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To: Alamo-Girl
The last verse in the Gospel of Thomas are particularly... odd. One movie (Stigmata?) made a huge deal out of the non-inclusion of Thomas, but I'm glad that God does not think quite this way!:
(114) Simon Peter said to them: Let Mary go forth from among us, for women are not worthy of the life. Jesus said: Behold, I shall lead her, that I may make her male, in order that she also may become a living spirit like you males. For every woman who makes herself male shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The Gospel of Peter is very odd, too, with a walking and talking cross (!!!!):
X. 38 opened and both of the young men entered in. When therefore those soldiers saw that, they waked up the centurion and the elders (for they also were there keeping 39 watch); and while they were yet telling them the things which they had seen, they saw again three men come out of the sepulchre, and two of them sustaining the other (lit. the 40 one), and a cross following, after them. And of the two they saw that their heads reached unto heaven, but of him that 41 was led by them that it overpassed the heavens. And they 42 heard a voice out of the heavens saying: Hast thou (or Thou hast) preached unto them that sleep? And an answer was heard from the cross, saying: Yea.
Just a tiny summary. I remember my Bible professor reading the Gospel of Peter aloud in class and acting out the cross's part. Quite hilarious. :-) Still, these extracanonical Gospels are an entertaining read and a photograph into ancient thought.
2,247 posted on 08/23/2003 4:31:07 AM PDT by Nataku X (Never give Bush any power you wouldn't want to give to Hillary.)
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To: Nakatu X
Thank you so very much for your post!

Indeed, that last part of the Gospel of Thomas was over-the-top. I hadn't gotten to the Gospel of Peter yet, but the excerpt about the talking cross puts it on the top of today's reading list!

Still, these extracanonical Gospels are an entertaining read and a photograph into ancient thought.

Indeed, this has been very informative! I also strongly recommend the Pseudepigrapha for a view of ancient thought from the Jewish perspective.

2,250 posted on 08/23/2003 6:07:06 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Nakatu X
Hmmm... I cannot seem to find the Gospel of Peter in the Nag Hammadi Library. Do you have a link handy?
2,251 posted on 08/23/2003 6:14:58 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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