Date: Tue, 30 Jun 95 14:00:00 -0400 Subject: Copt-Net Newsletter: Issue #13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ___ ___ /___\ ___ IHC | | nXC ______| |______ /______| |______\ | _|_ | |______ | ______| | | | ______ ______ ______ | | __ _____ _______ /_____/\ /_____/\ /_____/\ | | /\_\___ /\____\ /\______\ \ ___\/ \ __ \ \ \ __ \ \ | | / / /___\ / / ___/ \/__ __/ _\ \ \_____\ \ \ \ \_\ \_\ \ \___| |____/ / ___ /_/ / /_\___ / / / / \ \ \____ \ \ \ \ \ \ ___\/ | | / / // / / / / ___/ / / /\ / \ \/___/\ \ \_\ \ \ \ \ \ | | / / // / / / / /_\ / / / \ / \_____\/ \_____\/ \_\/ | | \/_/ \/_/ \/____/ \/_/ \ / \ /____________________________________________________________________________\ \ / \ An electronic newsletter about the Coptic Orthodox Church / \ / \ "Blessed is Egypt My people" / \____________________________________________________________________/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents ----------------- 1. The Gnostics: A Survey of Gnostic Beliefs and Gnostic-Christian ties 2. The Resurrection And Christianity Readers' Corner --------------- 1. What is the interpretation of "sons of God" in Genesis? 2. The culture of life and the capital punishment? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- THE GNOSTICS A Survey of Gnostic Beliefs and Gnostic-Christian ties by Maged S. Mikhail Knowledge has always fascinated Man, his curious nature prods him to seek it, often only to find out that he lacks the virtue to use it. In a very true sense knowledge is in fact power; this seems to be an unalterable constant whether in the ancient world or today. What we are about to investigate in this article is the "Gnostic" religions. Their appeal is a simple one. In the turbulent and unpredictable ancient world, at a time when Man felt that he is but a puppet in the hands of fortune, the Gnostics proclaimed aloud: 'come to us and we will enlighten you with Knowledge that would give you the power to be in charge of your destiny!' When we speak about the Gnostics it is important to realize that we are not just speaking about a group of people, but in fact many widely varying groups who fit under this title due to their adherence to a common set of beliefs. Keeping this in mind is of utmost importance, for our research will not be a concise examination of the in-and-outs of every sect but will be in the shape of a survey of the general trends of Gnostic beliefs. Early Christianity will also play a role in our research for two reasons; first, the two religions often collided in the first four centuries, secondly much of Gnostic imagery and theology is adapted from a Jewish/Christian context. In a way, Gnosticism is the best example of Hellenic Syncretism.[1] It was a blend of Platonic philosophy, ancient gods, and a pinch of every school of thought at the time. It existed long before Christianity, but it didn't seem to be as highly individualistic as we come to know it till the beginning of the Christian Era. What we mean by this is that till the Christian era the groups which we now identify as "Gnostic" would have been just another mystery cult, for they do share many similarities with them. In a way Christianity defined, or at least created a renaissance in Gnostic circles. The evidence of this is actually very straightforward. First, almost all Gnostic groups we have identified use Christian titles, as well as the Jewish/Christian scriptures. Secondly, the Gnostics themselves claimed Christian Origins. The best example of this is in THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS in which Jesus takes Thomas to the side and `enlightens' him. Thus, they didn't claim to just have any knowledge, but for many (not all) the knowledge they possessed was the true knowledge which stems from the true instructions of Jesus Christ. In effect they claimed to possess the true Krygma; the true essence of the Christian message. Gnostic and Christian Views of Salvation: ---------------------------------------- As mentioned above, Gnosticism is indeed older than Christianity. Thus Christianity didn't create Gnosticism, but as a result of Christianity Gnosticism reinvented itself. The obvious reason behind the coming of Christianity and the reinventing of Gnosticism was, of course, the person of Jesus Christ. The answer to the question of who He was and what was His role in Salvation, was the dividing line between Gnosticism and Christianity. Thus, what we are examining in effect is the concept of Christ as Savior. In the Christian/Jewish mentality, salvation accomplishes two things. First, it must fulfill the judgment of God against humanity, which is death as a punishment for sin. Secondly, it is a process of restoration. The patristic fathers always conceived man as a divine being in that his natural state is to be with God as Adam was before the fall. Thus it is not only enough to atone for the sins of humanity against God but also reconcile the two; and consequently restoring Man to his original state. To accomplish these two tasks certain criteria must be fulfilled; the Savior must be human, for He must die on behalf of the sins of humanity. He must be pure, for otherwise His death would be a natural consequence of His sins. He must also be Divine, for how else could He be the intercessor, the intermediary who would reconcile God and Humanity? In the Christian framework Jesus Christ being Son of God and Son of Man, being without sin, and actually dying and rising from the dead, makes Him the Savior. He did enlighten humanity with His teachings, but