A Fifth Gospel

[The Unnamable]

Former special envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Terry Waite, is to be paid five million pounds to write a fifth gospel, to replace the existing four. He says he has no plans to give any of the money to charity.

[Green Lady]

A fifth gospel? How does that work exactly? Is he just going to take all the other gospels, pick them apart until he finds what he thinks goes best together, combine them and perhaps add a few other things?

[XXdarkclarityXX]

Who's paying this guy? This is a Catholic bishop, no? I'm sure the Pope is going to be in an uproar when he hears about that...what's he gonna call it? Evangelius Pentacus? I guess we'll have to see how this progresses...

[Virgil]

Former special envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Terry Waite, is to be paid five million pounds to write a fifth gospel, to replace the existing four. He says he has no plans to give any of the money to charity.
This is a little unlike you, Unnamable. Normally you explain the signifcance of the theme of your post. Here you're just laying out a fact. I'm not sure what the significance is, except perhaps the hypocrisy?

[Pendragon]

Former special envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Terry Waite, is to be paid five million pounds to write a fifth gospel, to replace the existing four. He says he has no plans to give any of the money to charity.You're joking, right? I mean the Bible has a verse in Revelations about not adding to or taking away from the Gospel. And this is supposedly sanctioned by who? It staggeres the mind, not that someone would think they could do a better job, but that the the religous community would in anyway agree with this. Whoo-boy!

[jessezzel]

Wow this is retarded, 'cause i mean im not into the whole god thing alot but ive read most of the bible and im pretty sure that stuff isnt supposed to be added to the gospel considering it is about the life of jesus, and was written by people who were there. So i dont see how someone could wright something any where near to that unless they happened to be around when jesus was.

[Ulalume<3]

I searched for more news about this, but all I could find was a website reviewing a comedy series called "BrassEye," in which one episode they have Terry Waite writing a fifth gospel. The information is here: http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/new/review.asp?mainID=488 under episode 6.

[followeroftruth]

Hi all
Now let me get this clear, terry waite, a man born of woman is going to Write a gospel, what is he going to do after attribute it to GOD and people will say he was divinely inspired like Mattew, Mark, luke and John.Actually for Terry Waite he has a first and surname but the other 4 are unknowns.so may be he should write in his his Gospel "the Gospel according to Terry". :banana:

[Virgil]

Is Waite creating a new gospel from his imagination or is he synthesizing the four into one? I have seen books that layout the sequence of events from all four gospels. Also, the movie, "Jesus of Nazareth" is essentially a synthesis of the four gospels into a single story. It may not all be that unusual.

[Theshizznigg]

Thats right Blanco. B-L-A-N-C-O. Allow me to rant to you.
(Serious Winston Churchill like voice.)
"To those of you who might find this insulting, I can only say this with the most enament feelings of social grace and dignity. RHUBARB." Enjoy.
Coming to a theatre near khandahar, its the amazing adventures of Zod Zebutnich and his follower Leroy Lamar.
Seriously, we must pertain to religion, it is our only common stomping grounds.
Or better yet, colgate all those fears away.
Ahh the removal of all sin is just a shower away, Religious Soap anyone?
Or maybe you could spout criticism, about cinnisism, and religionism, or Fezonism.
Ahh Blackmore, what good show, carried on a penny, carried on a stool, leave it by the church yard, leave it by the pool, lost in the graveyard, lost in the fens, heaven, earth, hell, what a funny ryhme to begin with.
I remember the months of my youth in Soviet Russia, my uncle Stalin was great man, and we'd often go shooting peasants together.
Little Jimmy sat dissapointedly in the back of the small bus, eating a banana which to his dissapointment tasted like a banana.
Enough already you leave me no other choice but to resign my position as Lord Mayor of Humptown in search of something more tangible.
HOnesTLY I TrY tO CrEaTe Constructive conversation, but you people often so mistake a religious joke for a religous statement
:lol:
WTF have I been doing, must have been those chiminey chonga demons that control my mind from time to time. :confused:
Anyway love and peace yall, Ralph Nader and the Green Team.
Shixxzigg
"Genius always borders on the edges of insanity."

[rachel]

Who's paying this guy? This is a Catholic bishop, no? I'm sure the Pope is going to be in an uproar when he hears about that...what's he gonna call it? Evangelius Pentacus? I guess we'll have to see how this progresses...

