How and when was the New Testament Compiled? (page 7)

[Emphasis mine.]

http://www.blavatsky.net/blavatsky/arts/EsotericCharacterOfTheGospels.htm#top

The works of Basilides--"The philosopher devoted to the contemplation of Divine things," as Clement describes him--the 24 volumes of his Interpretations Upon the Gospels--were all burned by order of the Church, Eusebius tells us (H. E., iv. 7) .

As these Interpretations were written at a time when the Gospels we have now, were not yet in existence, 47 here is a good proof that the Evangel, the doctrines of which were delivered to Basilides by the Apostle Matthew, and Glaucus, the disciple of Peter (Clemens Al. "Strom."vii. 7, § 106), must have differed widely from the present New Testament. Nor can these doctrines be judged by the distorted accounts of them left to posterity by Tertullian. Yet even the little this partisan fanatic gives, shows the chief gnostic doctrines to be identical, under their own peculiar terminology and personations, with those of the Secret Doctrine of the East. For, discussing Basilides, the "pious, god-like, theosophic philosopher," as Clement of Alexandria thought him, Tertullian exclaims:

After this, Basilides, the heretic,broke loose. 48 He asserted that there is a Supreme God, by name Abraxas, by whom Mind (Mahat) was created which the Greeks call Nous. From this emanated the Word; from the Word, Providence; from Providence, Virtue and Wisdom; from these two again, Virtues, Principalities, 49 and Powers were made; thence infinite productions and emissions of angels. Among the lowest angels, indeed, and those that made this world, he sets last of all the god of the Jews, whom he denies to be God himself, affirming that he is but one of the angels. 50 (Isis Unv. vol. ii.)

Another proof of the claim that the Gospel of Matthew in { usual Greek texts is not the original gospel written in Hebrew, is given by no less an authority than S. Jerome (or Hieronymus). The suspicion of a conscious and gradual euhemerization of the Christ principle ever since the beginning, grows into a conviction, once that one becomes acquainted with a certain confession contained in book ii. of the "Comment. to Matthew" by Hieronysus. For we find in it the proofs of a deliberate substitution of the whole gospel, the one now in the Canon having been evidently rewritten by this too zealous Church Father. 51 He says that he was sent toward the close of the fourth century by "their Felicities," the Bishops Chromatius and Heliodorus to Cæsarea, with the mission to compare the Greek text (the only one they ever had) with the Hebrew original version preserved by the Nazarenes in their library, and to translate it. He translated it, but under protest; for, as he says, the Evangel "exhibited matter not for edification, but for destruction. 52 The "destruction" of what? Of the dogma that Jesus of Nazareth and the Christos are one--evidently; hence for the "destruction" of the newly planned religion. 53 In this same letter the Saint (who advised his converts to kill their fathers, trample on the bosom that fed them, by walking over the bodies of their mothers, if the parents stood as an obstacle between their sons and Christ)--admits that Matthew did not wish his gospel to be openly written,hence that the MS. was a secret one. But while admitting also that this gospel "was written in Hebrew characters and bythe hand of himself" (Matthew),yet in another place he contradicts himself and assures posterity that as it was tampered with and re-written by a disciple of Manicheus, named Seleucus . . . "the ears of the Church properly refused to listen to it." (Hieron.,"Comment. to Matthew," book ii. chapter xii., 13.)

Christians DO NOT want to know this, read about it, hear it or THINK about it.

"Don't cloud the issue with facts!" they might well say.

It isn't about Facts but about Faith!

Oh me, oh my...that is such a tired phrase! Faith is all you have left when there ARE NO FACTS to support what you WANT to believe.

Some people told stories about Jesus.

Other people, who heard these stories, told other people.

It was passed around word-of-mouth.

Enough time passed and enough challenges were raised to substantially change the way this story was told.

By the time these stories began being written down there was no solid chain of custody; no provenance.

So, names of important people (Apostles) were attached.

Paul's letters circulated BEFORE the Gospels were.

Paul heard voices! That was his provenance.

A wealthy businessman named Marcion liked Paul's writings so much he threw out the entire Old Testament!

His compiled "bible" of Paul's selected writings almost took over the christian movement. It was strongly influenced by Gnosticism.

The power of the Roman emperor (Constantine) finally backed certain persons and shoved aside all the rest.

GOVERNMENT of ROME, politicians and power brokers sealed the deal.

By the time you or I came along EVERYBODY simply accepted these stories as ironclad truth.

We never had a second's opportunity to question, challenge or investigate......until it was almost too late!

Remember that, please.

How and when was the New Testament Compiled?

wyorobert

ProdigalSon

Terry

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