius, his ascension resulted in his deification as Cyprian said, “Aesculapius is struck by lightning, that he may rise into a god”[50] (On the Vanity of Idols 2). Romulus too “was torn to pieces by the hands of a hundred senators”[51] and after death ascended into heaven and received worship (Arnobius, Against the Heathen 1.41). Livy tells of how Romulus was “carried up on high by a whirlwind” and that immediately afterward “every man present hailed him as a god and son of a god”[52] (The Early History of Rome 1.16). As we can see from these three cases—Hercules, Asclepius, and Romulus—ascent into heaven was a common way of talking about deification. For Cicero, this was an obvious fact. People “who conferred outstanding benefits were translated to heaven through their fame and our gratitude”[53] (Nature 2.62). Consequently, Jesus' own resurrection and ascension would have triggered Gentiles to intuit his divinity. Commenting on the appearance of the immortalized Christ to the eleven in Galilee, Wendy Cotter said, “It is fair to say that the scene found in [Mat] 28:16-20 would be understood by a Greco-Roman audience, Jew or Gentile, as an apotheosis of Jesus.”[54] Although I beg to differ with Cotter's whole cloth inclusion of Jews here, it's hard to see how else non-Jews would have regarded the risen Christ. Litwa adds Rev 1.13-16 “[W]here he [Jesus] appears with all the accoutrements of the divine: a shining face, an overwhelming voice, luminescent clothing, and so on.”[55] In this brief survey we've seen that several key events in the story of Jesus told in the Gospels would have caused Greco-Roman hearers to intuit deity, including his divine conception, miracles, healing ministry, transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension. In their original context of second temple Judaism, these very same incidents would have resonated quite differently. His divine conception authenticated Jesus as the second Adam (Luke 3.38; Rom 5.14; 1 Cor 15.45) and God's Davidic son (2 Sam 7.14; Ps 2.7; Lk 1.32, 35). If Matthew or Luke wanted readers to understand that Jesus was divine based on his conception and birth, they failed to make such intentions explicit in the text. Rather, the birth narratives appear to have a much more modest aim—to persuade readers that Jesus had a credible claim to be Israel's messiah. His miracles show that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power…for God was with him” (Acts 10.38; cf. Jn 3.2; 10.32, 38). Rather than concluding Jesus to be a god, Jewish witnesses to his healing of a paralyzed man “glorified God, who had given such authority to men” (Mat 9.8). Over and over, especially in the Gospel of John, Jesus directs people's attention to his Father who was doing the works in and through him (Jn 5.19, 30; 8.28; 12.49; 14.10). Seeing Jesus raise someone from the dead suggested to his original Jewish audience that “a great prophet has arisen among us” (Lk 7.16). The transfiguration, in its original setting, is an eschatological vision not a divine epiphany. Placement in the synoptic Gospels just after Jesus' promise that some there would not die before seeing the kingdom come sets the hermeneutical frame. “The transfiguration,” says William Lane, “was a momentary, but real (and witnessed) manifestation of Jesus' sovereign power which pointed beyond itself to the Parousia, when he will come ‘with power and glory.'”[56] If eschatology is the foreground, the background for the transfiguration was Moses' ascent of Sinai when he also encountered God and became radiant.[57] Viewed from the lenses of Moses' ascent and the eschaton, the transfiguration of Jesus is about his identity as God's definitive chosen ruler, not about any kind of innate divinity. Lastly, the resurrection and ascension validated Jesus' messianic claims to be the ruler of the age to come (Acts 17.31; Rom 1.4). Rather than concluding Jesus was deity, early Jewish Christians concluded these events showed that “God has made him both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2.36). The interpretative backgrounds for Jesus' ascension were not stories about Heracles, Asclepius, or Romulus. No, the key oracle that framed the Israelite understanding was the messianic psalm in which Yahweh told David's Lord to “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool” (Psalm 110.1). The idea is of a temporary sojourn in heaven until exercising the authority of his scepter to rule over earth from Zion. Once again, the biblical texts remain completely silent about deification. But even if the original meanings of Jesus' birth, ministry, transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension have messianic overtones when interpreted within the Jewish milieu, these same stories began to communicate various ideas of deity to Gentile converts in the generations that followed. We find little snippets from historical sources beginning in the second century and growing with time. Evidence of Belief in Jesus' as a Greco-Roman Deity To begin with, we have two non-Christian instances where Romans regarded Jesus as a deity within typical Greco-Roman categories. The first comes to us from Tertullian and Eusebius who mention an intriguing story about Tiberius' request to the Roman senate to deify Christ. Convinced by “intelligence from Palestine of events which had clearly shown the truth of Christ's divinity”[58] Tiberius proposed the matter to the senate (Apology 5). Eusebius adds that Tiberius learned that “many believed him to be a god in rising from the dead”[59] (Church History 2.2). As expected, the senate rejected the proposal. I mention this story, not because I can establish its historicity, but because it portrays how Tiberius would have thought about Jesus if he had heard about his miracles and resurrection. Another important incident is from one of the governor Pliny the Younger's letters to the emperor Trajan. Having investigated some people accused of Christianity, he found “they had met regularly before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately amongst themselves in honour of Christ as if to a god”[60] (Letter 96). To an outside imperial observer like Pliny, the Christians believed in a man who had performed miracles, defeated death, and now lived in heaven. Calling him a god was just the natural way of talking about such a person. Pliny would not have thought Jesus was superior to the deified Roman emperors much less Zeus or the Olympic gods. If he believed in Jesus at all, he would have regarded him as another Mediterranean prophet who escaped Hades to enjoy apotheosis. Another interesting text to consider is the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. This apocryphal text tells the story of Jesus' childhood between the ages of five and twelve. Jesus is impetuous, powerful, and brilliant. Unsure to conclude that Jesus was “either god or angel,”[61] his teacher remands him to Joseph's custody (7). Later, a crowd of onlookers ponders whether the child is a god or a heavenly messenger after he raises an infant from the dead (17). A year later Jesus raised a construction man who had fallen to his death back to life (18). Once again, the crowd asked if the child was from heaven. Although some historians are quick to assume the lofty conceptions of Justin and his successors about the logos were commonplace in the early Christianity, Litwa points out, “The spell of the Logos could only bewitch a very small circle of Christian elites… In IGT, we find a Jesus who is divine according to different canons, the canons of popular Mediterranean theology.”[62] Another important though often overlooked scholarly group of Christians in the second century was led by a certain Theodotus of Byzantium.[63] Typically referred to by their heresiological label “Theodotians,” these dynamic monarchians lived in Rome and claimed that they held to the original Christology before it had been corrupted under Bishop Zephyrinus (Eusebius, Church History 5.28). Theodotus believed in the virgin birth, but not in his pre-existence or that he was god/God (Pseudo-Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies 7.35.1-2; 10.23.1-2). He thought that Jesus was not able to perform any miracles until his baptism when he received the Christ/Spirit. Pseudo-Hippolytus goes on to say, “But they do not want him to have become a god when the Spirit descended. Others say that he became a god after he rose from the dead.”[64] This last tantalizing remark implies that the Theodotians could affirm Jesus as a god after his resurrection though they denied his pre-existence. Although strict unitarians, they could regard Jesus as a god in that he was an ascended immortalized being who lived in heaven—not equal to the Father, but far superior to all humans on earth. Justin Martyr presents another interesting case to consider. Thoroughly acquainted with Greco-Roman literature and especially the philosophy of Plato, Justin sees Christ as a god whom the Father begot before all other creatures. He calls him “son, or wisdom, or angel, or god, or lord, or word”[65] (Dialogue with Trypho 61). For Justin Christ is “at the same time angel and god and lord and man”[66] (59). Jesus was “of old the Word, appearing at one time in the form of fire, at another under the guise of incorporeal beings, but now, at the will of God, after becoming man for mankind”[67] (First Apology 63). In fact, Justin is quite comfortable to compare Christ to deified heroes and emperors. He says, “[W]e propose nothing new or different from that which you say about the so-called sons of Jupiter [Zeus] by your respected writers… And what about the emperors who die among you, whom you think worthy to be deified?”[68] (21). He readily accepts the parallels with Mercury, Perseus, Asclepius, Bacchus, and Hercules, but argues that Jesus is superior to them (22).[69] Nevertheless, he considered Jesus to be in “a place second to the unchanging and eternal God”[70] (13). The Father is “the Most True God” whereas the Son is he “who came forth from Him”[71] (6). Even as lates as Origen, Greco-Roman concepts of deity persist. In responding to Celsus' claim that no god or son of God has ever come down, Origen responds by stating such a statement would overthrow the stories of Pythian Apollo, Asclepius, and the other gods who descended (Against Celsus 5.2). My point here is not to say Origen believed in all the old myths, but to show how Origen reached for these stories as analogies to explain the incarnation of the logos. When Celsus argued that he would rather believe in the deity of Asclepius, Dionysus, and Hercules than Christ, Origen responded with a moral rather than ontological argument (3.42). He asks how these gods have improved the characters of anyone. Origen admits Celsus' argument “which places the forenamed individuals upon an equality with Jesus” might have force, however in light of the disreputable behavior of these gods, “how could you any longer say, with any show of reason, that these men, on putting aside their mortal body, became gods rather than Jesus?”[72] (3.42). Origen's Christology is far too broad and complicated to cover here. Undoubtedly, his work on eternal generation laid the foundation on which fourth century Christians could build homoousion Christology. Nevertheless, he retained some of the earlier subordinationist impulses of his forebearers. In his book On Prayer, he rebukes praying to Jesus as a crude error, instead advocating prayer to God alone (10). In his Commentary on John he repeatedly asserts that the Father is greater than his logos (1.40; 2.6; 6.23). Thus, Origen is a theologian on the seam of the times. He's both a subordinationist and a believer in the Son's eternal and divine ontology. Now, I want to be careful here. I'm not saying that all early Christians believed Jesus was a deified man like Asclepius or a descended god like Apollo or a reincarnated soul like Pythagoras. More often than not, thinking Christians whose works survive until today tended to eschew the parallels, simultaneously elevating Christ as high as possible while demoting the gods to mere demons. Still, Litwa is inciteful when he writes: It seems likely that early Christians shared the widespread cultural assumption that a resurrected, immortalized being was worthy of worship and thus divine. …Nonetheless there is a difference…Jesus, it appears, was never honored as an independent deity. Rather, he was always worshiped as Yahweh's subordinate. Naturally Heracles and Asclepius were Zeus' subordinates, but they were also members of a larger divine family. Jesus does not enter a pantheon but assumes a distinctive status as God's chief agent and plenipotentiary. It is this status that, to Christian insiders, placed Jesus in a category far above the likes of Heracles, Romulus, and Asclepius who were in turn demoted to the rank of δαίμονες [daimons].