Dark Clarity;
to answer your question since Henry V111 the archbishop of Canterbury has been Anglican and not Catholic.
The first Anglican archbishop replaced the ordination of priests with a mere prayer and no laying on of hands which had been since Christ Jesus, thus cutting them off from apostolic succession.

[XXdarkclarityXX]

Thanks, Rachel. I'm not exactly knowledgable when it comes to Church history.

[Whifflingpin]

It's a spoof It's a spoof It's a spoof - Terry Waite is not writing a fifth gospel - It's a spoof It's a spoof - Wot is it? It's a spooooof.

Oh, Rachel, laying on of hands is, and has always been, part of the rite of ordaining priests and consecrating bishops in the Anglican church. Apostolic succession is claimed by Anglicans. I believe that the validity of Anglican orders is acknowledged by the Holy See (not of course that Anglicans would worry if it were not.)

.

[rachel]

Thanks, Rachel. I'm not exactly knowledgable when it comes to Church history.

you are very welcome.
you know what I would like to see, sorry to digress, I would like to see you do a volume of poetry darkclarity. and I would love to illustrate it, all dark and light and swirls and cosmic twinkles interspersed. I have never read anyone in my life that sounds less mortal in my life.

[rachel]

It's a spoof It's a spoof It's a spoof - Terry Waite is not writing a fifth gospel - It's a spoof It's a spoof - Wot is it? It's a spooooof.

Oh, Rachel, laying on of hands is, and has always been, part of the rite of ordaining priests and consecrating bishops in the Anglican church. Apostolic succession is claimed by Anglicans. I believe that the validity of Anglican orders is acknowledged by the Holy See (not of course that Anglicans would worry if it were not.)


.

you are probably far more knowledgable than me on modern things, I was merely giving the historical facts as seem to be laid out in many different books. I remember praying day after tedious day for Terry Waite, determined that he should not go the way of the other hostages. Noone agreed with me that he would make it , just as no one agreed with me that Nelson Mandella would be set free. But when I hear God speak to my heart to keep praying over a thing I am very stubborn. A friend of mine couldn't have anymore children, the ones she had were all boys and a couple had been born after that with only partial skulls and died. I kept hearing in my heart to pray a daughter for her.She had had surgery so she could not have anymore children. For over eight years I prayed and I got told off as being an insensitive idiot. But at last her little girl was born. She is in kindergarten now and I smile when I think of that. So I really rejoiced at Terry's release.

[Scheherazade]

you are probably far more knowledgable than me on modern things, I was merely giving the historical facts as seem to be laid out in many different books. I remember praying day after tedious day for Terry Waite, determined that he should not go the way of the other hostages. Noone agreed with me that he would make it , just as no one agreed with me that Nelson Mandella would be set free. But when I hear God speak to my heart to keep praying over a thing I am very stubborn. A friend of mine couldn't have anymore children, the ones she had were all boys and a couple had been born after that with only partial skulls and died. I kept hearing in my heart to pray a daughter for her.She had had surgery so she could not have anymore children. For over eight years I prayed and I got told off as being an insensitive idiot. But at last her little girl was born. She is in kindergarten now and I smile when I think of that. So I really rejoiced at Terry's release.Rachel,

Just to clear things up, are you saying that you believe Terry Waite and Mandella were released and your friend had a daughter because you prayed for them?

[XXdarkclarityXX]

you are very welcome.
you know what I would like to see, sorry to digress, I would like to see you do a volume of poetry darkclarity. and I would love to illustrate it, all dark and light and swirls and cosmic twinkles interspersed. I have never read anyone in my life that sounds less mortal in my life.

Ah, the anticipation that can manifest itself within an intelligent mind! Rachel,I've already begun. I'm almost done with my first one, I'll send it to you when I'm done. It's very......dark?

[Whifflingpin]

Whiffl: "I believe that the validity of Anglican orders is acknowledged by the Holy See (not of course that Anglicans would worry if it were not.)"

Rachel: "you are probably far more knowledgable than me on modern things, I was merely giving the historical facts as seem to be laid out in many different books."

I'm not as knowledgable as I thought. The Roman Catholic Church does not, from my reading of the entry in Catholic Encyclopedia, recognise Anglican orders as being in Apostolic succession. The Eastern Orthodox church has never questioned the validity of Anglican orders, and recognises them as Apostolic.

