Lecture Listening Guides

by Dr. David Capes

Lecturer: Simon Gathercole

Title:  “Did We Get Jesus Right? Jesus in the Canonical and Apocryphal Gospels”

1. In 2006 what was being said about the so-called Gospel of Judas?
2. What does the term apocryphal mean?
3. One popular notion claims the decision about what books belonged in the NT was made at the Council of Nicea (325 AD)?What does the lecturer say?
4. What is distinctive about the NT Gospels?When were they written?  Which was first?  Which was last?
5. The chronological distance between the death of Jesus and the last NT Gospel written is the same chronological distance as our time and what important world event?
6. What is a central feature of the NT Gospels?
7. How is the fulfillment of prophecy worked out in Matthew and Luke?
8. What is a central feature and major focus of the NT Gospels?
9. How do the other, apocryphal Gospels compare with the NT Gospels?
10. What is the gospel of Thomas? When was it written?According to this book, how are people saved?  What is the soul’s goal and how is that goal achieved?
11. What is the disposition of the gospel of Thomas toward the OT?
12. What is the lecturer’s opinion regarding the gospel of Thomas? Does it provide reliable information regarding Jesus?
13. When was the gospel of Mary written? What are its major themes? How much/little of it do we have? What influences are at work on the gospel of Mary?
14. When was the gospel of Judas written?Who is Judas’ role in this gospel? Why does Gathercole call it a protest gospel? What kind of criticisms is it leveling against the churches?
15. Why is the material world such a bad copy of the heavenly plane?What about this world?  Where is love in the gospel of Judas?
16. When was the gospel of Philip written? Why is this gospel one of the most well known?
17. What does the gospel of Philip say about the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene?
18. Who was it written by?What does this gospel say regarding the soul?  What is the value of the soul?  the body? How does salvation come?  Why is the world bad?
19. What can this Gospel tell us about the life of the historical Jesus?
20. What is the manuscript evidence for these four non-canonical Gospels?
21. How much later than the NT Gospels are the non-canonical Gospels written?
22. How are the non-canonical gospels distant culturally from the time of Jesus?
23. How are the non-canonical gospels distant theologically from what we find in the NT?
24. How do the NT Gospels incorporate eyewitness testimony?
25. What is the focus of the NT Gospels? The apocryphal?