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The Spirit plants the Seed, so I would disagree. And again, it is spiritual to those that look at it that way. If you don't, that's ok with me. Peace
You would disagree with what? With the fact that the word 'spirit' - πνεῦμά - pneuma, is neuter? Then you are going against the text.
When Jesus stated that He was dismissing His spirit into the hands of the Father, the word was 'pneuma' and is neuter. Not masculine.
And no, a person wanting to allegorize something does not make it allegorical or 'spiritual.' While there is genuine allegory in the Bible, it is foolish to adopt a wholesale allegorical system of hermeneutics to the Bible. The issue is the meaning the writer of Scripture meant to convey. What did it mean to him? The issue is not what you want it to mean.
But the gospel of Thomas isn't part of the Bible anyway but is simply a proto-gnostic or gnostic writing which was never accepted as canonical by the church.
You would disagree with what? With the fact that the word 'spirit' - πνεῦμά - pneuma, is neuter? Then you are going against the text.
When Jesus stated that He was dismissing His spirit into the hands of the Father, the word was 'pneuma' and is neuter. Not masculine.
And no, a person wanting to allegorize something does not make it allegorical or 'spiritual.' While there is genuine allegory in the Bible, it is foolish to adopt a wholesale allegorical system of hermeneutics to the Bible. The issue is the meaning the writer of Scripture meant to convey. What did it mean to him? The issue is not what you want it to mean.
But the gospel of Thomas isn't part of the Bible anyway but is simply a proto-gnostic or gnostic writing which was never accepted as canonical by the church.
Thanks Mike for clarifying for me that the source of much of the spiritual sounding heresy here is due to a form of gnosticism that misinterprets the Bible with a pretence to secret spiritual knowledge others dont have. It had been puzzling me lately and its a sad reality that satan puffs up the proud flesh with these deceptions so people think themselves spiritually wise when infact they are highmindedly set against the Word of God and therefore God Himself. And that becomes apparent when their philosophy directly contradicts the plain Word of God yet they will not humbly bow down before it but rather try to twist it to fit their philosophy. Quite a deceiving form of godliness actually.
Thanks Mike for clarifying for me that the source of much of the spiritual sounding heresy here is due to a form of gnosticism that misinterprets the Bible with a pretence to secret spiritual knowledge others dont have. It had been puzzling me lately and its a sad reality that satan puffs up the proud flesh with these deceptions so people think themselves spiritually wise when infact they are highmindedly set against the Word of God and therefore God Himself. And that becomes apparent when their philosophy directly contradicts the plain Word of God yet they will not humbly bow down before it but rather try to twist it to fit their philosophy. Quite a deceiving form of godliness actually.
Thanks Mike for clarifying for me that the source of much of the spiritual sounding heresy here is due to a form of gnosticism that misinterprets the Bible with a pretence to secret spiritual knowledge others dont have. It had been puzzling me lately and its a sad reality that satan puffs up the proud flesh with these deceptions so people think themselves spiritually wise when infact they are highmindedly set against the Word of God and therefore God Himself. And that becomes apparent when their philosophy directly contradicts the plain Word of God yet they will not humbly bow down before it but rather try to twist it to fit their philosophy. Quite a deceiving form of godliness actually.
The early church fathers regarded Gnosticism as a Christian heresy. It is of interest to note that the rise of Gnostic writings was an impetus for the church to define the limits of the canon. That is, to recognize which books were authoritative, and which ones weren't. As scholar F. F. Bruce commented,
''The Montanist challenge from one direction, like the Marcionite and gnostic challenges from other directions, made it the more important that the limits of holy scripture should be clearly defined.''
The Canon of Scripture, F. F. Bruce, p. 168
There are certainly people on this forum who hold to certain aspects of Gnostic teachings.
The early church fathers regarded Gnosticism as a Christian heresy. It is of interest to note that the rise of Gnostic writings was an impetus for the church to define the limits of the canon. That is, to recognize which books were authoritative, and which ones weren't. As scholar F. F. Bruce commented,
''The Montanist challenge from one direction, like the Marcionite and gnostic challenges from other directions, made it the more important that the limits of holy scripture should be clearly defined.''
The Canon of Scripture, F. F. Bruce, p. 168
There are certainly people on this forum who hold to certain aspects of Gnostic teachings.
