The Gospel of Thomas

Max Goelling

The Four Gospels Course
A Brief Exposition

INTRODUCTION

It was during one of my research inquiries into the authorship issues of the New Testament that I encountered a reference to some writings of which I had not heard. According to the story, a young Arab lad in the Upper Nile region of Egypt accidentally unearthed these writings during a fertilizer dig in 1945. After a series of political and archeological adventures, Biblical scholars were finally able to critically examine these documents and what they found was truly amazing.

One the principal reasons for the excitement among the scholars was the percentage of agreement that this “lost Gospel” shared with both the synoptic writings and with John. This led to the positing of 2 rather obvious questions: why were these writings not included in the canon and, secondly, what criteria were used to exclude them?

History

Although the Coptic translation of the Gospel of Thomas is the only complete version that we have, it is not the only direct witness to this interesting text. The story actually begins in a small town in Egypt, Oxyrhynchus, where a team of British archaeologists uncovered a great mass of papyrus fragments in the late 1800’s. Based on several other significant discoveries, this “trash dump” must have served as some type of refuse depository for many ancient writings. and its products have given us a unique insight into the Greco-Roman time period.

The first actual publication of a gospel fragment occurred in 1897. This was a small leaf (5 2/3 X 3 ½ inches) of papyrus codex. The Greek writing thereon spoke of certain sayings of Jesus, but as it, as well as all of the other finds, was only a fragment, little historical significance could be attached to it.

Once the Coptic translation of the full Gospel was published in the 1950’s, Biblical scholars such as Henri-Charles Puech, were able to establish the link between these two discoveries. Puech was able to match several of the “sayings” from the Oxyrhynchus fragments to sections of the Coptic version. But the real significance of these findings lies in the dates attributed to their authorship.

Dr. Bruce Metzger, one of the leading Biblical scholars in the world, who translated the Gospel of Thomas into English, believes the text to have been written c. 140 C.E. If he and other Biblical historians are correct, then the drafting of this document occurred within one hundred years of Jesus’ death. In and of itself, this is of no great significance, other than the fact that all of the other gospels were written well after this, and that this helps establish Metzger’s claim that Thomas may have been one of the critical sources for the both the synoptics and John.

One of the critical elements of this argument is the similarity of the text references between Thomas and the other gospel writers. Best estimates calculate that at least fifty-seven percent of the Gospel of Thomas is included in the other gospels. Of the 114 sayings in Thomas, there are 47 parallels to Mark, 17 to Matthew, 4 to Luke and 5 to John. This places the Gospel of Thomas well into the realm of being an “authoritative source.” Some scholars have even suggested that it may be the infamous “Q” source itself although Metzger disagrees. In his analysis of Thomas, he cites numerous perspectives espoused by the Thomas sayings that are entirely inconsistent with the canonical gospels. One example is the reference in #77: “Split the wood; I am there. Lift up a stone and you will find me there.” Metzger feels that this type of pantheistic allusion is inconsistent with the language of Jesus and therefore rejects it as being inauthentic. But Metzger’s biggest contribution to our understanding of this Gospel lies in his analysis of why it was not included in the canon.

Omitted From the Canon

The fact that the Gospel was omitted from the official canon has been a subject of intense debate for some time. One of the primary arguments for its exclusion relates to the purported date of it authorship. The dating of gospel writings has always been a major issue for the historical critics. Depending on whose version we choose to accept, the standard scholarly dating, (even in the most liberal circles,) usually places the writing of Mark in the 70’s, Matthew and Luke in the 80’s and John in the 90’s. Most scholars would agree that these dates still place the writings within the lifetimes of various eyewitnesses who could have corrected any discrepancies in the teachings that formed the basis for these documents. Craig Blomberg, a well-respected authority on the biographies of Jesus, actually believes that the gospels may have been written even earlier.

To validate this point, he utilizes the book of Acts in that it is left unfinished with Paul still under house arrest in Rome. As we have definitive evidence for the dates of this imprisonment, his theory is that Acts could not have been written any later than A.D. 62. Accepting that Acts is a two-part work, we can move backward from there to its first part (Luke), which must have been written prior to A.D. 62. As we know that the author of Luke incorporated parts of Mark, then Mark must have been written prior to A.D. 62 as well. Allowing for a year or so between the writings, this presumes that Mark was written around A.D. 60 or perhaps even the late 50’s. If Jesus was crucified in A.D. 30 or perhaps 33 A.D., then the gap between His death and the first gospel writings was only thirty years or so. It is clear that the dates of authorship were critical to the canonical councils during their deliberations. So what of the Gospel of Thomas?