[73] Conclusion I began by asking the question, "What did early Christians mean by saying Jesus is god?" We noted that the ancient idea of agency (Jesus is God/god because he represents Yahweh), though present in Hebrew and Christian scripture, didn't play much of a role in how Gentile Christians thought about Jesus. Or if it did, those texts did not survive. By the time we enter the postapostolic era, a majority of Christianity was Gentile and little communication occurred with the Jewish Christians that survived in the East. As such, we turned our attention to Greco-Roman theology to tune our ears to hear the story of Jesus the way they would have. We learned about their multifaceted array of divinities. We saw that gods can come down and take the form of humans and humans can go up and take the form of gods. We found evidence for this kind of thinking in both non-Christian and Christian sources in the second and third centuries. Now it is time to return to the question I began with: “When early Christian authors called Jesus “god” what did they mean?” We saw that the idea of a deified man was present in the non-Christian witnesses of Tiberius and Pliny but made scant appearance in our Christian literature except for the Theodotians. As for the idea that a god came down to become a man, we found evidence in The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Justin, and Origen.[74] Of course, we find a spectrum within this view, from Justin's designation of Jesus as a second god to Origen's more philosophically nuanced understanding. Still, it's worth noting as R. P. C. Hanson observed that, “With the exception of Athanasius virtually every theologian, East and West, accepted some form of subordinationism at least up to the year 355.”[75] Whether any Christians before Alexander and Athanasius of Alexandria held to the sophisticated idea of consubstantiality depends on showing evidence of the belief that the Son was coequal, coeternal, and coessential with the Father prior to Nicea. (Readers interested in the case for this view should consult Michael Bird's Jesus among the Gods in which he attempted the extraordinary feat of finding proto-Nicene Christology in the first two centuries, a task typically associated with maverick apologists not peer-reviewed historians.) In conclusion, the answer to our driving question about the meaning of “Jesus as god” is that the answer depends on whom we ask. If we ask the Theodotians, Jesus is a god because that's just what one calls an immortalized man who lives in heaven.[76] If we ask those holding a docetic Christology, the answer is that a god came down in appearance as a man. If we ask a logos subordinationist, they'll tell us that Jesus existed as the god through whom the supreme God created the universe before he became a human being. If we ask Tertullian, Jesus is god because he derives his substance from the Father, though he has a lesser portion of divinity.[77] If we ask Athanasius, he'll wax eloquent about how Jesus is of the same substance as the Father equal in status and eternality. The bottom line is that there was not one answer to this question prior to the fourth century. Answers depend on whom we ask and when they lived. Still, we can't help but wonder about the more tantalizing question of development. Which Christology was first and which ones evolved under social, intellectual, and political pressures? In the quest to specify the various stages of development in the Christologies of the ante-Nicene period, this Greco-Roman perspective may just provide the missing link between the reserved and limited way that the NT applies theos to Jesus in the first century and the homoousian view that eventually garnered imperial support in the fourth century. How easy would it have been for fresh converts from the Greco-Roman world to unintentionally mishear the story of Jesus? How easy would it have been for them to fit Jesus into their own categories of descended gods and ascended humans? With the unmooring of Gentile Christianity from its Jewish heritage, is it any wonder that Christologies began to drift out to sea? Now I'm not suggesting that all Christians went through a steady development from a human Jesus to a pre-existent Christ, to an eternal God the Son, to the Chalcedonian hypostatic union. As I mentioned above, plenty of other options were around and every church had its conservatives in addition to its innovators. The story is messy and uneven with competing views spread across huge geographic distances. Furthermore, many Christians probably were content to leave such theological nuances fuzzy, rather than seeking doctrinal precision on Christ's relation to his God and Father. Whatever the case may be, we dare not ignore the influence of Greco-Roman theology in our accounts of Christological development in the Mediterranean world of the first three centuries. Bibliography The Homeric Hymns. Translated by Michael Crudden. New York, NY: Oxford, 2008. Antioch, Theophilus of. To Autolycus. Translated by Marcus Dods. Vol. 2. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001. Aphrahat. The Demonstrations. Translated by Ellen Muehlberger. Vol. 3. The Cambridge Edition of Early Christian Writings. Edited by Mark DelCogliano. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge, 2022. Apollodorus. The Library of Greek Mythology. Translated by Robin Hard. Oxford, UK: Oxford, 1998. Appian. The Civil Wars. Translated by John Carter. London, UK: Penguin, 1996. Arnobius. Against the Heathen. Translated by Hamilton Bryce and Hugh Campbell. Vol. 6. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995. Arrian. The Campaigns of Alexander. Translated by Aubrey De Sélincourt. London, UK: Penguin, 1971. Bird, Michael F. Jesus among the Gods. Waco, TX: Baylor, 2022. Blackburn, Barry. Theios Aner and the Markan Miracle Traditions. Tübingen, Germany: J. C. B. Mohr, 1991. Callimachus. Hymn to Artemis. Translated by Susan A. Stephens. Callimachus: The Hymns. New York, NY: Oxford, 2015. Cicero. The Nature of the Gods. Translated by Patrick Gerard Walsh. Oxford, UK: Oxford, 2008. Cornutus, Lucius Annaeus. Greek Theology. Translated by George Boys-Stones. Greek Theology, Fragments, and Testimonia. Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2018. Cotter, Wendy. "Greco-Roman Apotheosis Traditions and the Resurrection Appearances in Matthew." In The Gospel of Matthew in Current Study. Edited by David E. Aune. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001. Cyprian. Treatise 6: On the Vanity of Idols. Translated by Ernest Wallis. Vol. 5. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995. Dittenberger, W. Orientis Graecae Inscriptiones Selectae. Vol. 2. Hildesheim: Olms, 1960. Eusebius. The Church History. Translated by Paul L. Maier. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007. Fredriksen, Paula. "How High Can Early High Christology Be?" In Monotheism and Christology in Greco-Roman Antiquity. Edited by Matthew V. Novenson. Vol. 180.vol. Supplements to Novum Testamentum. Leiden: Brill, 2020. Hanson, R. P. C. Search for a Christian Doctrine of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007. Hart, George. The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. 2nd ed. Oxford, UK: Routledge, 2005. Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York, NY: Penguin, 1997. Iamblichus. Life of Pythagoras. Translated by Thomas Taylor. Iamblichus' Life of Pythagoras. Delhi, IN: Zinc Read, 2023. Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho. Translated by Thomas B. Falls. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2003. Laertius, Diogenes. Life of Pythagoras. Translated by Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie. The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library. Edited by David R. Fideler. Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press, 1988. Laertius, Diogenes. Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Translated by Pamela Mensch. Edited by James Miller. New York, NY: Oxford, 2020. Lane, William L. The Gospel of Mark. Nicnt, edited by F. F. Bruce Ned B. Stonehouse, and Gordon D. Fee. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974. Litwa, M. David. Iesus Deus. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014. Livy. The Early History of Rome. Translated by Aubrey De Sélincourt. London, UK: Penguin, 2002. Origen. Against Celsus. Translated by Frederick Crombie. Vol. 4. The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003. Pausanias. Guide to Greece. Translated by Peter Levi. London, UK: Penguin, 1979. Perriman, Andrew. In the Form of a God. Studies in Early Christology, edited by David Capes Michael Bird, and Scott Harrower. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2022. Philostratus. Letters of Apollonius. Vol. 458. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, MA: Harvard, 2006. Plutarch. Life of Alexander. Translated by Ian Scott-Kilvert and Timothy E. Duff. The Age of Alexander. London, UK: Penguin, 2011. Porphyry. Life of Pythagoras. Translated by Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie. The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library. Edited by David Fideler. Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press, 1988. Pseudo-Clement. Recognitions. Translated by Thomas Smith. Vol. 8. Ante Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Refutation of All Heresies. Translated by David Litwa. Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2016. Pseudo-Thomas. Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Translated by James Orr. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1903. Psuedo-Clement. Homilies. Translated by Peter Peterson. Vol. 8. Ante-Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1897. Siculus, Diodorus. The Historical Library. Translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Vol. 1. Edited by Giles Laurén: Sophron Editor, 2017. Strabo. The Geography. Translated by Duane W. Roller. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge, 2020. Tertullian. Against Praxeas. Translated by Holmes. Vol. 3. Ante Nice Fathers. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003. Tertullian. Apology. Translated by S. Thelwall. Vol. 3. Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003. Younger, Pliny the. The Letters of the Younger Pliny. Translated by Betty Radice. London: Penguin, 1969. End Notes [1] For the remainder of this paper, I will use the lower case “god” for all references to deity outside of Yahweh, the Father of Christ. I do this because all our ancient texts lack capitalization and our modern capitalization rules imply a theology that is anachronistic and unhelpful for the present inquiry. [2] Christopher Kaiser wrote, “Explicit references to Jesus as ‘God' in the New Testament are very few, and even those few are generally plagued with uncertainties of either text or interpretation.” Christopher B. Kaiser, The Doctrine of God: A Historical Survey (London: Marshall Morgan & Scott, 1982), 29. Other scholars such as Raymond Brown (Jesus: God and Man), Jason David BeDuhn (Truth in Translation), and Brian Wright (“Jesus as θεός: A Textual Examination” in Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament) have expressed similar sentiments. [3] John 20.28; Hebrews 1.8; Titus 2.13; 2 Peter 1.1; Romans 9.5; and 1 John 5.20. [4] See Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians 12.2 where a manuscript difference determines whether or not Polycarp called Jesus god or lord. Textual corruption is most acute in Igantius' corpus. Although it's been common to dismiss the long recension as an “Arian” corruption, claiming the middle recension to be as pure and uncontaminated as freshly fallen snow upon which a foot has never trodden, such an uncritical view is beginning to give way to more honest analysis. See Paul Gilliam III's Ignatius of Antioch and the Arian Controversy (Leiden: Brill, 2017) for a recent treatment of Christological corruption in the middle recension. [5] See the entries for אֱלֹהִיםand θεός in the Hebrew Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT), the Brown Driver Briggs Lexicon (BDB), Eerdmans Dictionary, Kohlenberger/Mounce Concise Hebrew-Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament, the Bauer Danker Arndt Gingrich Lexicon (BDAG), Friberg Greek Lexicon, and Thayer's Greek Lexicon. [6] See notes on Is 9.6 and Ps 45.6. [7] ZIBBC: “In what sense can the king be called “god”? By virtue of his divine appointment, the king in the ancient Near East stood before his subjects as a representative of the divine realm. …In fact, the term “gods“ (ʾelōhı̂m) is used of priests who functioned as judges in the Israelite temple judicial system (Ex. 21:6; 22:8-9; see comments on 58:1; 82:6-7).” John W. Hilber, “Psalms,” in The Minor Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 5 of Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament. ed. John H. Walton (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009), 358. [8] Around a.d. 340, Aphrahat of Persia advised his fellow Christians to reply to Jewish critics who questioned why “You call a human being ‘God'” (Demonstrations 17.1). He said, “For the honored name of the divinity is granted event ot rightoues human beings, when they are worthy of being called by it…[W]hen he chose Moses, his friend and his beloved…he called him “god.” …We call him God, just as he named Moses with his own name…The name of the divinity was granted for great honor in the world. To whom he wishes, God appoints it” (17.3, 4, 5). Aphrahat, The Demonstrations, trans., Ellen Muehlberger, vol. 3, The Cambridge Edition of Early Christian Writings (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge, 2022), 213-15. In the Clementine Recognitions we find a brief mention of the concept: “Therefore the name God is applied in three ways: either because he to whom it is given is truly God, or because he is the servant of him who is truly; and for the honour of the sender, that his authority may be full, he that is sent is called by the name of him who sends, as is often done in respect of angels: for when they appear to a man, if he is a wise and intelligent man, he asks the name of him who appears to him, that he may acknowledge at once the honour of the sent, and the authority of the sender” (2.42). Pseudo-Clement, Recognitions, trans., Thomas Smith, vol. 8, Ante Nicene Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003). [9] Michael F. Bird, Jesus among the Gods (Waco, TX: Baylor, 2022), 13. [10] Andrew Perriman, In the Form of a God, Studies in Early Christology, ed. David Capes Michael Bird, and Scott Harrower (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2022), 130. [11] Paula Fredriksen, "How High Can Early High Christology Be?," in Monotheism and Christology in Greco-Roman Antiquity, ed. Matthew V. Novenson, vol. 180 (Leiden: Brill, 2020), 296, 99. [12] ibid. [13] See Gen 18.1; Ex 3.2; 24.11; Is 6.1; Ezk 1.28. [14] Compare the Masoretic Text of Psalm 8.6 to the Septuagint and Hebrews 2.7. [15] Homer, The Odyssey, trans., Robert Fagles (New York, NY: Penguin, 1997), 370. [16] Diodorus Siculus, The Historical Library, trans., Charles Henry Oldfather, vol. 1 (Sophron Editor, 2017), 340. [17] Uranus met death at the brutal hands of his own son, Kronos who emasculated him and let bleed out, resulting in his deification (Eusebius, Preparation for the Gospel 1.10). Later on, after suffering a fatal disease, Kronos himself experienced deification, becoming the planet Saturn (ibid.). Zeus married Hera and they produced Osiris (Dionysus), Isis (Demeter), Typhon, Apollo, and Aphrodite (ibid. 2.1). [18] Lucius Annaeus Cornutus, Greek Theology, trans., George Boys-Stones, Greek Theology, Fragments, and Testimonia (Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2018), 123. [19] Apollodorus, The Library of Greek Mythology, trans., Robin Hard (Oxford, UK: Oxford, 1998), 111. [20] Pausanias, Guide to Greece, trans., Peter Levi (London, UK: Penguin, 1979), 98. [21] Strabo, The Geography, trans., Duane W. Roller (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge, 2020), 281. [22] Psuedo-Clement, Homilies, trans., Peter Peterson, vol. 8, Ante-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1897). Greek: “αὐτὸν δὲ ὡς θεὸν ἐθρήσκευσαν” from Jacques Paul Migne, Patrologia Graeca, taken from Accordance (PSCLEMH-T), OakTree Software, Inc., 2018, Version 1.1. [23] See Barry Blackburn, Theios Aner and the Markan Miracle Traditions (Tübingen, Germany: J. C. B. Mohr, 1991), 32. [24] Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, trans., Pamela Mensch (New York, NY: Oxford, 2020), 39. [25] Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras, trans., Thomas Taylor, Iamblichus' Life of Pythagoras (Delhi, IN: Zinc Read, 2023), 2. [26] Diogenes Laertius, Life of Pythagoras, trans., Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie, The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press, 1988), 142. [27] See the list in Blackburn, 39. He corroborates miracle stories from Diogenus Laertius, Iamblichus, Apollonius, Nicomachus, and Philostratus. [28] Porphyry, Life of Pythagoras, trans., Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie, The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press, 1988), 128-9. [29] Iamblichus, 68. [30] What I call “resurrection” refers to the phrase, “Thou shalt bring back from Hades a dead man's strength.” Diogenes Laertius 8.2.59, trans. R. D. Hicks. [31] Laertius, "Lives of the Eminent Philosophers," 306. Two stories of his deification survive: in one Empedocles disappears in the middle of the night after hearing an extremely loud voice calling his name. After this the people concluded that they should sacrifice to him since he had become a god (8.68). In the other account, Empedocles climbs Etna and leaps into the fiery volcanic crater “to strengthen the rumor that he had become a god” (8.69). [32] Pausanias, 192. Sextus Empiricus says Asclepius raised up people who had died at Thebes as well as raising up the dead body of Tyndaros (Against the Professors 1.261). [33] Cicero adds that the Arcadians worship Asclepius (Nature 3.57). [34] In another instance, he confronted and cast out a demon from a licentious young man (Life 4.20). [35] The phrase is “περὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ θεοῖς εἴρηται ὡς περὶ θείου ἀνδρὸς.” Philostratus, Letters of Apollonius, vol. 458, Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, MA: Harvard, 2006). [36] See George Hart, The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, 2nd ed. (Oxford, UK: Routledge, 2005), 3. [37] Plutarch, Life of Alexander, trans., Ian Scott-Kilvert and Timothy E. Duff, The Age of Alexander (London, UK: Penguin, 2011), 311. Arrian includes a story about Anaxarchus advocating paying divine honors to Alexander through prostration. The Macedonians refused but the Persian members of his entourage “rose from their seats and one by one grovelled on the floor before the King.” Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, trans., Aubrey De Sélincourt (London, UK: Penguin, 1971), 222. [38] Translation my own from “Ἀντίοχος ὁ Θεὸς Δίκαιος Ἐπιφανὴς Φιλορωμαῖος Φιλέλλην.” Inscription at Nemrut Dağ, accessible at https://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/mithras/display.php?page=cimrm32. See also https://zeugma.packhum.org/pdfs/v1ch09.pdf. [39] Greek taken from W. Dittenberger, Orientis Graecae Inscriptiones Selectae, vol. 2 (Hildesheim: Olms, 1960), 48-60. Of particular note is the definite article before θεός. They didn't celebrate the birthday of a god, but the birthday of the god. [40] Appian, The Civil Wars, trans., John Carter (London, UK: Penguin, 1996), 149. [41] M. David Litwa, Iesus Deus (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014), 20. [42] ibid. [43] Blackburn, 92-3. [44] The Homeric Hymns, trans., Michael Crudden (New York, NY: Oxford, 2008), 38. [45] "The Homeric Hymns," 14. [46] Homer, 344. [47] Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus, trans., Marcus Dods, vol. 2, Ante-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001). [48] Callimachus, Hymn to Artemis, trans., Susan A. Stephens, Callimachus: The Hymns (New York, NY: Oxford, 2015), 119. [49] Siculus, 234. [50] Cyprian, Treatise 6: On the Vanity of Idols, trans., Ernest Wallis, vol. 5, Ante-Nicene Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995). [51] Arnobius, Against the Heathen, trans., Hamilton Bryce and Hugh Campbell, vol. 6, Ante-Nicene Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995). [52] Livy, The Early History of Rome, trans., Aubrey De Sélincourt (London, UK: Penguin, 2002), 49. [53] Cicero, The Nature of the Gods, trans., Patrick Gerard Walsh (Oxford, UK: Oxford, 2008), 69. [54] Wendy Cotter, "Greco-Roman Apotheosis Traditions and the Resurrection Appearances in Matthew," in The Gospel of Matthew in Current Study, ed. David E. Aune (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001), 149. [55] Litwa, 170. [56] William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark, Nicnt, ed. F. F. Bruce Ned B. Stonehouse, and Gordon D. Fee (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974). [57] “Recent commentators have stressed that the best background for understanding the Markan transfiguration is the story of Moses' ascent up Mount Sinai (Exod. 24 and 34).” Litwa, 123. [58] Tertullian, Apology, trans. S. Thelwall, vol. 3, Ante-Nicene Fathers, ed. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003). [59] Eusebius, The Church History, trans. Paul L. Maier (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007), 54. [60] Pliny the Younger, The Letters of the Younger Pliny, trans., Betty Radice (London: Penguin, 1969), 294. [61] Pseudo-Thomas, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, trans., James Orr (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1903), 25. [62] Litwa, 83. [63] For sources on Theodotus, see Pseduo-Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies 7.35.1-2; 10.23.1-2; Pseudo-Tertullian, Against All Heresies 8.2; Eusebius, Church History 5.28. [64] Pseudo-Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, trans., David Litwa (Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2016), 571. [65] I took the liberty to decapitalize these appellatives. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, trans. Thomas B. Falls (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2003), 244. [66] Justin Martyr, 241. (Altered, see previous footnote.) [67] Justin Martyr, 102. [68] Justin Martyr, 56-7. [69] Arnobius makes a similar argument in Against the Heathen 1.38-39 “Is he not worthy to be called a god by us and felt to be a god on account of the favor or such great benefits? For if you have enrolled Liber among the gods because he discovered the use of wine, and Ceres the use of bread, Aesculapius the use of medicines, Minerva the use of oil, Triptolemus plowing, and Hercules because he conquered and restrained beasts, thieves, and the many-headed hydra…So then, ought we not to consider Christ a god, and to bestow upon him all the worship due to his divinity?” Translation from Litwa, 105. [70] Justin Martyr, 46. [71] Justin Martyr, 39. [72] Origen, Against Celsus, trans. Frederick Crombie, vol. 4, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003). [73] Litwa, 173. [74] I could easily multiply examples of this by looking at Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, and many others. [75] The obvious exception to Hanson's statement were thinkers like Sabellius and Praxeas who believed that the Father himself came down as a human being. R. P. C. Hanson, Search for a Christian Doctrine of God (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), xix. [76] Interestingly, even some of the biblical unitarians of the period were comfortable with calling Jesus god, though they limited his divinity to his post-resurrection life. [77] Tertullian writes, “[T]he Father is not the same as the Son, since they differ one from the other in the mode of their being. For the Father is the entire substance, but the Son is a derivation and portion of the whole, as He Himself acknowledges: “My Father is greater than I.” In the Psalm His inferiority is described as being “a little lower than the angels.” Thus the Father is distinct from the Son, being greater than the Son” (Against Praxeas 9). Tertullian, Against Praxeas, trans., Holmes, vol. 3, Ante Nice Fathers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003).
