Gnostics, Gnostic Gospels, & Gnosticism

[Ronin Truth]

Gnostics, Gnostic Gospels, & Gnosticism


A one-sentence description of Gnosticism: a religion that differentiates the evil god of this world (who is identified with the god of the Old Testament) from a higher more abstract God revealed by Jesus Christ, a religion that regards this world as the creation of a series of evil archons/powers who wish to keep the human soul trapped in an evil physical body, a religion that preaches a hidden wisdom or knowledge only to a select group as necessary for salvation or escape from this world.

The term "gnostic" derives from "gnosis," which means "knowledge" in Greek. The Gnostics believed that they were privy to a secret knowledge about the divine, hence the name. (Huxley coined "agnosticism" on the basis that all knowledge must be based on reason. We cannot rationally claim to have access to knowledge that is beyond the powers of the intellect.)

There are numerous references to the Gnostics in second century proto-orthodox literature. Most of what we know about them is from the polemic thrown at them by the early Church Fathers. They are alluded to in the Bible in the pastorals (spurious Paulines of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus), for example 1 Tm 1:4 and 1 Tm 6:20, and possibly the entirety of Jude.

Ignatius of Antioch writes against them as well as Docetism, a doctrine closely related to Gnosticism that stated that Christ was pure spirit and had only a phantom body. Second Clement is a document aimed at refuting early second century Gnosticism. Marcion was the most famous of the Gnostics, and he established a "canon" of the Pauline epistles (minus the pastorals) and a "mutilated" Luke (presumably considered so because it lacked proof-texts such as Lk 22:43-44). Justin Martyr mentioned him c. 150 CE, and Irenaeus and Tertullian wrote against him extensively in the late second century (in Against Heresy and Against Marcion, respectively).

Besides Marcion, other important Gnostics were Basilides and Valentinus. Some Gnostic documents are the Gospel of Truth, the Letter to Rheginus, Treatise on the Three Natures, Apocalypse of Adam, the Gospel of Matthias, Gospel of Philip, Acts of Peter, and Acts of Thomas. Although the Gnostics were prolific writers, most of their works have been burnt or lost in favor of proto-orthodox writings (and known only through patristic references).

Some scholars have theorized that Gnosticism has its roots in pre-Christian religions, instead of being merely an offshoot of Christianity.

The following are writings by Gnostics of the second century according to some scholars, although some others dispute this classification for writings such as the Gospel of Thomas.

• Gnostic: The Gospel of Thomas
• Gnostic: The Secret Book of James
• Gnostic: Basilides
• Gnostic: Naassene Fragment
• Gnostic: Gospel of Mary
• Gnostic: Dialogue of the Savior
• Gnostic: Gospel of the Savior
• Gnostic: Marcion
• Gnostic: Epiphanes
• Gnostic: Ophite Diagrams
• Gnostic: Ptolemy
• Gnostic: Gospel of Truth
• Gnostic: Excerpts of Theodotus
• Gnostic: Heracleon
• Gnostic: Acts of Peter
• Gnostic: Acts of Thomas

All of the above documents and more are presented on the Early Christian Writings web site.

Here are some books about Gnostics and Gnosticism.

• Gnosis : The Nature and History of Gnosticism by Kurt Rudolph
• The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels
• The Gnostic Paul by Elaine Pagels
• Rethinking "Gnosticism" by Michael Allen Williams
• The Elements of Gnosticism by Stuart Holroyd
• Gnostic Truth and Christian Heresy : A Study in the History of Gnosticism by Alastair H. B. Logan

Here are some web pages about Gnostics and Gnosticism.

• Henry Wace: Gnosticism
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Gnosticism
• Religious Tolerance: Ancient Gnosticism
• The Gnostic Society Library

Thank you for visiting the Early Christian Writings web page.

Go to the Chronological List of all Early Christian Writings

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http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/gnostics.html

 

[Eric21ND]

Thank you!

 

[Ronin Truth]

Thank you!

You're welcome! My pleasure.

Enjoy.

 

[lilymc]

RT, I think you have good intentions, but IMHO you are going down a very wrong path here. Gnosticism is bad news. I hope you don't let a misunderstanding of the Old Testament cause you to adopt a viewpoint that may sound good on the surface, but is actually very dark and deceptive.