As for being modern, I think not. I was reasonably up-to-date when Pope John XXIII was alive, and ecumenicism was likewise alive and well, but, after a succession of conservative popes, and Anglican ordination of women, I have no idea what the relations are like between the various churches.

.

[rachel]

Rachel,

Just to clear things up, are you saying that you believe Terry Waite and Mandella were released and your friend had a daughter because you prayed for them?

I am saying that is what I was convinced I was supposed to do. And when it occurred I felt released to stop praying. More than that I cannot say. What is unusual about that? Even presidents and prime ministers have asked nations to pray over certain matters that have had a favorable outcome.
Only God knows if I had any effect. My point is that what you believe you must be true to regardless of what anyone else thinks about you. From what I read that is how Nelson Mandella felt. I am not sure about Terry.
My efforts may have been silly, of no accord. But I did what I was compelled to do. Does that answer your question?

[rachel]

oh and I forgot to add that the reason this was even something for me to mention is that the gospels, the good news about God Incarnate and his interactions with his chosen apostles and others that he healed and raised from the dead etc. these four books are a lot about faith and believing so I just threw that in dear Scher.

[Scheherazade]

I am saying that is what I was convinced I was supposed to do. And when it occurred I felt released to stop praying. More than that I cannot say. What is unusual about that? Even presidents and prime ministers have asked nations to pray over certain matters that have had a favorable outcome.
Only God knows if I had any effect. My point is that what you believe you must be true to regardless of what anyone else thinks about you. From what I read that is how Nelson Mandella felt. I am not sure about Terry.
My efforts may have been silly, of no accord. But I did what I was compelled to do. Does that answer your question?Dear Rachel,

Thank you very much for your patient explanation. I agree with you that many people pray. So does my mother but she doesn't do it because she thinks she will change 'the great scheme of things' but she thinks God (the one she believes in, at least) will not turn a deaf ear to the requests of a mother for her children.

As for Prime Ministers/Presidents asking for prayers... I am not sure if I would have a strong faith in a leader who asks for prayers to keep the state business going. However, if they do, the message I would get would be 'Everything else has failed; now, we should start praying for a divine intervention.'

If things go favourably after a prayer, does that mean they are the direct result of those prayers? If yes, I think this kind of thinking begs the question 'why does God not answer some prayers?' Why does God ignore some people? Many kidnapped people never get released, for example. Aren't there enough people praying for them? Aren't those prayers as valuable and/or holy enough? Didn't millions of Jews who ended up in gas chambers pray for a way out till they spent their last breath?

[Xamonas Chegwe]

When I was a child and went (was dragged) to church, they always used to pray for good weather for outdoor church events. When the weather was fine, they gave thanks that their prayers were answered; when it rained, they said that others must have needed it to rain more than they needed it to be fine, and gave thanks for that.

Am I cynical to feel that that sounds like dreadful rationalisation?

[Green Lady]

This is not good on any levels.
To assume a man can write what is the sacred word of God without any evidence that the person is in touch with God is Heresy.



Any other religion could throw that same sentence back at you, saying that you are the Heresy, don't forget that. That's how so many different religions came to be in the first place. Everyone saying they are the one and only truth and the world divides in beliefs. *sigh*


When I was a child and went (was dragged) to church, they always used to pray for good weather for outdoor church events. When the weather was fine, they gave thanks that their prayers were answered; when it rained, they said that others must have needed it to rain more than they needed it to be fine, and gave thanks for that.

Am I cynical to feel that that sounds like dreadful rationalisation?

Well, maybe they should have said "you can't always get what you want. Otherwise, everyone would be winning the lottery." Heh, I'm not the only one that saw Bruce Almighty in here am I? :D

[Theshizznigg]

So maybe I am a heritic to my own religion, why not? Many Christians have been heritics in the eyes of the church because of their stances of Christianity?
Or maybe I believe so strongly that the words of Jesus is the truth that the idea of it being changed would incite horror into my little mind?
Or maybe, I was having a good laugh with myself at the thought that someone could rewrite the gospels?
Or maybe I wanted to see how you'd all react if I took a hard stance of "Praise the lord, call in the riot squad." on the issue?
Or maybe I added simply to delight those of you who think I'm a head case.
Or maybe I had watched that certain program on British news that told me that the thing was a hoax :goof: NO! could it be, he watches the BBC!
If it offends you all so badly, I'll change it.