Some scholars have dated the original Greek version from which the Nag Hammadi Coptic document was translated as early as the second half of the first century, placing it within a few decades of the crucifixion. If this analysis is accepted, then the writing of Thomas would have preceded the New Testament gospels. This lends a great deal of creditability to Thomas, as it places the writings much closer to the time that Jesus actually spoke the words. When the Jesus seminar debated the reliability of various historical sources, they determined that of the nine New Testament parables, which are thought to be stories actually told by Jesus, the Thomas version was closest to the original in six cases. This is a level of accuracy unparalleled by any other historical writings. So why exclude it from the canon?

According to Metzger, it would be incorrect to say that the Gospel of Thomas was excluded by “some fiat on the part of the council.” He feels that although the text appears to have been written around A.D. 140, it is the character of the writings themselves that present a sufficient case for its exclusion. Metzger elaborates further on both the criteria and the process utilized by these canonical synods and councils, which he feels, provide us with a consistent and accurate portrayal of the life and teachings of Jesus. Based on my reading of some of Blomberg’s methods, it appears that he is one of the most comprehensive, and yet faithful, of the Biblical scholars.

As for the criteria themselves, Metzger explains that the early church had three basic requirements for including writings into the canonic:

The criterion of apostolic authority-was it either written by an apostle or by someone who was an eyewitness to the events described?

The criterion of conformity-was the document congruent with the basic Christian tradition and was it consistent with what the church considered to be normative?

Did the document have continuous acceptance and usage by the church?

Each of these criterion were weighted differently depending on the composition of the group, the relevant cultural perspectives of the period and the specific aspects of the documents being examined. The remarkable fact is that even with all of the conflict and disharmony involved in the process of canonization, and we must remember that these efforts began as early as the Fifth century, that an amazing degree of unanimity regarding the greater part of the New Testament was the result.

When one examines the Gospel of Thomas in this light, we find some rather interesting inconsistencies, which appear to be totally in conflict with the accepted writings of the synoptics. For example, the last verse comes form Simon Peter who says, “Let Mary go away form us, because women are not worthy of life.” Then Jesus said, “Look, I shall lead her so that I can make her male in order that she also may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven.” According to Metzger, the character and wording of this saying is entirely inconsistent with the portrayal of Jesus in the canonical gospels. Whether this sheds any light on the authenticity of this saying is unclear. Members of the Jesus seminar offered another perspective when they discussed the Petrine tradition being traditionally unkind to women, i.e. Peter 3:1-6, where the women are certainly seen as subordinates in role. When Jesus speaks of the female-male conversion, this appears to be a metaphor for the higher and lower aspects of human nature. Mary, then, must undergo a spiritual transformation from her earthly, material, passionate nature (which the evangelist equates with the female) to a heavenly, spiritual, intellectual nature (which the same evangelist equates with the male). As much of this Gospel had distinctive parallels to the Gnostic tradition (another topic in which I found enough material for another paper) this transformation appears to allude to some type of ritualistic act or perhaps an ascetic lifestyle.

The real issue here appears to be the value that Peter’s question has for the future role of women in the development of Christianity, which may have been in direct opposition to their place in the community. This is especially true of the leadership roles that women would occupy in years to come. The key element here is that these were not issues related to the ministry of Jesus, but rather to the Christian movement itself.

Authorship

The divergence in perspective between the “sayings” of Thomas and the message in the canonical Gospels only addresses the third, and perhaps most vague, of the three criteria listed above. The first issue that is typically addressed is that of authorship.

Any inquiry of this nature must necessarily discuss the pervasive “Q” source. Most Biblical historians indicate that both Matthew and Luke used a similar source when they wrote their gospels. The scholars felt that as the authors of these 2 gospels had never met, and yet used identical quotes of Jesus, there must be a common source document that they had both read. Over time, this mysterious source became known as “the lost Gospel Q.” Prior to the discovery of the Gospel of Thomas, no other documents, or even fragments, had provided any collaborative information for the Q theory, but as at least a third of the sayings in Thomas are strikingly similar to the Q information, the scholars felt as if they had finally found an additional source to provide support for Q.

Regardless of the similarities among the documents, the question of the author of the Gospel of Thomas was still an unknown. Though the book is usually attributed to the “doubting Thomas” of the New Testament, this is only a supposition based on fragmentary evidence. The Gospel itself opens with the line, “These are the secret words that the living Jesus spoke and Didymus Judas Thomas wrote down.” Of course, the last line of the text is, “The Gospel according to Thomas.” Scholars have told us that the name “Thomas” is the Semitic term for “twin” and that “Didymos” has the same meaning in Greek. In this case, only Judas would be an actual name. Some scholars believe that the author could have been Jesus’ brother. As it stands, the true authorship of the document is still unknown.

The Text of the Gospel

Many Biblical scholars feel that Thomas represents one of the many independent schools of Christianity that developed early in the history of the religion. The text itself portrays Jesus as far more of a social radical, telling his listeners to reject society’s phony piety and the hollow values of the business world. He often sounds like more of a Zen master when he speaks of the “kingdom of God” being right here, right now. This is far more consistent with the image of Jesus as sage, teacher and personifier of wisdom-more consistent with a portrait of a “humble man with a powerful message.”