the actual salvation was through His deeds and not His words. To the Gnostics, however, Salvation had a totally different meaning. Salvation was to be saved from uncertainty, and to return to our origin "the One" or as it was called earlier "The Good," and the way this was accomplished was through the revelation of secret knowledge. Thus the deeds of the savior figure, whoever he is, are quite unimportant; what is of absolute importance, however, are his teachings. This gave rise to a number of heterodox doctrines that the Christian Church tried to combat. Among them was the Doceitic doctrine which maintained that Christ was on earth only in appearance, almost like a hologram, and did not actually take flesh, and certainly was not crucified. In the Gnostic system this doctrine would have absolutely no impact on the concept of Salvation, actually it was a necessity; who would think that a spirit would assume the lowly flesh if it didn't have to? However, such a doctrine in the Christian framework would invalidate the whole idea of Salvation, thus we see frequent attempts in many writings aimed at destroying such doctrines.[2] Another great example which illustrates the two contradicting mentalities of Gnosticism and Christianity is the figure of Judas; who was seen in two completely different lights. To the Christians he was the greatest of traitors, to the Gnostics he "alone knew the truth better than the other apostles {and thus} he accomplished the mystery of the betrayal."[3] There were also those who denied the Virgin Birth as well as the Resurrection, which makes sense, for "if anyone accept not His virgin birth, how shall be accept His resurrection from the dead?"[4] Again, these Gnostic doctrines fit nicely into their framework, but in the Christian context they would deem the whole notion of Salvation invalid. Gnostic Theology ---------------- In all Gnostic sects, Platonism played a crucial rule. The titles and individuals referenced were usually Christian, but the whole theology of salvation, and the world-view was definitely Platonic.[5] To reconstruct the theological structure of the Gnostics is a job best left to the experts, here we are mainly relaying on the description given by J.N.D. Kelly in his EARLY CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES, which is actually one of the best descriptions we have come across. Simply put, the Gnostics/Platonists believed that there was "The Good" from which a variety of emanations (Aeons) were given off. They, the Aeons, in turn are in a sequential order, which is determined by the Aeons' knowledge; the more they know the higher up and thus closer to 'the Good' they are. Each of these entities is aware of those under him, but is unaware of anything above him. They serve as the intermediaries which we have to bypass on our journey to "The Good." As for us humans, we are actually the sons of The Good and have been separated from him, and are given these bodies almost as a punishment, for in essence we are spirits. In order for us to once again be reunited with The Good, we must gain the secret Gnosis, which will allow us to bypass all the Aeons and also to bypass the most ignorant of which, who is the Demigure who created this material world and enfleshed us. The Gnostics believed that this secret knowledge was transmitted by savior figures, who included Seth, Enoch, and Jesus. The knowledge was often in the form of names. This is somewhat difficult for the modern individual to understand, we think of a name as simply that. However, in ancient times this was not the case. A name was in a way one's whole being. Actually, this is a very old notion which predates the Hellenistic age and stems from the religion of the Ancient Egyptians. At any rate, knowing the name of the Aeon didn't just give a person knowledge of him but also power over him so that the Aeon no longer became an obstacle in the souls' return-voyage to The Good. They simply saw names in a light which we in this present age do not even consider, to them names and letters which compose them are not just sounds but "they are letters of the truth which they alone speak who know them. Each letter is a complete like a complete book, since they are letters written by the Unity, the Father having written them for the Aeons in order that by means of his letters they should know the Father."[6] The next obstacle in this maze of names and numbers is that the Aeons and gods have the names of adjectives and verbs but are used as proper nouns; thus Terror, Error, Oblivion, Anguish, and All are really individual deities. And to further complicate the problem many of them come into being as a result of their adjective meaning, for instance, Anguish and Error are said to come from Ignorance of the Father.[7] Even the ones which are given the name of nouns have to be seen and understood in a different light; for instant the Cross is not just the crossed wooden structure which Christ was crucified upon, but it is also a living intellectual entity. To further complicate the reading of Gnostic literature, as if it wasn't complicated enough, certain groups recognized different titles as representing different entities. The best example of this is the Christian title of Christ which is "Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ," to the Gnostics the "Lord" was one being, "God" another, "Savior" another, "Jesus" another, and "Christ" yet another entity. This labyrinth of names (and numbers) was one of the points by which Christian writers stressed the foolishness of Gnosticism. St. Ireaneus himself commented that "such things really are too much for even a `woe' and `alas'..."