Mark Gagnon

And it gave a really different kind of path to salvation.

Now, I will say that the early church fathers that would write against the Gnostics actually did a good job representing their philosophy, because you can read the Nag Hammadi codices, and you can also look at what the Gnostic critics would write.

And

To be honest, it seems like the arguments are pretty similar, right?

But what's interesting about these texts is that they present a version that was less about rules and more about almost like a spiritual experience, uncovering the spark within yourself that can be discovered through knowledge.

Now,

As you can see, that's an issue for how the church saw itself and what ultimately Christianity became.

And you don't have to believe what they wrote.

I mean, I don't.

You can think that this Yaldabaoth idea is a crazy sci-fi invention and the fallen angels are all a myth.

But the Nag Hammadi Library, to me, just shows a really interesting view about the different ideas that were circulating in the region at the time.

And I just personally find them so fascinating.

And that, my friends, is an abridged story of the Nag Hammadi Library.

I find it so fascinating.

There's so many things in the Gospel of Thomas.

There's a weird gendered line.

Would you mind pulling this up?

You could search Gospel of Thomas gendered saying, and you'll find it really quick.

But there's so many things within it where you're just like, huh.

It has the feeling of reading an ancient text.