Yahyā proclaims in the nights, Yōhānā on the Night's evenings. YAHYĀ proclaims in the nights and says: "Through my Father's discourses I give light and through the praise of the Man, my creator, I have freed my soul from the world and from the works that are hateful and wrong. The Seven put question to me, the Dead who have not seen Life, and they say: "In whose strength dost thou stand there, and with whose praise dost thou make proclamation?" Thereon I gave to them answer: "I stand in the strength of my Father and with the praise of the Man, my creator. I have built no house in Judæa, have set up no throne in Jerusalem. I have not loved the wreath of the roses, not commerce with lovely women. I have not loved the defective, not loved the cup of the drunkards. I have loved no food of the body, and envy has found no place in me. I have not forgotten my night-prayer, not forgotten wondrous Jordan. I have not forgotten my baptizing, not [forgotten] my pure sign. I have not forgotten Sun-day, and the Day's evening has not condemned me. I have not forgotten Shilmai and Nibdai, who dwell in the House of the Mighty. They clear me and let me ascend; they know no fault, no defect is in me." (The Gnostic John the Baptist)
According to Mandaean scripture John's real name -- the name known by God -- is Yahya, meaning "He Lives."
In 1945 a large collection of ancient texts were found at Nag Hammadi in Northern Egypt. Along with the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran in 1947, the documents have transformed our understanding of the religious and intellectual context of First Century Palestine.
Many of these ancient texts are clearly Gnostic in origin or by influence. By the time I was in my early twenties many of these texts were available in English translation and had a significant influence on my religious thinking.
While there remains a certain attraction, I have come to perceive Gnosticism as flawed in its tendency to celebrate our ability to achieve perfection.
By embracing the divine with each of us, through discipline and diligence the Gnostic -- like Yahya in the passage above -- ascends without fault or defect.
It doesn't leave much opportunity for God's grace to work and -- while I respect discipline and diligence and know that we each share in the divine -- my own experience suggests that it is God's grace and not my effort that brings me closest to God.
According to Mandaean scripture John's real name -- the name known by God -- is Yahya, meaning "He Lives."
In 1945 a large collection of ancient texts were found at Nag Hammadi in Northern Egypt. Along with the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran in 1947, the documents have transformed our understanding of the religious and intellectual context of First Century Palestine.
Many of these ancient texts are clearly Gnostic in origin or by influence. By the time I was in my early twenties many of these texts were available in English translation and had a significant influence on my religious thinking.
While there remains a certain attraction, I have come to perceive Gnosticism as flawed in its tendency to celebrate our ability to achieve perfection.
By embracing the divine with each of us, through discipline and diligence the Gnostic -- like Yahya in the passage above -- ascends without fault or defect.
It doesn't leave much opportunity for God's grace to work and -- while I respect discipline and diligence and know that we each share in the divine -- my own experience suggests that it is God's grace and not my effort that brings me closest to God.
No comments:
Post a Comment