 

[Kevin007]

http://www.letusreason.org/Current48.htm Writers of the New Testament (the apostles) condemned the Gnostic teachings. There are numerous epistles that address this ancient heresy that is now having a revival. Paul emphasized a wisdom and knowledge that comes from God and does not concern itself with idle speculations, angelic visitations, fables, and a amoral lifestyle (Col. 2:8-23; 1 Tim. 1:4; 2 Tim. 2:16-19; Titus 1:10-16). Paul addresses the Gnostic influences in portions of Colossians as a direct threat to Christ being our salvation and His being sufficient in all things. To overcome the indulgences of the flesh (the “Colossian Heresy” ) the Gnostics taught a false philosophy, which denied the all-sufficiency and pre-eminence of Jesus Christ (Col. 2:8). When he wrote that “in him dwells All the fullness of the deity bodily” it was a rebuttal against the Gnostics.

 

[Kevin007]

http://www.letusreason.org/Latrain19.htm

 

[Ronin Truth]

RT, I think you have good intentions, but IMHO you are going down a very wrong path here. Gnosticism is bad news. I hope you don't let a misunderstanding of the Old Testament cause you to adopt a viewpoint that may sound good on the surface, but is actually very dark and deceptive.

Why should I have any concerns about what a bunch of old dead Romans considered heretical? Their track record is nothing to emulate or feel proud about.

 

[lilymc]

Why should I have any concerns about what a bunch of old dead Romans considered heretical? Their track record is nothing to emulate or feel proud about.

I wasn't talking about old dead Romans. But I don't want to argue this with you. I already said what I had to say, it's up to you to heed that warning or not.

 

[Ronin Truth]

I wasn't talking about old dead Romans. But I don't want to argue this with you. I already said what I had to say, it's up to you to heed that warning or not.

Thanks!

NOT.

This Earth is not my home. I'm just passing through.

 

[jmdrake]

I'm willing to bet that the prevalence of people who have looked at Christianity and religion X and decided on religion X who are then persuaded to Christianity based on the assertion that religion X is Satanic is pretty small.

 

[Ronin Truth]

I'm willing to bet that the prevalence of people who have looked at Christianity and religion X and decided on religion X who are then persuaded to Christianity based on the assertion that religion X is Satanic is pretty small.

I think when I can end up parsing that sentence, I may just agree with it.

 

[Suzanimal]

Thanks!

NOT.

This Earth is not my home. I'm just passing through.

 

[Sola_Fide]

A one-sentence description of Gnosticism: a religion that differentiates the evil god of this world (who is identified with the god of the Old Testament) from a higher more abstract God revealed by Jesus Christ, a religion that regards this world as the creation of a series of evil archons/powers who wish to keep the human soul trapped in an evil physical body, a religion that preaches a hidden wisdom or knowledge only to a select group as necessary for salvation or escape from this world.

This is an anti-Biblical heresy. Jesus is the same God in the Old Testament and the New. Proto-Gnosticism was denounced by the apostles themselves with the harshest language.

 

[Ronin Truth]

This is an anti-Biblical heresy. Jesus is the same God in the Old Testament and the New. Proto-Gnosticism was denounced by the apostles themselves with the harshest language.

Only anti-Biblical because the Romans kicked them out because they violated their preconceived pagan empire agenda, which BTW easily included the heretical pagan Mithraic anti-Christ Paul.

 

[Sola_Fide]

Only anti-Biblical because the Romans kicked it because it violated their preconceived pagan empire agenda, which BTW easily included the heretical anti-Christ Paul.

No, it's un-biblical because the apostles themselves in the first century denounced it. This has nothing to do with Rome at all.

 

[Ronin Truth]

No, it's un-biblical because the apostles themselves in the first century denounced it. This has nothing to do with Rome at all.

The Romans fabricated that too. It's BS.

 

[Sola_Fide]

The Romans fabricated that too. It's BS.

No. The earliest Greek texts confirm that you are misinformed. This was 300 to 400 years before Constantine. You should study before you speak.

 

[Ronin Truth]

No. The earliest Greek texts confirm that you are misinformed. This was 300 to 400 years before Constantine. You should study before you speak.

OK, then the Greeks fabricated it, and cooked the books.

Aw shucks, I didn't even know that the Greeks mentioned me.:o

Hell no, it's just a whole lot more fun to yank your chain.

 

[Matt McGuire]

Cool stuff. I just finished a University course that covered a lot of Valentinian Gnosticism. Weird stuff, man. But definitely interesting.

 

[Ronin Truth]

Cool stuff. I just finished a University course that covered a lot of Valentinian Gnosticism. Weird stuff, man. But definitely interesting.

I'm glad that you are enjoying it.

Carry on!