The text of the Gospel itself is comprised of 114 “sayings” which are consistent with the manner in which a teacher of oral tradition would structure the key elements of his material. We find each of the classic parables but also sense a consistency of construction among the remaining sayings. Many readers, scholars and students (myself included) feel that the pattern and flow of the text adds credibility to the reliability of the document.

Summary

I am certainly in no position to question either Biblical scholars or members of the canonical councils and synods as to the authenticity of this work. To me, the only value that any scriptural text has is whether or not it provides the reader with insight and clarity into the will of God and His desires for the relationship between Himself and mankind. Having studied the historical evidence, the scholarly interpretations and the other four gospels, it is my opinion that the Gospel of Thomas can provide us with not only corroborative evidence for evaluating the canonical Gospels, but also with a perspective that speaks much more directly to the relationships among God’s people.

Depending on one’s perspective on the ministry of Jesus, this Gospel provides its readers with insights into the desires of God the Father for how our relationship should be based on how we treat each other. Although there is much to be said about the Gnostic flavor of this Gospel, especially in its deprecation of the Earthly world (21:6, 27:1, 56:1) and the escapist tone of the deliverance message (50), there is much to be said of its reflection of the classic Jewish wisdom tradition `ala Psalms and Proverbs.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my work on this project and, as always, appreciated the benefit of being able to view the “big questions” from another perspective. Although I do not believe that the Gospel of Thomas will be accepted into the conventional canon anytime soon, I do feel that it should be valued for what it provides: an additional look at the character, wisdom, and most importantly, the message of Jesus Christ.

SELECTED LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED

Dart, John. Unearthing the Lost Words of Jesus. Berkely, CA: Ulysses Press, 1998.

Elliott, J. K., ed. The Apocryphal New Testament. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1993.

Funk, Robert, Hoover Roy and The Jesus Seminar. The Five Gospels. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993.

Metzger, Bruce M. and Murphy, Roland E., ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Metzger, Bruce M. The Canon of the New Testament. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983.

Oxford University Press. The Gospel of Thomas. New York, NY: 1993.

Strobel, Lee. The Case for Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1998.

Wilkins, Michael and Moreland, J.P., eds. “Craig Blomberg on “Where Do We Start Studying Jesus?” Jesus Under Fire, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

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To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.

Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church. 

The Four Gospels

Rev. Terri M. Zastovnik

I chose to explore The Four Gospels as my first choice in the variety of classes that I will choose from as I pursue the completion of my Doctorate. The material was well presented and the study guide was carefully written to enable the reader a better understanding of the Greek text. As I read each page I found myself often referring back to the NIV in a comparative effort. I spent much time exploring other translations using The Interlineal Bible, The King James Version and several Christian research based websites. I found that the Four Gospels were written with the same information to the reader but with different wording. As an example, I prefer the NIV Student Bible which was given to me over 20 years ago. I have purchased versions of other bibles but am always drawn back to my tattered bible simply because I am better able to understand the meaning of the text. I also decided to explore the different religions and their ideas on the Four Gospels. Most were the same or similar. 

After reading each book of the Four Gospels, I came to the conclusion that although very similar I preferred the writings of Matthew. Matthew tells the story from the time of Jesus birth walking us in detail through his life to the time of his death and resurrection. Although not the first book written in the New Testament, it has been regarded as the most important. Matthew makes his intentions clear from the first sentence as he connects Jesus’ birth with the Old Testament as “the awaited Messiah.”

In the extensive material Matthew provided 5 great sermons of Jesus, each ending with the words, “When Jesus finished saying these things” thus corresponding in a similar way to the divisions found in the Old Testament. To summarize, the five sermons were divided as follows: 

The Sermon on the Mount – Here Jesus uses The Beatitudes as a code of ethics for his disciples and a standard of conduct for believers.

The Missionary Instructions - Here Jesus instructed His 12 disciples to go out to the lost sheep of Israel cleansing and healing them while preaching this message, “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

The Parables of the Kingdom – Here Jesus taught His disciples and followers how to testify about Him. He used the parables in a way that they could understand. The parables were meant to keep those who would persecute Him unable to understand what he was revealing.

Church Order – Here he taught the disciples how to have a relationship between one another and how also relate to others. It was here that Jesus explained to His disciples that by living according to the laws of the bible we can have an assurance of Heaven.

The Eschatological Sermon (The end times and Christ’s return) – Here Jesus taught of what will happen in the end times and of the things that will happen when He returns. Jesus warned his followers about the imposters of Christ and how they would try to mislead their beliefs. He also taught of a hope of a future with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven for those who followed Him.