[8] Besides how to get saved, the Gnostics also defined who would get saved. They defined three types of men; the spiritual, the carnal and the ones in-between (the Soulish). The spiritual ones were said to be saved regardless of what they do, the carnal were assumed to be beyond salvation, and the in-betweens were believed to be capable of salvation if they followed the Gnostic way and played by the rules. This doctrine of some being saved regardless of what they did caused many to live reckless lives. However, this made the Gnostics seem even more heathenistic, thus as Ireaneus puts it even "the most perfect among them (the Gnostics) shamelessly do all the forbidden things."[9] From the Christian standpoint, the Gnostics were "injected by Satan in order to deny the baptism of rebirth unto God, and to destroy the entire faith."[10] The Gnostics were seen as the doers of "violence to the good words [of Scripture] in adapting them to their wicked fabrications."[11] In a way the Christians of the time were confused and angry since, in the words of Ireaneus "they [the Gnostics] speak the same language we do, but intend different meanings."[12] The Gnostics were even accused of not really being true believers of what they profess, for they seemed to be "unwilling to teach these things to all in public but only to those who are able to pay a large sum for such mysteries!"[13] As for the claim that the Gnostics had the true Tradition, the Christian Church through Ireaneus stated that the Gnostics differ among themselves in doctrine and tradition[14] yet the Church "though disseminated throughout the whole world ... believes these things as if she had but one soul and one and the same heart; she preaches, teaches and hands them down harmoniously, as if she possessed but one mouth."[15] In other words; "the tradition of the Apostles, (is) made manifest as it is through all the world, (and) can be recognized in every Church by all who wish to know the truth."[15a] It is therefore available and apparent to all and not just to a select few. Gnosticism and Christianity --------------------------- In this section we will try to get a better understanding of Gnostic theology, and also observe first-hand how Christianity was assimilated into the Gnostic scheme. To accomplish this task, special attention will be paid to the GOSPEL OF THOMAS and the GOSPEL OF TRUTH, the latter being ascribed to the famous Gnostic teacher Valintanian. As mentioned above, names were a central theme in Gnostic teachings. Everything can be explained by their aid. The existence of god, "The Father,"[16] himself can be explained by the use of this name-theology. For "He gave a name to himself since he sees himself, he alone having the power to give himself a name, for he who does not exist has no name."[17] Thus the Father alone, having knowledge of himself, is self-existent and through his utterings (which can also be understood as his Aeons) everything came into being. However, we as humans have lost the knowledge of the Father, thus the Father sent to us the Word from the Pleroma[18] and through him we once again gained the knowledge of the Father and thus our deficiency, or lack of knowledge, "no longer exist(s)."[19] As for those who do not know of the Father; ... he who is ignorant until the end is a creature of Oblivion, and he will vanish along with it. If not, how is it that these miserable ones have no name, (how is it that) they do not have the Call? Therefore if one has knowledge, he is from above. If he is called, he hears, he answers, and he turns to him who is calling him, and ascends to him.[20] In this manner The GOSPEL OF TRUTH speaks about salvation, in a way, the latter statements wouldn't be too much out of place in a Manchian/Augustinian/ Calvinist framework in which predestination plays such a crucial role. There is first a calling from god, then the person `hears,' `answers,' and then `turns to him who is calling him.' The theme of predestination, which can also be found among the Stoic Philosophers of the time, is made even more manifest in the revelation that the Father is the one who "assigned"[21] the Pleromas their destinies. The GOSPEL also maintains that those "who are to receive teaching [are] the living who are inscribed in the book of the living"[22] The GOSPEL OF TRUTH also offers some interesting insights into the different currents of thought of the time. At one point it maintains that the "name of the Father is the Son"[23] and proceeds to give a theology of the Father and the Son much like that of the Monarchians[24], whom the Christian Church was fighting at the same time (2-3rd centuries). However, where the "Truth" is to be understood as the "Son", the Gospel also provides a semi-Trinitarian view by stating that "... everyone loves the Truth because the Truth is mouth of the Father; his tongue is the Holy Spirit, He who is joined to the Truth is Jointed to the Father's mouth by his tongue, whenever he is to receive the Holy Spirit."