Of the five, the Acts of John and Thomas have the most remaining Gnostic content.

It should be noted, however, that Paterson Brown, on the Ecumenical Coptic Project website, has argued forcefully ( 1 ) that the text is evidently by Philip the Evangelist ( Acts 6: 5 ) rather than Philip the Apostle ; and ( 2 ) that the three Coptic Gospels of Thomas, Philip and Truth cannot be considered Gnostic writings or compilations, since they all three explicitly affirm the basic reality and sanctity of incarnate life, which Gnosticism by definition considers illusory and evil (' Are the Coptic Gospels Gnostic?

The Acts of Thomas and the Acts of Peter and the Twelve are often considered Gnostic texts.

* Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments: Acts of John

* Acts of Peter and the Twelve Text from The Gnostic Society Library

We probably possess a few of Bardaisan's hymns in the Gnostic Acts of Thomas ; the " Hymn on the Soul "; the " Espousals of Wisdom "; the consecratory prayer at Baptism and at Holy Communion.

* Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter

Gnostic writings describe tensions and jealousy between Mary Magdalene and other disciples, especially Peter.

Outside of the corpus of New Testament apocrypha also includes apocalypses of Peter, Paul, Stephen, and Thomas, as well as two of James and Gnostic Apocalypses of Peter and Paul.

Freke is perhaps best known for his books, co-authored with Peter Gandy, which advocate a Gnostic understanding of early Christianity and the Christ myth theory, including The Jesus Mysteries: Was the " Original Jesus " a Pagan God?

The Gnostic social-religious movement and doctrine originated in the time of Peter I of Bulgaria ( 927 – 969 ) as a reaction against state and clerical oppression of the Byzantine church.

* Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter

** Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter

" However, it is not certain whether this refers to the Greek Apocalypse of Peter or the quite different Coptic Apocalypse of Peter, the latter of which, unlike the former, was Gnostic.

Basilides ( Greek: Βασιλείδης ) was an early Gnostic religious teacher in Alexandria, Egypt who taught from 117 – 138 AD, and was a pupil of either Menander, or an alleged interpreter of St. Peter named Glaucias.

* Apocalypse of Peter ( Gnostic )

A different text, unrelated, is given the modern title the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter, was found in the Nag Hammadi library.

* Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter ( distinct from the Apocalypse of Peter )

* Apocalypse of Peter ( distinct from the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter )

The Gospel of Mary contains two of these discourses ( 7. 1-9. 4 and 10. 10-17. 7 ) including addresses to New Testament characters ( Peter, Mary, Andrew and Levi ) and an explanation of sin as adultery ( encouragement toward an ascetic lifestyle ) which also suit a Gnostic interpretation.

The Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter, not to be confused with the Apocalypse of Peter, is a text found amongst the Nag Hammadi library, and part of the New Testament apocrypha.

* Online translation of the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter

Peter, Gnostic

# REDIRECT Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter

The word is found in Gnostic texts such as the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, and also appears in the Greek Magical Papyri.

But no attempt to identify the figures on existing gems with the personages of Gnostic mythology has had any success, and Abrasax is the only Gnostic term found in the accompanying legends which is not known to belong to other religions or mythologies.

A lion-faced deity found on a Gnostic gem in Bernard de Montfaucon ’ s L ’ antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures may be a depiction of the Demiurge.

Meanwhile there is definite evidence of grimoires being used by certain, particularly Gnostic sects of early Christianity ; in the Book of Enoch found within the Dead Sea Scrolls for instance, there is various information on astrology and the angels.

In terminology close to that found in later Gnostic works, one tract, generally known as " The Trimorphic Protennoia ", must either be dependent on John or the other way round.

The dualism of sun / male / light and moon / female / darkness is found in many ( but not all ) late southern traditions in Europe that derive from Orphic and Gnostic philosophies.

Most scholars argue that the text is of Gnostic origin, based on the similarities between the mystical teachings found in the text itself and standard Gnostic themes.

All the Gnostic codices found in Nag Hammadi used the Coptic alphabet.

Almost half of these sayings resemble those found in the Canonical Gospels, while it is speculated that the other sayings were added from Gnostic tradition.

Scholars have traditionally understood the Gospel of Thomas as a Gnostic text because it was found amongst other gnostic texts, it was understood as being prone to a Gnostic interpretation by the early Church, and the emphasis on knowledge as the key to salvation, particularly in Saying 1.

Many scholars consider the Gospel of Thomas to be a gnostic text, since it was found in a library among others, it contains Gnostic themes, and perhaps presupposes a Gnostic worldview.

One of the Gnostic texts found in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945 has been given the modern title " Gospel of Philip ", though this text makes no claim to have been written by Philip.

), in which he carried scholasticism so far as “ to revive the ancient Gnostic theory of the fall of man before all time, a theory which found no favour amongst his theological friends ” ( Otto Pfleiderer ).

Parts of the Hermetica appeared in the 4th-century Gnostic library found in Nag Hammadi.

A biblical example of such criticism can be found in, which criticizes the Nicolaitanes, an early Gnostic sect.

The aim of instruction is not just one variety of the Gnostic Mythos, but the entire heritage of the Gnostic tradition, which includes: primary sources such as the Nag Hammadi scriptures, with consideration of the less reliable accounts and recensions of teachings found in heresiological texts, the Hermetic writings, and the teachings of the Prophet Mani.

Such philosophical claims are similar to those found throughout the region at the beginnings of the Common Era, as evidenced by the many mystery cults of Mithras, Isis, Dionysus, and others active at the time ; the tradition continued through the Gnostic movements both Christian and non-Christian, and is still prevalent today among certain fundamentalist Muslim and Christian groups with a heavy emphasis on Holy Scripture.

Few people paid attention to it until the 1970s, when a new generation of scholars of early Christianity took an increased interest in the wake of the discovery of the more famous group of early Gnostic Christian documents found at Nag Hammadi in 1945.