The Gospel of Truth and Arianism

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Leucius Charinus
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The Gospel of Truth and Arianism

Post by Leucius Charinus »

Peter Kirby wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 4:16 pm
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Often it is said that the Gospel of Truth represents an early stage in the development of "Valentinian" thought precisely because it does not contain the elaborate speculation believed to characterize later Valentinian texts. This idea is overturned if the Gospel of Truth is aware of such elaborate speculation and disagrees with it. The text can of course still be as early as the second century, but instead of witnessing to a linear development from simple to complex, it reflects a diversity of thought at an early stage instead.

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So the Gospel of Truth already is engaged in its own subtle effort to undermine the "Valentinian" system.
From WIKI:

History

The Gospel of Truth is not titled but the name for the work is from the first three words of the text, it may have been written in Greek between 140 and 180 by Valentinian Gnostics (or, as some posit, by Valentinus himself).[2] It was known to Irenaeus of Lyons, who objected to its Gnostic content and declared it heresy. Irenaeus declares it one of the works of the disciples of "Valentinius", and the similarity of the work to others thought to be by Valentinus and his followers has made many scholars agree.[3]
  • But the followers of Valentinus, putting away all fear, bring forward their own compositions and boast that they have more Gospels than really exist. Indeed their audacity has gone so far that they entitle their recent composition the Gospel of Truth, though it agrees in nothing with the Gospels of the apostles, and so no Gospel of theirs is free from blasphemy. For if what they produce is the Gospel of Truth, and is different from those the apostles handed down to us, those who care to can learn how it can be shown from the Scriptures themselves that [then] what is handed down from the apostles is not the Gospel of Truth.[4]
Other scholars have argued for a fourth century composition for the book we now have.[5]

Style

The text is written with strong poetic skill (notable even in translation), and includes a heavily cyclical presentation of themes. It is not a "gospel" in the sense of an account of the works of Jesus of Nazareth, but is better understood as a homily. The text is generally considered by scholars one of the best written texts in the whole Nag Hammadi collection, considering its worth highly as both a great literary work and a gnostic exegesis on several gospels, canonical and otherwise. The ideas expressed deviate from the views of Valentinian gnosticism.[6]


The writing is thought[by whom?] to cite or allude to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew and John, as well as 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews, 1 John and the Book of Revelation.[citation needed] It cites John's Gospel the most often.

It is also influenced by the Gospel of Thomas; for instance at one point (22:13-19) it cites John 3:8 alongside Thomas 28.

The footnote to a 4th century date for the Gospel of Truth leads to:

[5] Philip L. Tite (2009). Valentinian Ethics and Paraenetic Discourse:
Determining the Social Function of Moral Exhortation in Valentinian Christianity.
BRILL. pp. 217–. ISBN 978-90-04-17507-5.

This in turn leads to:

https://www.google.com.au/books/edition ... frontcover

Valentinian Ethics and Paraenetic Discourse
Determining the Social Function of Moral Exhortation in Valentinian Christianity
By Philip L. Tite · 2009

p.217

Chapter 7

Existing in Error: Literary and Social Aspects of Moral
Exhortations in the Gospel of Truth.


Which leads to another footnote as follows:

Footnote [2]

"A notable exception from this tendency to date Gos.Truth early, and thereby to link it to Valentinus, is Raoul Mortley, "The Name of the Father is the Son". Mortley argues that the Gos.Truth is best dated to the early 4th century, and therefore reflects the conflict with Arianism.

Michael Tardieu (in an addendum to Mortley's essay) and MJ Edwards (in his "The Epistle of Rheginus") have accepted Mortley's hypothesis. The very fact that Mortley can make such a claim, and find support for his claim, is indicative of the problems of attributing this text to an early stage in Valentiniasm let alone to Valentinus himself.

I have attempted without success to locate Mortley's essay "The Name of the Father is the Son".
Paul the Uncertain
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Re: The Gospel of Truth against Syzygy

Post by Paul the Uncertain »

Leucius Charinus wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 1:36 am I have attempted without success to locate Mortley's essay "The Name of the Father is the Son".
The essay is included in this book on internet archive, which you can "borrow" with a free account:

https://archive.org/details/neoplatonismgnos0000unse

The full citation for use with other libraries

Raoul Mortley, "The name of the father is the son" (Gospel of Truth 38) in Richard T. Wallis, editor and Jay Bregman, associate editor, Neoplatonism and Gnosticism, Series: Studies in Neoplatonism volume 6, 239-252, Albany : State University of New York Press, 1992.

and it appears that the paperback is still in print and may be purchased from:

https://sunypress.edu/Books/N/Neoplaton ... Gnosticism
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Leucius Charinus
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Re: The Gospel of Truth against Syzygy

Post by Leucius Charinus »

Peter Kirby wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 4:16 pm From this transcription and translation: https://www.academia.edu/35461016/The_G ... ranslation
In this Mattison presents the two different Coptic nomina sacra for "Christ" in his work. Each of these appear only once.

18:16 Jesus the Christ = IHC ne XPC (See below)

36:14 Christ = XC (Christ in their midst)

The Gospel

This is the Gospel of the one they search for, revealed to those who are complete through the mercies of the Father, the hidden mystery. Through it (the Gospel), Jesus Christ (IHC ne XPC) enlightened those who were in darkness through forgetfulness. He enlightened them; he showed them a Way, and the Way is the Truth which he taught them. As a result, Error was angry. It pursued him. It was threatened by him and brought to nothing.

They nailed him (Jesus) to a tree, and he became the fruit of the Father’s knowledge. However, it (the fruit) didn’t cause destruction when it was eaten, but those who ate it were given joy in the discovery. He discovered them in himself and they discovered him in themselves. As for the uncontainable, inconceivable one – the Father, the complete one who made all – all are within him, and all need him. Although he kept their completion within himself which he didn’t give to all, the Father wasn’t jealous. Indeed, what jealousy is there between him and his members?

These two versions of nomina sacra for Christ in the Gospel of Truth are listed in Martijn's catalogue:
https://www.academia.edu/84288595/Jesus ... ibrary_2_0

They correspond to the two versions of nomina sacra for Christ which appear in the Gospel of Philip. Why do the authors of the Gospel of Truth and the Gospel of Philip use two different abbreviations for Christ? XPC and XC. What is the difference between these? IDK. But I'd have to suspect this is somehow purposeful.
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Leucius Charinus
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Re: The Gospel of Truth against Syzygy

Post by Leucius Charinus »

Paul the Uncertain wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 2:16 am
Leucius Charinus wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 1:36 am I have attempted without success to locate Mortley's essay "The Name of the Father is the Son".
The essay is included in this book on internet archive, which you can "borrow" with a free account:

https://archive.org/details/neoplatonismgnos0000unse
Many thanks Paul the Uncertain.
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