What of the others?

[varnaj42]

I have often wondered about the surviving 11 disciples of Christ. Some went south as far as present day Ethiopia. Others traveled to Greece. Still others went east into the less known lands surrounding the Black and Caspian seas. And some went to Italy. All of these apostles were anointed by Christ. All of them spoke with His authority. Now fast forward to today and what do we have? A set of gospels which excludes them.

I do not argue for the revision and inclusion in our Bible of the works of these other disciples. I do argue that we err greatly if we try to tell our flocks that they may not study and read on their own, these other testimonies.

Supposing I were to address a congregation and cite the ideas presented by the apostle James? Would any contemporary Christian authority dare to say that what James had to say in some way conflicts with the will of Christ? I hope not.

This is one of the little things about Christianity that I find perturbing. We seem to allow our leaders to pick and choose what we will be exposed to. I reject this idea. We will be told that the four apostles that we recognize are sufficient. Who has the authority to thus restrict us?

Is it wrong for a Christian in America to want to read all of the gospels of the surviving eleven? They were ordained by Christ just like the four that we revere. Yes. Theirs were missions to other peoples. So what? They, too, were emissaries of Christ.

[Niemand]

I have often wondered about the surviving 11 disciples of Christ. Some went south as far as present day Ethiopia. Others traveled to Greece. Still others went east into the less known lands surrounding the Black and Caspian seas. And some went to Italy. All of these apostles were anointed by Christ. All of them spoke with His authority. Now fast forward to today and what do we have? A set of gospels which excludes them.

Not only that, but three of the gospels contain a lot of the same material.

I have written a few threads about Ethiopia and related subjects recently.

On the Ethiopian canon, includes further links to some of their works including the three books of Meqabyan:
viewtopic.php?t=69540

I discuss pre-Islamic Arabia and the origins of the Koran here.
viewtopic.php?t=70169

I note that the Koran has nothing to say about Paul at all. I find this highly significant as Paul headed west, and north, to the Greek and Roman lands. He didn't spend time among the Arabs, Egyptians or Mesopotamians (modern Iraq) as far as I know. None of his letters in the Bible is addressed to the Arabian tribes. Perhaps that was why Arabs didn't rate him.

Pazooka has a thread on the Pauline Problem and his overdominance of the New Testament. (We have more words quoted directly from Paul in our New Testament than from Christ directly in his mortal mission.) He has a stronger view on this than me.
viewtopic.php?t=69036

The Pauline Letters have an intrinsic bias because they talk about the Roman world. Rome came to dominate church as we know. With Constantinople/Byzantium (Istanbul) in the Greek zone at no. 2.

the gospels of the surviving eleven?

You're assuming they all wrote Gospels. Maybe they didn't. Not all preachers are writers.

There is some evidence of Christian influence upon subsequent Hindu and Buddhist thinking, although generally we tend to talk about them the other way round (since they predate Christ). Hinduism, in particular, has a habit of absorbing the ideas of othr cultures and religions and claiming them as its own, or Indian. Not that Hinduism really qualifies as a religion in most senses (religious beliefs in India would be a better phrase.) Buddhism picked up many ideas via the Greeks. Some of these were transmitted to China.

It is worth pointing out that Armenia and Ethiopia are among the oldest Christian nations. They were converted before some parts of western and northern Europe were. Armenia was Christian before Rome was officially. Some of the North African churches are ancient too, but Islam has largely destroyed them. In Central Asia, those traditions were almost completely destroyed.

I discuss the Gospel of Thomas here
viewtopic.php?t=69715

My opinion is that Thomas has been messed around with but there is some genuine material in there which is not recorded in the Four Gospels. I include some brief comments and annotations of the entire work there.

[varnaj42]

I have often wondered about the surviving 11 disciples of Christ. Some went south as far as present day Ethiopia. Others traveled to Greece. Still others went east into the less known lands surrounding the Black and Caspian seas. And some went to Italy. All of these apostles were anointed by Christ. All of them spoke with His authority. Now fast forward to today and what do we have? A set of gospels which excludes them.

Not only that, but three of the gospels contain a lot of the same material.

I have written a few threads about Ethiopia and related subjects recently.

On the Ethiopian canon, includes further links to some of their works including the three books of Meqabyan:
viewtopic.php?t=69540

I discuss pre-Islamic Arabia and the origins of the Koran here.
viewtopic.php?t=70169

I note that the Koran has nothing to say about Paul at all. I find this highly significant as Paul headed west, and north, to the Greek and Roman lands. He didn't spend time among the Arabs, Egyptians or Mesopotamians (modern Iraq) as far as I know. None of his letters in the Bible is addressed to the Arabian tribes. Perhaps that was why Arabs didn't rate him.

