In 1945 a startling discovery was made by a farmer in a cave in Egypt. This discovery was a collection of thirteen ancient texts at Nag Hammadi. These texts, written in the Coptic language, were copies of ancient texts originally written in Greek. They were found in a clay pot after being hidden for hundreds of years. The discovery of these texts presented theological challenges to orthodox Christianity. What were those theological challenges, and how are they different than historical orthodox Christianity?
The texts found at Nag Hammadi were written in Coptic and came to be referred to as the gnostic gospels. According to these gnostic gospels, Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children with her. From what we know from the synoptic gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, it is quite clear that Jesus never had a wife and that Mary Magdalene was a disciple of his.
Gnosticism is the belief that everyone has an inner light which reveals their true identity. In this context, salvation comes from within rather than from a good and loving Creator and Redeemer. This contradicts what Scripture teaches about human beings being fallen and in need of a Savior to redeem us from sin. Salvation is only possible because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.
The gnostic gospels present a worldview that denies the divinity of Christ, the goodness of creation, and says instead that salvation can be attained from within and that the world is inherently evil since it could not have been created by a good God. The gnostic gospels taught that salvation was achieved by discovering a secret knowledge within, leading to a spiritual awakening called gnosis, which means enlightenment. These beliefs directly contradict the orthodox Christian beliefs about Jesus being the Messiah and salvation being only possible through repentance and following him.
These texts include a variety of literary forms, such as gospels, apocalypses, and philosophical treatises. Notable works include:
The Gospel of Thomas: A collection of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus, many of which resemble teachings found in the canonical Gospels. This text focuses on personal enlightenment and direct experience of the divine, rather than traditional narratives of Jesus’ life.The Gospel of Philip: A theological exploration of sacraments, such as baptism and marriage, emphasizing spiritual knowledge as the key to salvation. The text also discusses the nature of Jesus, the resurrection, and the relationship between the divine and humanity.
The Apocryphon of John: A cornerstone Gnostic text, providing a detailed cosmology and describing the creation of the world. It introduces a series of divine beings and explains how ignorance led to the material world’s formation, offering insight into Gnostic perspectives on salvation.
The Gospel of Truth: A reflective text presenting Jesus as the bringer of knowledge and truth. It focuses on the themes of ignorance, enlightenment, and the joy of discovering divine truth, portraying salvation as freedom from spiritual blindness.
The Gospel of the Egyptians: A philosophical and theological dialogue centered on the nature of God, the process of salvation, and esoteric knowledge. It reflects a strong Gnostic influence, emphasizing the distinction between the material and spiritual realms.
The Thunder, Perfect Mind: A poetic and enigmatic text with a feminine voice that represents divine wisdom. It highlights the paradoxical nature of the divine and challenges readers to reflect on the mysteries of spiritual understanding.
The Treatise on the Resurrection: A work discussing the nature of resurrection, emphasizing its spiritual rather than physical aspect. It reassures believers of their ultimate reunion with the divine through knowledge and enlightenment.
The Apocalypse of Peter: A Gnostic reimagining of apocalyptic themes, focusing on spiritual redemption and the rejection of ignorance. It critiques traditional views of divine judgment and presents a more symbolic interpretation of salvation.
The Tripartite Tractate: A lengthy theological discourse on the nature of the divine, the fall of humanity, and the process of redemption. It categorizes reality into three levels: the divine, the intermediary realm, and the material world.
Under the guidance of The Holy Spirit, The Bible was officially canonized in 397 CE. The Nag Hammadi texts were not included in the canon by the church fathers since they did not align historically with Jesus being both presented as divine and human in the New Testament. This is what the early Christians believed about Christ and what the apostles and early church leaders taught. These central beliefs are included in the Nicene and Apostles Creed, and are some of the non-negotiables of the Christian faith.
In the Gnostic worldview, there is no need for Jesus’ death and resurrection since salvation comes from within rather than from the transcendent love of Christ. In the biblical Christian worldview, it is only through Christ’s death and resurrection that there is forgiveness for sins and hope for eternal life. In Galatians 2:20, St. Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” The Apostle Paul states that, without the resurrection of Christ, there is no hope for humanity, but because of Jesus’ resurrection, there is hope, praise God! We do not find this hope in the gnostic gospels.
