So Many Gospels!
There are many gospels of Jesus. The popular ones made it into the canon but not all made it to Biblical fame. Each of the Gospels represent at least one of the Jewish-Christian & Christian communities in the first century. There were many gospels of a Christ figure in the first century. Today we are going to discuss a Gospel of Jesus you may have never heard of before. One that supports the idea of a Mythical Jesus.
Ignatius Of Antioch
Ignatius of Antioch was an early Church father that is regularly used to support a historical Jesus. Ignatius has a different Gospel that isn’t in circulation or is held by any Christian faith at this point in time. This gospel has several points that differ from the current Gospel narratives that we know. It shows that the possibility of Christians holding the idea of a mythical Christ was at least possible.
Now the virginity of Mary was hidden from the prince of this world, as was also her offspring, and the death of the Lord; three mysteries of renown, which were wrought in silence, but have been revealed to us. A star shone forth in heaven above all that were before it, and its light was inexpressible, while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star. It far exceeded them all in brightness, and agitation was felt as to whence this new spectacle [proceeded]. Hence worldly wisdom became folly; conjuration was seen to be mere trifling; and magic became utterly ridiculous. Every law of wickedness vanished away; the darkness of ignorance was dispersed; and tyrannical authority was destroyed, God being manifested as a man, and man displaying power as God. But neither was the former a mere imagination, nor did the second imply a bare humanity; but the one was absolutely true, and the other an economical arrangement. Now that received a beginning which was perfected by God. Henceforth all things were in a state of tumult, because He meditated the abolition of death.
Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians
This is obviously no Gospel of Christ that we have ever seen before. There is little to no information and what information there is seems to be a skeleton idea of what the Christ figure in Judaism represented. Let’s take a critical look at this unknown Gospel.
Analysis of this New Gospel
Jesus’ entire existence was hidden from the “prince of this world.” You could interpret that the Devil. This parallel’s what we see in the Ascension of Isaiah. More on this a little later.
Ignatius gives us the impression that nobody knew of this Christ figure while he was on earth. Not only was he “hidden” but he emphasizes that it “has been revealed to us.” This indicates that it was not directly seen but shown to them through revelation. The star that is discussed isn’t the Bethlehem star but a star displayed after Jesus resurrected and destroyed the evil in the world.
I do have to call bs on the “neither was the former a mere imagination.” They are both delusional things to say that would need massive amounts of evidence to suggest they actually happened.
It does have a lot of common themes of the Gospels as we know them. Virgin Mary and virgin birth, death of the Christ figure, and a resurrection that establishes a new kingdom or covenant. This isn’t the entire gospel of course but it’s obvious that Ignatius was a type of Christian that we have no record of now. A Christian that, like Paul, had the Gospel revealed to him and establishes that as the only way it was known. This was a core tenant of early Christianity. The idea that the only way to experience Christ at all was through revelation and study of the scriptures.
Remember how I mentioned the Ascension of Isaiah? In that first century Jewish-Christian text, the Christ figure descended from the upper heavens to the lower heavens where he was crucified by the Devil and then resurrected in the lower heavens to ascend to the upper heavens. The key component is that the Devil did not know who the Christ was because otherwise he wouldn’t have crucified by the Devil. This directly maps back to Ignatius’ Gospel that he is relaying to us here. The resultant “star” in the sky is the celestial embodiment of the Christ figure who is partly God and partly Man.
Conclusion
The Christ figure in Christianity predates the religion itself. We find that Philo of Alexandria was describing the key components of what we know as Jesus Christ now without knowing any historical version of this figure. Philo claimed that this Christ figure, actually named Jesus, would be “the firstborn son of God,” “the celestial image of God,” “God’s agent of Creation,” and “God’s celestial high priest.” He was writing around the time that Paul was spreading his own gospel claiming to have experienced this Christ figure in the form of a Risen Savior.
