Amazon.com: The Truth About Jesus and the "Lost Gospels": A Reasoned Look at Thomas, Judas, and the Gnostic Gospels (9780736920551): David Marshall: Books
Recent headlines, bestselling books, and even a blockbuster movie have called widespread attention to controversial writings that challenge some of the key teachings and perspectives that people of the Christian faith have long held to. Known as the Gnostic “Gospels,” these writings have aroused much curiosity and led people to ask:
What are the Gnostic “Gospels,” and where did they come from?
Are these writings trustworthy, or even on par with the Bible?
Have we had wrong perceptions about Jesus all along?
In this helpful book, world religions scholar David Marshall examines the popular claims being made about the Gnostic “Gospels,” and reveals how, in actuality, they fall far short of the true Gospels in the New Testament. This is an eye–opening resource that will equip Christians to take a well–informed and well–reasoned stand against the so–called “Lost Gospels” that have become so popular today.
Tragically, many people in today's world have been fooled into thinking ancient Gnosticism is truer than Christianity. Or that other religions (or full-fledged atheism) have done more than Jesus and his followers to develop modern science, abolish slavery, and liberate women. Or that the apocryphal Gospels tell the history of Jesus more accurately than the New Testament documents. Convincingly countering all these myths, Marshall's work introduces the real historical facts as effectively as any work in print today. Learned but very readable, wide-ranging in coverage, and even tinged with self-effacing humor, this book sets the record straight.
Craig L. Blomberg Distinguished Professor of New Testament Denver Seminary Littleton, CO February 2007
Product Details
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (April 1, 2007)
Tell us a bit about yourself, your background, and your family.
"I grew up a three'minute walk from Puget Sound in west Seattle. We used to go down to the beach, dig butter clams, turn over rocks looking for sea cucumbers and crabs, and watch sail boat races on Sunday afternoons. My parents met at Westside Presbyterian Church, left when it became 'too liberal,' then went back again when they realized that church was still quite good'it took about fifteen years.
"Like G. K. Chesterton, I'd have to say, 'I am sorry if the landscape or the people appear disappointingly respectable and even reasonable, and deficient in all those unpleasant qualities that make a biography really popular.' I grew up in a cheerful blue color family, where there were plenty of books, including World Book Encyclopdia, which after Winnie The Pooh was my first literary influence. We went to Awana and Christian summer camps and memorized Bible verses in the original King James.
"When I was in sixth grade, the Vietnam War ended, Seattle went bankrupt, and we moved to Alaska for several years. I've loved mountains, wildflowers, and strawberries ever since. Many significant things happened up there. We spent two summers at Echo Ranch Bible Camp, north of Juneau, the most beautiful place on the planet, and I 'received Jesus.' I learned about being an outsider. We got a dog, a St. Bernard/Husky/German Shepherd mix, born for Alaska. And I started reading C. S. Lewis, a habit I haven't broken yet. I discovered Narnia in the basement of my parents' friends from church.
What led you to found the Kuai Mu Institute for Christianity and World Cultures? What does it exist to do?
''Kuai Mu' (pronounced 'kwi moo') is the name of an ancient evergreen that grows high in the mountains of Taiwan, like a redwood. The name relates to our need to find roots, and to my work with 'mountain peoples' while I was in Asia. The purpose of Kuai Mu is to educate Christians and non'Christians about how the Gospel relates to other cultures and religions, and evidence for the Christian faith. We do this in three ways. First, we put on seminars and other teaching events, with myself as the speaker, or with other Christian thinkers. Second, I write. And third, we also do some ministry through the Internet.
"Some of the speakers who have participated in our seminars include Miriam Adeney, Craig Blomberg, Gary Habermas, Vishal Mangalwadi, Don Richardson, and Dudley Woodberry. These seminars are always lots of fun."
You spent time teaching English and working as a missionary in Asia. Where did you work, and when did you feel called to Asia?
"I heard about Youth With a Mission at a Keith Green memorial concert. I'd been studying Chinese, and thought, 'Why not go to China? There are more Chinese than anyone else on the planet. I can do God's work, learn a new language, take some cool pictures, and maybe meet some girls.' So in January 1984, I joined a discipleship training school in an old bombed'out hospital on the hill near that giant beehive called Hong Kong.
"My years as a missionary changed me quite a bit. I learned how to worship. I discovered that God can answer prayers in dramatic ways sometimes. I did see a good chunk of the world'we camped out in hill tribes in Thailand, smuggled Bibles into China, and were caught in a little civil war when we arrived in New Delhi just before the assassination of Indira Gandhi. I also began to work out my own way of doing ministry."
You also served in local Chinese churches, where Christians are often imprisoned and abused because of their faith. What was this experience like?
(For the rest of the interview, please see the Harvest House web site.)
This review is from: The Truth About Jesus and the "Lost Gospels": A Reasoned Look at Thomas, Judas, and the Gnostic Gospels (Paperback)
With the (somewhat) recent discussions on the gospel of Judas, this book's purpose seems to be threefold: 1- Introduce "gnostic gospels" (Judas, Thomas, Mary, etc) and explain their many flaws; 2- Show how they differ from biblical gospels, and 3- Contrast the positive, uplifting message of the biblical gospels with the not-so-positive (sometimes regressive, sometimes sexist, etc) message of the gnostics.
Gnostic gospels are too often considered 'on par' with the biblical gospels by many popular skeptics, and their message usually comes across as more uplifting, tolerant, reliable, etc than the bible. This book swiftly addresses such issues and explains why such ideas are untrue.
This book elaborates on Marshall's studies into the Thomas gospel found in his previous book "Why the Jesus seminar can't find Jesus." That book can be seen as complementary to this one, and helps explain not only how the Jesus seminar's ideas are flawed, but also why we shouldn't trust the gospel of Thomas. Both books are recommended if you wish to learn more about how the gnostic texts differ from the biblical gospels, and how the biblical gospels are not only more reliable but far more "progressive" and enlightening in their overall message.
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This review is from: The Truth About Jesus and the "Lost Gospels": A Reasoned Look at Thomas, Judas, and the Gnostic Gospels (Paperback)
Written by David Marshall, founder and director of the Kuai Mu Institute for Christianity and World Cultures, The Truth About Jesus and the Lost Gospels: A Reasoned Look at Thomas, Judas, and the Gnostic Gospels is a thoughtful examination of the ancient "Lost Gospels" that portray Jesus Christ in a different manner than the canonical New Testament. Chapters discuss what the "Lost Gospels" are and where they came from, whether these writings can be trusted on par with the Bible, and whether certain popular perceptions of Jesus have been mistaken all along. The Truth About Jesus and the Lost Gospels is sharply critical of Gnosticism, going so far as to declare "'Gnostic Christianity' is a contradiction of terms", and emphasizes that true freedom can only be found through Jesus Christ. Delving into examples of how Christianity has transformed lives throughout history up to the modern day, The Truth About Jesus and the Lost Gospels is a persuasively written, passionate treatise, accessible to readers of all backgrounds.
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