공관복음서 보다 40-50년 먼저 쓰인 것으로 추정되는 원시그리스도교 Q복음서가 전하는 역사적 예수의 삶과 가르침은 기존의 기독교가 전하는 신앙으로 각색된 하나님의 아들 예수 그리스도의 모습과 상당한 편차를 보인다. Q 교회 공동체에서 전해진 예수는 기복이나 구원의 대상이라기보다는 그를 사랑하고 믿는 자들이 따라야 할 동양의 현자(賢者)나 구도자의 모습을 떠 올리게 한다. 광야에서 40일에 걸친 온갖 사탄의 시험을 물리친 후 하나님의 아들(마이스터)오서 인증된 예수는 민중 속으로 들어가 그들과 동고동락하면서 그들의 삶의 동반자로 살아간다. 하나님의 아들로서의 예수의 특징을 Q는 위로는 하늘 아버지의 완전함을 본받고, 아래로는 ‘민중과 화작(化作)하는 삶’에서 찾는다. 이러한 Q의 예수상은 리차드 바크에 의해서 쓰인 소설 <갈매기 꿈>에 등장하는 조나단 리빙스턴 시걸의 삶이나 가르침과 흡사한 면이 있다. 조나단은 최고(마이스터)가 되기 위해서 부단한 노력을 하는 수행과정에서 동양의 마이스터 치앙쯔(莊子)를 만나게 된다. 마이스터(최고)가 된 조나단은 다시 갈매기의 세계로 돌아가 그들과 화작(化作)하는 삶을 살아간다. Q의 예수나 조나단의 삶과 가르침은 대승불교가 꿈꾸는 이상적 인간상인 “상구보리 하화중생(上求菩提 下化衆生)”에 일치한다. 위로는 진리를 추구하고 동시에 아래로는 민중과 하나되는 삶을 사는 것이 곧 양자에게서 동일하게 나타난다. 그런 의미에서 <갈매기의 꿈>을 우리는 소위 <제 5 복음서>라 불러도 무방할 것이다. 기독교는 2천년 역사를 통하여 주로 예수 그리스도를 예배나 숭배의 대상으로 섬겨왔다. 전지전능한 신의 능력을 지닌 신적 존재 예수의 힘을 빌려 내 소원을 이루며 복을 비는 것을 신앙의 본질이라고 가르쳐왔다. 예수에 관한 신적 신앙이 기독교 신앙의 주류를 이루고 있었던 것이다. 차제에 Q가 전하는 예수상을 성찰하여 예수의 휴머니즘을 재발견하여 우리 시대에 맞는 기독교 신앙의 균형을 바로 잡는 것이 필요할 것이다.

Before the formation of synoptic Gospels, which we can read easily today, the earlist Jesus people had written another Book of art these synoptic Gospels. It said 'the sayings of Gospel' or 'Q Gospel'. The Q Gospel had concerned not about the Jesus Christ, Son of God as object of faith, but about the life and teaching of historical Jesus. Q is a compilation of discourses and sayings of Jesus. It is therefor important for Q to distinguish between what is said about Jesus and what Jesus has said. The importance of the words of Jesus in Q does not stem from his death and resurrection but from the course of his ministry, where his words are presented as words of Sophia. Jesus was presented by Q community as "wisdom teacher" and "critical prophet". Jesus as "wisdom teacher" by Q is similar to "a seeker after truth" in the eastern-oriental thought world. Such image of Jesus by Q can be compared with Jonathan Livingston Seagull in the novel by Richard Bach. In his book the Author will overcome any limitation of consumed oriented western capitalistic modern culture or thought, in which he try to find any meeting between in the eastern-oriental and in the western-occidental thought. J.S.Seagull becomes in deed Meister through meetings with eastern-oriental Meister of freedom, Zuangz(莊子) high in the air. In that point of view the novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, may be called the Fifth Gospel. Jesus was not Object of worship or of adoration by Q people, but he was Object of Nachfolge or imitation by them. In the humanistic Jesus image, both in the Q Gospel and in the J.L.Seagull, we can not find the 'religion about Jesus', but the 'religion of Jesus.'

Before the formation of synoptic Gospels, which we can read easily today, the earlist Jesus people had written another Book of art these synoptic Gospels. It said 'the sayings of Gospel' or 'Q Gospel'. The Q Gospel had concerned not about the Jesus Christ, Son of God as object of faith, but about the life and teaching of historical Jesus. Q is a compilation of discourses and sayings of Jesus. It is therefor important for Q to distinguish between what is said about Jesus and what Jesus has said. The importance of the words of Jesus in Q does not stem from his death and resurrection but from the course of his ministry, where his words are presented as words of Sophia. Jesus was presented by Q community as "wisdom teacher" and "critical prophet". Jesus as "wisdom teacher" by Q is similar to "a seeker after truth" in the eastern-oriental thought world. Such image of Jesus by Q can be compared with Jonathan Livingston Seagull in the novel by Richard Bach. In his book the Author will overcome any limitation of consumed oriented western capitalistic modern culture or thought, in which he try to find any meeting between in the eastern-oriental and in the western-occidental thought. J.S.Seagull becomes in deed Meister through meetings with eastern-oriental Meister of freedom, Zuangz(莊子) high in the air. In that point of view the novel, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, may be called the Fifth Gospel. Jesus was not Object of worship or of adoration by Q people, but he was Object of Nachfolge or imitation by them. In the humanistic Jesus image, both in the Q Gospel and in the J.L.Seagull, we can not find the 'religion about Jesus', but the 'religion of Jesus.'

Q-Gospel. Q-community, Sophia, wisdom teacher, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Meister, The Fifth Gospel