What they say about Gnosticism: Difference between revisions
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{{1c| This world and this body are not the ultimate reality. {{bgw| 1Ch 29:15 }} For we [are] strangers before thee, and sojourners, as [were] all our fathers: our days on the earth [are] as a shadow, and [there is] none abiding. [{abiding: Heb. expectation }]</ref>}} | {{1c| This world and this body are not the ultimate reality. {{bgw| 1Ch 29:15 }} For we [are] strangers before thee, and sojourners, as [were] all our fathers: our days on the earth [are] as a shadow, and [there is] none abiding. [{abiding: Heb. expectation }]</ref>}} | ||
{{1c| Matter was eternal and the world had been created out of this evil stuff. <ref>{{bgw| Ge 1:1 }} In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.</ref>}} | {{1c| Matter was eternal and the world had been created out of this evil stuff. <ref>{{bgw| Ge 1:1 }} In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.</ref>}} | ||
{{1c| In other words, Gnostics believed that creation came out of evil matter. <ref>{{bgw|Ge 1:31 | {{1c| In other words, Gnostics believed that creation came out of evil matter. <ref>{{bgw|Ge 1:31 }} And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. [{And the evening … : Heb. And the evening was, and the morning was etc. }]</ref> }} | ||
{{1c| Since God was spirit and good, he could not have created matter. <ref>{{bgw| Ro 1:21 }} Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.</ref>}} | {{1c| Since God was spirit and good, he could not have created matter. <ref>{{bgw| Ro 1:21 }} Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.</ref>}} | ||
{{1c| God created “spiritual elements” that handled matter and created the world. <ref>Cabbalists assign this to the letters.</ref>}} | {{1c| God created “spiritual elements” that handled matter and created the world. <ref>Cabbalists assign this to the letters.</ref>}} |
Revision as of 17:05, 22 August 2022
What they say about Gnosticism [∞]
from: https://www.biblewise.com/bible_study/characters/first-century.php
Discussion
Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis, meaning “knowledge.” · [1] | |
Like Christianity, Gnosticism evolved over time. [1] | |
There were many forms of Gnosticism throughout early Christianity. | |
Scholars have identified many strands prevalent in the first century that were synthesized within Gnosticism, including Egyptian religion, Judaism, Christianity, astrology, and Greek philosophy. [1] | |
An initial wave of Gnosticism arose after the destruction of the temple in 70CE, but it wasn’t until the second century that it gained in prominence and achieved its classical form.[1] |
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Early Gnosticism probably arose out of apocalyptic Judaism, and hostility towards the God of the Old Testament. [1] |
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It arose after people abandoned the idea that God would take action on their behalf. | |
Gnostics believed that matter was evil and spirit was good. [2] | |
This world and this body are not the ultimate reality. ▸ ± 1Ch 29:15 For we [are] strangers before thee, and sojourners, as [were] all our fathers: our days on the earth [are] as a shadow, and [there is] none abiding. [{abiding: Heb. expectation }]</ref> | |
Matter was eternal and the world had been created out of this evil stuff. [1] | |
In other words, Gnostics believed that creation came out of evil matter. [1] | |
Since God was spirit and good, he could not have created matter. [1] | |
God created “spiritual elements” that handled matter and created the world. [1] |
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As these “spiritual elements” drifted farther and farther from God, they became more and more ignorant of Him and, in the end, hostile to him. [1] |
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Nonetheless, these spiritual elements had to be pacified (worshiped) because ultimately they were in control of the world, including all the people in it. [1] |
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It led to a false humility of not being worthy and hence, not being able to approach God. [1] |
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Therefore, one needed to submit to the angels and “spiritual elements.” [1] |
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In essence, then, the Gnostics believed that a spiritual God did not create the world. [1] |
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In Gnostic thought, Jesus was one of those “spiritual elements” that God created, although he was certainly above all of them. [1] |
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Since matter derived from evil, it stands to reason the body was also evil. [1] |
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Jesus, then, who was derived from God was spiritual. [1] |
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He was not a real man (it has been said by Gnostics that when Jesus walked, he left no footprints). [1] |
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In Gnostic thought, a “redeemer” would descend from heaven, teach gnosis, and then return to heaven.[1] |
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Even though Gnostic thought predated Christ, it was adapted to include him. | |
It led to the argument that only through gnosis could people understand and participate in the fulness of Christianity. [1] | |
In order for people to be saved, they had to find their way back to God. [1] |
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This “way” was barred by all those “spiritual elements. [1]” | |
In order for the soul to get to God, it had to bypass these elements, one by one. Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
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Nor was every person going to be able to achieve this level of knowledge. [1] |
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Only those who were spiritually minded could be saved. | |
The ordinary person, the earthly person was simply out of luck. | |
Because Gnostics saw matter as evil, many of them were rigidly ascetic.[1] |
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They tried to move away from matter and material things.[1] |
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Bodily pleasures were to be avoided.[1] |
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Others, however, moved in the opposite direction of libertinism. [1] |
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The thought was that since the body was already evil, what did it matter what one did or how one lived? | |
Their motto was “anything goes.” | |
Either way, they renounced their bodies and were “reborn.” | |
Gnostics believed themselves to be part of a privileged few. [1] |
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Christianity would wrestle with Gnosticism for centuries. [1] |
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