I found that The Gospel of Matthew holds many characteristics; the one I mentioned above as he ended each of the five sermons with “When Jesus finished saying these things, “and three others I found to be interesting.

First, Matthew pays a high regard to the teachings of the Old Testament as a way of filling God’s prophecies. Jesus came not to change the laws but rather to interpret those laws in a way that would bring an understanding of their original purpose.

Second, in studying the gospel I found that this gospel is the only gospel that makes mention of the church. One of the important issues in the early history of the church was the attitude that Christians should take towards the laws that are recorded in the Old Testament. I can put my own personal history in my growth and spiritual walk in perspective with this attitude. As a young girl brought up in the Catholic Church I knew mainly the teachings of the Old Testament. When I received Christ later in my life I was introduced to the New Testament. It was then that I began to understand God’s purpose for my life as I began my walk with Christ.

And third, Matthew places a major emphasis on the teachings of Jesus. As I studied it I saw Jesus teaching people, both through spoken word and by example, as in the parables. It is my personal belief that Matthew wrote this book to show the readers that Jesus taught people how to live their every day life in a wise and Godly way. He showed this by teaching others how to live, think, pray and treat others in the act of love and kindness as Christ loved others.

To summarize the areas in the Gospel of Matthew that made the most impact, I begin with The Sermon on the Mount. I have always found favor in this part of Matthew’s gospel because it has taught me how Jesus wants me to live. In my opinion it is Jesus’ message to others of God’s expectations in regards to how we live.

The profound impact of the Sermon on the Mount for me are “The Beatitudes”, or as translated, “the blessings.” Here Jesus lays out the foundations of the character traits of all Christians. We are all meant to conform to its pattern and rise to its standard. Jesus gave us the Beatitudes (blessings) to manifest all at the same time. It is my strong belief that we cannot be one without the other. Jesus showed us here how we are to live, how our character should be in the sight of God. We achieve these characteristics and learn to live as we are ought as a result of grace. I have studied The Beatitudes many times turning back to them countless times as I take a strong look at my life and how I am living. I ask myself, “Am I living the life that Christ taught me to live?” “Am I at peace with myself?” “Am I truly blessed?” 

We live in a world torn by oppression, hatred, stress and societal demands but I can honestly go to bed each night knowing that I may be in this world but I am not of it. I have a peace that is so wonderful and unexplainable. The Beatitudes are the standards that I daily chose to live by thanks to the awesome and precious grace of God.

My life has been totally affected and changed due impart to the great writings of Matthew through the descriptive teachings, sayings and parables of Jesus Christ. The Beatitudes presented the standards for how we are to live. Jesus laid this foundation for us and then went on to show us how. 

Jesus chose 12 ordinary people who were despised by many. Some were tax collectors, but they all were sinners. They were lost and empty seeking fulfillment. They were just 12 ordinary people like you and I, all who fell short of the grace of God. Through the teachings and sayings of Jesus the disciples listened, learned and followed Him. They became extraordinary people in the sight of God as they chose to live their lives as Christ taught. They brought many to salvation. Their empty lives suddenly became filled with faith, love, joy, peace and hope, abundantly. 

In finality, Jesus has a perfect way for us to live. I do not believe that we are here by accident. God desires a relationship with us. He uniquely designed each of us to be used in the Kingdom of Heaven. Through the teachings of Christ as written in the Good News of Matthew he has brought not only my life but the lives of many under conviction. He called us not only to be separate from the world but to love the world and those that are in it. 

Jesus changed many hardened hearts. He taught life lessons. Our lives are filled with daily life lessons. The Gospel of Matthew is a tool for each of us on how to handle these “life lessons”. With the teachings and sayings of Christ hidden in our hearts and minds we can all live the life that God called us to live according to His word. 

Thank you for affording me the opportunity of taking this seminary course. It has greatly affected my life as it allowed me to take a spiritual inventory of how I live my life daily for Christ.

********************

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

The Four Gospels

Rev. Terri M Zastovnik

I chose to explore The Four Gospels as my first choice in the variety of classes that I will choose from as I pursue the completion of my Doctorate. The material was well presented and the study guide was carefully written to enable the reader a better understanding of the Greek text. As I read each page I found myself often referring back to the NIV in a comparative effort. I spent much time exploring other translations using The Interlineal Bible, The King James Version and several Christian research based websites. I found that the Four Gospels were written with the same information to the reader but with different wording. As an example, I prefer the NIV Student Bible which was given to me over 20 years ago. I have purchased versions of other bibles but am always drawn back to my tattered bible simply because I am better able to understand the meaning of the text. I also decided to explore the different religions and their ideas on the Four Gospels. Most were the same or similar. 