I don't hold to any teachings except what I've been shown by HIM, nor have I ever read ANY even remotely gnostic writings save possibly that of Mdm. Guyon, and I don't even know if "they" consider her a gnostic. So while it is a wonderful attempt to pigeonhole and divide, it's simply not true. Peace
Again, contrary to your claim, there is no distinction between a male and a female spirit. The word spirit is always neuter. The idea that in order for a woman to be saved her spirit must be changed to a male spirit is simply not Biblical.
When Jesus said that He was dismissing His spirit into the hands of the Father, the word was πνεῦμά - pneuma, and is neuter. Not masculine, not feminine, but neuter.
The gospel of Thomas was not written by Thomas. And again, the gospel of Thomas clearly states that women are not worthy of life.
And again, no, Paul does not say the same thing as the writer of the gospel of Thomas put into the mouth of Peter. Peter, according to the author of the gospel of Thomas allegedly said that women are not worthy of life (which you attempt to allegorize into meaning that Peter was referring to the flesh). Paul on the other hand was simply saying that male and female, Jew and Gentile, slave and freemen are all equal in Christ. Paul in no way implied that a woman had to make herself male in any sense of the word in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. What Paul said, and what the gospel of Thomas says about women are in opposition to each other.
Gospel of Thomas (114) Simon Peter said to them: Let Mary go forth from among us, for women are not worthy of the life. Jesus said: Behold, I shall lead her, that I may make her male, in order that she also may become a living spirit like you males. For every woman who makes herself male shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
This presumably is speaking of Mary Magdalene who was already a follower of Christ, and already saved.
The idea that a woman has to make herself male in any sense of the word in order to enter into the kingdom of God is simply not Biblical.
So as example from here in this thread: Rbbi1 can become a son of Elohim while you remain in outer darkness because you neutered your heavenly Father? Yes, it appears that way.
There is neither, not because there is either/or, but because there is BOTH. Masculine Spirit, feminine soul. It all depends on whether or not you want to look at it literally, or spiritually. Same goes for the gospel of Thomas. Peace
Yep, soul and soulish things, (attributes of "the flesh"), are feminine. Soul needs to be converted to spirit because soul will die; and this is no doubt one of the secrets, (yes, oh no, a gnostic secret! ), which is portrayed in the comments from Peter about "Mary" in the final verse of the Gospel of Thomas. Yeshua himself teaches this concerning his own soul but they rather like to render it as "life" in such passages, (life is ζωη - zoe). What Mike555 fails to recognize or acknowledge is that spirit, (pneuma), may be neuter but context may define whether masculine or feminine is implied, (for instance, "the Spirit of your Father who is in the heavens", would clearly speak of "your Father" who is masculine).
ψυχην = psuchen = soul or life = feminine
αυτην = auten = feminine (of αυτος)
John 10:17-18
17 δια τουτο με ο πατηρ αγαπα οτι εγω τιθημι την ψυχην μου ινα παλιν λαβω αυτην
18 ουδεις ηρεν αυτην απ εμου αλλ εγω τιθημι αυτην απ εμαυτου εξουσιαν εχω θειναι αυτην και εξουσιαν εχω παλιν λαβειν αυτην ταυτην την εντολην ελαβον παρα του πατρος μου
John 10:17-18
17 Therefore does the Father love me, because I lay down my soul, [ψυχην - feminine] that I may take-receive her [αυτην - feminine] again.
18 No one takes her [αυτην - feminine] from me, but I lay her [αυτην - feminine] down of myself. I have authority to lay her [αυτην - feminine] down, and I have authority to receive her [αυτην - feminine] again: this commandment have I received from my Father.
Jeremiah 31:20-22
20 Is Ephraim My dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore My bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, says YHWH.
21 Set yourself up waymarkers, make yourself high heaps: set your heart toward the highway, even the way by which you went: turn again, O virgin of Yisrael, turn again to these your cities.
22 How long will you go about, O backsliding daughter? For YHWH has created a hadashah-newness thing in the erets: nqebah-female encompasses gaber-man.
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), which is portrayed in the comments from Peter about "Mary" in the final verse of the Gospel of Thomas. Yeshua himself teaches this concerning his own soul but they rather like to render it as "life" in such passages, (life is ζωη - zoe). What Mike555 fails to recognize or acknowledge is that spirit, (pneuma), may be neuter but context may define whether masculine or feminine is implied, (for instance, "the Spirit of your Father who is in the heavens", would clearly speak of "your Father" who is masculine).
