Gnosticism

Philosophies and Alternative Beliefs – Gnosticism

Table of Contents

Overview

Gnosticism is a rather loose term given to various groups that claim to have a secret of hidden knowledge from that of traditional academics. They often claim they have information that traditional groups don’t want you to know about! The term Gnostic(s) has been applied to various groups and movements throughout history.

In the article, we will primarily explore those groups that broke off from early Christian churches, however, will include other group references. These early church groups accepting Gnosticism eventually deviated so severely from Biblical teachings, forming heretical groups, that eventually taught different gospels and different gods, taking on various Greek philosophies, mystery religions and pagan mixtures into their belief systems.

Etymology and Definitions

The definition of Gnostic and the term Gnostic come from the Greek word Gnosis which means knowledge or insight. Gnosticism was a term used in modern times dating back to the English philosopher Henry More (1614-87) applying the term to religious groups referred to in ancient sources as Gnostikoi. The Greek adj.  Gnostikos (meaning learning to knowledge) dates as far back as Plato who used the term to describe cognitive learning. By the 2^nd century a.d. the term had begun to be used by Christian groups, or rather, acclaimed Christian groups, who claimed to have access to deeper, higher, or secret knowledge.

History of Gnosticism

Hermeticism – Pre-Christian Gnosticism

Hermeticism or the Hermetic Tradition is largely believed to be a pre-Christian Hellenistic form of Gnosticism. Its traditions and writings date to the first century B.C. but are believed to derive from earlier traditions and writings. The oldest surviving writing we have is known as the Corpus Hermeticum ( the Hermetic body of writings) which was discovered in Byzantine Libraries. They were translated into Latin late in 1463 A.D. by the Italian Renaissance court of Cosimo de Medici.

Valentinian Gnosticism

Valentinus (100 a.d.e. – 180 a.d.e.) was the originator of Valentinianism, a major Gnostic movement in the second-century a.d. He was historically a candidate for the Bishop of Rome, but started hs own movement when another was chosen. This movement spread from Rome throughout Africa and Asia Minor and was active into the 4th century A.D. Many Church fathers, such as Irenaeus of Lyons and Hippolytus of Rome, vehemently opposed this movement and its teachings.

Ireanaus wrote of the superstructure celestial system that the Valentinians supposedly constructed. This system included all the deities and celestial Aeons (gods or spiritual beings) in their belief system and how they corresponded to one another and their specified aspects or elements.

Gnostic Beliefs

Using the gnostic texts from early 2^nd to 4th-century writings, including many pseudepigraphical forgeries from supposed apostles, we derive the teachings of the Gnostics and Gnostic myths. However, they utilized other documents and texts from earlier sources, including some pagan and Greek philosophers.

Evil Material World vs Good Spiritual World

Gnostics taught that the material world was evil and only under the control of evil, that nothing good existed in the material universe, and that good only existed in the spiritual world. Conversely, they taught that good only existed in the spiritual world, and that everything spiritual was good.

This teaching opened the door for followers to continue living a sinful lifestyle. They stated that since the material world was already evil, you could go on sinning because it didn’t affect anything spiritual, and that sin ultimately didn’t matter or affect your spirit. They taught you to indulge in any fleshly desire you want since all matter was already corrupt.

Salvation According to Gniosticism

The teaching that you can do as you please, since all matter is evil, is a massive contradiction to Biblical teachings as it redefines the meaning of sin and therefore redefines the necessity of salvation, and even the very definition of salvation. It gives in to sensuality and teaches followers that they can follow their sensual nature, which is a warning of false teaching (2 Peter 2.2).

Many Gnostics taught that since Jesus was God, He didn’t have a physical body, neither did He come in physical form but simply masqueraded as a man. This teaching contradicts the clear teachings and warnings of scripture (1 John 4.3). Gnostics didn’t agree on this point as some taught Jesus did have a physical body but avoided their evil material problem by saying that He simply possessed a body at some point and was later removed at or during the resurrection.

Salvation according to gnosticism is to realize your divine spark and that you are a god, and through imagination, ascetics and ‘secret knowledge’, freeing oneself from the physical world.

Everyone is a god – Divine Spark

Gnostics also taught that men were actually gods and that a piece of the divine spark resided in some (not all) of us. Only that divine spark is capable of redemption, and if you become a Gnostic, you are one with the divine spark.

God is Evil

Gnostics taught that the God of the Bible is an evil inferior god in a larger pantheon of gods, regarded by some as the Demiurge. He was regarded as the God of the Bible who created this evil material universe because He was incompetent however wanted a place for his own creations to dwell. He hides the truth from humans, however Sophia (essentially a goddess of Wisdom) fills humans with an urge to return to the divine realm where they belong.