After reading each book of the Four Gospels, I came to the conclusion that although very similar I preferred the writings of Matthew. Matthew tells the story from the time of Jesus birth walking us in detail through his life to the time of his death and resurrection. Although not the first book written in the New Testament, it has been regarded as the most important. Matthew makes his intentions clear from the first sentence as he connects Jesus’ birth with the Old Testament as “the awaited Messiah.”

In the extensive material Matthew provided 5 great sermons of Jesus, each ending with the words, “When Jesus finished saying these things” thus corresponding in a similar way to the divisions found in the Old Testament. To summarize, the five sermons were divided as follows: 

The Sermon on the Mount – Here Jesus uses The Beatitudes as a code of ethics for his disciples and a standard of conduct for believers.

The Missionary Instructions - Here Jesus instructed His 12 disciples to go out to the lost sheep of Israel cleansing and healing them while preaching this message, “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

The Parables of the Kingdom – Here Jesus taught His disciples and followers how to testify about Him. He used the parables in a way that they could understand. The parables were meant to keep those who would persecute Him unable to understand what he was revealing.

Church Order – Here he taught the disciples how to have a relationship between one another and how also relate to others. It was here that Jesus explained to His disciples that by living according to the laws of the bible we can have an assurance of Heaven.

The Eschatological Sermon (The end times and Christ’s return) – Here Jesus taught of what will happen in the end times and of the things that will happen when He returns. Jesus warned his followers about the imposters of Christ and how they would try to mislead their beliefs. He also taught of a hope of a future with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven for those who followed Him.

I found that The Gospel of Matthew holds many characteristics; the one I mentioned above as he ended each of the five sermons with “When Jesus finished saying these things, “and three others I found to be interesting.

First, Matthew pays a high regard to the teachings of the Old Testament as a way of filling God’s prophecies. Jesus came not to change the laws but rather to interpret those laws in a way that would bring an understanding of their original purpose. 

Second, in studying the gospel I found that this gospel is the only gospel that makes mention of the church. One of the important issues in the early history of the church was the attitude that Christians should take towards the laws that are recorded in the Old Testament. I can put my own personal history in my growth and spiritual walk in perspective with this attitude. As a young girl brought up in the Catholic Church I knew mainly the teachings of the Old Testament. When I received Christ later in my life I was introduced to the New Testament. It was then that I began to understand God’s purpose for my life as I began my walk with Christ.

And third, Matthew places a major emphasis on the teachings of Jesus. As I studied it I saw Jesus teaching people, both through spoken word and by example, as in the parables. It is my personal belief that Matthew wrote this book to show the readers that Jesus taught people how to live their every day life in a wise and Godly way. He showed this by teaching others how to live, think, pray and treat others in the act of love and kindness as Christ loved others.

To summarize the areas in the Gospel of Matthew that made the most impact, I begin with The Sermon on the Mount. I have always found favor in this part of Matthew’s gospel because it has taught me how Jesus wants me to live. In my opinion it is Jesus’ message to others of God’s expectations in regards to how we live.

The profound impact of the Sermon on the Mount for me are “The Beatitudes”, or as translated, “the blessings.” Here Jesus lays out the foundations of the character traits of all Christians. We are all meant to conform to its pattern and rise to its standard. Jesus gave us the Beatitudes (blessings) to manifest all at the same time. It is my strong belief that we cannot be one without the other. Jesus showed us here how we are to live, how our character should be in the sight of God. We achieve these characteristics and learn to live as we are ought as a result of grace. I have studied The Beatitudes many times turning back to them countless times as I take a strong look at my life and how I am living. I ask myself, “Am I living the life that Christ taught me to live?” “Am I at peace with myself?” “Am I truly blessed?” 

 

We live in a world torn by oppression, hatred, stress and societal demands but I can honestly go to bed each night knowing that I may be in this world but I am not of it. I have a peace that is so wonderful and unexplainable. The Beatitudes are the standards that I daily chose to live by thanks to the awesome and precious grace of God.

My life has been totally affected and changed due impart to the great writings of Matthew through the descriptive teachings, sayings and parables of Jesus Christ. The Beatitudes presented the standards for how we are to live. Jesus laid this foundation for us and then went on to show us how. 

Jesus chose 12 ordinary people who were despised by many. Some were tax collectors, but they all were sinners. They were lost and empty seeking fulfillment. They were just 12 ordinary people like you and I, all who fell short of the grace of God. Through the teachings and sayings of Jesus the disciples listened, learned and followed Him. They became extraordinary people in the sight of God as they chose to live their lives as Christ taught. They brought many to salvation. Their empty lives suddenly became filled with faith, love, joy, peace and hope, abundantly. 

In finality, Jesus has a perfect way for us to live. I do not believe that we are here by accident. God desires a relationship with us. He uniquely designed each of us to be used in the Kingdom of Heaven. Through the teachings of Christ as written in the Good News of Matthew he has brought not only my life but the lives of many under conviction. He called us not only to be separate from the world but to love the world and those that are in it. 

