The Twist family studies the Gospel of John

[Wayne]

So on with John 1. We learn that John the Baptist announces that Jesus is

"the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world;

this is he concerning whom I said, After me doth come a man, who hath come before me, because he was before me:

and I knew him not, but, that he might be manifested to Israel, because of this I came with the water baptizing. "

Of course we remember from our study of Mark that there is a whole other religion in Iraq, the Mandaeans, who say that John the Baptist was the real prophet and Jesus was not. Their version of this story would be different of course.

Mandeans are the last surviving Gnostic religion from the time of Jesus and John the Baptist. They practice weekly baptism in water from the river.

        

[Wayne]

John 1 goes on to say Jesus recruits his first apostles at and soon after John's baptism ceremony.

One of them, Nathaniel, is impressed that Jesus had seen him under a fig tree. I don't see yet what this is about, but it seemed to be a big deal to Nathaniel. Any thoughts?

[injest]

Or maybe

1 In the beginning was science. And science was with God, and science was God.
2 Science was in the beginning with God.
3 All things through science did happen, and without science happened not even one thing that hath happened.
4 In science was life, and that life was the light of men.
5 And that light did shine in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

uh oh...skating on the edge there!! 

[ifyoucantfixit]

     yikes, are you going to make a map...so we can keep all this straight??

      My brain feels like a ping pong ball...Why is it I always come in and read this just before bedtime..when my
      circuits are winding down........this morning I was reading about the Gnosticism, and Pythegoreanism and I
      could barely think by the time i got done...I need to go get a brain transfusion......heh

[injest]

So on with John 1. We learn that John the Baptist announces that Jesus is

"the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world;

this is he concerning whom I said, After me doth come a man, who hath come before me, because he was before me:

and I knew him not, but, that he might be manifested to Israel, because of this I came with the water baptizing. "

Of course we remember from our study of Mark that there is a whole other religion in Iraq, the Mandaeans, who say that John the Baptist was the real prophet and Jesus was not. Their version of this story would be different of course.

Mandeans are the last surviving Gnostic religion from the time of Jesus and John the Baptist. They practice weekly baptism in water from the river.

        

ok stupid question:

is this where the term "Agnostic" came from then??

[ifyoucantfixit]

 Cite This Source - Share This
ag·nos·tic      /ægˈnɒstɪk/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ag-nos-tik] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience. 
2. a person who denies or doubts the possibility of ultimate knowledge in some area of study. 
–adjective 3. of or pertaining to agnostics or agnosticism. 
4. asserting the uncertainty of all claims to knowledge. 


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[Origin: < Gk ágnōst(os), var. of ágnōtos not known, incapable of being known (a- a-6 + gnōtós known, adj. deriv. from base of gignskein to know) + -ic, after gnostic; said to have been coined by T.H. Huxley in 1869]
                                                    ----------------------------------              
ag·nos·ti·cal·ly, adverb

[ifyoucantfixit]

John 1 goes on to say Jesus recruits his first apostles at and soon after John's baptism ceremony.

One of them, Nathaniel, is impressed that Jesus had seen him under a fig tree. I don't see yet what this is about, but it seemed to be a big deal to Nathaniel. Any thoughts?

      It is always my idea to examine human nature when confronted with things such as this..no proof mind, but my
opinion....I think that Natanial, as well as the writer of the gospel of John, always sought to he esteemed and
placed in high regard by Jesus...They were probably saying in their own way, I wonder why he picked me out
sitting under yon fig tree.  Or maybe saying Look at me, I was so wonderful that he noticed me even as I sat alone
under a fig tree.  Does that not make me a special one..that he thusly selected me above others...

[Wayne]

Does that not make me a special one..that he thusly selected me above others...

   Yeah, that does ring true!!   

Maybe he was praying ... or to take it low, maybe he was making out with somebody!        Ooops - got caught by Jesus!!   :blush:   

[injest]

   Yeah, that does ring true!!   

Maybe he was praying ... or to take it low, maybe he was making out with somebody!        Ooops - got caught by Jesus!!   :blush:   

 

talk about busted!!

but if he was still chosen?

[Wayne]

uh oh...skating on the edge there!! 

    I guess I forgot the most obvious interpretation ... logos = logic. So the author of John was a Vulcan!   

In the beginning was logic. Logic was with God, and logic was God. Logic was in the beginning with God.

All things through happened through logic, and nothing happened without it. In logic was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.