[25] It is apparent that the Gospel doesn't have, and doesn't really try to form a concise theology as far as the figures of Father, Son and Holy Spirit are concerned. At one point it maintains that the Son and Spirit are mere Aeons, at another that the Son and the Father are one and the Same, and at yet another it maintains a Trinitarian approach to the whole subject. Before we move on to the GOSPEL OF THOMAS, we would like to spend a little time on the TREATISE ON RESURRECTION, which is a great example of how Gnosticism is actually a conglomerate of groups held together only by the platonic aspect to their theology, and are differentiated as to how much and which aspects did they assimilate from Christianity. It still retains a strong predestinational tone; "therefore, we are elected to salvation and redemption since we are predestined from the beginning not to fall into the foolishness of those who are without knowledge."[26] What makes this Treatise standout, however, is its concept of the flesh. Like good Gnostic prose it maintains that one "received flesh when (he) ... entered this world,"[27] but it also affirms that the flesh will accompany the person into the afterlife; "why will you not receive flesh when you ascend into the Aeons? That which is better than the flesh, which is for it (the) cause of life, that which came into being on your account, is it not yours? Does not that which is yours exist with you?"[28] This idea of the unity of the flesh and the spirit is one which most Gnostic groups do not adhere to. Flesh, being matter, is usually seen as being evil and a hindrance to the spirit in Gnostic eyes. This however is in direct contradiction to Christian doctrine. St. Ireaneus, himself, in his PROOF OF APOSTOLIC TEACHING gives one of the most readable accounts of the unity of the flesh and the body, and he does so to contrast and with the aim of disproving the usual Gnostic position which maintains their separation.[29] This break with from the orthodox Gnostic position as seen in the TREATISE, demonstrates to us how close the Gnostic and Christian teachings intermingled. Perhaps the most important, and certainly the most famous, account which demonstrates the peculiarities of Gnostic theology is the GOSPEL OF THOMAS. It is divided into 114 verses (actually they are better described as small chapters, each composed of a few lines) which are arranged somewhat haphazardly. In verses 2-4 the main theme is that nothing will be covered and everything will be revealed. And what is revealed? Well it is the secret knowledge which Jesus told to Thomas, and Thomas alone.[30] In this Gospel there are a great number of verses which are found in the four canonical Gospels, almost word for word (v. 8, 9, 20, 26, 34, 35, 41, 44, 54, 73, 86, 94, 96,). A second group of verses seems also to have origins in the four Gospels, but are in fact a summarized account of what is in the canonical Scriptures; v. 63 is a great example of this in which Thomas takes two sentences to relate what took Luke five verses. The GOSPEL also seems to have some verses which have been innocently doctored, in that the changes in them do not really amount to any theological doctrines. A good example of this is verse 47 in which Jesus is speaking about how one cannot serve two masters, this verse starts with the illustrative remark that "A person cannot mount two horses or bend two bows." The authenticity of this sentence, as being that of Christ, is dismissed by the scholars in the Jesus Seminar, [31] but nevertheless it doesn't really change the meaning of the verse one way or the other. It just adds an illustration which makes the teaching seem more real to the mind of a reader. Another variety of verses begin as they would in the canonical Gospels, but end in a surprising manner, verse 107 (also see verse 100) is such a verse. It depicts the story of the shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep and went to look for the lost one. When he found it, he said to the sheep, "I love you more than the ninety-nine." We would also like to mention vesres 30 and 31 which are somewhat awkward following the precedence set by the puzzling, or interesting, verse 7; "Lucky is the lion that the human will eat, so that the lion becomes human. And fool is the human that the lion will eat, and the lion still will become human." Now, let us look at what makes the GOSPEL OF THOMAS Gnostic. Already in verse 11; "... when you are in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one, you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?" we get our first firm connection to Platonism. This idea, that we are in fact half of the complete being we once were, is explicitly stated in Plato's SYMPOSIUM in the speech of Aristophanes. Another strong indicator of Gnostic/platonic thinking is found in the doctrine of the pre-existence of souls which is evident in verses 49 and 50. Again, this doctrine (which was one of the reasons the great Origen was ostracized) fits perfectly the Gnostic scheme, in which we existed in the beginning with the father, are exiled in the flesh, and aim to return to him, our origin, once again. This Gospel is also peculiar as to its stances. In verse 27, in which the readers are commanded to keep the Sabbath, and verse 53 which calls circumcision of no importance. It seems to agree with St. Paul's stance on circumcision, but retains the Judaic imprint of verse 27 which was the mark of Ebonites [32] and thus really contradicting the universally held Christian ideal of celebrating Sunday as being the new and true Sabbath. Finally, we cannot speak about the GOSPEL OF THOMAS without mentioning verse 114: Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary leave us, for females don't deserve life." Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the domain of Heave." [33] It probably doesn't take a genius to see that this is not exactly the message given in the Canonical Gospels. Even the Scholars in the `Jesus Seminar,' who by and far have a very liberal view point, do not see this as, at all, presenting the teachings of Christ. What it does give us is a glimpse into the mentality of certain Gnostics towards women. This has been but a brief glance at the labyrinth of Gnosticism. The conflict between it and Christianity lasted into the fourth and fifth centuries (maybe even later). Throughout this period of time the Gnostics experienced a revival (especially in the 2-3 centuries) followed by a gradual decline in popularity, and were in fact persecuted as Christianity settled. As for the Christian Church, She gained much from the Gnostics, in that they forced her to systematically defend her doctrines; and in the process, also to define the first canons of the New Testament. To both the early Christians and the Gnostics Platonism played a large role. This can be seen through the influence of the two most influential men of the period, Plotinus and Origen. Both were contemporaries and students of the same master, Ammonius Sacca, and it was under them that Neo-Platonism was established. However, for Christians, philosophy was a way of describing their beliefs, and not the other way around as in the case of the Gnostics. At times the lines seemed murky, but much more often than not the lines of contention were clearly drawn. FOOTNOTES --------- Note: For the citations in the Nag Hammadi Library page numbers are given (except in the case of the Gospel of Thomas). As for the Proof of Apostolic Teaching and Against the Heresies (and the Gospel of Thomas) the standardized reference numbers for these works is given. References to the writings of St. Ignatius is from Lightfoot's APOSTOLIC FATHERS. [1] For 'Hellenic Syncretism' and a sketch of the major cults and religions of the Hellenic age see Martin's HELLENISTIC RELIGIONS (see. Bib.) unfortunately however his assessment and approach to Christianity leave much to be desired and some to be opposed. [2] John 1:14, 1-Timothy 3:16, 1-John 1:1. Ignatius [Bishop of Antioch (110 d.)] to the Ephesians 7.2, 18.2; to the Trallians 9.1-2; to the Smyrnaeans 2.1 [3] Against the Heresies, I.31.1 [4] Proof of Apostolic Teaching, 38 [5] The Platonic Structure which is described later is actually Neo-Platonic. It doesn't, as far as I know, contradict traditional Platonism and it is more systematic thus easier to understand. [6] Nag Hammadi Library. The Gospel of Truth, 40-1 [7] Nag Hammadi Library. The Gospel of Truth, 38 [8] Against the Heresies, I. 15.4 and also I.11.4 [9] Ibid., I.6.3 [10] Ibid., I.21.1 [11] Ibid., I.3.6 [12] Ibid., Preface.2.15 [13] Ibid., I.4..3 [14] Ibid., I.21.5 [15] Ibid., I.10.2 &3. [15a] Against the Heresies III.3.1 [16] The title "Father" is given instead of "The Good" in this Gospel of Truth. This is very important in illustrating the assimilation of Christianity into the Gnostic framework. For the Gospel of Truth does not have any quotations from either the New or Old Testaments yet the names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are regularly used. Also as we proceed we will notice that it exhibits a strange blend of Gnostic thought, heterodox perspectives, and even some Orthodox Christian viewpoints. [17] Nag Hammadi Library. The Gospel of Truth., 47 [18] Ibid., 37 [19] Ibid., 41 [20] Ibid., 40 [21] Ibid., 48 [22] Ibid., 40 [23] Ibid. 47 [24] Monarchianism, (a.k.a. Sabilianism) was a heresy in the early church which maintained that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all one God, who would assume different roles at different times, thus this doctrine in effect denied the presence of God as a Trinity. [25] Nag Hammadi Library. Gospel of Truth, 42 [26] Nag Hammadi Library. The Treatise on Resurrection, 52 [27] Ibid., 52 [28] Ibid. [29] Proof of Apostolic Teaching, 2 [30] Nag Hammadi Library. Gospel of Thomas, 13 [31] Funk & Hoover. The five Gospels, 499 [32] The Ebonites were a group in the Jewish tradition who accepted Christianity to a degree, yet demanded the observance of the Sabbath and the circumcision of the flesh. [33] The Fellows of the Jesus Seminar state that the author is using "Male" and "female" metaphorically to refer to the higher and lower aspects of human nature. p. 532 BIBLIOGRAPHY ------------ Funk, Robert W. & Roy W. Hover, and The Jesus Seminar. THE FIVE GOSPELS, THE SEARCH FOR THE AUTHENTIC WORDS OF JESUS. U.S.: Macmillan Publ. Co., 1993. Ireaneus. PROOF OF APOSTOLIC TEACHING. Ancient Christian Writers Series v. 16. Trans. & Annotated. by Joseph P. Smith. N.Y.: Newman Press, 1952. Ireaneus. AGAINST THE HERESIES (book I). Ancient Christian Writers Series v. 55 Translated & Annotated by Dominic J. Unger, Revised by John J. Dillon. U.S.: Paulist Press, 1992. Kelly, J.N.D. EARLY CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. (Revised Edition). US.: Harper Collins, 1978. Lightfoot, J.B. and J.R.. Harmer. THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS (2nd ed.) Ed. & Rev. by Michael W. Holmes. U.S.: Baker Book House, 1989. Martin, Luther H. HELLENISTIC RELIGIONS; AN INTRODUCTION. N.Y.: Oxford Univ. Press., 1987. Robinson, James ed. THE NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY IN ENGLISH. U.S.: Harper and Row, 1977. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- THE RESURRECTION AND CHRISTIANITY The resurrection of the Lord is a preview of our own resurrection from death, when Christ comes again: "And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power." [1 Corinthians 6:14]. Without the promise of the resurrection, Christianity would be hollow. Without resurrection, Christianity reduces to a philosophy, a code of conduct, a way of life, but not a religion. This is clear in Paul's message: "Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain and your faith is also vain... For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. [1 Corinthians 15:12-20]. The remainder of this chapter by Paul is an excellent reference for the importance of the resurrection to Christianity. The second coming of the Redeemer and our own resurrection are not novelties introduced by Christianity. It was clearly prophesized in the Old Testament: "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" [Job 19:25-27] Also, we read about the power of resurrection and the hope in redemption: "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes." [Hosea 13:14]. Jesus Christ Himself was questioned by the Jews regarding the resurrection and what it would be like: "The Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him about [marriage laws and the life to come], Jesus answered and said to them, `You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.'" [Matthew 22:23,29-32]. The same questions came up again during Saint Paul's ministry, and Paul explained that in the life to come, like the risen Christ, we will have spiritual bodies. He explained that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God", that "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, ... the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." [1 Corinthians 15:52]. Thus, the Jewish people knew about the death and resurrection of the Messiah; yet they decided to ignore their own scriptures and deny it. From the dawn of Christianity, they fought it. After they crucified Jesus, they feared that He may indeed rise from the dead, which (in their eyes) was more dangerous than all of Christ's teachings, for which He was crucified. At all costs they tried to prevent that from happening, so they got Pilate to "command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first." [Matthew 27:64]. And, indeed, "they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard." [Matthew 27:66]. But all these plans did not prevent Christ's resurrection. On the contrary, these plans confirmed Christ's resurrection and served as a reminder to the Jews who had to buy the guards silence with money [Matthew 28:11-15]. Perhaps money could buy the guards, but not the disciples full of the Holy Spirit! So, on Pentecost, Peter reminded the Jews of what they have done: "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know; Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the LORD always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh will also rest in hope, because You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." [Acts 2:22-27, Psalms 16:8-10]. In today's world, we find many people ready to embrace Christianity as a wonderful "value system" or "way of life" or even "culture". But, these people have great difficulty accepting the risen Christ. Resurrection seems to be the one thing that many people find "illogical" about Christianity. And illogical it is, for the resurrection of Christ is not an act of a human being; it is an act of God, the Incarnate Word, Jesus of Nazareth. Believing in the resurrection is believing in Christ's divine nature, which is at the core of Christianity. Believing in the resurrection and the eternal life to come, and believing in the divine nature of Christ are two sides of the same coin. One can't believe in one but not the other. The central role of the resurrection in Christianity is clear in Acts; whenever the Apostles preach about Jesus, they preach about His resurrection. It is this insistence on preaching about the resurrected Jesus that gave them strength and annoyed the Jewish authorities: "Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening" [Acts 4:1-3]. Of all the teachings of Paul, "the resurrected Christ" was the one teaching that upset the Jewish and Greek Philosophers of Athens: "Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered [Paul]. And some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods," because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, `May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?' [Acts 17:18-19] And to that Paul preached nothing other than the raising of Christ the Lord who will come again on judgement day: Acts 17:30 "... now [God] commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." [Acts 17:30-31] And again when Paul had to defend himself in Rome, he stood firm in his belief regarding our resurrection in Jesus: "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?" [Acts 26:6-8] Resurrection symbolizes power over sin: "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." [Romans 8:11]. It symbolizes power and also hope in that power over death: "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. [Philippians 3:10-11] Saint Paul makes a very important link between Baptism (which is the door that leads to Christianity) and Resurrection. "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." [Romans 6:4-6]. As Christians we should remember that, through the death and resurrection of Christ the Lord, "sin shall not have dominion over us". We are free; we have eternal life. Thus, with Saint Paul we remind each other "not to present [our] members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but to present [our]selves to God as being alive from the dead, and [our] members