Express trust

[Michael Joseph]

Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

The foregoing begs a global trust of which all of mankind will receive a mark but that some will overcome is also stated...

Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

and further in a saying of Jesus we are commanded to seek knowledge - Gospel of Thomas. And that when one finds one will not taste death.

Shalom,
MJ

THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS (anything in parenthesis is added)

2) Jesus said, The one who seeks (For the meaning of these words) should not leave off, (But) keep on seeking (For it) until he finds (The mystery). When he finds (The meaning, the mystery), he will be troubled (Labor and find life and) will marvel. When he is troubled (and) when he marvels, then he will be surprised, (for) he will reign (Over the world) (and) rule over the all (Verse 4). And when he rules then he will rest (The Sabbath rest, in the 7th millennium).

3) Jesus said, Should those who lure (and) lead you say, 'behold, the Kingdom is up in the sky (Only the religious leaders can understand it),then the birds of the sky (Religious leaders, who consume the seed, or Word of God) will beat you to it (Hide the keys and defraud you of it --verse 39; Luke 11:52). If they should tell you, 'it is under the earth (Subject to earthly, or scholarly teachings), (Or) in the sea (Subject to the teachings of the Church),' then the fish of the sea (Christian leaders) will beat you to it. It is rather that the Kingdom is both within you and without (You don’t need leaders to see it). Those of you who know yourselves (Life, light, authority, truth) will find out (Through laboring and finding life) that this is true. When you (Have labored, and) find out who you are, you will then
become known (In the biblical sense, when Jesus becomes you--verse 108), and will recognize that you are the sons of the living Father (Verse 106). But if you do not (Labor and come to) know yourselves, you dwell in (Fleshly) poverty and you are yourselves that poverty (Fleshly).

4) Jesus said, Let the man who is old in days (Religious men at the end of the age) not hesitate to ask a small child of seven days (The Elect, in the 7th millennium) about the place of life (Verse 50), and he (By asking the Elect on that Sabbath day of rest) will come alive (By coming to grasp the meaning of these words). For many who are first (Those influenced by infiltrators, Jude 4 etcetera) will become last (Abased, stripped of their kingdom), and the last (The Elect), first (Exalted, elevated, given to reign). They will indeed become one and the same (Come to agree with the Elect).

5) Jesus said, Know what is before your face (The secret message encoded within the Scriptures) and what is concealed (The keys to this secret language--verse 39; Luke 11:52) from you will be revealed to you. For nothing is hidden (By the scribes and Pharisees --verse 39; Luke 11:52; and afterwards the Church) that will not be revealed, (The keys will be restored) nor is anything buried (Under an earthly teaching) that will not be raised (Seen in its higher-level meaning).

39) Jesus said, The Pharisees and the scribes (and later, the Early Church infiltrators) have taken the keys of knowledge (of the higher-level meaning; see also Luke 11:52.) and hidden them (Behind the fleshly locks of earthly images). They themselves have not entered (By knowledge of these keys into the Kingdom), nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to (Seeing as they saw the light within those images and suppressed them, thereby blaspheming the Holy Spirit). You, however, be as wise as serpents (The scribes and Pharisees Matthew 23:33, 12:34, etcetera,) and as innocent as doves (The Elect).

40) Jesus said, A grapevine (The false Church) has been planted outside of the Father (The knowledge of the mystery), but being unsound, (Rooted in the teachings of men) it will be pulled up by its roots and destroyed. (By Jesus, the true vine John 15:1)

[pumpkin]

"well.. I can relate to this but i also consider it may be also part of a god or gods plan somehow."

I certainly believe that it is. IMO, the Truth has died from this earth. We have a front row seat of the deception, corruption and lies that comes with that separation from the Truth. The Truth has died so that we shall live, and make the right choices in the spiritual world when that separation from the Truth ends. It doesn't mean we should not oppose it, but it may also mean that we cannot win.