Jesus changed many hardened hearts. He taught life lessons. Our lives are filled with daily life lessons. The Gospel of Matthew is a tool for each of us on how to handle these “life lessons”. With the teachings and sayings of Christ hidden in our hearts and minds we can all live the life that God called us to live according to His word. 

Thank you for affording me the opportunity of taking this seminary course. It has greatly affected my life as it allowed me to take a spiritual inventory of how I live my life daily for Christ.

********************

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Life of St. Paul

Greeting all who took my study,

I just wanted to say as the contributing author of this course that I feel compelled to myself turn in an essay about its overall attributes. First off, one should know that this whole project was founded upon finding some of my father’s unfinished Christian studies which I found in the attic of the house in which I now reside. Basically the outline of St. Paul’s life and the study chapter outline for a 10 lesson plan.

I took the next several years researching, drawing mainly from Dallas Seminary study bibles, and both new international and King James Version additions, my conclusions on the life of this, the greatest Apostle.

When I submitted it to Rev. Long, she revamped it into 15 lessons and asked if I could complete five more. I was able to do this with the help of my sister, Rev. Luci Moline, though I do feel the last five lessons are a bit weaker then they should be. Maybe if I had more time and focus. Originally, as well, I almost made this lesson plan available to that Monastery website thing that came about after the whole ULC changeover, but was guided correctly through their website by a special guest sermon by Rev. Amy, who has been so helpful in making this study available, I owe her much thanks and I hope you received some enlightenment from it.

I also encourage all feedback both positive and negative you may have or suggestions on how you felt it could have been made better.

Thank you,

Rev. Walter Moline

********************

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Four Gospels

The Gospel’s of Mark and Matthew provided explanations for some of Jesus’s stories that was very insightful. Luke’s venue and motivations for his Gospel, as stated in the course lessons, was eye-opening. The bonus Gospel of Thomas, since taking the Dr. of Metaphysics course (ULC), contained far more ‘mystical’ truths than ever before. It is the Gospel of John; though, that really caught my attention.

The original author, the ‘ beloved student’ of Jesus that is clearly not one of the 12 disciples (notice that ‘He’ was the first to believe when ‘He’ saw the wrapping in the empty tomb of Jesus, and the 11 other disciples did not believe until later, additionally if ‘He’ were one of the disciples, why would Peter question his following them [third line from the end of John]), is the first mystery noticed from this course. Catholic, most Protestant groups, as well as this course (see ‘love’ in the glossary) all teach that John Evangelist was the author. A relatively new book, “The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved” (see thedisciplewhomjesusloved.com [author not found]), makes a very convincing argument for Lazarus as the author. The title for this Gospel was added long after it was written.

A Rosicrucian document used several years ago stated that John was a Gnostic (probable one of the Essene sects). John’s ‘original’ Gospel, per this document, was very popular (partially because of the poetic cadence [like Jesus used] made it very easy to listen to and remember) but unfortunately, very Gnostic. The Gnostic’s taught each person could have direct experience with GOD. Therefore, Christ (and especially the Church) was not necessary to communicate with GOD. [Note: Perhaps it was not John but the ‘beloved student’ who was the Gnostic.] John’s Gospel was too popular to go away; therefore, the wording had to change to reflect the ‘CORRECT’ place of the early church.

The first example (though probably not occurring until later) is line 2 of the Gospel. Mr. Gaus’s translation says “It was with GOD in the beginning.” This clearly refers to “the Word.” The NRSV Study Bible (among others) states “He was in the beginning with GOD.” The NRSV notes say that Jesus was “the Word”, ergo, Creation occurred thru Jesus. This virtually deifies’ Jesus and establishes him before Creation (wouldn’t Luke have loved that). The Greek Orthodox Bible supports the course’s view. A clear dichotomy that goes to the heart of some differences mentioned in this course’s prologue (John part 1). **

Prior to C.E. 70, the harsh words directed toward the “Jews” (i.e., John 8:44), was probably predicated by Jerusalem’s Temple Elite ostracizing Jewish ‘Christians’ from Synagogue activities. On the other hand, the ‘elevation’ of Christ (i.e., John 14-17), probably originated between C.E. 80-90 (or beyond). References for both of the above statements, while there are many, can be found in the current NRSV Study Bible.

This course opened my eyes to many issues (and more than a few answers), contained in these Gospels. Much of that is beyond the scope of this paper. Learning more of John was clearly my favorite. Discovering three (at least) separate, but entwining, motivations (Spiritual enlightenment, political counter attach, and Church doctrine aggrandizement), written at different times by obviously different hands, within one ‘book’, yet still containing a truly enlightening theme **, was amazing to me. It is no wonder that, as mentioned in the lessons, this is the most quoted of the Gospels. The Gospel of John truly has something for everyone!

