The following was written to me: Although you seem to have good intentions (Ebionites/Nazirenes), I am a doubting Thomas. Reading historical implications of the Nag Hammadi texts of Gnosticism, Elain Pagels in her many books, calls in to question the authenticity of the Christian Bible, original sin, the devil and a number of other widely held beliefs. She is a professor of theology at Princeton and a self avowed Gnostic. I e-mailed her and asked who were the authors of the four Christian Gospels and her reply was,
"Nobody knows." So my question to you is: Where do you get off teaching you are the only ones who've got it right? I mean, its not as though one could walk up to the historic Jesus and ask him to spell it out. Do you have your own Bible. Is it open for public scrutiny? If so, I'd like to read it. At the core of my problem with your claims is that you may lead a countless number of people away from any semblance of their faith in what may or may not be authentic. I am not a Christian in any way, shape or form. I have a deep and abiding respect for Jesus though. And I believe that several well-meaning individuals have over edited source material that is no longer extant. Like the old TV commercial, I have to ask, "Where's the beef!?"
The Answer: While I have the utmost respect for Elaine Pagels -- and you can do me the favor and forward this on to her -- Elaine Pagels is not a Gnostic. She embraces Gnostic philosophy -- but gnosis is not received out of books or reading scriptures that have been rejected by the Church. Gnosis is the experiential knowledge or Divine Manna one can only receive via one's inner soul and spiritual natures. And since by their very standards, all scholars would reject the (Gnostic) Wisdom and Knowledge of the True Mystic who is able to transcend this world, there is not a single scholar who can even begin to possess True Gnosis. Elaine Pagels entered into this life to bring about important work for the betterment of mankind, and has the knowledge of a scholar that has been the product of much outward study. And while she is a student of Gnostic philosophy, she is not herself a Gnostic. She lacks both an understanding of the inner meaning of both the scriptures, and her own inner soul-self (see
http://ebionite.com/reincarnation.htm#birth and
http://BeingOfLight.com ). And while she has learned about Gnosticism, the very nature of her scholarly work inhibits her from being herself a Gnostic -- as one who can receive the Inner Divine Manna (see
http://DivineManna.org ). If Pagels was herself a Mystic who has experienced Inner Gnosis, rather then a scholar, the critics who oppose her would be able to easily dismiss what she writes (see
http://insightscoop.typepad.com/2004/2006/04/jesuit_scholar_.html ). In the same way that the Pharisees stated to Yeshua that he was not taught by them, it is a fact as Paul warns that the organic mind of man is incapable of comprehending the higher realities of the soul and the spirit (see
http://ebionite.com/defeat.htm ). So in our present time, the soul of people such as Elaine Pagels entered into life to lay the important framework for people in search of Truth to begin to walk the mystical/spiritual path of TheWay. So the soul of Elaine Pagels is using this present life, in order to receive the right to be born into a truly spiritual life in the future where this wisdom can be made a true part of her soul-experiences.
As stated on the Divine Manna web site (
http://DivineManna.org ), all scriptures are equally Gnostic -- and this important reality is one of the reasons why I asked you to forward my answer to you on to Elaine Pagels if you are able. As a witness via my past lives as to the events that transpired behind the scenes (
http://BrotherOfYeshua.com ), as stated in the opening on the article on Bible Corruption (
http://BibleCorruption.com ), not only were the most spiritual scriptures never even given to the Gentiles outside of the Ebionite Disciples of Yeshua/Jesus, but these scriptures had to be made more simple and elementary with respect to the content. Also, modifications were made in order to accommodate the Greek and Roman mindset. As an example: The original Gospels did not have a virgin birth -- but since all the Messiahs of the Gentile world were said to have been born of a virgin, this was added. But if you understand the true inner (Gnostic) meaning of the virgin birth, it is making reference to the spiritual birth that each Disciple must bring about in their own lives. If you must be (spiritually) Born Again, who will be your parents (Male/Female Forces) of this second stage of birth? It will be a Divine Birth -- and thus,
St. Gregory writes: “…we conclude that the power of the Highest, coalescing with our entire nature by that coming upon (the Virgin) of the Holy Ghost, both resides in our soul, so far as reason sees it possible that it should reside there, and is blended with our body, so that our salvation throughout every element may be perfect”. In order to achieve this next level of soul-birth, you must yourself be born of what is allegorically portrayed as the virgin birth.