This week we're excited to welcome back our good friend George Azar, author of “My Gay Church Days: Memoir of a Closeted Evangelical Pastor Who Eventually Had Enough,” and host of the My Gay Church Days podcast! We discuss some of his public appearances after releasing his book, the strange pushback he sometimes receives from unexpected places, what it was like growing up in the post-9/11 US as a kid of Lebanese descent, and finally we take a bite out of the Infancy Gospel of James, and one of the weirdest purity tests ever put on paper. George is the absolute best, and he's releasing a “Born Again” revision of his book in the very near future! Follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and X (@mygaychurchdays), subscribe to the My Gay Church Days podcast (new season coming soon), and for more information about his updated book, go to www.mygaychurchdays.com!
We chat about the Infancy Gospel of James. What do we know about Joseph and Mary? We know they are the parets of Jesus? But what about their lives before all that Jesus stuff started happening? What was Mary like as a child? How and when did she meet Joseph? What was Joseph like? What's this I hear about an Immaculate Conception? The Infancy Gospel of James tackles alot of these questions, and tries to provide us with answers. But did the authors of this gospel really think people would take their stories as facts? Or did they, and their readres, know that they were merely commenting on the Bible? Why did they write this Gospel? What was their point? We explore all this, and much more, in this week's episode.
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We chat about a gospel account that didn't make it into the Bible, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas. This book tells us about Jesus' childhood. What was it like to be a God-Man discovering one's own power? What was it like to know more than all your teachers? What happens if you accidentally bump into the shoulder of a young Jesus? Well...you die, that's what happens. So what can we learn from this interesting book? Do we take it seriously? Was it ancient commentary on more authoritative gospel account? Perhaps it was just fireside entertainment--like modern day movies or tv? Listen in as we chat about all this.
Trinity Sunday Theme: The Third Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God https://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/misteri_luminosi_en.html Citations of Scriptures quoted and discussed: "Let there be light" Gn 1:3 "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Mt 3:15 "this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" Mt 3:17 The Great Commandment(s) and The Good Samaritan (Luke only) Mt 22:34-40; Mk 12:28-34; Lk 10:25-37 The Shema and The Great Commandment in Dt: Dt 6:4-5 Love your neighbor as yourself: Lv 19:18 The foreign woman with the demon-possessed daughter: Mt 15:21-28; Mk 7:24-30 Summary of assigned Scriptures for completists: Mt 5:1-16; 6:1-8;14-23; 7:1-12; 8:18-22; 18:21-35; 25:14-46; Mk 7:24-30; 9:33-37; 10:17-31;12:1-12; 12:28-34; Lk 5:29-39; 6:20-42; 6:45-6:49; 8:1-18; 9:46-48; 9:57-62; 10:1-37; 11:33-36; 13:18-21; 14:7-17:10; 18:1-17; 19:11-27; Jn 5:16-47; 8:1-11; 1 Cor 12:1-31 Next Episode: 6/8 Corpus Christi (0.21b) Selection of resources (freely available online): Infant of Prague Overview https://www.rosaryshrineofstjude.org/brief-history-legendary-statue-infant-prague/ Infancy Gospel of Thomas (section mentioned is 2:4) http://gnosis.org/library/inftoma.htm Words of Jesus ("All the Red Letter Scriptures") https://www.jesusbelieverjd.com/all-the-red-letter-scriptures-of-jesus-in-the-bible-kjv/ Parallel Passages in the Gospels https://www.bible-researcher.com/parallels.html#sect1 Reverend Doctor Wil Gafney on the Canaanite/Syrophoenician Woman https://www.wilgafney.com/2017/08/20/the-woman-who-changed-jesus/
Gospel of Peter, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary, Secret Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Judas, Gospel of Barnabas and the Jesus Seminary all shown to be lacking at best, deceptive at worst.
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas can be a little jarring to some, as we see the witness the raw emotions of a toddler Yahusha at play. Regardless of how some feel, I love this read. If you would like to participate in a future live recording, visit my Discord page. https://discord.gg/Y7tshvhCYq New articles are published every Friday morning at The Unexpected Cosmology, exposing the lies of the world. Website: The Unexpected Cosmology Link: https://theunexpectedcosmology.com/
The Infancy Gospel of Ya'aqov gives unique insight to the nativity of Yahusha. Purportedly written by Ya'aqov, the brother of Yahusha, one can easily see how the gospel writers lifted passages from the Infancy Gospel as source material for their own telling. Join us on Discord every Thursday night at 9pm while we read through extra-Biblical literature. Join the community at the Unexpected Cosmology Discord page for daily Truther based discussions: https://discord.gg/Y7tshvhCYq New articles are published every Friday morning at The Unexpected Cosmology, exposing the lies of the world. Website: The Unexpected Cosmology Link: https://theunexpectedcosmology.com/
This text at the close of Luke 2 is the only record of Jesus' boyhood in the canonical gospels. Many extra-biblical sources, like the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, have tried to fill in these blanks, but this account in Luke is the only infallible...
Matt and Merry talk about the Infancy Gospel of Jesus. This book was written as early as the 2nd century CE, and claims to be stories from Jesus' childhood from his own brother. You might think that Jesus was a little angel, but he was kind of a brat. We share some of these stories, and try to figure out why people wrote and published them. Along the way, we chat about a flavored coffee creation, Christmas themed beers, and a weird show airing on the Smithsonian Channel.
A reading of two Grimm Bros. Fairy Tales followed by the Infancy Gospel Of Thomas
Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., the world's foremost authority on virgin births, makes her debut on Night-Light radio to discuss her most recently published book, The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception: Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births (Inner Traditions | Bear & Company, April 6, 2021) and its far-reaching implications for the evolutionary consciousness and divine feminine awakening growing in today's world. The culmination of an entire career of research, scholarship, and spiritual devotion, this book draws upon information from The Infancy Gospel of James, a historically discarded Gospel of Mary, to correct the impression we have been given of a passive and bewildered girl who had no idea how or why she was pregnant. She invites listeners to join her in her book's journey of exploration into the family of powerful priestesses Mary was born into, how these women were trained and initiated in parthenogenesis, the esoteric techniques used to conceive Jesus, and hints at the details surrounding the birth itself and the mind-altering reality that accompanied it, of which you can learn more in the book itself Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., is the foremost authority on the history of virgin birth and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She is the director of her own esoteric school, Seven Sisters Mystery School, dedicated to restoring knowledge about the Sacred Feminine and to empowering people on their non-traditional spiritual journeys. She is the author of The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece and Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity, and her most recent book, The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception: Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births
Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., the world's foremost authority on virgin births, makes her debut on Night-Light radio to discuss her most recently published book, The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception: Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births (Inner Traditions | Bear & Company, April 6, 2021) and its far-reaching implications for the evolutionary consciousness and divine feminine awakening growing in today's world. The culmination of an entire career of research, scholarship, and spiritual devotion, this book draws upon information from The Infancy Gospel of James, a historically discarded Gospel of Mary, to correct the impression we have been given of a passive and bewildered girl who had no idea how or why she was pregnant. She invites listeners to join her in her book's journey of exploration into the family of powerful priestesses Mary was born into, how these women were trained and initiated in parthenogenesis, the esoteric techniques used to conceive Jesus, and hints at the details surrounding the birth itself and the mind-altering reality that accompanied it, of which you can learn more in the book itselfMarguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., is the foremost authority on the history of virgin birth and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She is the director of her own esoteric school, Seven Sisters Mystery School, dedicated to restoring knowledge about the Sacred Feminine and to empowering people on their non-traditional spiritual journeys. She is the author of The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece and Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity, and her most recent book, The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception: Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births
Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., the world's foremost authority on virgin births, makes her debut on Night-Light radio to discuss her most recently published book, The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception: Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births (Inner Traditions | Bear & Company, April 6, 2021) and its far-reaching implications for the evolutionary consciousness and divine feminine awakening growing in today's world. The culmination of an entire career of research, scholarship, and spiritual devotion, this book draws upon information from The Infancy Gospel of James, a historically discarded Gospel of Mary, to correct the impression we have been given of a passive and bewildered girl who had no idea how or why she was pregnant. She invites listeners to join her in her book's journey of exploration into the family of powerful priestesses Mary was born into, how these women were trained and initiated in parthenogenesis, the esoteric techniques used to conceive Jesus, and hints at the details surrounding the birth itself and the mind-altering reality that accompanied it, of which you can learn more in the book itself Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., is the foremost authority on the history of virgin birth and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She is the director of her own esoteric school, Seven Sisters Mystery School, dedicated to restoring knowledge about the Sacred Feminine and to empowering people on their non-traditional spiritual journeys. She is the author of The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece and Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity, and her most recent book, The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception: Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births
Reveals how the Virgin Mary and other holy women were part of an ancient sacred order of priestesses trained in the practice of divine conception• Explains how Mary was born into a lineage of powerful women who cultivated and passed on the ability to consciously conceive elevated beings• Includes a complete translation of the Infancy Gospel of James and reveals the hidden codes it contains relating to the practice of miraculous conception• Shows how Mary was trained and initiated in the “womb mysteries” and reveals the esoteric techniques she used to conceive JesusDelving into one of the Virgin Mary's forgotten gospels, the Infancy Gospel of James, Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., reveals a truth that has been suppressed for nearly two millennia: that Mother Mary was not a passive bystander to her own pregnancy but an advanced member of a sacred order of women trained in divine conception.Unlocking the hidden codes of Mary's gospel and other ancient source texts, the author reveals how Mary conceived Jesus through a careful process that she willed and initiated. She explains how Mary was born into a family of powerful priestesses, women who possessed, cultivated, and passed on the ability to consciously conceive elevated beings to help the planet. This lineage included Mary's b. Decoding the Infancy Gospel of James, the author shows how Mary was trained and initiated, reveals the esoteric techniques she used to conceive Jesus, and explores the birth itself and the mind-altering reality that accompanied it.By revealing the Virgin Mary as a trained holy woman and a conscious actor in the conception of Jesus, the author corrects the impression we have been given of a passive and bewildered girl who had no idea how or why she was pregnant. She also restores Mary as the empowered feminine orchestrator of these significant events, paralleling the redemption of Mary Magdalene in recent years. Explaining how and why virgin birth was accomplished, this book allows us to make sense of miraculous conception and reveals the power that lies in all women's wombs.Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., is the foremost authority on the history of virgin birth and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The founding director of Seven Sisters Mystery School, she is the author of The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece and Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity. She lives in western Massachusetts.
