Gnostic Storytelling in the Canonical Sayings of Jesus (priest, gospel)

[A. Ben-Shema]

Originally Posted by EtuMalku

Gnostics have claimed Paul as their Apostle
The communities to which Paul wrote his letters to were known to be centers of Marcionite Gnosticism
Paul's anti-Gnostic letters are now known to be fakes
Paul was born in Tarsus, a major center for Pagan Mysteries, he also uses the term 'Mysteries' in his letters.
Paul calls himself "Steward of the Mysteries of God" which is a term for a priest in the Pagan Mysteries of Serapis.
Gnostics claim Paul's letters contain encoded secret teachings as he even states there are "two ways at once" to teach the Gospel of Christ (Outer and Inner Mysteries) which he understood as the difference between a historical literal translation of Jesus and the mystical revelation of revealing the "Christ in you"

Some pseudo-gnostics certainly claimed Paul/Saul as one of their mentors, but I doubt that any genuine (Spiritual) gnostic (i.e. actual first-hand 'KNOWER' of Elohim) would have followed any deceased Teacher (especially the false apostle Paul).

There is a very enlightening discussion on Paul/Saul here (CLICK HERE).

Peace to all

[sean_the_iconoclast]

Etu Malku, references for the following would be sufficient: "The communities to which Paul wrote his letters to were known to be centers of Marcionite Gnosticism" and the statement that Tarsus was a center of the Mysteries. Regarding the latter, could you please indicate the time period as well? Thanks.

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by sean_the_iconoclast

Etu Malku, references for the following would be sufficient: "The communities to which Paul wrote his letters to were known to be centers of Marcionite Gnosticism" and the statement that Tarsus was a center of the Mysteries. Regarding the latter, could you please indicate the time period as well? Thanks.

It's a rare thing for me to talk about something that I know nothing about.

[EtuMalku]

AE: it is a rarer thing for me to talk about something that I actually do know about LOL!!

Sean: "The communities to which Paul wrote his letters to were known to be centers of Marcionite Gnosticism"

Of course you know who Paul is, Marcion was a Gnostic teacher born in Pontus in Asia Minor, active in Rome c.144 CE. He rejected the OT and parts of the the gospels that he regarded as false. He acknowledged Paul as the "Great Apostle"

Pauls letters to Timothy and Titus are universally regarded as fakes. Computer studies confirm that the author of the Pastorals is noit then auther of the letters to the Galatians, Romans, and Corinthians.

Tarsus was a center of the Mysteries. Regarding the latter, could you please indicate the time period
48 -53 CE.

Sorry I took so long

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by EtuMalku

Of course you know who Paul is, Marcion was a Gnostic teacher born in Pontus in Asia Minor, active in Rome c.144 CE. He rejected the OT and parts of the the gospels that he regarded as false. He acknowledged Paul as the "Great Apostle"

I'm afraid Marcion wasn't a Gnostic, he had quite a different cosmology to the Valentinians and other Gnostic sects.

[EtuMalku]

That's odd, seeing that 'Paul wrote letters to seven cities, which are known to have been centers of Gnostic Christianity during the 2nd century. These communities were led by the Gnostic sage Marcion . . . . '

Justin Martyr, a literalist; Marcion, an uncompromising Gnostic . . .

The influential Gnostic teacher Marcion argued for . . . . He produced a text called Antitheses, which juxtaposed quotes from the Old & New Testaments to demonstrate how they contradict each other.

from 'The Gnostic Paul' by Elaine Pagels (Professor of Religion at Columbia, Harvard and Princeton)

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by EtuMalku

That's odd, seeing that 'Paul wrote letters to seven cities, which are known to have been centers of Gnostic Christianity during the 2nd century. These communities were led by the Gnostic sage Marcion . . . . '

Justin Martyr, a literalist; Marcion, an uncompromising Gnostic . . .

The influential Gnostic teacher Marcion argued for . . . . He produced a text called Antitheses, which juxtaposed quotes from the Old & New Testaments to demonstrate how they contradict each other.

from 'The Gnostic Paul' by Elaine Pagels (Professor of Religion at Columbia, Harvard and Princeton)

Marcion wasn't a Gnostic, I don't know what Pagels is talking about here. Sure he rejected the OT, but none of his other beliefs matched up to identifiably Gnostic groups, for a start he never speaks of Gnosis.

[EtuMalku]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

Marcion wasn't a Gnostic, I don't know what Pagels is talking about here. Sure he rejected the OT, but none of his other beliefs matched up to identifiably Gnostic groups, for a start he never speaks of Gnosis.

What is your definition of a Gnostic, maybe this is where we differ with one another?