Week V - Gospel of Judas

This week we will read the Gospel of Judas. Check this link for the text:  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/_pdf/GospelofJudas.pdf. And join us this Sunday morning for some Godly Conversation about this most notorious of characters in the story of our faith: Judas Iscariot....it might change your view of these seemingly simple assumptions :

1. Judas betrayed Jesus
2. Judas was a bad guys
3. Jesus forgave Judas for betraying him.


Join us!

Week IV - The Gospel of Mary (Magdalene)

Last week we discussed the Gospel of Mary (Magdalene). The text is available at: http://www.gnosis.org/library/marygosp.htm. This Gospel was likely written in the early 2nd century, in Greek. Scholars think that it was relatively well read and circulated as it was also translated into Coptic. It is generally thought to be a gnostic text. Gnosticism was a branch (or set of branches) of the early Christian community that saw knowledge as the currency for salvation. The landscape of the gnostic worldview is therefore predicated on a world divided between the good and the sinful (grounded in material illusion rather than divine knowledge) realms. This text is both a very different perspective of early Christian thinking, and among our best witnesses to the leadership and strength of women in the early Christian communities.

1. What part of this Gospel is also reflected in the canonical accounts?

Some of the language is very similar to the canonical Gospels: let he who has ears to hear; the Son of Man is with you; peace be with you...

The cast is familiar: the Savior, Mary, Peter, Andrew and Levi. Peter and Andrew were fisherman brothers, and Levi ( also called Matthew) was a tax collector. The three were among the twelve disciples.

Although Jesus' message is a bit different from the canonical Gospels, his instruction is familiar: go and preach the gospel of the kingdom. And his assurance that the Son of Man will be with them, is very familiar.

2. What parts are new to our understanding of who Jesus is?

The gist of the Gospel is that the one follower with whom Jesus trusted his message, and who got it, was Mary. Peter and Andrew are troubled by the possibility that Jesus may have loved/trusted someone more than he loved/trusted them, and that that someone was a woman. And so Jesus' instruction to go forth and teach is met first with fear and trembling by the male disciples who wrap at the thought of facing Jesus' painful end as a consequence, and then summarily attack Mary, causing her to weep, with a litany of seemingly petty insecurities about her relationship to Jesus, visa vie their own.

An d so what we get is a good view of a human community who is charged with a divine mission, and the complexity and chaos that likely defined much of the early Christian world, struggling for signs and affirmations of their meaning and belonging and disciples of Christ. Which is to say, it is unclear what new information we know about Jesus, but we surely do know a bit more about the early Christian communities.

3. In this narrative, who is Jesus?

If this is a gnostic text, then knowledge is the brass ring, and Jesus is the revealer.

You are encouraged to read this short Gospel (link above) and offer your own comments below. 

Next week we will tackle the Gospel of Judas.
Get the text at: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/_pdf/GospelofJudas.pdf

Week III - The Lost Gospel of Peter

Last week we discussed the Lost Gospel of Peter. We read the Raymond Brown translation (which can be found at http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelpeter-brown.html ) and talked about the following questions:

1. What part of this Gospel is also reflected in the canonical accounts?

The cast is similar to the canonical Gospels: Herod the Jew, Pilate the Roman, Joseph of Arimethea, the Jewish people and elite (Pharisees, scribes and elders), Mary Magdalene, and finally, after all is said and done the disciples appear: Simon Peter, Andrew, and Levi.

The plot is similar to the canonical Gospels until the resurrection. Jesus is in Herod's custody, and Herod sends him to Pilate who releases Jesus "over to the people" who were physically rough with him and they kicked him and placed a crown of thorns on his head, and they spat on him , slapped his cheeks and poked him with a reed. They gave him vinegar and gall to drink as he thirsted on the cross.

Jesus was crucified between two criminals, who recognized Jesus as innocent. And as Jesus was dying at midday, darkness fell on the earth. After he died

2. What parts are new to our understanding of the suffering and death and resurrection of Christ?

This Gospel suggests that Jesus felt no pain on the cross, "he was silent as of having no pain" NB: this is the seed of the heresy that likely disqualified this Gospel from the canon from the get-go....the notion that there was no passion.

The words of Jesus on the cross are the second big departure from the canonical Gospels. Jesus said: :My power, O power, you have forsaken me." We talked about how this may have been what Peter and the disciples imagined he would say, as they had witnessed Jesus as all-powerful until this very moment.

And, just after Jesus utters these words, the text says: "And having said this, he was taken up." Another departure from the canon....which does not speak of Jesus' ascent until 40 days after his resurrection.

Joseph of Arimethea was also a friend of Pilate's. And Joseph buried Jesus in his own sepulcher, the Garden of Joseph.

After Jesus' death, most of the rest of this Gospel differs from its canonical counterparts. The Jewish elite realize that they have made a terrible mistake and they lament and beat their chests and regret their actions for the judgment that they fear certainly awaits them. Pilate completely washes his hands and blames the people: "it was to you that this seemed the thing to do."