EPISODE #563 MIRACULOUS CONCEPTION Richard welcomes an authority on the history of virgin birth who delves into one of the Virgin Mary's forgotten gospels, the Infancy Gospel of James. Guest: Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., is considered, is the foremost authority on the history of virgin birth and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She is the founding director of Seven Sisters Mystery School. Books: The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MAGIC SPOON -Healthy Cereal that Tastes Too Good to be True! Go to Magicspoon.com/CONSPIRACY to grab a variety pack and try it today! Use promo code CONSPIRACY at checkout to save $5 off your order C60EVO -The Secret is out about this powerful anti-oxidant. The Purest C60 available is ESS60. Buy Direct from the Source. Buy Now and Save 10% – Use Coupon Code: EVRS at Checkout! Life Change and Formula 13 Teas All Organic, No Caffeine, Non GMO! More Energy! Order now, use the code 'unlimited' and ALL your purchases ships for free! Strange Planet Shop - If you're a fan of the radio show and the podcast, why not show it off? Greats T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, and more. It's a Strange Planet - Dress For It! BECOME A PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER FOR LESS THAN $2 PER MONTH If you're a fan of this podcast, I hope you'll consider becoming a Premium Subscriber. For just $1.99 per month, subscribers to my Conspiracy Unlimited Plus gain access to two exclusive, commercial-free episodes per month. They also gain access to my back catalog of episodes. The most recent 30 episodes of Conspiracy Unlimited will remain available for free. Stream all episodes and Premium content on your mobile device by getting the FREE Conspiracy Unlimited APP for both IOS and Android devices... Available at the App Store and Google Play. To become a subscriber CLICK HERE or go to www.conspiracyunlimitedpodcast.com and click on GET ACCESS TO PREMIUM EPISODES.
EPISODE #563 MIRACULOUS CONCEPTIONRichard welcomes an authority on the history of virgin birth who delves into one of the Virgin Mary’s forgotten gospels, the Infancy Gospel of James. Guest: Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., is considered, is the foremost authority on the history of virgin birth and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She is the founding director of Seven Sisters Mystery School.Books:The Mystery Tradition of Miraculous Conception Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MAGIC SPOON -Healthy Cereal that Tastes Too Good to be True! Go to Magicspoon.com/CONSPIRACY to grab a variety pack and try it today! Use promo code CONSPIRACY at checkout to save $5 off your order C60EVO -The Secret is out about this powerful anti-oxidant. The Purest C60 available is ESS60. Buy Direct from the Source. Buy Now and Save 10% – Use Coupon Code: EVRS at Checkout!Life Change and Formula 13 Teas All Organic, No Caffeine, Non GMO! More Energy! Order now, use the code 'unlimited' and ALL your purchases ships for free!Strange Planet Shop - If you're a fan of the radio show and the podcast, why not show it off? Greats T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, and more. It's a Strange Planet - Dress For It!BECOME A PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER FOR LESS THAN $2 PER MONTHIf you're a fan of this podcast, I hope you'll consider becoming a Premium Subscriber. For just $1.99 per month, subscribers to my Conspiracy Unlimited Plus gain access to two exclusive, commercial-free episodes per month. They also gain access to my back catalog of episodes.The most recent 30 episodes of Conspiracy Unlimited will remain available for free. Stream all episodes and Premium content on your mobile device by getting the FREE Conspiracy Unlimited APP for both IOS and Android devices... Available at the App Store and Google Play.To become a subscriber CLICK HERE or go to www.conspiracyunlimitedpodcast.com and click onGET ACCESS TO PREMIUM EPISODES.
Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., is the foremost authority on the history of virgin birth and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The founding director of Seven Sisters Mystery School, she is the author of The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece and Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity. Delving into one of the Virgin Mary’s forgotten gospels, the Infancy Gospel of James, Marguerite Mary Rigoglioso, Ph.D., reveals a truth that has been suppressed for nearly two millennia: that Mother Mary was not a passive bystander to her own pregnancy but an advanced member of a sacred order of women trained in divine conception. Unlocking the hidden codes of Mary’s gospel and other ancient source texts, the author reveals how Mary conceived Jesus through a careful process that she willed and initiated. She explains how Mary was born into a family of powerful priestesses, women who possessed, cultivated, and passed on the ability to consciously conceive elevated beings to help the planet. This lineage included Mary’s own mother, Anne, who conceived Mary with this method, her relative Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist), and the biblical matriarch Sarah, the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. These women were schooled in the shamanic “womb mysteries,” secret knowledge of the capacity of the womb. Decoding the Infancy Gospel of James, the author shows how Mary was trained and initiated, reveals the esoteric techniques she used to conceive Jesus, and explores the birth itself and the mind-altering reality that accompanied it. Visit: https://www.sevensistersmysteryschool.com/ At the top of the show, it's Anastasia's Starseed News, bringing topics of interest to starseeds not heard in the mainstream!
Over the past two thousand years, we have told and re-told the Christmas story so many times that details have crept in where they should not be. Over the next few videos, we'll take a closer look at the biblical narrative to see what is actually being said. People are usually surprised at what has been added over the years. A great resource: www.earlychristianwritings.com Infancy Gospel of James: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/infancyjames-roberts.html Kenneth Bailey - https://smile.amazon.com/Jesus-Through-Middle-Eastern-Eyes/dp/0830825681/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1MOM0VQOGJ1KQ&dchild=1&keywords=ken+bailey+jesus+through+middle+eastern+eyes&qid=1608171450&sprefix=ken+bail%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-1
Happy Holidays, Theophiloi! It's our favorite time of the year, and that means we're once again reading the story about how an angel came down to herald the birth of a child whose divine nature would be revealed by a dove, and who would gather a group of followers and perform many wondrous miracles: the Blessed Voltron Mary. Yeah, apparently the whole "be not afraid" stuff happened to her first, but don't worry. Jesus gets his own unique adventures in taming lions, sittin' on a sunbeam, and being worshipped by straight up literal dragons in this, the wildest and least canonical infancy gospel of all. It's the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, courtesy of Brandon W. Hawk and the Early Christian Apocrypha series! Topics of discussion: A rabbinical endorsement of our mozzarella stick tradition from The RaDR, a lifetime supply of pencils, Kayfabe Matthew, the relatability of Mary, the delight of the afternoon in Bethlehem, the hideous dogs of antiquity, Robert Animacorpus, the Starbucks in Nazareth, the angels Grubhubiel and Doordashiel, Mary's Womanly Experience, buying makeup at Tasepiphorus, the eternal reward for trees and cars, Jesus got ups, the worst thing I have ever read in my life. Hymnal: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love, "Donner and Blitzen" by Rob Halford. Offertory: As Enoch writes, "Whoever of you spends gold or silver for his brother's sake, he will receive ample treasure in the world to come." Support the show via http://ko-fi.com/apocrypals, or check out Official Apocrypals merchandise designed by Erica Henderson! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/apocrypals?ref_id=18246 Black Lives Matter. Trans Lives Matter. Heck 12. Isaiah 54:17.
A conversation with Marguerite Rigliogso, PhD with your Host Dr. Melissa Sophia Joy, ND. In this powerful conversation we discuss: How to hold the polarity of our times, move into the non-dual field of love, and step into unity consciousness. How to shift from being right to being love and the significant role the Dark Night of the Soul experience plays in this process. Why Divine Feminine Empowerment is so important in our times and the role that the Holy Womb Chakra, as well as western women, are playing in this evolution. How Marguerite’s new book, The Mystery Tradition of Immaculate Conception: Mary and the Lineage of Virgin Births shares many deeper teachings of Mother Mary as well as activation codes regarding this tradition in the uncovered gospel, The Infancy Gospel of James. Receive two transmissions of poignant wisdom and high divine love - Mother Mary through Marguerite and Mary Magdalene through Melissa.
