I don't disagree. I think there were earlier versions of the narrative that were more open to "Gnostic" interpretation, or led to "Gnostic" interpretation. The idea that someone would start out with a Gospel like Matthew or canonical Luke and then modify or change it in order to arrive at the belief that Jesus was a pure spirit from heaven doesn't make sense. It must be that the belief that Jesus was a spirit from heaven originated from stories that more clearly said he was a spirit from heaven. I don't even think that reconstructed versions of *Ev would really lead to the types of ideas that were claimed to have existed among multiple Christians, of Jesus descending from heaven. "He came down to Capernaum" doesn't do it.
And the transformation of stories that began with Jesus being a spirit from heaven into a person born on earth makes far more sense than the other way around.
We know there is significant testimony from the church fathers indicating that several Christian groups believed that Jesus was a spirit who had descended to earth directly from heaven. We know that Ascension of Isaiah describes very directly how "the Beloved" descends from the highest heaven down through the levels of heaven, being transfigured to take on the appearance of the beings from each level as a disguise. We also know there is nothing like this "transfiguration" described in the traditional Jewish scriptures. And that transfiguration in Ascension of Isaiah serves a purpose, which is hiding the identity of "the Beloved".
Given that, what I've shown in the OP is that such an opening can be achieved by more closely aligning the opening with the Kings narrative and with the openings of Luke and John.
There is also clearly a link between the Transfiguration scene and the opening. In Ascension of Isaiah the Beloved is presumably transfigured as he enters the earthly realm. He was transfigured from the form of the "angels of the air" into one "like a son of man".
https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/ ... nsion.html
9. And that thou mayest see the Lord of all those heavens and these thrones.
10. Undergoing (successive) transformation until He resembles your form and likeness.
...
18. And the angel who conducted me [from this world was with me and] said unto me: "Understand, Isaiah, and see the transformation and descent of the Lord will appear."
...
25. And again I saw when He descended into the second heaven, and again He gave the password there; those who kept the gate proceeded to demand and the Lord to give.
26. And I saw when He made Himself like unto the form of the angels in the second heaven, and they saw Him and they did not praise Him; for His form was like unto their form.
27. And again I saw when He descended into the first heaven, and there also He gave the password to those who kept the gate, and He made Himself like unto the form of the angels who were on the left of that throne, and they neither praised nor lauded Him; for His form was like unto their form.
28. But as for me no one asked me on account of the angel who conducted me.
29. And again He descended into the firmament where dwelleth the ruler of this world, and He gave the password to those on the left, and His form was like theirs, and they did not praise Him there; but they were envying one another and fighting; for here there is a power of evil and envying about trifles.
30. And I saw when He descended and made Himself like unto the angels of the air, and He was like one of them.
31. And He gave no password; for one was plundering and doing violence to another.
10. Undergoing (successive) transformation until He resembles your form and likeness.
...
18. And the angel who conducted me [from this world was with me and] said unto me: "Understand, Isaiah, and see the transformation and descent of the Lord will appear."
...
25. And again I saw when He descended into the second heaven, and again He gave the password there; those who kept the gate proceeded to demand and the Lord to give.
26. And I saw when He made Himself like unto the form of the angels in the second heaven, and they saw Him and they did not praise Him; for His form was like unto their form.
27. And again I saw when He descended into the first heaven, and there also He gave the password to those who kept the gate, and He made Himself like unto the form of the angels who were on the left of that throne, and they neither praised nor lauded Him; for His form was like unto their form.
28. But as for me no one asked me on account of the angel who conducted me.
29. And again He descended into the firmament where dwelleth the ruler of this world, and He gave the password to those on the left, and His form was like theirs, and they did not praise Him there; but they were envying one another and fighting; for here there is a power of evil and envying about trifles.
30. And I saw when He descended and made Himself like unto the angels of the air, and He was like one of them.
31. And He gave no password; for one was plundering and doing violence to another.
In Mark 9 we are told: "He was transfigured before them; 3 and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them."
But this "transfiguration" is superfluous. So Jesus presumably floats up into the air and becomes bright and shiny. Okay. This is a lot of hoopla for not much. The whole scene is strained. It makes more sense that instead there was a witnessing of the Spirit descending as a dove (an angel of the air) and then upon his further descent he was "transfigured" into "one like a son of man".
Such a narrative is more in line with Ascension of Isaiah, more in line with the Elijah/Elisha narrative, and more in line with the openings of John and Luke 3. Is that coincidence?
Again, the opening of John:
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This opening is quite a bit different from the canonical Synoptic openings of the ministry of Jesus (Mark 1, Mathew 3, Luke 3), yet we can see how this opening could easily have been derived from something like:
And the word of God came to John in the wilderness. 10 Immediately he saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit as a dove coming down upon him; He was transfigured into one like a son of man; 3 and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them 11 and a voice came out of the heavens: “This is My beloved Son, in Him I am well-pleased.”
Now we have something that: #1 is actually more aligned with the Kings narrative, #2 could reasonable cause people to say that Jesus was a spirit who had come from heaven, #3 is more aligned with Luke 3, and can be the inspiration of the opening of John. #4 This gives us a better explanation for the term "son of man". #5 It also provides a better explanation of why Jesus is hiding his identity.
