Religious Questions

(excerpt taken from Bart Ehrman, Lost Christianities, 2003, pgs. 127–29)

The Gospel of Truth One of the most intriguing documents found in Nag Hammadi comes without a title. Based on its opening lines, it is usually called the Gospel of Truth. These opening lines put the lie to those who may think of Gnosticism as some kind of dour, intellectualizing, morally dubious kind of religion, for here the joy of salvation is celebrated with abandon: The gospel of truth is joy for those who have received from the Father of truth the grace of knowing him, through the power of the Word that came forth from the Pleroma, the one who is in the thought and the mind of the Father, that is, the one who is addressed as the Savior. (G. Truth 16)15 We don’t know for certain who wrote this terrific little treatise, which lays out a Gnostic understanding of salvation in unusually clear terms. But its point of view coincides in many ways with the teachings of a famous Gnostic teacher from the second century, who taught in Rome and, because of his charismatic presence and rhetorical power, acquired a large following among Christians there, a man named Valentinus. Valentinian Christianity was seen as one of the main enemies by proto-orthodox authors like Irenaeus and Tertullian, but whether it was, as they claimed, an insidious attempt to pervert the truth is another matter. The few fragments that we have from the hand of Valentinus himself are both thoughtful and thought provoking. Many scholars think that this Gospel of Truth also came from his pen. Although called a Gospel, this is not an account of Jesus’ words and deeds. It is instead a celebration of the salvation that Jesus has brought into the world by delivering the truth that can free the soul from its bondage to material things. A number of central issues are discussed in the writing: the nature of God, the character of the world, the person of Christ, the work of salvation he brought, and how to respond to it. Notably, its views stand diametrically opposed to those that eventually became dominant in Christianity and that have been handed down to Christians today. “Orthodox” Christianity maintained that this world was the intentional creation of the one true God, and as such was made good—even if sin later came into the world and corrupted it. This Gnostic Gospel claims that the material world came about, instead, by a conflict in the divine realm, resulting in ignorance, terror, anguish, and error:

Ignorance of the Father [i.e., the opposite of “gnosis”] brought about anguish and terror; and the anguish grew solid like a fog so that no one was able to see. For this reason error became powerful; it worked on its own matter foolishly, not having known the truth. It set about with a creation, preparing with power and beauty the substitute for the truth. (G. Truth 17) “Orthodox” Christianity claimed that Christ died for the sins of the world and that his death and resurrection are what brings salvation. This Gospel, how ever, maintains that

Jesus brought salvation by delivering the truth that could set the soul free. Moreover, it was out of anger for his deliverance of this knowl edge that the ignorant rulers of this world erroneously put him to death: Jesus, the Christ, enlightened those who were in darkness through oblivion. He enlightened them; he showed them a way; and the way is the truth which he taught them. For this reason error grew angry at him and persecuted him. . . . He was nailed to a tree and he became a fruit of the knowledge of the Father. (G. Truth 18) “Orthodox” Christianity insisted that people are made right with God by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. This Gospel maintains that people are saved by receiving the correct knowledge of who they really are. There came the men wise in their own estimation, putting him to the test. But he confounded them because they were foolish. They hated him because they were not really wise. After these, there came the little children also, those to whom the knowledge of the Father belongs. Having been strengthened, they learned about the impressions of the Father. They knew, they were known; they were glorified, they glorified. . . . But those who are to receive teaching are the living who are inscribed in the book of the living. It is about themselves that they receive instruction. (G. Truth 19–21) “Orthodox” Christianity understood that God would redeem this sinful world, create it anew as a utopian place of eternal life. This Gospel states that once saving knowledge comes to souls entrapped in this world, the world of igno rance will pass away. Since the deficiency came into being because the Father was not known, there fore, when the Father is known, from that moment on, the deficiency will no longer exist. As in the case of the ignorance of a person, when he comes to have knowledge, his ignorance vanishes of itself, as the darkness vanishes when light appears, so also the deficiency vanishes in the perfection. (G. Truth 24–25) The book concludes with an exhortation for its hearers to share the true knowl edge of salvation with those who seek the truth, and not to return to their former (proto- orthodox?) beliefs, which they have already transcended. Say, then, from the heart that you are the perfect day and in you dwells the light that does not fail. Speak of the truth with those who search for it and of knowl edge to those who have committed sin in their error. . . . Do not return to what you have vomited to eat it. Do not be moths. Do not be worms, for you have already cast it off. . . . Do the will of the Father, for you are from him. For the Father is sweet and in his will is what is good. (G. Truth 32) Whatever one might say about this form of Christianity, I don’t think we can call it insincere or wanting of feeling. It is warm and intense, full of joy and passion. Its enemies found it heinous, though, and did their utmost both to destroy it and to sully the reputation of its author.