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Metalogos The Gospels of Thomas & Philip & Truth

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modern times, no doubt more <strong>of</strong>ten influenced by<br />

Oriental religious traditions than by Plato. But this<br />

has no direct bearing on the three Coptic <strong>Gospels</strong>,<br />

which— like the four canonical <strong>Gospels</strong>— cannot<br />

rightly be considered gnostic documents. 1<br />

(2) <strong>The</strong> Maternal Spirit<br />

As one whom his mother comforts, so shall I<br />

comfort you.<br />

— Isa 66:13<br />

<strong>The</strong> origin <strong>of</strong> the world is its Mother;<br />

recognize the Mother and you recognize the child,<br />

embrace the child and you embrace the Mother.<br />

— Lao Tsu, Tao Teh Ching 5<br />

I am the Father and the Mother <strong>of</strong> this Universe.<br />

1 For a recently discovered Coptic ‘Gospel’ (found, not at Nag Hammadi, but<br />

rather in the 1970s near El Minya in Egypt), which by contrast clearly is<br />

gnostic as well as pseudonymous, see the Gospel <strong>of</strong> Judas Iscariot. That<br />

document contains such typical gnostic ramblings as: ‘<strong>The</strong> first is Seth who<br />

is called Christ, the second is Harmathoth who is [...], the third is Galila, the<br />

fourth is Yobel, the fifth is Adonaios; these are the five who ruled over the<br />

underworld, and first <strong>of</strong> all over chaos.... <strong>The</strong>n Saklas said to his angels: Let<br />

us create a human being after the likeness and after the image. <strong>The</strong>y<br />

fashioned Adam and his wife Eve— who is called, in the cloud,<br />

Zoe.’ (www9.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel)<br />

255

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