What they say about Gnosticism

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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]
  1. ↑ Hostility - Guilt by association
Like Christianity, Gnosticism evolved over time. [1]
  1. ↑ Hostility - Guilt by association
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]
  1. ↑ Hostility - Guilt by association
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]
  1. ↑ Gnosticism - Simon Magus]]
Early Gnosticism probably arose out of apocalyptic Judaism, and hostility towards the God of the Old Testament. [1]
  1. ↑ Gnosticism - Simon Magus miracles were magic power.
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]
  1. ↑ magic power
  2. ↑ ▸ ± 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. }]
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]
  1. ↑ ▸ ± Ge 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
In other words, Gnostics believed that creation came out of evil matter. [1]
  1. ↑ ▸ ± 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. }]
Since God was spirit and good, he could not have created matter. [1]
  1. ↑ ▸ ± 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.
God created “spiritual elements” that handled matter and created the world. [1]
  1. ↑ Cabbalists assign this to the letters.
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]
  1. ↑ This is the foundation for them why man is and must be, hostile to God.
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]
  1. ↑ or conquered...
It led to a false humility of not being worthy and hence, not being able to approach God. [1]
  1. ↑ Gnosticism drives the flesh.
Therefore, one needed to submit to the angels and “spiritual elements.” [1]
  1. ↑ Source of praying to Mary and the dead
In essence, then, the Gnostics believed that a spiritual God did not create the world. [1]
  1. ↑ Denial that He is the creator, source of "The problem of evil"
In Gnostic thought, Jesus was one of those “spiritual elements” that God created, although he was certainly above all of them. [1]
  1. ↑ Denial of the flesh of Christ. Foundation for denying the kenosis.
Since matter derived from evil, it stands to reason the body was also evil. [1]
  1. ↑ THe carnal mind is enmity, not the carnal flesh.
Jesus, then, who was derived from God was spiritual. [1]
  1. ↑ Denial of kenosis
He was not a real man (it has been said by Gnostics that when Jesus walked, he left no footprints). [1]
  1. ↑ Magic Jesus
In Gnostic thought, a “redeemer” would descend from heaven, teach gnosis, and then return to heaven.[1]
  1. ↑ Same as Jewish Adam Kadmon
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]
  1. ↑ A perversion of "Only through teaching" can one know" ▸ ± Ro 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
In order for people to be saved, they had to find their way back to God. [1]
  1. ↑ Denial that God had chosen us
This “way” was barred by all those “spiritual elements. [1]”
  1. ↑ The false teachers barred the way: ▸ ± Mt 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
In order for the soul to get to God, it had to bypass these elements, one by one. [1]
  1. ↑ Source for casting out demons from Christians
The only way to pass by them was to have secret passwords or special knowledge. [1]
  1. ↑ Source for casting out demons from Christians using exorcism rituals
Gnosticism was able to provide this secret knowledge.
Such knowledge came through doctrinal instruction, ritual, prophecy, sacramental initiations, and self-discovery.
This knowledge could be taught but generally came as a “call.”
All this really meant was that salvation was based on knowledge. (There was nothing about forgiveness of sins, love for others, or the cross and resurrection in this theology.)[1]
  1. ↑ How many churches require confession of their 'distinctive' doctrines to be saved?
Nor was every person going to be able to achieve this level of knowledge. [1]
  1. ↑ Only the elect? Calvinism?
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]
  1. ↑ Monks
They tried to move away from matter and material things.[1]
  1. ↑ Monks
Bodily pleasures were to be avoided.[1]
  1. ↑ Monks and priests
Others, however, moved in the opposite direction of libertinism. [1]
  1. ↑ Age of grace
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]
  1. ↑ The elect
Christianity would wrestle with Gnosticism for centuries. [1]
  1. ↑ and still does.
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