Respectfully Submitted,

Rev. William Fowler

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Four Gospels

The Essay of the Gospel Class ULC Seminary by Louis C. Hook

The fact I recognize I knew more than this was most evident in my writings and of course the Lord smiled as I made a complete fool of myself. The chances of this factual knowledge of God being in one old broken down cavalry trooper was remote. Once I reread the vitally important section of the Sermon on the Mount (all references for this diatribe are those from the Unvarnished Gospels) presents a problem which is not easy to resolve - the question whether it is to be linked with what has gone before or be taken as introduction to the ensuing section about false prophets and false religion. In favor of the former it can be urged that the definite article: “the strait gate”, often has a demonstrative sense in New Testament Greek: “this strait gate”. In which case reference would appear to be to the comprehensive but difficult precept which Jesus had just laid upon his disciples: “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”

Yet this is not free from difficulty. The picture presented to the mind is of a narrow gate giving access to a narrow way, with eternal life as its end. Such a mental picture does not seem appropriate to this principle of Christian graciousness. And, further, to apply it in this way would surely imply justification by one’s own good works. If indeed a man is to keep himself in the narrow way to life by observing the Golden Rule, then it must be admitted that a vast proportion of the Lord’s people, with the best will in the world, are frequently astray from it. Again, the commentary: “few there be that find it” is hardly appropriate to the Golden Rule, which is easy enough to “find” but terribly difficult to maintain as a constant guiding influence in one’s life.

The words of Jesus here strongly suggest a faith which has to be sought out, and a personal decision and choice which have to be made. A man does not drift into the service of Christ. He becomes a disciple by making up his mind that this is the only loyalty he can accept, the only way of life for him to follow. This is the spirit of the appeal made to Israel by Moses, an appeal now reiterated by Jesus in even more challenging fashion: “I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Dt. 30:19).

It was a far-reaching claim that if a man would have eternal life he will find it in no other way than through the service of Christ himself: “I am the true and living way: no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6). “I am the door: by me if any man enter in he shall be saved” (John 10:9). A man must give his own personal assent to these truths, and make his own personal decision in the light of them. The only alternative is the wide gate and broad way by which the many follow the road to destruction. The teaching of Jesus here could hardly be more explicit. There are not many or even several ways a man may follow. The Unvarnished Gospels therefore show there are only two, and every individual is in one or the other.

This “either - or” theme gets plenty of emphasis in the Bible-and needs it. Two ways (Jer. 21:8; Pr. 4:10-19); two trees (Ps. 1:6, 7; Jer. 17:5-8); two houses (Mt. 7:24-28). The Greek word for “narrow” is rather frightening. It means “squeezed up”; not “narrow”, but “made narrower”. This narrow way in Christ has to be sought for: “Few there be that find.” And since, only a short while before, Jesus had declared so unequivocally: “Seek, and ye shall find” (7:7), it follows logically that there are only few who seek! Experience underlines the truth of this. The vast majority, if not actually content with life as they find it, are so devoid of higher spiritual aspirations that they never seek anything different from what they naturally know. They do not have to “find” the way that leads to destruction. They are already in it, and are well content to make fast or slow progress there.

The teaching of Jesus here is eclecticism in its most rigorous form. In plain unvarnished fashion he made it perfectly clear that he expected no sweeping success in his preaching. The nation’s ultimate response to his appeal would be small. And in the wider field of Gentile evangelism also the same would be true.

It has become fashionable in the past several hundred years to attack the Christian faith in a unique and allegedly scholarly manner. Prominent universities, critics, skeptics, and scholars try to deny what the New Testament record reveals about Jesus Christ. Generally, most people will accept Jesus as a moral teacher whose followers developed His teachings into a religion, but what they will not accept is the testimony of Christ and Holy Writ.

The Unvarnished Gospels give us his baptism, the proclamation especially in parables of the present and future kingdom of God, a ministry of exorcism, his gathering of disciples across socio-economic boundaries, his sharing a common meal that celebrated their new relationship to God, his challenge to the Jewish teachers of His day, the arousal of opposition that led to his arrest, his trials by the Jewish authorities on charges of blasphemy and by the Romans for sedition, and his crucifixion.

The Jesus Seminar with liberal theologians, such as Burton Mack and John Dominic Crossan, differ significantly in their conclusions than the scholarship of the Historical Quest or that of the Unvarnished Gospels. The Jesus Seminar tries to claim intellectual scholarship with the Historical Quest, but fails miserably in such desperate attempts. For example, the Historical Quest and the Unvarnished Gospels believes that there are considerable sections of the Gospels that are historical. In contrast, the Seminar believes that only a minute section of the Gospels are historically reliable.