For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.NameJudas ThomasTransliteration of Aramaic te'oma' (Hebrew te'om), Greek didymosThese words mean "twin"The twin of Matthew (they are often mentioned together)?The twin of Jesus (Gnostic idea)? Highly doubtful.ApostleshipMatthew 10:3; Mark 3:38; Luke 6:15; John 11:16, 14:5, 20:24-29, 21:2 ; Acts 1:13.Known for doubt, yet courage is a more predominant characteristic: willingness to die (11:6).His wanting to know the way (John 14:5) triggers Jesus' famous response one verse later (John 14:6).John 20 -- insistence on evidenceA look at Thomas from John's gospelJohn 11:16 (see v.8; 12:14-26)20:24-29; 14:521:2Later traditionAccording to Indian Christian tradition (esp. in the apocryphal Acts of Thomas), lots were cast. At first Thomas refused India, but later changed his mind.Trade routes (overland and maritime were open), and there were Jewish communities all over India, so there is no reason to reject the tradition.Thomas worked his way from North India to South India, beginning in 52 AD.He appointed overseers in these newly established churches.Several generations later, the Church of the East joins with the Thomite Christians (Mar Thomite). Marco Polo (late 1200s) came across the Thomite sect.He was ultimately executed in Chennai (Madras), according to third and fourth century sources. The traditional site is St. Thomas Mount, where the apostle is alleged to have been speared in 72 AD. Rubens "Martyrdom of Thomas"Writings falsely attributed to ThomasThe Gospel of Thomas. (Click for my take on this late 2nd-century document.) "Let none read the gospel according to Thomas, for it is the work, not of one of the twelve apostles, but of one of Mani's three wicked disciples." -- Cyril of Jerusalem, Cathechesis V (4th C.)Infancy Gospel of Thomas -- miraculous events in Jesus' childhood.Acts of ThomasConclusion: 3 attributes of Thomas worth emulating Display of courageInsistence on evidence (natural curiosity?)Evangelistic conviction
What is a Gospel? What makes the four in our canon stand out? Plus, we know you love our fights, so we argue about which of the four is the best. PLUS: we talk (probably too much?) about the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
Pastor Andrew has one more chapter in the Sane Christmas series to share wit us. The Infancy Gospel of Thomas depicts the early childhood of Jesus, and it hilariously plays out like a young super hero not aware of his powers. Plus the Pastor explains how these stories help to put the gospel stories in context for him and why that's important.
Merry Christmas, Theophiloi! It's the most wonderful time of the year, where we gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus, which subsequently led to several horrible crimes that terrorized his hometown for years. Plus: our actual last-minute holiday gift guide! Topics of discussion: Benito's trip to Germany, the nature of Christkindl, Christmas Prince power rankings, the Karen and Georgia of a far less successful podcast, a Christmas present from the Canonipal, the Vampire Season and the Werewolf Season, Thomas: Superboy or fan-fiction?, shrivelin' a boy, Chris's experiences being jiu-jitsu'd by a #teen, unwitherin' a boy, Zeno falling off the roof, the Miracle of the Towels, Joseph: the Clown of Carpentry, the return of explosions, The Harrowing of Hell (c. 1600), Glenn Danzig's book collection. Hymnal: "Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas" by Eels Offertory: If you have been given riches, wealth, and honor so that you lack nothing of all you desire for yourself, let a stranger enjoy them via ko-fi.com/apocrypals. The Lord, after all, loves a cheerful giver.
Jesus at Twelve Years Old Luke 2:41-52 The Infancy Gospel of Thomas (First Greek Form) The Arabic Infancy Gospel Read or download a PDF transcript of Jesus at Twelve Years Old.
You're invited to the holiest eight nights of the Apocrypals calendar, dear Theophiloi! It's Approximate Week, aka our mutual birthday! if you're looking for a gift, we have a recommendation for you: how about a nice cold glass of Messiah Boy Bath Water? Join us as we celebrate with another buck wild Infancy Gospel, in which the Son of Man deals with naked women throwing rocks in cemeteries, an eligible bachelor who is temporarily endonkeyed, and his Earth-dad's lack of carpentry skills. It's everything you need for a great party! Topics of discussion: Birthdays and presents, the King of Kings of Queens, Joshua bar Josef's Bizarre Adventure, the life and death of Alexander the Great, Mary: The King of Women, a regrettably extended discussion of the Holy Prepuce, the five times Jesus bled, Karl der Große, the ado about this mule, the Harold Allnut of Bible, Dumachus, a portal to the live coal dimension, throne building tips. Hymnal: "Baby Boy" by Beyoncé Offertory: Each person should do as they have decided in their heart, so if you enjoy the show, head to ko-fi.com/apocrypals, for the Apocrypals love a cheerful giver.
In this week's episode, Jill interprets the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, a 2nd century Christian text that depicts Jesus as a precocious, and sometimes deadly, child. Jill unpacks how the redactor/editor of the story utilized stories about the boy Jesus with his schoolteachers to create a justifiable space for violence as well as scenes with his father to transfer blame for Jesus' bad behavior away from the boy savior.
Have you ever heard the legend that John the Baptist's father was slaughtered in the Temple? Did you ever wonder where people get that from and whether or not it is even plausible? Tonight we are going to delve into the huge problems with that and reveal the surprising source that claim came from. This is a lot of tidbits of context all squeezed into one episode, but the seventh woe is also the most serious and intricate. What was the tomb of the prophets and who built it? What are the monuments of the righteous? Why was being compared to a brood of vipers so much worse than just being compared to vipers? And why am I spending time debunking the Protoevangelium of James as a source? It's all related and all working up to the grand finale next week.
Hello, hello! Happy Spring! I'm here with another interview for you fine people. I had the opportunity to interview B'ellana Johannx aka Chloe Rose about their two upcoming chapbooks! B'ellana Johannx's gender is Rilke’s dark god: a webbed scrim made of a thousand roots drinking in silence. Also known as Chloe Rose, she/they are a fat, queer, femme, non-binary womxn-of-color living with disabilities and their cats Franz and Pepper in Tacoma, WA. Rose/Johannx has been published in The Wanderer, Dream Pop, and Aspasiology, with Pushcart and Bettering American Poetry nominations henny, so watch out! Tweet them about conlangs, antifa, witchcraft, and drag names @llanaandsuchas. If you are a faggot, you are her/their kin and they love you. May the peace of the Goddess and God be upon you. #SMIB B'ellana's website B'ellana's Twitter Writers, books, ideas, musicians mentioned: BBC News reporting on Fatbergs Cruising Utopia and Disidentifications by José Esteban Muñoz Raquel Salas Rivera Kolby Harvey In a Queer Time and Place by Jack Halberstam blackbox of butterfly goo Never Angeline Nørth, aka , aka Møss Høpe Ångel, fka Moss Angel the Undying, fka Moss Angel Witchmonstr, fka Sara June Woods, fka Sara Woods Infancy Gospel of Thomas Epimemetics / cultural mimetics: This Wired article from the 90s and also the more contemporary: Thomas Hobson and Kaajal Modi, “Communist Imaginaries and Queer Futures: Memes as Sites of Collective Imagination” coming soon as part of this anthology Beast Meridian while they sleep (under the bed another country) by Raquel Salas Rivera Cruel Fiction by Wendy Trevino Big Lucks Dream Pop Femmescapes zine The Faggots and their Friends between Revolutions by Larry Mitchell Sea-Witch by Never Angeline North Lizzo listicle about BLACKPINK "The Sound of Waves Breaking" is titled "Ghost Merkel Beat" by stanrams and made me laugh my ass off. This episode was edited and media managed by Mitchel Davidovitz
We continue our brief foray into Mithraism by looking at the role of the Roman emperors, the stars and the tauroctony in the spiritual life of mithraic practitioners. We also address the "Seven Levels" of Mithraism in relation to Shamanism. The episode is introduced with a comparison of passages from the Gospel of Luke with the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
Producer's Note: There is a lot of noise and buzz in this episode. I did what I could without distorting the good Doctor's voice too much, but I do apologize for the poor audio quality. Concerning Papias's comments on Mark using Peter as a source, you suggest Papias may have not been referring to canonical Mark but to "the Ebionite work The Preachings of Peter.”Are you referring to Kerygmata Petrou which was written about A.D. 200? When you mention the Infancy Gospel of Matthew, do you mean the Infancy Gospel of Matthew the same as The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew from the 7th century? Is 1 John a coherent work or a patchwork quilt of successive redaction? Just how gnostic is 1 John? Does Paul's famous teaching in Romans 5:18-19 support or contradict any of the historic theories of the Atonement? Is it the major influence on Christian soteriology?: Hebrews 5:8 says of Jesus, “he learned obedience through what he suffered.” But when I think of various NT writings, including what I recall of the rest of Hebrews itself, I don't recall anything about Jesus having "learned obedience" through his suffering. But elsewhere in the NT we get the impression that he suffered because he was obedient. What gives? You’ve compared Galatians 1:11-12, where Paul says that he learned his gospel through revelation, with 1 Corinthians 11:23, where Paul tells the Corinthians that he delivered to them what he also received. You seem to accept the view that these two passages do in fact contradict each other. But Earl Doherty and Richard Carrier read the 1 Corinthians passage in light of, and as consistent with, the line from Galatians, such that in 1 Corinthians, when Paul speaks of receiving a teaching, Doherty and Carrier argue that this reception was through revelation. Why do you think different? You said you were persuaded by John Dominic Crossan's argument about the Cross Gospel. Yet since then, you’ve made no mention of the Cross Gospel at points when doing so would have logically fit. What is your current thinking on the proposed Cross Gospel? What do most mainstream biblical scholars make of Crossan's proposal? What did you mean when you said that even if you accepted various alternative synoptic source theories, it wouldn't make much difference regarding Q? When Catholics pray that the sacrifice of Christ be made present in the Mass, are they asking that Jesus be killed again? Please explain how Zoroastrianism influenced Judaism.
Did children really play at mourning? Do you happen to know of any references, preferably from the seven authenticated letters of Paul which can be used to support/confirm the consensus dates of 35 to 56 for Paul? Isn't there a non canonical gospel that has a transfiguration like scene that actually is a resurrection appearance? And bwhy do some think the canonical transfiguration story was originally a post resurrection appearance? I recently reread the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. I can understand how stories of the young Jesus could come about but why in the world would someone that was a Christian of any stripe go to the trouble of writing something that makes kid Jesus look like a brat? I mean this thing reminds me of the Twilight Zone "It's a Good Life". Re the NRSV, aside from the absurd inclusive language thing do you have any other problems with it? Why do mainstream scholars say that 1 Thess. was written around 50CE? I'm curious as to what the apologetics are regarding badly answered prayers. John 4:22 says the Samaritans worship what they do not know, while the Jews worship what they do know. What do we think the authors trying to say about Samaritan beliefs exactly? Is that believed to be historically accurate, or a mischaracterization of 1st/2nd-century CE Samaritanism? Can you explain exactly which components of rapture theology are identifiable in the Bible using historically appropriate hermeneutics, and which components are truly "not in the Bible"?