The empty tomb seems to have been witnessed twice. Once by two mysterious young men who appeared with a voice from heaven, and then by Mary Magdalene and the other women.

3. In this narrative, who is responsible for the death of Jesus?

We thought that this Gospel places the responsibility for Christ's death pretty squarely on the Jewish people and elite and the Jewish governmental authority, Herod. Herod was the one here who condemned Jesus to death. In the end, Pilate is exonerated.

You are encouraged to read this short Gospel (link above) and offer your own comments below. 

What do you think is the Good News of this Gospel?

Next Sunday: The Gospel of Mary (Magdalene). Read it for yourself at:

http://www.gnosis.org/library/marygosp.htm

Week II - Canonical Gospel Passion Narratives, cont'd

Last week we continued to discuss the passion narratives in the canonical Gospels, particularly the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. A comparison of the canonical Gospel accounts will follow in week five when we get to the Gospel According to John.

Our topic for week III (March 10th) is the Lost Gospel of Peter. In preparation for our discussion, we will read the Raymond Brown translation (which can be found at http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelpeter-brown.html ) and think about the following questions:

1. What part of this Gospel is also reflected in the canonical accounts?
2. What parts are new to our understanding of the suffering and death and resurrection of Christ?
3. In this narrative, who is responsible for the death of Jesus?
4. What is the Good News in this narrative?

Please join us to read, and reflect and respond!

Week I - Canonical Gospel Passion Narratives

Last Sunday we talked about the passion narratives in the four canonical Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We noted that the word "passion" literally means to suffer. So the "Passion Narratives" are the stories of Jesus' suffering unto death.

Like our understanding of the birth and baptism and transfiguration of Jesus, our general cultural understanding of his suffering and death is a sort of amalgam of details that come from different Gospel accounts. So, without looking at the texts, we listed all of the things that we know, as a Christian culture, about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

Here is what our group of 11folks, present on Sunday morning, listed as what we "know," generally speaking, about the passion of Christ.:

What do we know about the Passion of Christ?

In our Christian culture, what do we think we know about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ; that is, from Palm Sunday through Good Friday?

Palm Sunday

There were palms spread on the ground when Jesus entered Jerusalem.

Jesus rode in on a donkey.

It was during Passover.

The Last Supper

Jesus knew what was going to happen, ahead of time.

Not sure how far ahead of time, but by the Last Supper, he knew.

We don’t know how he knew, he just did.

Jesus was with his 12 disciples at the Last Supper.

Jesus washed his disciples’ feet at the Last Supper.

Jesus said the words of institution (for our Eucharist) at the Last Supper.At the Last supper, Jesus said: “one of you will betray me.”

At the Last Supper Jesus said: “Peter, you will deny me three times.”

 The Garden of Gethsemane

After the Last Supper, Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.

Jesus asked his disciples to stay awake with him.

The disciples fell asleep.

In the Garden of G. Jesus said to God: remove this cup.

In the Garden of G. Jesus said to God: “ not my will but thine.”

Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus said to the soldiers: “ you have no power over me.”

Jesus said to Judas: “do what you have to do.”

Peter chopped off a soldier’s ear.

Jesus said: “who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.

After the Arrest

After Jesus was arrested, there was a trial.

The trail went back and forth between Pilate, the Roman Governor and Herod, the Jewish Governor who worked for the Romans.

Pilate gave the people a say in the outcome of Jesus’ trial.

The prisoner Barabbas was released in stead of Jesus at the crowd’s request.

Pilate said: “behold the man”

Jesus was flogged by Pilate.

Jesus wore a crown of thorns.

Jesus was spat upon and taunted by a crowd of soldiers and Jewish elite.

Jesus did not say a lot.

Jesus did not defend himself.

When Pilate asked if he was the Son of God, Jesus said: “You say I am”

Soldiers took his clothes and cast lots.

A soldier stuck a spear in Jesus’ rib and put vinegar in the wound.

Jesus carried his own cross.

Jesus said to James: “this is your mother.”

Jesus said on the way to his crucifixion: “Do not weep for me, women of Jerusalem.”

Simon of Cyrene also carried Jesus cross.

Jesus was Crucified

Two other criminals were crucified on either side of Jesus.

Women were with him at the cross.

The disciples had fled.

On the cross Jesus said:

Forgive them father, for they know not what they do.

It is finished.

I am thirsty.

My God, My God Why have you forsaken me?

Today you will be with me in paradise.

Jesus died on a cross.

The curtain was torn.

A darkness fell over the earth.

The Centurion said:  truly this man is the Son of God.”

What would you add to this list?

Is there a part of the story of Jesus' suffering unto death that we missed?

If so, please add it below in the comment box.

Stay tuned for the next installment of this blog which will identify the sources of all of these parts of our story. Which Gospel contributes the most to our story?

And this coming Sunday, March 4th, we will discuss the passion narrative in the non-canonical Gospel of Peter. You can find the text at: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelpeter-brown.html

Amen!