The Lost Gospels with Pete Owen Jones

Here’s a wonderful documentary from the BBC titled “The Lost Gospels” by the Anglican priest Pete Owen Jones.  Jones discusses the history of not just the Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but at least 20 gospels, 15 apocalypses, and more than 50 other texts about Jesus; most written during the first several centuries of Christianity including the discovery of the Gospel of Peter (St. Peter) discovered in 1885, to the Gospel of Mary Magdalene discovered in 1896, and the Nag Hammadi scrolls (the Gnostic Gospels) found by Bedouin farmers in December 1945. 

Jones discusses Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria who, in 367 C.E., condemned what he considered heretical writings including the Gospels of Mary, Philip, Peter, and Thomas as well as Paul’s third letter to the Corinthians.  The film includes a historical discussion with Prof. Bart Erhman, shows the Coptic Museum in Cairo, Christian catacombs in Rome.  It also provides an interesting discussion about Mary Magdalene (and how Mary may have been much more prominent, influential, and perhaps even held a dominant role—perhaps even Jesus’ closest disciple and how she should have been the first Pope) as well as discussions about Thomas (Doubting Thomas), and Marcion who in his canons concluded that there were two Gods, the vengeful God of the Old Testament and “God the Stranger;” the God of Jesus who came into the world to save the world from the vengeful deity.  Jones discusses how The Gospel of Peter indicated Jesus was not human, did not suffer or feel pain during crucifixion and therefore did not die, as well as the Gospel of the Ebionites and others that did not make it into today’s Christian Bible like this little gem from Peter:

114 Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary leave us, for females don't deserve life.”  Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the domain of Heaven.”

Not really sure what to make of that whole "females don't deserve life,” as well as Jesus' response that he He "...will guide her to make her male" thing.