My Epiphany special relates the story of Christmas as told by the gospel of Matthew. In Matthew, the story is told from Joseph's point of view, not Mary's. Matthew has wise men, the infamous massacre of the innocents, and the flight to Egypt. No angels and no shepherds. He does not mention Mary's relative Elizabeth, and her son John the Baptist. If you read Matthew carefully, he says nothing of the day of Christmas, but he has a lot to say about the day of Epiphany, 6th January, the day the magi paid homage. I also introduce the Gospel of James, and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
Mary Christmas, Theophiloi! Normally at this time of year, you get a nice little reading from Luke about being sore afraid and wishing peace on Earth and goodwill to men. Unfortunately, we already covered that one, so we're bringing you the birth of Christ as you've never heard it before with the Infancy Gospel of James. We learn all about Mary's origin, in which she was Rapunzeled for thirteen years and then handed off to a very confused local carpenter. Plus: all the other holy days we'll be missing before we come back on Epiphany! Topics of discussion: Southern Snow Day, Boleslav the Cruel, Colly Birds, a bit of difficulty counting to seven which is of course the highest number, CMB, Mary vs. Betty vs. Veronica, the Ultimate Blessing, Joseph's four-year house-building tour, an extremely dark joke from Chris, the Lord's drink, Time Stop (lv.9 wiz/sor), the Fortress of Baptitude, a few new ideas to incorporate in your Christmas traditions, 2 minutes of Benito doing animal noises (seriously). Hymnal: "Reindeer Games" by Froggy Fresh Offertory: If you enjoy the show, head to ko-fi.com/apocrypals and send us a love offering! We absolutely appreciate it!
Our series on Advent begins by exploring the traditional “Nativity Story” and comparing it with the information actually provided in the Gospels about the birth of Jesus. A key focus here is an ancient Christian book called “The Infancy Gospel of James.” This episode explores how this bit of “Christian fiction” influences the way we think about the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth.
In Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity, Walter Bauer says: "the catastrophe in Palestine forever erased the demand that gentile Christians of the diaspora should be circumcised and should to some extent observe the ceremonial law. ... [F]ellowship between Jewish and gentile Christians in the outside world became really possible." Was it really so consequential and immediate an event as to erase that line? Is it racist for Walter Bauer to write that Rome was "by nature and custom least inclined or able to yield to seemingly fantastic oriental ways of thinking and oriental emotions that becloud clear thought"? In the Pauline epistles, many statements are tied together by words such as "If", "For", and "Thus". It looks as if he's trying to construct logical arguments, but the statements are often non sequiturs. Why do his writings have the trappings of rationality, but not the substance? Do you think Jordan Peterson is on to something when he says that the Judeo-Christian tradition is exceptional among religions in preserving the wisdom Nature (or God) has written into us through evolution? Is the Swoon Theory compatible with Christ Mythicism? Does the Infancy Gospel of James portray Jesus as theophany of Yahweh descended direct from heaven?
I was hoping you could spend a few minutes speculating on the future of American Evangelical Christianity following President Trump. Also, would you mind informing us about the differences between American Christianity and Christianity from other countries. In your translation of Mark you refer to Gethsemane as a "plot of ground" instead of a garden. Any particular reason you didn't call Gethsemane a "garden?" Granting that Matthew 24:29 is prophecy after the fact, why would the author write something he knew had not happened?  Might â??the knowledge of good and evilâ?? in Eden refer to learning what food is healthful or deadly? I've observed that Jesus Myth debates and lectures are almost always hosted by a small group of atheists. Why do they feel the need to constantly be retold things they already know about an issue that may not really be a scholarly issue? And do you feel this is really an important debate? I thought it might be a good idea to read through the New Testament in the order in which the books were written. What do you think of this approach? How well do you think a courtroom analogy of Christianity holds up? How do we know that God makes â??severalâ?? humans at once in Genesis chapter 1? Is that somehow hidden in the original Hebrew? Would citing the Infancy Gospel of Thomas as a source for an essay be as valid as say the Gospels of Mark or John? What is the best history of the King James Version of the Bible? Do you know how pages of Codex Sinaiticus came to be waste paper bin liners at the monastery at which they were discovered? Theme music provided by: Peter Benjamin - composer for media www.peterbenjaminmusic.org peterbenjaminmusic@gmail.com
In this episode I look at the creepy "Infancy Gospel of Thomas" apocrypha (and the Twilight Zone episode it reminds me of) and review Son of Man by Welles Bristol.
Dr. Thomas Whitley and the Rev. Sam Harrelson are joined by Prof. Chris Frilingos to discuss his book "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph: Family Trouble in the Infancy Gospels" and why the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and Proto-Gospel of James are so important for contemporary audiences. Special Guest: Christopher A. Frilingos.
Niko and Lauren discuss Jesus’s first murder, whether Jesus can really read, The Twilight Zone, and everything else in the apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Plus: our secret heist, and Joseph’s not my real dad! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lauren and Niko discuss the Virgin Mary’s childhood, strong babies, an alternate version of the Christmas story, and everything else in the apocryphal Infancy Gospel of James. Plus: Joseph goes on a vision quest, and the awkwardest donkey ride in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Explore extra canonical writings. Consider the story of the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Codices. A sample of non-canonical works include the Gospel of Judas (ca. 170 AD) which had Jesus saying to Judas, “You will sacrifice the man who clothes me.” Charles Hill states, “It is something of an irony then that one of the most telling contributions of the Gospel of Judas to our knowledge of early Christianity just might be its witness to the existence and authority to the canonical gospels before Irenaeus.” Another is the Gospel of Truth (mid-2nd Century?), which is a theological treatise. It is an attempt to draw non-Gnostics to their point of view. Also, there is the Gospel of Peter (ca. 150 AD?) which Serapion of Antioch deemed authentic but later felt it had been tainted by the Docetists in its denial of the humanity of Jesus. Serapion reversed his earlier decision. Explore how the Gospels originated and consider the Markan priority within the Gospels, “Q”, the Lukan source and Mathian source. The Gospel of Thomas (ca. 140 AD) was sometimes thought as “Q”. Early Church Fathers tended not to think it was canonical. The Gospel of Thomas demonstrates secret knowledge and a sense that there is a privileged message which Jesus gives to those “in the know.” The Infancy Gospels try to fill in the gap of the life of Jesus between his birth and ministry. We have the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. They are fanciful stories of Jesus as a miracle child. What is the value of these texts? They show a diversity of “Christian” thought and actually point to the veracity of the Gospels.
What if Mark was signaling that it was actually Simon Peter who was crucified and Andrew was the young man who fled naked from Gethsemane? What are our sources for the story that Antiochus forbade Hebrew worship? Do we have anything substantive beyond The Book of Maccabees, or Josephus -- who himself was probably echoing Macabees? Do you accept the opinion of Dr. James (Mickey) Efird and Bruce Metzger that Revelation was NOT about the end of the world but simply a book written in a well-known genre for that day to give people hope that their persecution under Emperor Domitian would soon be over if they just waited it out? Is it possible that the Synoptics used Marcion's Gospel, the Gospel of Peter, and the Infancy Gospel of James? Do you think the Masoretic text may have been edited in response to Christian doctrine? John's gospel never names Jesus' mother. Might he have been trying to de-objectify her by keeping all portrayals minimalistic, including the obscuring of a name?
A great void in the early life of Jesus is filled up by The Syriac Infancy Gospel (also called Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Savior (AGIS)), dating from the 4-5th century. In none of the gospels in the New Testament is any mention made of the childhood of Jesus. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, more rapidly than satisfactorily, pass over the period intervening between His birth and ministry. The non-canonical Infancy Gospel of Thomas tells about the deeds of Jesus in his early childoood, and is set to music in BDJ's cellar here (http://bdj.podomatic.com/entry/2011-12-09T11_37_24-08_00). We think it likely that AGIS refers to a combination of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of James when it speaks about the 'Gospel of the Infancy'. The Gospel of James provides much of the details of the nativity scenes and Mary's deeds. The Gospel of Perfection is mentioned as well, but is not extant today. Judging by the text of the AGIS, its authors probably used a 'Gospel of Perfection' that harmonised the gospels of Matthew and Luke (both set to music in BDJ's Cellar), since we find no traces of Mark or John. Although the AGIS was not included in the new testament, it remained a popular text throughout the ages and continues to exert its influence. The stories about Jesus in Egypt inspired artists into the Middle-ages and are represented in numerous paintings. The veneration of Mary could aslo find its roots in this text. Obviously, there is so much to say about AGIS that surpasses the scope of this text in BDJ's Cellar. However, we couldn't resist to make a few observations to make your listening even more enjoyable, without pretending to be particularly knowledgeable in this domain, of course ! A) Remarkable clarifications of the gospels in The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Savior (AGIS): 1) In the AGIS, Caiphas relates that Jesus, when in his cradle, informed his mother that he was the Son of God. Joseph, son of Caiaphas, in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus. Here, we learn details of the accusation that Caiphas made against Jesus, namely that he claimed to be the son of God. The gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus did neither confim or deny this accusation during his trial: this silence may have troubled early Christians; why didn't Jesus comfirm in public that he was the Son of God ? In a brillant turn of events in the AGIS, the claim is rendered true by Caiphas stating that these words were actually spoken by the baby Jesus ! Let's not ponder too much that Caiphas was only appointed as high priest around 20 years after Jesus was born....... 2) the Nativity: Where was Jesus born ? The gospels of Luke and Matthew speak about the Nativity, Mark and John are silent. They both agree with AGIS that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but the 3 disagree on the excact location. Overall, the AGIS seems to lean more on Luke than Matthew in the circumstances of Jesus' birth, but there are significant differences: a) In Luke, Mary gives birth to Jesus and, having found no place for themselves in the inn, places the newborn in a manger. Later tradition places the manger in a stable, but perhaps this was not the case in these days, when animals were kept inside the houses. It is interesting that the Gospel of James gives a reason for which Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling cloths and put him in a manger: to hide him from the child-murderers sent by Herod. b) In Matthew, Joseph and Mary are in a house in Bethlehem when the 'wise men' come to visit them. c) According to the AGIS, Jesus was born in a cave near Bethlehem. It is somewhat surprising that the AGIS dares to deviate so strongly with Luke and Matthew. AGIS follows the Gospel of James, which says that Joseph chose a cave and did not enter the city, since he was ashamed that Mary (whom he had just married) was 9 months pregnant. I suppose the author understood that Jesus was bron in a cave, and that Joseph and Mary later lived in a house by the time the wise men came and Herod sent his murderers out to kill all 2-year old boys. 3) When was Jesus born ? AGIS mentions "In the three hundred and ninth year of the era of Alexander". This is remarkable on 2 accounts: - why count years based on the era of Alexander ? The known world belonged to the Roman empire, Alexander's empire was long gone. I assume therefore that the author of the AGIS lived in area of the Roman empire that used be at the core of Alexander's empire. This clearly sets it apart from the Christian tradition in Rome itself, whose doctrines eventually (in the fourth century) prevailed over the traditions of the eastern churches. - the date is nowhere near the date we base on Luke and Matthew (who differ by a decade or so amongst themselves). This inaccuracy may also be caused by the 'provincial' rather than Roman background of the author, who apparently could not match the Roman calendar with the Greek tradition. 