And even if there be not as yet any one who is worthy to be called a son of God, nevertheless let him labor earnestly to be adorned according to his first-born Logos, the eldest of his angels, as the great archangel of many names, for he is called the Authority, and the name of God, and the Logos, and man according to God's image, and he who sees Israel. For which reason I was induced a little while ago to praise the principles of those who said, "We are all one man's sons." (Gen. 42:11). For even if we are not yet suitable to be called the sons of God, still we may deserve to be called the children of his eternal image, of his most sacred Logos; for the image of God is his most ancient Logos.
The problem is and has always been the Johannine corpus and especially the Gospel of John. These writings were developed in association with the circle of Polycarp who had a very specific agenda. The leading authorities in Rome and Alexandria rejected their authenticity.
I think it was because they recognized the Polycarpian (anti-Papal) agenda which the rest of us have been slow to pick up on. Then again "most of us" scholars are Protestant. This shouldn't be surprising ...
If you are interested in reading how this observation fits within my greater understanding of the workings of Secret Mark WITHIN the contemporary Alexandrian Church please go here
If you want to read more about how Alexandrian Christianity was rooted in the Jewish traditions of Alexandria, Philo of Alexandria and more feel free to purchase my new book here
