Which Bible?

I have a question about the Bible. I have decided to examine the things presented in it, and I am wondering, which Bible publications can be taken as being the most reliable, as in the most 'closest to the truth'.

rafal

The best are "The Book of Thomas" and "The Gospel of Thomas" - see the reference [2] in the Freedom of Choice.

Thomas was apparently the ONLY one who REALLY asked questions and wanted to UNDERSTAND. Most other people didn't even know what to ask.

These two books were removed by Church officials LONG tome ago (@1,700 years ago) simply because they gave intelligent readers too many ideas how to SEEK and actually FIND. Needless to say, all traces to these books were removed.

In 1945 a sealed storage jar was found in Egypt. Among several manuscripts found inside there were above two books, written using the alphabet of MU - closely resembling the Greek alphabet.

These texts escaped Church censorship, although some sayings of Jesus are still being mistranslated due to certain affiliations of translators.

Writing of "The Freedom of Choice" was provoked by these two books. "The Freedom of Choice" book is the RESULT of SEEKING and FINDING - a result of studying ideas expressed in these two books.

Tom

I just read The Book of Thomas and specifically the translation by James M. Robinson, 1990. It is obvious that he looked at this text through the prism of his narrow doctrine and the result was a distorted and fractured translation, which makes it very difficult to follow Jesus arguments and comprehend their deeper meanings.

During my reading two questions popped up in my head and I would very much like to hear your point of view on them.

First, what does Jesus mean by 'the fire, which guides the ignorant'?

Georgy

You have quite indoctrinated and ignorant translation indeed. The meaning is quite clear in the reference [2]. See for yourself:

Here is Chapter 4:1 , line 5:
"Some people have wings, but run after what they can see, what is far from truth. For the fire that leads them will give illusion of truth and will shine on them with transitory beauty. It will make them prisoners of the delights of darkness, and capture them in sweet-smelling pleasures. It will make them blind with unquenchabe passion, it will inflame their souls, and be like a stake that is jammed into their hearts and can never be removed. Or like a bit in the mouth, it direct them as it wishes.
"This fire has bound these people with its chains, and tied all their limbs with the bitter bond of desire for visible things, which change, and decay, and fluctuate impulsively. Such people are always dragged downward."

Tom

Second, in talking about these 'ignorant' and 'bestial'people, Jesus talks a few times about 'the day of judgment'.

Georgy

There is no "day of judgment" whatsoever in my translation. The closest I found is this:

"For the fleshly body of people will pass away and when it disintegrates, it will find its place in what is visible and can be seen.
"Then, the fire that those people see will make them suffer, because of their love for the faith they once had. They will be brought back to the visible realm."

Tom