[Michael Joseph]

"well.. I can relate to this but i also consider it may be also part of a god or gods plan somehow."

I certainly believe that it is. IMO, the Truth has died from this earth. We have a front row seat of the deception, corruption and lies that comes with that separation from the Truth. The Truth has died so that we shall live, and make the right choices in the spiritual world when that separation from the Truth ends. It doesn't mean we should not oppose it, but it may also mean that we cannot win.

The Gospel of Thomas (added for clarity)

63) Jesus said, There was a rich man (The infiltrators of the Church) who had much money (The true wealth, or keys of knowledge). He said, ‘I shall put my money to use (Hide these keys and replace them with my own teaching) so that I may sow, reap, plant, (For my own selfish purposes)and fill my (own) storehouse with produce (For my own power and glory and gain) with the result that I (Thus taking the Kingdom by treachery) shall lack nothing. Such were his intentions, but that same night (The 2,000-year age) he died (Himself lost the keys to the truth). Let him who has ears (Both levels of understanding) hear.

79) A woman from the crowd said to him, blessed are the womb (Judaism, see Galatians 1:15) which bore you and the breasts (Old and New Testaments) which nurtured you. (Christianity) He said to her, Blessed are those (The Elect) who have heard the word of the Father (Spirit-level, as opposed to the mother, which is the flesh and blood level) and have truly kept it (As opposed to the Jews and Christians, who did not). For there will be days (The 2 spiritual days; the 2,000 years given over to the Adversary to try the Church) when you will say, 'blessed are the womb which has not conceived (True Judaism, Christianity) and the breasts (The Word of God in its higher sense) which have not given milk (The teachings for those not ready for the meat of the word).’

Isaiah 54:1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

87) Jesus said, Wretched is the body (Lifeless Christian Canon; Church) that is dependent upon a body (Lifeless Jewish Canon; synagogue), and wretched is the soul (Human reasoning, according to the secret book of James ) that is dependent on these two (Their superficial understanding of the 2 dead Testaments).

74) He said, O Lord, there are many around the drinking trough, (The Canon; or that which contains the water, or word) but there is nothing in the cistern. (Their focus is on the cistern, or Canon, and so cannot draw out any more water, or word from it.)

97) Jesus said, The Kingdom of the [Father] (Which comes from a proper insight into the Scriptures) is like a certain woman (The Church) who was carrying a jar full of meal. (Like the cistern, cup, or the 24 prophets, etcetera; a container full of the word and its understanding; the complete Scriptures.) While she was walking [on] a road, (The road is representative of both traditions and time; that which has been travelled and taught before, so again) still some distance from home, (The Kingdom) the handle of the jar broke (The faulty concept of the Canon led to the loss of Scriptures) and the meal (Scriptures, along with their understanding) emptied out behind her (In time) on the road (Over time, due to this confusion). She did not realize it; (The Church took this tradition for granted because the Jews had done it before) she had noticed no accident. (She imagined she was doing God’s will.) When she reached her house, (When the Church was centralized, organized and established) she set the jar down (Established an official Canon) and found it empty. (Since all she was left with was the surface-level understanding, like the empty cistern in verse 74.)

101) <Jesus said,> Whoever does not hate his father and his mother (Christianity and Judaism) as I do cannot become a disciple to me (Since they keep you from seeing him). And whoever does [not] love his (Spiritual) Father (Who disciplines us) and his mother (Who gives spiritual birth to us) as I do (Who brought him forth in spirit and truth) cannot become a [disciple] to me (Since it takes spiritual rebirth and discipline). For my (False, physical) mother (Religion, as opposed to his true mother below) [gave me death] (The fleshly understanding), but [my] true (Spiritual) [mother] (The comforter) gave me (True, spiritual) life.

86) Jesus said, [the foxes (Like Herod, who knew the truth, which he got from John) have their holes] (Their places within earthly institutions) and the birds (Religious leaders) have [their] nests (High offices), but the son of man has no place (Office or position) to lay his head and rest. (For the 2,000 years.)

