But, in the Gospel of Truth, this is not the case. Here, we read another version of the death of Jesus as “the fruit of the Father’s knowledge” hanging on a tree as in Chapter 4.
In Chapter 6, the crucifixion of Jesus is compared to publishing a book filled with truth and a new revelation of the Father’s love:
“He was nailed to a tree and published as the Father’s edict on the cross. Oh, what a great teaching! He drew himself down from death, clothing himself in never-ending life. He stripped off the perishable rags and put on imperishability, which no one can take away from him.” [GoT 6:9-11]
As Dr. Elaine Pagels explains,
“The Gospel of Truth, however, rejects…the vision of God as divine judge, whose “sentence of condemnation against us” impelled Jesus to come into the world to die for our sins. Instead, it declares that those who belong to the Father do not think of him as harsh or wrathful, but as a loving Father, who sent Jesus to find his lost children and show them the way back home. Consequently, rather than seeing the writing on the cross as a death sentence—whether Pilate’s or God’s—this sermon transforms the image of what was published on the cross into a positive message that the Father sends through Jesus to reveal to his own who they really are…”
This revelation is what the Gospel of Truth refers to in Chapter 6, verses 1-9 which says:
“There was manifested in their hearts the living book of the living . . . that (book) which no one was able to take, since it remains for the one who will take it to be slain. . . . For this reason the merciful one, the faithful one, Jesus, was patient in accepting these sufferings until he took that book, since he knows that his death is life for many. Just as there lies hidden in a will, before it is opened, the fortune of the deceased master of the house, so (it is) with the totality, which lay hidden while the Father of the totality was invisible…For this reason Jesus appeared; he put on that book; he was nailed to a tree; he published the edict of the Father on the cross.”
So, the crucifixion of Jesus was a bold publication of a “living book of the living”, not an announcement of death or judgment, but a proclamation of life for everyone. A will containing the blessings and distribution of eternal life to all of God’s beloved children who, upon the death of Jesus, inherit the good things prepared in advance for them to receive from the God who is love.
This section of the Gospel of Truth uses three new metaphors for the death of Jesus: the publishing of a book [v.1], the opening of a will [v.7], and the pronouncement of an edict [v.9], in addition to the idea of the crucifixion as the fruit of the knowledge of God seen in chapter 4, verse 5.
Again, Dr. Pagels explains:
“All three images, then—book, will, edict—envision writings inscribed on the cross, now revealed in their hearts, so that the Father’s children may “learn about themselves” and “return to him.” Having revealed the “true gospel”…the sermon breaks into praise, expressing wonder that Jesus descended into the darkness of this world to “publish the Father’s edict” on the cross, while also alluding to Paul’s idea of the perishable clothed in the imperishable [1 Cor 15:53–54]) to describe Christ’s glorification in eternal life:
“O such great teaching! He draws himself down to death, although eternal life clothes him. Having stripped himself of the perishable rags, he put on imperishability, which no one can possibly take away from him. (Gos. Truth 6:9-11)”
The Gospel of Truth sees Jesus as the embodiment of divine love which the Father created and sent into the world.
Here, Jesus was not recognized as the light of God’s love and those who rejected him nailed him to a tree.
His suffering was not a punishment from God intended for us, but the necessary result of being rejected by those who could not understand the Father who was incomprehensible.
In their ignorance, they killed the messenger of God’s divine love, and when they did so that messenger became a message, a book, that God published for all to see. The living book of the living became manifest in their presence. The seal on the will was opened. The edict of God’s love was proclaimed. The fruit of the knowledge of God was ripened and became bright red.
As Pagels proclaims, “Since Jesus came into the world to “put on that book”, the Gospel of Truth pictures the Father calling each of his children by name, sending his spirit to run after them, extending a hand to lift each one from the ground, so that they not only could see and hear Jesus, but also could “taste, smell, and touch the beloved Son” (GoT 16: 2). In this way the Father brings back those who were lost to himself, “into the Father, into the Mother, Jesus of the infinite sweetness” (GoT 10:6)
This new image of the crucifixion resonates with life, and reconciliation, and joy for everyone, bearing no marks of wrath, or judgment or retribution from the Father, but only love.
**
The newest book from Keith Giles, “The Quantum Sayings of Jesus: Decoding the Lost Gospel of Thomas” is available now on Amazon. Order HERE>
Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.”
He co-hosts The God Squad podcast, and the Heretic Happy Hour Podcast.
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