If you were able to understand the inner spiritual meaning, then you would recognize that there is no difference between the Old and New Testaments -- and only their outer form appears different to the unenlightened. And this is why Paul spoke of the Old Testament as the
"letter that killeth... Jewish fables" which led men astray. And the Jewish Mystic has warned that the literal text of the Torah, is not the True Torah -- i.e.,
"Thus the tales related in the Torah are simply her outer garments, and woe to the man who regards that outer garb as the Torah itself, for such a man will be deprived of portion in the next world...." (The Zohar; Edited by Gershom G. Scholem, Zohar- The Book of Splendor, Basic Readings from the Kabbalah [New York, Schocken Books, 1949]). Why would a person who sees only the outer garb of the scriptures be deprived of their place in the next world? For the same reason why Valentinus warned that the people of an organic mind do not have salvation in the manner that they would imagine. For the same reason that Yeshua warned that if you do not bring about the next stage of soul-birth while in the body, that you cannot enter into Life (see http://ebionite.com/reincarnation.htm#birth and http://BeingOfLight.com ).
Yeshua taught that the Kingdom is within you (
http://GateOfEden.com ). And in the same way that in the Lord's Prayer, you are taught to pray for the Kingdom to Come -- and when speaking of prayer, it is stated that your Heavenly Father already knows all things that you need, so you should pray only for the Kingdom (to come) -- each person has the ability to enter the Inner Kingdom, by bringing about the next stage of soul-birth. But the teachings of Yeshua were corrupted by the Church of Rome, which used religion as a means of both redemption, and to control the people of the empire. And the necessity of this second soul-birth is the reason why the Divine Manna (
http://DivineManna.org ) web site opens with a warning from the Gospel of Thomas:
"But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty... Whoever finds himself is superior to the world". And the finding of self is the primary objective of all scriptures. And when we add to this the statement from the Gospel of Philip that "Those who say that first they shall die and (then) they shall arise are confused. If they do not first receive the resurrection (while) they live,¹ they will not receive anything (when) they die." We begin to get a glimpse of our own higher soul reality.
The more advanced among the Gentiles began to compose their own scriptures which the later Church of Constantine rejected as Gnostic and heresy. Since we can see out of the above quotation from the Zohar that the written words of the Torah are nothing more than an allegorical garb, many of the Gentiles were being severely misled by reading it. As stated in the Clementine Homilies by the Apostle Peter when he said of the power of Simon Magus to manipulate and deceive the minds of the Gentile believers: “And with us, indeed, who have had handed down from our forefathers the worship of the God who made all things, and also the mystery of the books which are able to deceive, he will not prevail; but with those from amongst the Gentiles who have the polytheistic fancy bred in them, and who know not the falsehoods of the Scriptures, he will prevail much. And not only he; but if any other shall recount to those from among the Gentiles any vain, dreamlike, richly set out story against God, he will be believed, because from their childhood their minds are accustomed to take in things spoken against God. And few there shall be of them, as a few out of a multitude, who through ingenuousness shall not be willing so much as to hear an evil word against the God who made all things. And to these alone from amongst the Gentiles it shall be vouchsafed to be saved. Let not any one of you, therefore, altogether complain of Simon, or of any one else; for nothing happens unjustly, since even the falsehoods of Scripture are with good reason presented for a test.”
Judaism is an ancient Mystery Religion that got mainstream acceptance. Only the core initiates knew the true inner meaning of the scriptures. The teachings of Yeshua and TheWay, and the associated New Covenant Gospels, represent a universal departure from the Mystery Religion mindset which deceived the common believers. The New Covenant Gospels were created so that a seeker could read the literal text, and perceive what was required in order to begin the necessary process of alchemical transfomation of the body and mind that would permit the next stage of soul-birth to be brought about. That many of the most important concepts were removed by the later Church which was anti-gnosis and called itself Orthodox, is why I openly support the Gospel of the Nazirenes (
http://GospelOfTheNazirenes.org ), because it restores many of these missing important concepts. Where the scholar is looking for what will be accepted as genuine from the community of acceptable authorities, the Mystic and Spiritual Source such as myself, only embraces what will bring about the next stage of soul-birth that the scholar knows nothing about.