The reason why the Nag Hammadi texts were buried is not completely clear. Scholars and writers have been debating about this since they were discovered. One logical explanation is that the texts were buried after the Church Father Athanasius and others condemned the gnostic teachings of Valentinus. These teachings were viewed as erroneous and incredibly harmful.
The followers of Valentinus’ teachings feared persecution, so it would make sense that these texts would be hidden and preserved by those belonging to the gnostic cults. Athanasius spent his entire life fighting against the gnostic heresy so that the true gospel of Jesus Christ could continue to spread and be good news to people searching for hope.
Heresy is a very strong word, but if any teaching deviates from biblical orthodox Christianity, it is no longer the gospel. Promoting a false gospel is not only intellectual and spiritual dishonesty but also a sin since it does not mean loving God with all your heart, your soul, and your mind, as Christ commanded us to do.
The early church fathers took this commandment of Jesus seriously and were on their guard against false teaching that could sway Christians into following a cult by being brainwashed. The earliest form of Gnostic heresy was taught by Valentinus. Valentinus was an important leader in the early church and became the bishop of Rome in 136 AD. After openly teaching the dangerous gnostic heresy, orthodox theologians wrote against Valentinus and condemned him as a heretic.
It is very important for Christians to be aware and know how to answer theological and historical questions about Nag Hammadi when they arise. People who are curious about the Christian faith and pose questions regarding the Bible and how it came to be canonized will discover the controversy regarding the lost gospels that were not included. Being aware of these questions will help Christians respond with intellectual and spiritual honesty about why we believe what we believe about Christ and Scripture.
In John 18:38, when Jesus is being questioned by Pilate, he asks, “What is Truth?” This is one of the most important philosophical questions that anyone can ask themselves. The fact that books such as The Davinci Code by Dan Brown and The Secret by Rhonda Byrne have become so popular is evidence of the many people in our culture who are searching for truth. Both the novel and the work of non-fiction are latent with Gnosticism. In this worldview, there is no overarching story of redemption but a vague esoteric spirituality that leads to philosophical confusion and even narcissism where one becomes one’s own deity.
In the Christian worldview, Truth is not simply a philosophical system, a vague spirituality that changes depending upon one’s own circumstance, or a set of propositions that one must intellectually adhere to. Truth is found in the person of Jesus Christ. This is good news because the hope and joy found in knowing Christ is the answer to humankind’s search for truth. As Christians, we rejoice in this reality of there being hope for all of humanity because Truth is found in the person of Christ and not in finite human philosophies.
*Note: One of the best books written on the authority and reliability of Scripture is N. T. Wright’s Scripture and the Authority of God. This book is a great resource for people with honest questions about Gnosticism, Nag Hammadi, and why Scripture can be trusted as being inspired by the Holy Spirit, still written by fallible human beings. In the book, Wright explores what the early Christians and church fathers believed about Christ in contrast to what the gnostic gospels teach, the different genres found in The Bible such as poetry, allegory, prophecy, and history, and why one can trust the gospel writers account of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
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Justin Wiggins is an author who works and lives in the primitive, majestic, beautiful mountains of North Carolina. He graduated with his Bachelor's in English Literature, with a focus on C.S. Lewis studies, from Montreat College in May 2018. His first book was Surprised by Agape, published by Grant Hudson of Clarendon House Publications. His second book, Surprised By Myth, was co-written with Grant Hudson and published in 2021. Many of his recent books (Marty & Irene, Tír na nÓg, Celtic Twilight, Celtic Song, Ragnarok, Celtic Dawn) are published by Steve Cawte of Impspired.
Wiggins has also had poems and other short pieces published by Clarendon House Publications, Sehnsucht: The C.S. Lewis Journal, and Sweetycat Press. Justin has a great zeal for life, work, community, writing, literature, art, pubs, bookstores, coffee shops, and for England, Scotland, and Ireland.