Musings of a Modern Monk

Is There a Lost Gospel of Jesus Christ? As I peruse the writings of some of the vaguely religious modern theologians, I find myself rather puzzled. Why on earth do so many modernists insist on calling themselves Christian when they deny virtually every major tenet of the historic Christian faith? What do they see in this world to make them think that man...oops, men and women...oops, people (whew!)...to make them think that people enlightened by modernist philosophies are more virtuous than people enlightened by Christian orthodoxy? And, above all, where do they think they get the authority to ignore Scripture and the historic teachings of the Church, and to teach instead secular philosophies to the people of God?

Perhaps you detect from the above paragraph that at times we monks sometimes get a little frustrated about some of the things we read, But, as you know, the Lord finds ways to humble the proud. I have perhaps found the source of my humbling. Professor Augustus Bingfodder of the Institute for Neo-Kinetic Bio-Luminous Olympian Thought (INKBLOT) has submitted a manuscript for my consideration. He asserts that this manuscript, which he claims to have scientifically dated to the first century, represents a lost gospel of Jesus Christ, and that it provides authoritative support for the modern philosophies now taught in many churches. While I await the results from a full battery of scientific tests, I simply can not wait to share with you the contents of this astonishing document. If Professor Bingfodder's claims are substantiated, perhaps I have been wrong to react to modernists with such suspicion. Read the following stunning passage and see for yourself:

At that time, Jesus, having sent his closest followers into town to buy enough bread and fish to feed the 5,000, gathered the multitude about Him and taught them, saying: "I am now with you and I teach you all good things, but when I no longer walk among you, beware of what those who call themselves my 'disciples' and 'apostles' will teach. Out of fear they will abandon my bold new truth and will preach many false ideas that are based on exclusionary and divisive prejudices embedded in our primitive culture. My children, beware, for in fear they will hide their hearts deep within the tomb of what they will claim to be 'tradition,' thus blinding themselves to the truth that will be made known by the Holy Spirit of the Age.

"Fear not, however, for I tell you that the gates of Hades will not prevail against my church. When I say 'my church,' I do not speak of the man-made institution that will be created by "fearful, patriarchal men who have no love in their hearts. No, I speak rather of the invisible church that will be shaped over many centuries by the Spirit of the Age. For truly I say to you, men and women will rise up out of the darkness, out of the primitive fear of all that is different, and by the evolutionary power inherent in the universe they will move toward perfection and enlightenment. In two millennia, after centuries of darkness, the truth will finally begin to take hold in those who are sensitive to the leading of the Spirit of the Age.

"Woe to those who place false limitations on my people during the centuries of ignorance. Woe to men born of a patriarchal spirit who dare to say that men and women should not freely discover, through trial and error and several marriages, which of many mates will make him or her truly happy. Neither rule for truly spiritual living.

"Hear Me well, for this is very important. One of my highest desires is that your families be well planned. When the era of family planning arrives you will experience great freedom and an unprecedented abundance of the spiritual blessing of convenience. If the blessing of contraception fails you, gladly accept the higher heavenly gift of surgical remedy for the malady that threatens your plan for your life. Fret not over such sayings as, 'From thy mother's womb have I known thee,' or 'Children are a gift from God.' Neither trouble your minds with questions about whether your pregnancy might actually be willed by God. The important thing to consider is what you will for yourself. Neither I nor my Parent in Heaven would have it that your disposable income or your free time should be affected by the demands of a child you did not plan for."

Even from that short excerpt, you can readily appreciate, I am sure, that this exciting and newly discovered lost Gospel, if authoritative, would change our understanding of God's revealed truth in a profound way. Why, it would...

RINGGG! Excuse me while I take this call. Hello? Oh.. .are you sure? I see. Thank you. Goodbye. I'm very sorry, dear readers. The test results just came in. The paper on which the document was written was standard computer paper sold by OfficeMax in 2003. The text was printed by a 2003 Lexmark printer in a font that was not commercially available in the first century. Most of the stains on the document were from a Starbucks half-caf, 2%, almond latte (no foam). It appears that the document is a fraud, and that the radical tinkering with Church polity and doctrine taking place in many churches and church-related schools still has no support from Scripture or any other form of Church Tradition.

Question: Is there any hint in the Old Testament that Jesus is God? A friend of ours in Santa Fe, is working on a translation of Isaiah. Recently he pointed out to us that in the Hebrew text of Isaiah 12:2 and 3 (and in a number of other places) the word for salvation is "Yeshuah," different from Yeshua (Jesus) only by the addition of a terminal h. Translating the word "Yeshuah"as "Jesus" in Isaiah 12:2 (KJV) gives us, "Behold, God is my Jesus...for the Lord JEHOVAH...is become my Jesus."

We ran this by a friend, an eminent Orthodox scholar, who replied, "Your friend is right. St. Jerome in the Vulgate translated Habakkuk 3:18 (which in the King James version reads: "...I will joy in the God of my salvation") as "Et exultabo in Deo Jesu meo," i.e., "I will exult in God my Jesus." Fascinating.

Keep Up-To-Date by clicking on:

Quotes from Metropolitan Archbishop +Joseph Thaddeus, OSB, SSJt., Ph.D. - Continuously updated

If You have a question that you wish to ask, please feel free to submit it. However, may it be suggested that you review all previous questions for the Month and also the Archive of questions previously asked for your question may have already been answered.

Click Here For Archive Quotes

Our Newest Member to Apostle1.com

Western Orthodox Church in America (WOCA)

Where the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ is bound up in His Love.

To Have the Love of Jesus Christ is to abide by His Life and Teachings.

There is no other way... The Church does not conform to the World,

The World must conform to the Church...

St. Augustine's Anglican Church, Deming, New Mexico

A Caring Community of Orthodox Christians who know the Love is the first and Great Commandment.

St. Augustine's Anglican Church of Deming, New Mexico has kindly granted the American Orthodox Church (North American Orthodox Church) use of the Church to offer Divine Liturgy each week.

A Schedule of Services