as instruments of righteousness to God." [Romans 6:13] so that we join the multitudes in the song of victory: "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." [1 Corinthians 15:55,57] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ _|_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------- Readers' Corner --------------- This corner of the Copt-Net Newsletter is dedicated to answering questions regarding the Christian faith and teachings in general and the Coptic Orthodox Church's beliefs and traditions in particular. As much as possible we will try to avoid using any terminology that will not be accessible to the common reader. Also, it must be noted that the opinions expressed here are those of members of Copt-Net Editorial board and do not (and should not be taken to be) the official opinions of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The Readers' Corner of this issue addresses two questions. The first question is regarding the interpretation of "sons of God" that appears in Genesis. The second is regarding the position of the Coptic church on capital punishment. We thank the readers who sent these questions, and we invite all readers to send to us their comments or questions. Question -------- Could you please explain what is meant in Genesis 6:1-4? I was told that this passage deals with the pre-flood era and how some of the sons of God, possibly meaning the angels of heaven, descended from heaven and took as wives the daughters of men and as a result this may have been the reason, or one of the reasons, God decided to cause the flood. I am hesitant to accept this explanation. Could you please tell me what is the Orthodox interpretation of this passage? Answer ------ Fortune would have it that we answer this question in the same issue in which we earlier discussed Gnosticism. For indeed this interpretation, of the sons of God being angels and the subsequent fall that happens to them, is largely a Gnostic interpretation. As a quick recap, we (in the essay on Gnosticism earlier in this Newsletter) have already mentioned that the Gnostics believed that there were three types of men; the Pneumatic, the Psychic, and the Carnal. The Pneumatic were embodied spirits which just needed to be enlightened by the Gnostic knowledge, in effect reminded by their past, in order to be automatically saved. This peculiar exegesis of Genesis was the means by which certain Gnostic groups tried to account for the enfleshment of these Pneumatic individuals; in that they were originally angels (spirits) which came down and had intercourse with carnal women, the 'daughters of men', and were thus enfleshed as a result. From this we can also glean the Platonic/Gnostic doctoring of the pre- existence of souls. For as we can see the enfleshment occurred as a repercussion to a 'sin', in which the souls (the angelic sons of God) intermingled and had intercourse with matter (the daughters of men). In this scenario the souls were pre-existent to the bodies which they gained as a consequential punishment to their actions. This explanation of the above verses in Genesis is very fanciful and is rejected by the Church. So what is the church's' interpretation of these verses, and of this whole subject of the 'Sons of God' being angels and not mere men? Well, lets see what the great St. John Chrysostom says: Let us, however, listen to the very words coming from Moses: speaking under influence of the Spirit, he intends to teach us everything with precision. "Human beings began to be numerous on earth," the text says, "and daughters were born to them." ..."Now, when the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, they took wives for themselves from them all just as they were inclined." Let us study each expression of this statement closely so that nothing of what is hidden below the surface may pass us by. You see, there is need to make a careful study of this passage and confute the fanciful interpretations of those people whose every remark is made rashly-firstly, to repeat what they presume to say, and by demonstrating the absurdity of what is said by them to teach your good selves the true sense of Scripture so that you will not lend your ears idle to people uttering those blasphemies and presuming to speak in a way that brings their own persons into jeopardy. I mean, they claim that this remark is made not about human beings but about angels; these (they say) he called sons of God. Let them demonstrate firstly where angels are called sons of God; they would not, however, be able to show this anywhere. While human beings are called sons of God [See Isiah 1:2, Exodus 4:22, Proverbs 2:24], angels are nowhere so called. ... Is it not a particular hallmark of folly to claim that angels descended to have intercourse with women, and that incorporeal nature of theirs was reduced to association with corporeal creatures? Or do you not hear the words of Christ about the being of angels, "At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God?" After all it is not for that kind of incorporeal creature to ever feel the onset of desire. In response to these people we have to reach the same conclusion, that to admit this notion into one's mind is the height of absurdity ... who could be so utterly deranged as to admit this blasphemous remark and the folly it betokens, that this incorporeal and intellectual creature could tolerate intercourse with bodily things? The great Chrysostom then goes on to demonstrate that the 'Sons of God' were actually humans who were the