[BLBereans]

The belief that "The Gospel of Thomas" should be considered as authoritative and divinely inspired as the traditional gospels is based upon the assumption that the Thomas "gospel" was written either at the same time as, or perhaps even earlier than, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

However, if we consider the possibility that this text was originally written in Syriac and likely taken from its source, Tatian's Diatessaron, we no longer have the "first-hand" sayings of Jesus, do we?

For those interested in investigating and verifying...

THOMAS: THE FIFTH GOSPEL?

[David Merrill]

I enjoy reading the Gospel of Thomas and do not think it a true Gospel, according to general definition. It would seem that Christians are quite biased and should not be doing the defining too.

The Nazarene Gospel Restored explains and reveals several major editing events around the Nicene Council and in light of Pragmatism, my interpretation of the Gospel of Mark the other four Gospels of the Bible were following suit, to protect the survived King Jesus while he hovered over the Jerusalem throne in Damascus.

I imagine that the link, based in the preconceived definition about "Gospel" is like studying James CAMERON's The Lost Tomb of Jesus without actually reading it.

So that is what I suggest. Read it for yourselves. I call the Gospel of Thomas - "Slogans of Jesus". I think it quite more inspired than the Book of Mark as it only conveys the trusting and joyful aspects of Jesus' ministry without the commercial basis of integrating Paul's Benjamin heritage of sacrifice.

[Michael Joseph]

The belief that "The Gospel of Thomas" should be considered as authoritative and divinely inspired as the traditional gospels is based upon the assumption that the Thomas "gospel" was written either at the same time as, or perhaps even earlier than, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

However, if we consider the possibility that this text was originally written in Syriac and likely taken from its source, Tatian's Diatessaron, we no longer have the "first-hand" sayings of Jesus, do we?

For those interested in investigating and verifying...

THOMAS: THE FIFTH GOSPEL?

I think you wise to question everything, but I would like you to consider that there are three items found in the Ark of the Covenant. The Tables are clearly symbolic of the O.T. Aaron's Rod that buds [Reed] is clearly the N.T. and yet there remains a Golden Bowl with "Hidden Manna" within. Manna is food [teachings]. Thusly, consider that perhaps there are many other books that did not make it into the Reed [canon].

In fact, St. Paul quotes from many extra-canonical sources. Of course, trust no man, study to show thyself approved unto God. If one can read or recognize the hidden language in symbols then one is not in need of a canon. Nevertheless, each according to what he/she can eat. And thusly be satisfied.

Exo 16:17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

Exo 16:18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

[george]

hi BLBereans,

thanks for that, I will be reading it also. I like to consider all perspectives on such things and also appreciate MJ and his great effort to clarify his, certainly valid IMO especially if you consider what pumpkin wrote there.

part of what is difficult for me to accept about the traditional christain interpretations of the words is the group think, mob mentality or hive mind aspect of it. not attempting an attack on you or any others beliefs when I say that either, just pointing it out as that does seem to be how it is. if it wright or wrong, I do not know for certain. it does seem to be exactly the same type of issue that jesus was facing in a lot of ways if we are to consider any of what has been written by other men about it.

David, when I was a kid, I used to read the KJV a lot and so much of it was so strange that once I found a red letter edition, I started reading only the red letter because it was much easier for a child to understand.

I dont know exactly who this man was or if he even existed but I do think that at least most of the words that have been written that are purportedly from him, make the most sense out of all the words written in the KJV.


thanks

[BLBereans]

I enjoy reading the Gospel of Thomas and do not think it a true Gospel, according to general definition. It would seem that Christians are quite biased and should not be doing the defining too.

The Nazarene Gospel Restored explains and reveals several major editing events around the Nicene Council and in light of Pragmatism, my interpretation of the Gospel of Mark the other four Gospels of the Bible were following suit, to protect the survived King Jesus while he hovered over the Jerusalem throne in Damascus.

