Jesus only crucifies in the Gospel of the Egyptians

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Giuseppe
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Jesus only crucifies in the Gospel of the Egyptians

Post by Giuseppe »

I remember Bolland who was fixed with the idea that the Gospel of the Egyptians was the Earliest Gospel.

So I read:

L'Evangile des Egyptiens (NH III, 2 et IV, 2) Ce texte est conservé dans deux codex de Nag Hammadi, le troisième et le quatrième. Il se rattache à la tendance séthienne, et on situe sa rédaction, de manière imprécise, au Ile ou au Ille siècle22 • Il évoque la crucifixion à deux reprises.

Tout d'abord à la page 64 du codex III (p. 75 du codex IV) où on lit que le Grand Seth «cloua les puissances des treize Eons» (1. 3_4)23. Les lignes qui précèdent permettent de comprendre que cette opération se fit par «l'incorruptible logogène, Jésus le vivant, celui qu'a revêtu le Grand Seth». De sorte que ce passage rappelle l'interprétation donnée par Origène de Colossiens 2, 14-15, selon laquelle les Principautés et les Autorités ont été crucifiées et anéanties par la crucifixion de Jésus lui-même24• Et c'est ainsi que pourrait être compris l'Evangile des Egyptiens, qui s'inspire peut-être aussi de la Lettre au Colossiens.

Le rapprochement avec le second passage dont nous allons traiter permet de penser que celui que nous examinons évoque bien une crucifixion et un anéantissement des Eons. Cela s'effectue par l'intermédiaire de Jésus, mais il ne semble pas que cela implique sa propre crucifixion25 • 20.


Le second passage figure à la page 65 (1. 17-18) du codex III (codex IV, p. 77, 1. 13-15): «Jésus, celui de la vie, venu crucifier ce(lui) qui est sous la loi.» Il s'inscrit dans une liste de personnages porteurs du salut qui parait avoir été, au départ, une pièce indépendante, mais qui peut être interprétée dans le cadre de l'ensemble de l'Evangile des Egyptiens26•

De nouveau il s'agit de la crucifixion de ce qui doit être anéanti; ici ce qui est sous la loi. Et on se demande si cela s'effectue par la seule crucifixion de ce qui est sous la loi par Jésus, ou si cette opération implique la crucifixion de Jésus lui-même. Cette seconde possibilité serait confortée par le rapprochement avec un autre texte du corpus paulinien, Ephésiens 2, 13-17, qui évoque l'abolition de la Loi par le Christ en rapport avec sa crucifixion. Mais de nouveau, rien ne permet d'affirmer que Jésus ait lui-même été crucifié. L'Evangile des Egyptiens parait admettre que, par l'intermédiaire de Jésus, le Grand Seth crucifia et anéantit les Eons et ce qui est sous la loi.

(La croix chez les Pères (du Ile au début du IVe siècle) Jean-Marc Prieur, p. 184-185, my bold)

This Gospel of the Egyptians, insofar has only a Jesus who crucifies demons and is not crucified, is at least more consistent than the traditional Jesus with the OT Joshua, the only figure in the Tanak who crucified 7 kings.
Last edited by Giuseppe on Sun May 22, 2022 12:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
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MrMacSon
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Re: Jesus only crucifies in the Gospel of the Egyptians

Post by MrMacSon »

In English, via Microsoft Word


The Gospel of the Egyptians (NH III, 2 and IV, 2)
This text is preserved in two Nag Hammadi codices, the third and the fourth. It is linked to the Sethian tendency, and its writing is imprecisely placed in the 2nd or 3rd(?) century. It evokes the crucifixion twice.

First of all, on page 64 of Codex III (p. 75 of Codex IV) where we read that the Great Seth "nailed the powers of the thirteen Eons" (1.3-4). The preceding lines make it possible to understand that this operation was carried out by "the incorruptible logo[-type], Jesus the living, the one clothed by the Great Seth". So that this passage recalls the interpretation given by Origen of Colossians 2:14-15, according to which the Principalities and the Authorities were crucified and annihilated by the crucifixion of Jesus himself. And this is how the Gospel of the Egyptians could be understood, which is perhaps also inspired by the Letter to the Colossians.

The second passage evokes a crucifixion and an annihilation of the Eons. This is done through Jesus, but it does not seem to involve His own crucifixion.

It appears on page 65 (1.17-18) of Codex III (Codex IV, pp. 77, 1.13-15): "Jesus, the one of life, came to crucify this [one] who is under the law." It is part of a list of characters carrying salvation that seems to have been, at first, an independent play, but which can be interpreted within the framework of the whole Gospel of the Egyptians.

Again, it is the crucifixion of what is to be annihilated; here, what is under the law. And one wonders if this is done by the sole crucifixion of what is under the law by Jesus, or if this operation involves the crucifixion of Jesus himself. This second possibility would be reinforced by the rapprochement with another text of the Pauline corpus, Ephesians 2:13-17, which evokes the abolition of the Law by Christ in relation to his crucifixion. But again, there is no evidence that Jesus himself was crucified. The Gospel of the Egyptians seems to admit that, through Jesus, the Great Seth crucified and annihilated the Eons and what is under the law.


Last edited by MrMacSon on Sun May 22, 2022 1:15 am, edited 2 times in total.
Giuseppe
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Re: Jesus only crucifies in the Gospel of the Egyptians

Post by Giuseppe »

Corrected.
schillingklaus
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Re: Jesus only crucifies in the Gospel of the Egyptians

Post by schillingklaus »

Bolland died before the discovery of Nag Hammadi. He did not refer to the one in NHC but to some fragmentary text known vaguely by some church fathers and which is not related to the one found in the NHC.
Giuseppe
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Re: Jesus only crucifies in the Gospel of the Egyptians

Post by Giuseppe »

Possibly there is some connection.

Reading the book, La croix chez les Pères (du Ile au début du IVe siècle) by Jean-Marc Prieur, I see that the Gnostics believed:
  • ...that the Gospel crucifixion has a lot of allegorical meanings;
  • that a crucifixion in heaven had the archons as victims, or, when Jesus was involved, it worked as idea of a separation and/or incarnation, and/or path, and/or glorification.
If I have to vote, my vote is for the crucifixion as glorification.
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