Christianity

Christianity is not many things, gnosticism is one of them it isn't. Josh McDowell: The Da Vinci Code mentions Constantine removed 80 other gospels because they did not portray Christ as deity. There are (actually) about 60 other documents, many of them not gospels, the majority of which can be traced to the cult of Gnosticism. These documents were almost all written well into the second century bearing the pseudonyms of the apostles. The earliest of these “alternative gospels” are actually exaggerative in their portrayal of Christ’s deity. If you go back and read the historic literature from the first and second century you’ll see that the Christian community unanimously condemned this cult, their theology and their literature. And, again, of the 20 rulings made at Nicea, none of them dealt with the contents of the New Testament: either what went in to it or what was excluded.

"There is a way that seems right to mankind, but the end thereof is death." Stay strong in the Lord, and be not swayed, Christians.

hi sky i've thought of looking at the gnostics especially thomas do you have any more info as to their relevance to christ? regards

You are right about the Apocryphal writings, "gospels, " and their sometimes farfetched exaggerations of Christ, his early years, etc. Also, that if one delves into the actual Gnostic writings, it becomes quite garbled and confusing.
Not regarding the Gnostic texts, or the later Apocryphal writings which were denounced by the formal church, there WAS a contemporary sect of Gnostics contemporary and prior to the time of Christ. There are speculations that Jesus, John the Baptist, and Paul were all either Gnostic or influenced by Gnosticism, which says we have the "knowledge" within us. I find this fascinating and not at all countering to the foundations of Christianity.
Patty