4) Circumcision: In Luke, Mary and Joseph take Jesus to Jerusalem to be circumcised, before returning to their home in Nazareth. This story is expanded in AGIS by the recounting that the foreskin was placed in a box; the AGIS says that this is the box that Mary used when she annointed Jesus. Foreskin relics began appearing in Europe during the Middle Ages. The earliest recorded sighting came on December 25, 800, when Charlemagne gave it to Pope Leo III when the latter crowned the former Emperor. The Pope placed it into the Sanctum sanctorum in the Lateran basilica in Rome with other relics. In addition to the Holy Foreskin in Rome, other claimants included the Cathedral of Le Puy-en-Velay, Santiago de Compostela, the city of Antwerp, Coulombs in the diocese of Chartres, France as well as Chartres itself, and churches in Besançon, Newport, Metz, Hildesheim, Charroux, Conques, Langres, Fécamp, Puy-en-Velay, Stoke on Trent, Calcata, and two in Auvergne. 5) Women: the AGIS appears to be populated by strong and/or virtuous women. This already starts at the birth of Christ, where Mary is elevated to almost divine stature :" As there is not any child like to my son, so neither is there any woman like to his mother". We may very well take this to be the motto of much of the remainder of the AGIS. It is Mary who makes all decisions (Joseph has no say in any matter), Mary decides to save people, Mary conducts miracles using Jesus' sweat or swaddling clothes. Actually, the men make a rather pathetic or comic impression: some are turned into mules, others are impotent on their wedding day, Satan flees in the form of young man. Could the AGIS have been written by a woman ? 6) Magic. The four Gospels record many examples of Christ’s magic during his wanderings, noting that he performed 6 exorcisms, 17 healings, and 8 nature miracles. Jesus never touched individuals who were possessed by demons, driving them out with gestures and authoritative commands. He did, however, touch those who were suffering from illness. Magic is even more widespread in the AGIS, and taken very seriously; it is not only seen as an aspect of religion, it is a part of everyday life. Magicians, sorcerers, prophets, demons, even Satan appear everywhere. It is a matter of perspective whether we label events as 'miracles' or 'magic'. To modern readers, miracles are acceptable and magic is seen as a form of superstition; in early Chritianity, that distinction was apparently not made. The exampes of magic / miracles are too numerous to mention all. Some themes may be distilled from the AGIS: - use of relics of Jesus having magic powers: this is already seen at the start, where Jesus' swaddling clothes are recognised by Mary as important relics. Luke says that an angel tells some shepherds that they will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger; the AGIS also speaks about these bands of cloth and assigns magical powers to them. It is not Mary who performs these miracles, the powere are clearly vested in te cloth itself: The AGIS tells us what happened to the wise men when they returned to their own country; they came to the east (obviously a pagan area) and Jesus' cloth performed miracles there to aid conversion of those countries to Christianity. - the miracles performed by sprinkling water: well known in Christian rites, the AGIS appears to suggest that is derived from sprinkling water used to wash Jesus, thus containing his sweat. - excorcisms are used to cure mental disorders. Several of those disorders appear to have a sexual component, such as the impotent bridegroom, the bride who goes dumb at her wedding, the woman roaming the streets naked - throwing stones at men -, another woman is visited by a snake (who 'lies upon her') every night etc. Perhaps Freud was right after all ? In AGIS, the demons and Satan are described in vivid detail (crows, serpents, dragons etc.). The New Testament Gospels never depict demons in any form. 7) The Egypt connection.The middle section of the AGIS deals with the events in Egypt, and Mary (with Jesus) performs many miracls there, defeats idols and demons. This is much more information than we find in the four Gospels: only Matthew mentions the stay in Egypt, but Matthew gives little detail about Jesus' family's time there. One of the more common accusations against early christians was that Christ had spent time in Egypt where he gained knowledge of Egyptian magical practices. The attempt to discredit this accusation, may explain why the story of Jesus’ flight to Egypt occurs only in the gospel of Matthew. Matthew thus admits that Jesus had gone to Egypt but had done so as an infant, making the charge that he had learned Egyptian magic there unlikely. The AGIS paints a different picture, and Jesus appears to have stayed in Egypt for a considerable time, several years at least. Even after recounting a number of miracles in various cities, the AGIS says that they journeyed to Memphis (in Egypt), "and abode three years in Egypt", before returning to Judea. We can now say that Jesus must have been at least 5 years old when he left Egypt: Herod killed all boys younger than 2 years after meeting with the wise men form the east. Hence, Jesus may have been 2 years old when he was taken to Egypt, then stayed there for at least 3 years. The last section of AGIS, the infancy story (where Jesus acts himself, rather than Mary being the central figure), mentions that Jesus was seven years old. Hence, we can say on the basis of the AGIS that Jesus was between 3 and 5 years in Egypt. Since he could already speak upon his birth, he may well have picked up Egyptian traditions at 5 - 7 years old ! It can be speculated that the stay in Egypt actually was known by the earliest Christians; why would Matthew mention such an embarrising episode, if it wasn't already common knowledge ? In fact, within the period of Christ’s lifetime, history has left us several historical examples of the magicians of northern Israel, including a man known only as “the Egyptian,” who gathered several thousand followers at the Mount of Olives in expectation of the Messiah’s arrival before being arrested by the Romans. The influence of Egyptian magic upon Christianity is - in any case - seen in early Christianity when Christian “holy men” performed some of the same magical feats as Egyptian magicians but in the name of Christ. Early texts note events strikingly similar to those in the AGIS, could they have followed the example ? Macarius changed a woman who had been turned into a mare back again by sprinkling holy water upon her: compare with the man turned into a mule. Paul the Simple, an early monk, was said to have cast out a devil that had taken the form of a “mighty dragon 70 cubits long.” Compare with the girl persecuted by a dragon. And one Petarpemotis was said to have made a dead man speak. Compare Jesus making the boy speak who had fallen from the roof. 8) Early adulthood (12-30 years old). The four Gospels are silent about the first 12 years of Christ’s life. After his birth we do not encounter him again until he is found, as Luke says, “teaching in the synagogue” at 12 years of age. In the modern era we are used to thinking of a 12-year-old as still very much of a child. But in antiquity a 12-year-old was already an adult. It was the age at which a boy was permitted full participation in Jewish religious rituals. The story in AGIS follows Luke's acccount and expands on it: Jesus was not only a religious leader, he was also a scientist, philosopher and medical doctor. Nowadays, science is often contrasted with religion; the AGIS considers both to be of the same nature.
In 2010, BDJ's Cellar presented 2 special Christmas Podcasts; one based on the Nativity story in the Gospel of Matthew, the other on Nativity according to the gospel of Luke. This left us in a predicament for 2011: the other 2 gospels in the Bible (Mark and John) don't speak about the birth of Jesus, so we ran out of Nativity stories. Or did we ? For 2011, we resorted to ancient texts, which were - for good or bad reasons - not included in the Bible. Nonetheless, these texts originate from the earliest days of Christianity. The earliest of these gospels, is the so called Infancy Gospel of Thomas; just what we need for a Christmas Podcast ! The Infancy Gospel of Thomas was written by the early Christians to document the first twelve years of Jesus's life, bridging the gap left in the second chapter of Luke. The story was popular enough to survive in numerous translations, redactions, and parallel stories, for more than a thousand years. The text may even have influenced the authors of the Koran. In the early passages of the story, Jesus shows a disturbing tendency to kill off his playmates when they displease him. He eventually learns to channel his divine abilities in more constructive ways and realizes his calling. So why was this gospel not accepted by the Christian Church Fathers ? To modern readers, it appears to be a simplified, shortened version of the gospels that we know from the Bible; some similarities of 'Thomas' with Mark, Matthew and Luke: - Jesus can do anything, and knows everything. Performs miracles in public. - Jesus has full control over life and death, raises the dead on various occasions. - People around Jesus don't really understand who he is, or what he stands for. - Jesus does not comply strictly with all Jewish rituals. - Jesus seems less concerned with the Here & Now, but more about the spiritual life (right and wrong) - His mother Mary does not play a significant role in his life. - and so on. I suppose the Church Fathers were not so much concerend with matching the gospels, but more about the Infancy Gospel not matching the dogma's that the church fathers themselves developed in the early days of the church. And they may have wanted to dodge a difficult question: if Jesus did all these things as a child, why don't Mark, Matthew and Luke speak about them ? Frankly speaking, in the Bible or not, these are captivating and amusing stories from the Early Days; never set to music of any kind before, BDJ's cellar is proud tho present this world premiere Podcast. Text: Thomas the Isrealite. Narrator: Bart D. Ehrman: American New Testament scholar, currently the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Music: George Harrison, the Beatles, Julian Lennon Production: BDJ
Episode 18 of the NT Pod asks "Was Jesus Really a Carpenter?"It is eleven minutes long. Feel free to leave your comments below. NT Pod Episode 18: Was Jesus a Carpenter? (mp3)Key texts: Mark 6.3; Matthew 13.55; Infancy Gospel of Thomas 11/13; Justin Martyr, Dialogue 88.Thanks to Ram2000, Me and You, for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.
Episode 18 of the NT Pod asks "Was Jesus Really a Carpenter?"It is eleven minutes long. Feel free to leave your comments below. NT Pod Episode 18: Was Jesus a Carpenter? (mp3)Key texts: Mark 6.3; Matthew 13.55; Infancy Gospel of Thomas 11/13; Justin Martyr, Dialogue 88.Thanks to Ram2000, Me and You, for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.
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