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Originally Posted by KMA-628
guthmond -
the show seems to be revolving around the Book/Gospel of Matthias--an apocryphal book that was removed from the New Testament.
The book is lost and I can only find mention of it--no exact quotes or anything--but I am seeing a theme that the Matthias book was considered heretical by the "Church" and gnostic.
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Absolutely. A remarkable number of books by the apostles are considered heretical in the broadest sense of the term. From what I've read over the years, nobody seems to have any idea exactly who Matthias was. I've read that he was appointed to be an apostle to replace Judas Iscariot by winning a "contest" proffered by the remaining 11 apostles.
The fact is there are several books that seem to have Matthias' hand in them, but no one seems to know if it was the same Matthias or several different men bearing the same name or writing it themselves and attributing it to him, which wasn't all that uncommon at the time.
Anyway enough with the history lessons, no? You're absolutely right. The Gospel/Book of Matthias hasn't been found, but there are some honorable mentions of him in the writings of others. I'm not sure of what you found, but here's what I've amassed so far.
Origen lumps the writings of Matthias and Thomas together in his Homily on Luke. Eusebius lumps the Gospels of Peter, Thomas and Matthias all together and calls them heretical.
While there is no way of knowing for sure, here are a couple of quotes supposedly from the teachings of Matthias. It isn't all that big a stretch to think that he would write something along the same lines as what he was teaching.
From Clement:
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Strom. II 9.45.4 The beginning thereof [sc. of the knowledge of the truth] is to wonder at things, as Plato says in the Theaetetus and Matthias in the Traditions when he warns 'Wonder at what is present' establishing this as the first step to the knowledge of things beyond.
Strom. III 4.26.3
Strom. II 208.7-9 They (the Gnostics) say that Matthias also taught as follows: 'To strive with the flesh and misuse it, without yielding to it in any way to unbridled lust, but to increase the soul through faith and knowledge'.
Strom VII 13.82.1 They say that Matthias the apostle in the Traditions explains at every turn: 'If the neighbor of one of the chosen sin, then has the elect sinned; for if he had so conducted himself as the Word commends, the neighbor would have had such awe at his way of life that he would not have fallen into sin'.
Strom IV 6.35.2
So Zaccheus whom they call Matthias, the chief tax collector, when he had heard that the Lord had esteemed him highly enough to be with him, said, "Behold, half of my present possessions I give as alms, and Lord, if I ever extorted money from anyone in any way, I return it fourfold."
At this the savior said, "When the son of man came today, he found that which was lost."
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There's also a tie to the "Oxyrhynchus 840 Gospel" is tied to Matthias by some as well. The writing style, particular wording and it's location lead some to believe that it might have the hand of Matthias involved either directly or indirectly.