What Peter warns in the above is true -- and is not only true of carnal Christians, but is true of carnal Jews, Muslims, the New Age, Buddhists, Hindus and all people the world over. And is part of the Divine Strategery (
http://DivineStrategery.com ) employed by what Yeshua portrays as the
"citizen of the far country" in the parable of the prodigal son who is able to keep the people of a natural organic mind shackled to the thinking and illusion of this world. Notice the above words that
"...for nothing happens unjustly, since even the falsehoods of Scripture are with good reason presented for a test” -- if I began writing on this subject, my material would be endless. And that the mainstream Jews, Christians and Muslims are unable to pass these necessary tests which lead to a more enlightened understanding, is one of the primay reasons for the conflict in the world today. Further, in addition to the seven libraries of scriptures which I make reference to at
http://ebionite.com/#purescriptures , the Vatican has copies of many of these scriptures that would have the power to begin the process of bringing about world peace (see
http://EpistleOfLight.com ), because these more pure scriptures would force all three religions to immediately re-evaluate many of their long-held grave misconceptions which not only has caused the walls of division, but also the conflict that has ensued.
The Spiritual Gentile Christians who were called Gnostics, did not want the people to become misled by the ancient Mystery Religion framework of what Peter calls
"...the mystery of the books which are able to deceive", so they often portrayed Yeshua/Jesus after the allegory of the resurrection, without all the Jewish garb that part of the Jewish Mystery Religion mindset and traditions. Our true soul-self (
http://BeingOfLight.com ) transcends all the religions of man -- gender and race -- and all philosophies and ideologies -- and is a Being of Pure Knowing and Intellect. So while it is necessary to conceal essential Truths in Jewish allegorical garb for Jews, and Christian allegorical garb for Christians, and Muslim allegorical garb for Muslims, at a higher level, this garb itself becomes an obstacle. As stated in the 90th chapter of the Gospel of the Nazirenes (
http://gospel.nazirene.org/gospel_nine.htm#chapter90 ):
"God gives you all truth, as a ladder with many steps, for the salvation and perfection of the soul, and the truth which seems today, you will abandon for the higher truth tomorrow. Press toward perfection." And since the Churches and Institutionalized religions of this world by their nature embrace doctrines of belief -- beliefs that are elementary and carnal -- and the organic mindset must be evolved level by level in the manner of the
"good ground" of the parable of the Sower and the Seed (see
http://SowerAndSeed.com ). And the truth and esoteric reality of both the scriptures, and life itself, is portrayed in the warning in the parable:
“Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” (Mark 4:13 KJV) -- or, in the wording of a the modern language New Living Translation: “But if you can’t understand this story, how will you understand all the others I am going to tell?”
What this means is that without living the Life and embracing the mindset prescribed by Yeshua, you have absolutely no hope in understanding anything pertaining to your own higher soul and spiritual reality. And this knowledge of higher soul-reality is what Gnosis is -- or the Divine Manna of the Kingdom. And it is not an intellectual knowledge that can be taught in the schools of man -- or the knowledge of reading the allegorical garb of the scriptures -- but rather, the experiential soul-knowledge that the Gospel of Thomas makes reference to in the opening where it states that if you possess the meaning of these sayings, you can never taste death. And the only way you can receive the Gnosis that would enlighten your mind and transform the physical from natural organic into a Living Temple that enables you to enter within the Holy of Holies within you, and see and understand all things as they truly are, is to become the "good ground" and seek the Kingdom within.
Now you ask for me to prove what I am saying? You are the prodigal son who is lost in this, the far country. In a parallel account, you will find these same truths portrayed in the analogy of Plato's Cave (see
http://DivineStrategery.com#Plato ). So long as you remain under the control of what Yeshua portrayed as the
"citizen of the far country" -- what Paul portrayed as the god of this world -- and what the Gnostics portrayed as the Demiurge -- then you will remain in what is called the
"outer darkness" of consciousness which is portrayed in the parable of the Wedding Feast -- spellbound by the images which are danced upon the wall of Plato's Cave. By walking in TheWay that Yeshua taught, you will bring about the next stage of soul-birth which is portrayed in the allegory of the Resurrection in the words of the Gospel of Philip:
"Those who say that first they shall die and (then) they shall arise are confused. If they do not first receive the resurrection (while) they live, they will not receive anything (when) they die." And this is the only means for you to prove the Truth.
Allan