What they say about Gnosticism: Difference between revisions

{{1c| Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis, meaning “knowledge.” · <ref>[[Hostility - Guilt by association]]</ref>}}

{{1c| Like Christianity, Gnosticism evolved over time. <ref>[[Hostility - Guilt by association]]</ref>}}

{{1c| Scholars have identified many strands prevalent in the first century that were synthesized within Gnosticism, including Egyptian religion, Judaism, Christianity, astrology, and Greek philosophy. <ref>[[Hostility - Guilt by association]]}}

{{1c| 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.<ref>Gnosticism - Simon Magus]]}}

{{1c| Early Gnosticism probably arose out of apocalyptic Judaism, and hostility towards the God of the Old Testament. <ref>[[Gnosticism - Simon Magus]] miracles were [[Gnosticism - magic power|magic power]].</ref>}}

{{1c| It arose after people abandoned the idea that God would take action on their behalf.}} <ref>[[Gnosticism - magic power|magic power]]</ref>

{{1c| Gnostics believed that matter was evil and spirit was good. <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>}} {{bgw| Ro 8:7 }} Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. [{the carnal … : Gr. the minding of the flesh }]</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| 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| God created “spiritual elements” that handled matter and created the world. <ref>Cabbalists assign this to the letters.</ref>}}

{{1c| 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. <ref>This is the foundation for them why man is and must be, hostile to God.</ref>}}

{{1c| Nonetheless, these spiritual elements had to be pacified (worshiped) because ultimately they were in control of the world, including all the people in it. <ref>or conguered... </ref>}}

{{1c| It led to a false humility of not being worthy and hence, not being able to approach God. <ref>Gnosticism drives the flesh.</ref>}}

{{1c| Therefore, one needed to submit to the angels and “spiritual elements.” <ref>Source of praying to Mary and the dead</ref>}}

{{1c| In essence, then, the Gnostics believed that a spiritual God did not create the world. <ref>Denial that He is the creator, source of "The problem of evil"</ref>}}

{{1c| In Gnostic thought, Jesus was one of those “spiritual elements” that God created, although he was certainly above all of them. <ref>Denial of the flesh of Christ. Foundation for denying the kenosis.</ref>}}

{{1c| Since matter derived from evil, it stands to reason the body was also evil. <ref>THe carnal mind is enmity, not the carnal flesh. </ref>}}

{{1c| Jesus, then, who was derived from God was spiritual. <ref>Denial of kenosis</ref>}}

{{1c| He was not a real man (it has been said by Gnostics that when Jesus walked, he left no footprints). <ref> Magic Jesus</ref>}}

{{1c| In Gnostic thought, a “redeemer” would descend from heaven, teach gnosis, and then return to heaven.<ref>Same as Jewish Adam Kadmon</ref>}}

{{1c| It led to the argument that only through gnosis could people understand and participate in the fulness of Christianity. <ref>A perversion of "Only through teaching" can one know" {{bgw| Ro 10:17 }} So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.</ref>}}

{{1c| In order for people to be saved, they had to find their way back to God. <ref>Denial that God had chosen us</ref>}}

{{1c| This “way” was barred by all those “spiritual elements. <ref>The false teachers barred the way: {{bgw| 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.</ref>”}}

{{1c| In order for the soul to get to God, it had to bypass these elements, one by one. <ref>Source for casting out demons from Christians}}

{{1c| The only way to pass by them was to have secret passwords or special knowledge. <ref>Source for casting out demons from Christians using exorcism rituals}}

{{1c| 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.)<ref>How many churches require confession of their 'distinctive' doctrines to be saved?</ref>}}

{{1c| Nor was every person going to be able to achieve this level of knowledge. <ref>Only the elect? Calvinism?</ref>}}

{{1c| Because Gnostics saw matter as evil, many of them were rigidly ascetic.<ref>Monks</ref>}}

{{1c| They tried to move away from matter and material things.<ref> Monks</ref>}}

{{1c| Bodily pleasures were to be avoided.<ref> Monks and priests</ref>}}

{{1c| Others, however, moved in the opposite direction of libertinism. <ref> Age of grace</ref>}}

{{1c| Gnostics believed themselves to be part of a privileged few. <ref> The elect</ref>}}

{{1c| Christianity would wrestle with Gnosticism for centuries. <ref> and still does.</ref>}}