The Gospel Truth

[Derek Jackson]

WI Christians simply used the Gospels as the central 'bibile' of their faith?

[bernooch]

Without all the doctrines of Pauline Christianity....hrm...very interesting christianity....you'd have three gospels that present Yeshua as a somewhat human being...and John's Gospel of the super-divine Christ...You'd still have serious doctrinal issues...especially without the development of the divine Christ character in Paul's letters....

Probably end up with a "Jewish Christianity" like the Ebionites...or the very early Jerusalem Church led by James the brother of Jesus...you know...Gentiles still welcome but have to observe the Noahide laws etc...


WI Christians simply used the Gospels as the central 'bibile' of their faith?

[Nicole]

Hm, I suppose St. Paul's writings could still end up like the writings of the Church Fathers and held in high regard. Though, if you still get something like Protestantism, they could throw them out with impunity... and in any case they'd be less important.

[ZaphodBeeblebrox]

WI Christians simply used the Gospels as the central 'bibile' of their faith?
Do they Throw out The Old Testament, As Well ...

'Cause that Alone, Could Make for a Kinder, Gentler, Christianity ...

Speaking as a Jew; The Tanakh Portrays G-d as a Horrible Xenophobe, And Coming at it Very Frankly, That Never Quite Meshed up with Jesus' Ultimate Message, Of LOVE thy Neighbour as thyself!

:eek:

[el t]

Is this history?

[False Dmitri]

Is this history?

An alternate New Testament would make for a different Christianity. So yes.

[Hapsburg]

WI Christians simply used the Gospels as the central 'bibile' of their faith?
As in, either they integrate the Book of Revelation, Acts of the Apostles, and the various Epistles into the NT, or they're never written?
Interesting. That would make for a far different Christianity, and a far different world history.
Though I think it's too much to assume that they'd toss out the Old Testament. Not even the OTL Gnostics threw that out.

[bernooch]

Marcion tossed out the Old Testament I believe...and he was the first person to compile what became known as a Testament...If I recall Marcion was gnostic or gnostic-esque

[DuQuense]

?Is this just the Four Gospels of OTL, or does it include the Gospels of the Other Disciples?

[rcduggan]

IIRC the Paulicians -- proto-Bogomils of Bulgaria, ancestors of the Cathars and Tondrakians -- used only two gospels as the entire scripture. They were a significant power in Anatolia until the 870s when their capital was destroyed by Basil I the Macedonian, Roman (Byzantine) Emperor. The religion decried the use of icons, as well as various earthly indulgences. It was Christian, but Gnostic-influenced.

A possible POD would be for a more successful Paulician movement that converts the Byzantine Empire. (There was a thread about just that here (http://www.alternatehistory.com/Discussion/showthread.php?t=91731).) We could have analogues of Cyril and Methodius that spread Paulician ideas in Europe. Eventually there could be a TTL reformation of sorts in which Catholicism or part of it is forcibly redefined to only recognize a few of the gospels.