I imagine that the link, based in the preconceived definition about "Gospel" is like studying James CAMERON's The Lost Tomb of Jesus without actually reading it.

So that is what I suggest. Read it for yourselves. I call the Gospel of Thomas - "Slogans of Jesus". I think it quite more inspired than the Book of Mark as it only conveys the trusting and joyful aspects of Jesus' ministry without the commercial basis of integrating Paul's Benjamin heritage of sacrifice.

Good advice. Read it for yourselves and also read about the author (Robert Graves) and his neo-pagan presuppositions regarding his "fallen White Goddess" whom most believe he sought to restore perhaps more diligently than his questionable "restoration" of the Gospels.

The White Goddess

[BLBereans]

I think you wise to question everything, but I would like you to consider that there are three items found in the Ark of the Covenant. The Tables are clearly symbolic of the O.T. Aaron's Rod that buds [Reed] is clearly the N.T. and yet there remains a Golden Bowl with "Hidden Manna" within. Manna is food [teachings]. Thusly, consider that perhaps there are many other books that did not make it into the Reed [canon].

In fact, St. Paul quotes from many extra-canonical sources. Of course, trust no man, study to show thyself approved unto God. If one can read or recognize the hidden language in symbols then one is not in need of a canon. Nevertheless, each according to what he/she can eat. And thusly be satisfied.

Exo 16:17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

Exo 16:18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

True. However, why does there exist a great insistence about the timing of the writing of the Thomas "gospel" by those who wish to assert its authority and inspiration as equal to the four canonical gospels? Doesn't that matter in regards to its claimed authenticity? The title in your post says it all, "These are the secret words which the Living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas wrote". Really?

If that claim is proven untrue, then what of the rest of it? Also, the four Gospels have 4 key elements in common whereas these are either contradicted, diminished or ignored in the other non-canonical "gospels"...

(1) the apostolic preaching about Jesus, from the beginning, involved four key elements; (2) all four of the canonical gospels have these four elements in common; and (3) the extracanonical gospels do not, and in most cases do not clearly have any of them. These four key elements, identified by Paul in the mid fifties and clearly representing an even earlier tradition, are summarised in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: (i) the identity of Jesus as the Christ, anointed by the creator God of Israel, (ii) his fulfilment of the Jewish Scriptures, (iii) his effective atoning death on behalf of others, and (iv) his bodily resurrection from death.

source

If there exists contradictions in fundamental theology between the Four Gospels and the non-canonical "gospels", what do you hold as true?

[BLBereans]

hi BLBereans,

thanks for that, I will be reading it also. I like to consider all perspectives on such things and also appreciate MJ and his great effort to clarify his, certainly valid IMO especially if you consider what pumpkin wrote there.

part of what is difficult for me to accept about the traditional christain interpretations of the words is the group think, mob mentality or hive mind aspect of it. not attempting an attack on you or any others beliefs when I say that either, just pointing it out as that does seem to be how it is. if it wright or wrong, I do not know for certain. it does seem to be exactly the same type of issue that jesus was facing in a lot of ways if we are to consider any of what has been written by other men about it.

David, when I was a kid, I used to read the KJV a lot and so much of it was so strange that once I found a red letter edition, I started reading only the red letter because it was much easier for a child to understand.

I dont know exactly who this man was or if he even existed but I do think that at least most of the words that have been written that are purportedly from him, make the most sense out of all the words written in the KJV.


thanks

You are welcome george. For the most part, you are right regarding the mainstream and modern-era Christian mind-set and beliefs. Also, I do not recognize the Roman adoption and practice of the "Christian" religion as having any basis or foundation of the true message and teachings of Jesus the Christ. It is an amalgamation of Romanism, paganism and "Christianity" which is yet another spin-off of Nimrod's original false religion.

In my opinion, all "religions" that deny the deity of Jesus the Christ and the personal nature of God the Creator as being ALWAYS Higher and distinct from His creation, are ALL the same.