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I hope this letter finds you well. I have been studying the Bible and came across the Apocryphon of John, which I understand was removed from the Bible.
I am curious to know the specific rationale for its removal.
Additionally, I have a question about the sin of Adam.
Can you please provide me with a clear understanding of what exactly that sin was and its significance in the Bible?
Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
Clinton
{ Why was the Apocryphon of John removed and what was the exact sin Adam committed and its significance in the Bible? }
Eric replied:
Clinton,
The Apocryphon of John was not "removed from the bible" because it was never considered canonical by orthodox Christians. It dates from the 2nd century (all the books of the canonical texts date from the first century or earlier) and was a text of a heretical movement known as Gnosticism. It presents a complex cosmogony, describing multiple divine beings and realms, and portrays the material world as a flawed creation resulting from the actions of a lower deity called the Demiurge. According to the text, the true God is a higher and transcendent entity beyond the material realm. This clearly reflects the Gnostic world view, which sees matter and creation as evil, originating from lower divine beings. Gnosticism also claims secret knowledge revealed only to initiates. In contrast, all the teachings of Christianity are public.
The early Christian community recognized the texts of the canon of Scripture primarily by virtue of which books were customarily read in churches and had a chain of custody back to the Apostles.
This book was never recognized or read in churches (not in the least) because it originated long after Christianity took root), and its Gnostic teachings were well-known and rejected by orthodox Christians, and so it never became part of the canon.
Gnostics liked to attribute their works to Christian apostles because it gave them credibility and a false sense of authority, but this work was written long after John died and cannot be ascribed to him.
Eric Ewanco
Clinton replied:
Eric,
Thank you for your reply.
I have found some more books if I could get the official rationale as to what they contain, etc.
As for what you spoke about. When I read the Jewish lore, why does it seem they too, have a similar story about their deity called the Demiurge making a mirror world or realities?
Meaning — even the lore of Solomon contains parallel realities where Solomon travels.
I also have a question on the age and date of it being written.
How do you know that this was not a copy of an older version of the story?
Is there a version of this in the library at the Vatican?
It seems like the book was hidden or destroyed up until the 1940s.
What if the story of the book of Adam to Seth is real?
It appears there are a lot of books being mentioned that are not part of the canon but seem to continue stories that I have not heard before.
Clinton
Eric replied:
Hi Clinton,
Apologies for the delay in replying; life has been crazy. I also apologize for overlooking your second question the first time.
To answer your second question first, the sin of Adam was wanting to be like God in a manner God did not prescribe. There is also an element here of mistrust in God; Adam and Eve chose to believe the word of the serpent over the Word of God, and trusted the serpent more than they trusted God. And so in a way they ascribe to God malice. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
397 Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. (cf. Genesis 3:1-11; Romans 5:19) All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness.
As distrust of God's command leads to a disregard of it, so the longing for a false independence excites a desire for the seeming good that has been prohibited; and this desire is fostered by the senses, until it brings forth sin. Doubt, unbelief, and pride were the roots of the sin of our first parents, as they have been of all the sins of their posterity.
There is no "official rationale" for why certain books were rejected. There are no surviving records of "official" discussions, assuming they were even discussed. In some cases, there are records of comments from prominent Christian leaders on certain books, but not the books you've mentioned.
Anything that refers to a "demiurge" is of Gnostic influence and would have been soundly rejected by early Christians as contravening the canonical texts, and thus kept at arm's length.
We can surmise that this is not a copy of an older version of the story because:
one, we haven't found earlier copies of it, and
two, scholarly evidence permits it to be accurately dated.
Exactly how they date it is something for a Ph.D. in ancient texts to discuss and is not our competency.
We do not have access to the library of the Vatican and could not tell you whether there is a copy there of this book or not. The Index of Forbidden Books is not an exhaustive list of false books. It seems to me the Index, being a comparatively modern invention, focused on more contemporary works, not ancient ones.
The "Book of Jeu" is a mystical, esoteric Gnostic text heavily laden with complex cosmological descriptions and diagrams. It focuses on themes related to Gnostic cosmology, angelology, and mystic rituals. It is thought to represent a branch of Gnosticism that incorporates Jewish Christian and Sethian elements. As a Gnostic text, it would have been summarily rejected by the early Christian Church.
The purpose of the Bible is not to satisfy our curiosity with idle and fascinating stories. It's to reveal God's economy of salvation and manifest his love for man. You will find, for example, no physical description of Jesus in the canonical Gospels, because it is not important to the narrative. It simply doesn't impinge on our salvation.
So what if the story told of the Book of Adam to Seth is real?
How would that affect your salvation or your relationship with God?
Would it change the way you behave, or draw you closer to holiness or virtue?
What if it was just a novel someone wrote to entertain people, like "The Robe" or "The Chosen"?
May I ask what is it that draws you so strongly to these texts?
Eric
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