Pazooka has a thread on the Pauline Problem and his overdominance of the New Testament. (We have more words quoted directly from Paul in our New Testament than from Christ directly in his mortal mission.) He has a stronger view on this than me.
viewtopic.php?t=69036

The Pauline Letters have an intrinsic bias because they talk about the Roman world. Rome came to dominate church as we know. With Constantinople/Byzantium (Istanbul) in the Greek zone at no. 2.

the gospels of the surviving eleven?

You're assuming they all wrote Gospels. Maybe they didn't. Not all preachers are writers.

There is some evidence of Christian influence upon subsequent Hindu and Buddhist thinking, although generally we tend to talk about them the other way round (since they predate Christ). Hinduism, in particular, has a habit of absorbing the ideas of othr cultures and religions and claiming them as its own, or Indian. Not that Hinduism really qualifies as a religion in most senses (religious beliefs in India would be a better phrase.) Buddhism picked up many ideas via the Greeks. Some of these were transmitted to China.

It is worth pointing out that Armenia and Ethiopia are among the oldest Christian nations. They were converted before some parts of western and northern Europe were. Armenia was Christian before Rome was officially. Some of the North African churches are ancient too, but Islam has largely destroyed them. In Central Asia, those traditions were almost completely destroyed.

I discuss the Gospel of Thomas here
viewtopic.php?t=69715

My opinion is that Thomas has been messed around with but there is some genuine material in there which is not recorded in the Four Gospels. I include some brief comments and annotations of the entire work there.

I mention possibilities in an attempt to provoke discussion. Were all the original apostles literate? I don't know but I do know that scribes were a plenty in those days and up until the times of the French revolution. Who is to say that a traveling apostle might have had a scrib on staff so to speak? Just a guess of course. Of these men it was probably true that second hand accounts were written. These are always to be treated carefully.

I just don't like the idea that we mayn't refer to some other of the disciples. My choice. My opinion.

About the famed Paul. Is this the same one who was Saul? He was not an original disciple. Why does he get so much attention?

I suppose the bottom line is that we all should do our own thinking.

Before the current war I kept a second home in Ukraine. That land was the route taken by apostles traveling east. To actually see transcripts of gospels in the cryllic alphabet is most interesting. My further opinion is that we err when we dismiss the orthodoxy in favor of the American brands.

[Niemand]

My further opinion is that we err when we dismiss the orthodoxy in favor of the American brands.

I'm not American so that has never been an issue for me.

Eastern Orthodoxy has some odd, unspoken connections with Tibetan Buddhism. Some of the Tibetan mandalas have cross shapes and conversely some Orthodox icons laid out similarly to Buddhist ones. Heavy use of gold in both cases.

[Niemand]

.

[varnaj42]

My further opinion is that we err when we dismiss the orthodoxy in favor of the American brands.

I'm not American so that has never been an issue for me.

Eastern Orthodoxy has some odd, unspoken connections with Tibetan Buddhism. Some of the Tibetan mandalas have cross shapes and conversely some Orthodox icons laid out similarly to Buddhist ones. Heavy use of gold in both cases.

I agree and my explanation is simple too. All there religions really do come from one source. They, all of them, are inspired by the one true God. Realizing that religions are man made opens the door to sudden understanding. It ("it" being artistic depictions) all comes from the same place. And the differences? They are caused by the cultures into which truth is blended.

Funny the way so many brands recognize the human aura in their art. But here in America most of Christianity does not. Some don't even want the Latin cross. But here we see lingering prejudices from the reformation.

By the way There are records in Tibet that speak of the visit of a man from the west. He came there as a student, to learn. Many think this refers to Jesus during his private years. My position is that Jesus never fully accepted his mission until his famed time in the desert where the last of his human resistance was purged. Then, after that experience, did Jesus represent the Christ of the world. But that is my personal belief.

[Ymarsakar]

This is why Godhead inspired the Chosen streamed drama operation ; )

[TheChristian]

The New testament contains the most vital and precious of truths, I am sure that the early Christians sought with all their strength to preserve what we have today.They went thru great afflictions, many persecutions, from their fellow Jews, then the might of the Roman pagan empire, then the devastation and utter havoc caused by Islam that sought with all its power to destroy christianity and the Bible.
I have read much over my lifetime the Apocrapha, the myriad of ancient texts, and in most instances it is obvious why they were left out of the acceptable books of scripture.
I think John the Apostle sums it up nicely when he said,

"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written."

We are not living in the old testament were Gods word was written apon stone.
We are living in the New Testament times, were Gods word is written by the Spirit in our hearts.

Jesus said,
"These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you"