Gospels of Thomas and Philip and Truth - Syriac Christian Church

ejecting the [Mosaic] law.... Paul imported into the Christian community a form of
religion characteristic of the ‘mysteries’,... religious movements of initiation into
secret rites and esoteric knowledge.
Og Mandino, The Christ Commission (1980): The disciples and other intimate
followers of Jesus are all pious Jews.
Juan Luis Segundo, The Person of Today confronting Jesus of Nazareth
(1982): Within less than thirty years of the events narrated by the Synoptics
concerning the life and proclamation, death and resurrection of Jesus, Paul permits
himself to compose a long and complex exposition of what this means, retaining,
apparently, only the two final specific events, the death and the resurrection. Jesus'
words are not cited (with the exception of those pronounced over the bread and wine
at the Last Supper), his teachings are not remembered. The key terms have
disappeared which he employed to designate himself, his mission and his immediate
audience: the Son of Man, the Kingdom of God, the poor.
Abba Eban, Civilization and the Jews (WNET Heritage video #3, 1984): Those
who followed the teachings of Jesus were known among other Jews as Nazarenes.
In the beginning, the Nazarene sect was completely Jewish.... Although this had
been a Jewish sect, Paul welcomed new followers without having them convert to
Judaism.
Jürgen Moltmann, Political Theology [&] Ethical Theology (1984): The theology
of Paul and that of the Reformation interpreted the death of Jesus theologically as a
victim of the law [of Israel]; and they made it very clear that the resurrection and
exaltation of Christ signified the abolition of [that] law with all its demands.... [But]
Jesus did not die by stoning, but rather by Roman execution.
Yigael Yadin, ‘The Temple Scroll— the Longest Dead Sea Scroll’, Biblical
Archaeology Review (Sept/Oct 1984): We must distinguish between the various
layers, or strata, to use an archaeological term, of early Christianity. The theology,
the doctrines and the practices of Jesus, John the Baptist and Paul ... are not the
same.
Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh & Henry Lincoln, The Messianic Legacy
(1986): In what ... does ‘Christianity’ reside? In what Jesus taught? Or in what Paul
taught? Except by sleight of logic and distortion of historical fact, the two positions
cannot be harmonized.
James Michener, Legacy (1987): Women ... will no longer kowtow to the
156