Same ol' same old

Yes, I've seen the news reports on the "new" Gospel of Judas, and no, my feathers aren't ruffled over it. Gnostic "gospels" have been around the church since there's been a church, and Paul, Peter, John and others have written at length on it.

Mark Daniels has a wonderful post on the history of gnoticism in the church, including this great quote:

"Gnosticism appeals to our egos. Orthodox Christian belief affirms that "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) But gnosticism says, "Not so. You need to know this or that." It thus establishes a law the obedience or mastery of which brings salvation."

Gnosticism appeals to our egos, which is why it's so appealling. Christ demands we give up ourselves just as he gave up himself, which is both the easiest and hardest thing we'll ever have to do.

Update: Here's another good review/critique.

"Suppose that sometime around the year 3,800 A.D., someone wrote a newspaper that began: 'According to a recently-discovered document, which appears to have been written sometime before 1926, Benedict Arnold did not attempt to betray George Washington and the American cause, as is commonly believed. Rather, Benedict Arnold was acting at the request of George Washington, because Washington wanted Arnold to help him create a dictatorship of the proletariat and the abolition of private property.'

A reader who knew her ancient history would recognize that the newly-discovered 'Arnold document' was almost certainly not a historically accurate account of the relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold. "