Something Smells Funny

A spiritual sheep looks at The Treatise on the Resurrection.

A mildly analytic look at The Treatise on the Resurrection from the second century. 

produced by static force llc sometimes things don't change.

Transcript

Title: Something Smells Funny

Subtitle: A sheep looks at The Treatise on the Resurrection.

Description: A mildly analytic look at The Treatise on the Resurrection from the second century.

Marketing: With enough exposure, you can smell these things.

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Something Smells Funny

by Eric Engelmann

All content © 2025 Static Force, LLC

I'm going to pray:

Father in Heaven, Thank you for the daily bread of your word. Fill us with your love, joy and peace. Grant us a sound mind, in Jesus' name.

I read an article in a magazine that I don't read often. The article reviewed a book by an author I've never read and a second century document that -- you guessed it -- I never read. The quote from the document sounded like it could be a spiritual tidbit worth exploring.

The Treatise on the Resurrection is a second-century document written in Greek and labeled by many as gnostic. That means it needlessly emphasizes knowledge. The purpose of my episode is to tell you -- it smelled funny. The way I've found to tell you how funny it smelled is to try and look at it from the point of view of a sheep. I'll explain more later.

The part of the Treatise that first hooked my attention is this:

"Do not think the resurrection is an illusion. It is no illusion, but it is truth! Indeed, it is more fitting to say the world is an illusion, rather than the resurrection."

That quote is correct about the resurrection of Jesus. It agrees with a lot of Scripture. Jesus did say, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away."

The treatise does mention Christ. It does mention the resurrection. It encorages the reader to be careful where to get information. It references the gospel, Moses and Elijah.

But there are some things missing. The Treatise struck me as odd.

In contrast, Jesus told His disciples in the Gospel of John, "My sheep hear my voice. The voice of a stranger they will not follow." 

I love God. I love my Heavenly Father. I love Him because He first loved me. His love is why I'm interested in resurrection and living forever. Without Him, eternal life would get dull and boring and then get worse from there.

I'm looking for motivation to live forever. I know that without God's love, resurrection can be hell.

To be fair, the Treatise mentions love. It ends with these words: "I greet you and those who love you in brotherly Love." But, the love mentioned here is a brotherly love. I don't think it's the steadfast love of the Most High.

While writing this article, I loaded the Treatise in just a little over two pages in Google Docs. I scanned the 1500ish words without finding these: hear, listen, father, pray, covenant.

Faith is mentioned, but it looks like the faith is supposed to be in the resurrection -- not clear mention of having faith in the One who raises from the dead. Without mentioning the Father, it almost looks like Jesus became great by Himself.

Frankly, the Treatise looks like it's fixated on greatness. There's one sentence that puzzles me -- but not enough to spend a lot of time on. The sentence is this:

"Great are those who believe."

Rather than wrestle any more with the definition of greatness or the mechanisms of the universe, I'm going to refer back to the Old Testament and a passage that talks about sheep following the shepherd:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the *shadow of death*,

I will fear no evil;

For *You are with me*;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.”

I think I'm looking forward to the smells of the table that come from being with the Most High. 

It'll be great.

All content © 2025 Static Force, LLC