The disquieting trend in surveying the scholarship for the historical Jesus is the level of demand that is placed upon the Christian church to adjust its theologies and doctrines in light of the progression of “historical reconstructionism” of modern scholarship. However, these demands assume that the modern discoveries concerning the historical Jesus are the definitive interpretation of Jesus in contrast to the testimony of the Unvarnished Gospel writers. The question that needs answering is whether or not the historical Jesus of this research is the true counterpart of Jesus in His fullness as the New Testament documents reveal Him.

The answer to the question is without equivocation a resounding “no.” The breach between the historical Jesus of the various researches and the real Jesus of history and faith requires two things. First, scholars who are relying on history alone as the most important tool to understand Jesus Christ must understand and recognize the limits and restrictions of history. Without equivocation, the Christian faith is historical but understanding the whole of Christianity has never been based solely on historical studies. The interpreter of Scripture needs to be able to properly evaluate and reevaluate the role of history in studies of Jesus. Second, scholars must be able to correctly consign the real and historical Jesus within the life and theology of Christianity as a whole. The modern reconstructions of the historical Jesus quests need not put centuries of Christian thought and practice out of place. Certainly, the quests are profitable if the proper method and perspective are employed in such studies of the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

It is my most humble opinion that the Unvarnished Gospels and the studies we have done in this class point to the factual truth of God’s Infinite Word. Faith, Tradition, and Honor are the basis of our path to the One True God of the Multi-Cosmos (Traditionalism’s Tenets of Faith). I am a Traditionalist and I seek the Lord via that open and strict view of the Word. We must all see the truth and know that the heart gives us the power to know. It is up to us to hear the quiet call.

God loves you.

Louis Charles Hook SSG (CA)

Senior Master Chaplain Assistant

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Four Gospels

DIVORCE and the CHRISTIAN

Prepared by Stanley C. Lawrence

Paper Written for The FOUR GOSPELS Course

“The Unvarnished Gospels” book was interesting and provided many different perspectives of the Four Gospels of the New Testament, however I tended to disagree with a few of the interpretations of some of the Biblical phrases used, such as, “Kingdom of the skies” and “bathing of the Spirit,” as used in the book. I felt that these interpretations just didn't provide the punch that the original Bible interpretations provided.

Basically, I found fault with much of this interpretation of the four Gospels. I would have preferred an Aramaic to English translation, or better to have studied the book, “The Complete Gospels,” Robert J. Miller, Editor. The textbook, however, does bring up some interesting questions.

Having said that, this interpretation did make one think about the words of Jesus and the traditions about him. I thought about and had the most trouble with the subject of divorce, as

it pertains to the Christian today. It seems as though every family has experienced divorce somewhere in their families or someone who is a friend. And I believe this topic to be very

important for the ULC clergy to consider, as most religions will not remarry someone, through the church, after they have been divorced, because most church clergy believe that this

comes from God, and so this should be adhered to if we are to do what the law of God commands.

Divorce is so prevalent in today's society and most individuals know of people personally who have divorced and broken their marriages apart. Of course, the main emphasis of any

marriage that has children, should be that the best interest of the children involved come first and foremost before the interests of the feuding adults. It is so very interesting that the discourse on divorce in Matthew (Matthew 19:3-12) was immediately followed by a discourse on little children, so it is very important to see that Jesus tied the two subjects together.  Problems causing divorce are largely rooted in dysfunctionality of the adult individuals involved, which makes it extremely difficult to reconcile differences. In these cases, I believe that these marriages have not been ordained by God, as the individuals have usually not taken the time for courtship and the engagement of getting to know each other properly. This often is because of the dysfunctionality of the individuals that rush into these slipshod marriages because of sex being such a part of these courtships and quite often pregnancies ensue as a result.

The dysfunctionality can be very varied, but may include: ADHD, various other mental problems and diseases, alcohol or drug addictions, low self-esteem, these things often combined with low income, and many, many times survivors of child abuse.

Jesus said in Matthew 19, as it is said in the textbook: “So what God joined together, let no man divide.” In the Gospel book of John, it tells the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, where Jesus asks her about where her husband is and he tells her she had had five husbands and was then living with a man not married to her. Jesus doesn't really condemn her for all these marriages (and obvious divorces), however he does speak to her of forgiveness and commitment in her life. Strangely though, the book of John was written for believers in Christ, but it does not specifically mention divorce, as the other three Gospels do.

We as clergy, should be concerned about whether or not the two individuals to be married are truly believers in Christ and if salvation is a part of their lives. If both are sincerely Christian and wanting to obey God's commands, the greatest of which is to love God and each other, then we would seek to try and counsel the adult individuals with the hope that their marriage will completely be from God. We as clergy can decry the terrible evils of divorce and then we seek to marry everyone that wants to be married. Therefore, we should not place the center of our attention on divorce, but rather we should emphasize the lifelong commitment that should be a necessary part of Christian marriages today. Marriage should be a source of spiritual and moral strength in life, with the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

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The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

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