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Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis, meaning “knowledge.” ·
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The foundation is being laid for the disassociation of knowledge and faith. [1] |
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Like Christianity, Gnosticism evolved over time. [1] |
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There were many forms of Gnosticism throughout early Christianity.
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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] |
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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] |
- ↑ Gnosticism - Simon Magus]]
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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.
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Gnostics believed that matter was evil and spirit was good. [2] |
- ↑ magic power
- ↑ ▸ ± 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. }]
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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>
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Matter was eternal and the world had been created out of this evil stuff. [1] |
- ↑ ▸ ± Ge 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
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In other words, Gnostics believed that creation came out of evil matter. [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. }]
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Since God was spirit and good, he could not have created matter. [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.
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God created “spiritual elements” that handled matter and created the world. [1] |
- ↑ Cabbalists assign this to the letters.
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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] |
- ↑ This is the foundation for them why man is and must be, hostile to God.
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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] |
- ↑ Gnosticism drives the flesh.
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Therefore, one needed to submit to the angels and “spiritual elements.” [1] |
- ↑ Source of praying to Mary and the dead
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In essence, then, the Gnostics believed that a spiritual God did not create the world. [1] |
- ↑ Denial that He is the creator, source of "The problem of evil"
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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] |
- ↑ Denial of the flesh of Christ. Foundation for denying the kenosis.
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Since matter derived from evil, it stands to reason the body was also evil. [1] |
- ↑ THe carnal mind is enmity, not the carnal flesh.
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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] |
- ↑ Same as Jewish Adam Kadmon
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Even though Gnostic thought predated Christ, it was adapted to include him.
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It led to the argument that only through gnosis could people understand and participate in the fulness of Christianity. [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.
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In order for people to be saved, they had to find their way back to God. [1] |
- ↑ Denial that God had chosen us
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This “way” was barred by all those “spiritual elements. [1]”
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- ↑ 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.
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In order for the soul to get to God, it had to bypass these elements, one by one. [1] |
- ↑ Source for casting out demons from Christians
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The only way to pass by them was to have secret passwords or special knowledge. [1] |
- ↑ Source for casting out demons from Christians using exorcism rituals
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Gnosticism was able to provide this secret knowledge.
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Such knowledge came through doctrinal instruction, ritual, prophecy, sacramental initiations, and self-discovery.
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This knowledge could be taught but generally came as a “call.”
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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] |
- ↑ How many churches require confession of their 'distinctive' doctrines to be saved?
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Nor was every person going to be able to achieve this level of knowledge. [1] |
- ↑ Only the elect? Calvinism?
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Only those who were spiritually minded could be saved.
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The ordinary person, the earthly person was simply out of luck.
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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?
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Their motto was “anything goes.”
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Either way, they renounced their bodies and were “reborn.”
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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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