descendants of Seth (the 3rd son of Adam) and the 'sons of men' were the descendants of Cain. The sons of Seth and the sons of Cain were given their respective titles; 'sons of God', 'sons of men', respectively, because they followed in their fathers example. Seth was righteous and so were his sons, but Cain as we know was the killer of his brother Able. It seems that the two camps were separate and that of the descendants of Seth were favored by God over those of Cain's, much like in later times the Israelites were to be favored over the Gentiles. But as with the Israelites, 'the sons of God', the descendants of Seth didn't keep their righteous demeanor and started to merry from the 'daughters of men', the descendants of Cain; much like how the later Israelites took wives for themselves from the Gentile women. In the final outcome we don't have angels committing fornication and being enfleshed, but men through lust (for they only intermingled with the daughters of men because they were "beautiful") disobeying and angering God. ------- The section quoted above is from Homily #22 in: SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM HOMILIES ON GENESIS 18-45. The Fathers of the Church; a New Translation (series) vol. 82. Trans. Robert C. Hill. US. : Catholic University of America Press, 1990. Question -------- In his recent encyclical, Pope John Paul II came close to reversing the Catholic Church's position regarding the legality of capital punishment. What is the position of the Coptic Church regarding capital punishment? Answer ------ The Coptic Church believes that human lives belong to God. An individual has no right to terminate his/her own life, nor the life of his/her fellow man/woman. Since life is given by God, He should be the only one entitled to taking it away. As human beings, we enjoy our basic rights of equality and freedom---the freedom to choose and change our beliefs and the freedom to express these beliefs. We are not free, however, to take away any human life, because that would be infringing on God's rights. Of course, the question of whether God may "delegate" His authority to a human (government or system) will be brought up. The answer to such a question is simple, it comes from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ when He reprehended Peter, who wanted an earthly kingdom and was ready to fight for it: "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" [Matthew 26:52] and again from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ when He answered Pilate saying: "My kingdom is not of this world" [John 18:36]. Having made it quite clear that His kingdom is "not of this world", God would be contradicting Himself by delegating His authority to a worldly government. During the time of Jesus, the" worldly government" convicted the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Capital punishment (stoning) was her sentence according to the earthly laws of Moses. But, according to the heavenly law of love, Jesus forgave her and sent her free saying: "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." [John 8:11]. Thus, capital punishment is not and could not be sanctioned by the church. To conclude, we would like to point out that this question is an instance of a more general question regarding the potential conflict between religion and state when it comes to codifying the law, which was addressed in the Readers' corner of Copt-Net Newsletter, issue #6, July 1993. From that issue we quote: Christianity is a religion that inspires its followers to become perfect. The Lord Jesus Christ speaking to the masses on the Mountain said: "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. `Be perfect like your father'" [Matthew 5:48]. A perfect Christian will love even the enemies: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either" [Luke 6:27-29]. A perfect Christian will not be unfair to debtors, but rather will forgive their debts: "lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great" [Luke 6:35]. A perfect Christian will share with the poor, not only a percentage of his/her wealth, but all of it: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven" [Matthew 19:21]. While it is conceivable for individuals to strive in order to achieve such a perfection, it is neither possible nor practical for such ideals to be the basis for state legislations. This should not be taken to mean that Christians should divorce themselves from the law-making process. Rather, it should be taken to mean that Christians are free to draft and legislate the laws that would fit the culture and time in which they live, as long as these laws do not contradict the spirit, faith, and sacraments of Christianity. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This and other issues of the Copt-Net Newsletter are available from Copt-Net Archives via anonymous FTP at ftp://pharos.bu.edu/CN or from the WWW Home Page of Copt-Net at URL http://cs-www.bu.edu/faculty/best/pub/cn/Home.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This Newsletter has been prepared by members of Copt-Net, a forum _|_ where news, activities, and services of the Coptic Orthodox Churches | and Coptic communities outside Egypt are coordinated and exchanged. | For any questions, or comments related to this Newsletter, as well as COP|NET any topics that you would like to be addressed in the next Newsletter please send a message to the Copt-Net server at: cn-request@cs.bu.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (C)opyright 1995 by Copt-Net