"Little things, please little minds."
Shizz

[Green Lady]

What the heck are you talking about? You didn't say anything to offend anyone... If this is about my post, I didn't mean it as a complaint, just an add-in comment. A reminder that the world isn't perfect.

[cuppajoe_9]

There are already 52 gospels, to hear some people tell it.

[Mililalil XXIV]

You're joking, right? I mean the Bible has a verse in Revelations about not adding to or taking away from the Gospel. And this is supposedly sanctioned by who? It staggeres the mind, not that someone would think they could do a better job, but that the the religous community would in anyway agree with this. Whoo-boy!
Actually, the four Gospel Accounts are by nomeans the Gospel Itself, but are Books completely of Its Substance. There were countless other such Books, as Luke himself says in Scripture, but these were the best known ones by the early Church, and the rest may not all have been of the same literary style, so that some came to be accepted locally under a different classification. I have much more to say on that, but will set it aside for now. My point I have in mind to get to is that the Apocalypse of John does not say more Scriptures cannot be written, but that It's own Text must remain as was written through John. Through Providence the Fourfold Gospel Witness carries a united ecclesiastical recognition and reception, and is called "Canonical", as being a readily accepted Canon or Measuring Stick.

I personally have not looked into the "fifth gospel" matter. The early Church believed in new Revelations continuing to come from GOD, that are all part of one endless open Vision into the unveiled Reality of the Kingdom of GOD. As for establishing the Living Church that should have this endlessly living Experience, the first generation of Apostles were considered the Vicarious Firstfruits of the FOUNDATION, JESUS CHRIST, being called themselves the Foundation in this manner. They handed on their Teaching from the LORD not only in Scripture, but all the more orally. Their immediate Testimony was, in all its points of doctrinal and disciplinary definition and Custom, the Canons of the Catholic Church. The Hierarchy were individuals whom the Apostles appointed as GOD pointed these persons out, who had learned the Tradition of the Apostles in great depth. They succeded the first Apostles as holding Teaching positions with CHRIST-given Authority to use the Apostolical Canons as Shepherd's Rods for ecclesiastical guidance. Wherein were the first written kernals of the Apostolic Tradition, the Scriptures were at once recognized as canonical, if their provenance was known. There was no set list of canonical Documents, but an endless sea of Scriptures, of identical SPIRIT and Teaching. For ending canonical debates, Bishops selected Scriptures they had an overlapping consensus on, and oral Canons they had a universal custom for.

Canonical and noncanonical didn't yet mean inspired an uninspired to all, as some still recieved Revelations they recognized as on equal Authority from the SPIRIT for recognition and Honor, while they could not, on a purely literary basis, historically speaking, be used on the basis of being the earliest specimens of the written portion of the Apostolic Canons, as absolute tie-breaking proof of the standards of traditional measurement.

I would have to see how a new "fifth gospel" would relate to the Apostolic Canons. The canonical Documents in existence could never lose their peculiar Apostolic appeal as Divine Evidence, even if more like them were discovered and acknowledged beside them.

[Chris Weimer]

You're joking, right? I mean the Bible has a verse in Revelations about not adding to or taking away from the Gospel. And this is supposedly sanctioned by who? It staggeres the mind, not that someone would think they could do a better job, but that the the religous community would in anyway agree with this. Whoo-boy!
Actually, as Mililalil XXIV said, the verse in Revelation says no words can be added to "this prophecy" i.e. Revelation. And besides, what do you think that Mel Gibson did or that other movie producers who make movies on the life of Jesus? I've seen very few that are gospel-themed. Most of them are harmonies instead.

The reason you only have four in the Bible is quite simple: "It is not possible that the Gospels can be either more or fewer in number than they are. For, since there are four zones of the world in which we live, and four principal winds, while the Church is scattered throughout all the world, and the "pillar and ground" of the Church is the Gospel and the spirit of life; it is fitting that she should have four pillars, breathing out immortality on every side, and vivifying men afresh."

[Regit]

I hope The Unnamable has not been banned from the forum.

[ShoutGrace]

I hope The Unnamable has not been banned from the forum.

Echo . . .