This brings them to the statement that the God of the Old Testament is evil, while the true God of the New Testament is good, calling Christ the only true God. They teach that the serpent is the good guy in the beginning of Genesis, attempting to free man with knowledge of the tree of good and evil.

Documents and Texts of the Gnostics

There is a library of many Gnostic texts and documents. In regard to Christian Gnosticism, there are texts that go back to the second century A.D. However, we have Jewish, Greek, and other texts used by Gnostics that date back a few centuries B.C.

Most of these documents were rediscovered in 1945 at the Nag Hammadi Library, proper to this, only a few Gnostic documents remained from antiquity, preserved by the Church. A list of Gnostic texts that correlate to Christianity is as follows:

• Acts of Thomas
• Act of John
• Bruce Codex
• Book of Jeu
• Askew Codex
• Berlin Codex
• Apocryphon of John
• Acts of Peter
• The Wisdom of Jesus Christ
• The Secret Gospel of Mark
• Prayer of the Apostle Paul
• Apocryphon of James
• Gospel of Truth
• Gospel of Thomas
• Gospel of Philip
• Hypostasis of the Archons
• Origins of the World
• Exegesis of the Soul
• Gospel of the Egyptians
• The Sophia of Jesus Christ
• Apocalypse of Paul
• First of Apocalypse of James
• Second Apocalypse of James
• Apocalypse of Adam
• Acts of Peter and the Twelve
• Concept of Our Great Power
• Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter
• Teachings of Silvanus
• Steles of Seth
• Melchizedek

Books or texts that do not directly relate to Christian or Church officials are as follows:

• The Hermetica or Corpus Hermeticum
• Asclepius
• Republic by Plato
• The Discourse of the Eighth and Ninth
• The Prayer of Thanksgiving

• See Pseudographical Documents

Problems with the Gnostic Texts

All of the Gnostic texts correlating to Christian authorship are identified as pseudepigrapha, meaning that all these texts are falsely attributed to known historic figures and/or Christina Apostles. This was done in an attempt to give these works an authoritative pedigree, however, after exposure, works to the opposite effect. When examined, the doctrinal differences offer a theology that is radically different than what was originally taught but the Apostles in authentic texts, and suppose a theology based on Greek philosophies (i.e. the material universe being evil).

Historically, we have Christian churches heavily opposing and openly debating Gnostic teachings and proponents of these teachings. We have many historical accounts openly discussing these heretical teachings and why they opposed the faith of the Church.

The Lure of Knowledge and Secret Knowledge

Everyone loves a secret! There is a seduction to the idea of having secret knowledge, or information that others don’t know about. There is a feeling of superiority when you know something that others are not aware of and a feeling of power that knowledge can bring. This is why the Bible tells us that knowledge puffs up (makes you prideful), but love edifies (1 Corin 8.1).

Is God in the business of puffing people up, or edifying them?

Addressing Secret Knowledge in Scripture

The Apostle Paul warned Timothy to guard against ‘so-called’ knowledge. Most likely Gnosticism had yet fully formed in the Apostle’s days, however, we continually find the temptation to all believers to pursue new types of ‘knowledge.’

… guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, – 1 Timothy 6.20

Again, believers are warned by Jesus against accepting the knowledge or deep things of Satan. Satan is constantly attempting to wrap his lies in a mask of ‘deep, or ‘secret’ knowledge! Another term for secret or hidden is occult. The enemy attempts to lure people into occult philosophies and beliefs by seducing them and appealing to the carnal desire for power through knowledge.

 … I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan:  – Rev 2.24

The problem is this; the carnal mind is continuously tempted to gain superiority through knowledge, as it is commonly believed in modern-day philosophy, that knowledge is power. However, God is more interested in His children growing in His word (1 Peter 2.2), not going outside of scripture which is safe for us (1 Corin 4.6, Phil 3.1), and growing in love, for love edifies (builds us up) and knowledge puffs up.

We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. – 1 Corin 8.1

Christians are to tear down every argument and high thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. These are the things we find in false doctrines and heresies, teachings that oppose God’s word, which all believers are to be on the lookout for and to call out and avoid.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. – 2 Corin 10.5

Does this mean we are not to pursue knowledge? Not at all, however, we must set everything in its proper place, always being weary of every wind of doctrine that seeks to lead us astray (Eph 4.14). When we seek knowledge, we first come to our Heavenly Father and ensure we are primarily aligning everything with His word which is truth (John 17.17).

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. – James 1.5

References

Britannica.com – Gnosticism

Christianity.Com – Gnostic Timeline and History

EarlyChristianWritings.Com – Gnmostic Writings