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TheGnosticInfluencesinEarlyandRecentChristianDoctrine

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JamesD.HeffernanCourse:Philosophy-WorldReligions

TheMeaningofGnosticismTheDevelopmentofDualisminGnosticThoughtJesusBecomes"TheWord"RecentDiscoveriesConclusion:TheChurchRejectsGnosticism

TheMeaningofGnosticismGnosticismwasareligiousmovementthathadit'soriginsintheHellenicandRomanNearEast(HellenismreferstotheinfluenceofancientGreekphilosophyandculture,whichspreadthroughouttheMediterraneanworldaftertheconquestsofAlexandertheGreatinthefourthcenturyBC.).GnosticismissometimesreferredtoasaHellenization(corruption)ofChristianity.ThewordgnosissignifiesthattheGnosticknows.Hedoesn'tknowbecausehegraduallylearned;heknowsbecausethe"revelation"hasbeengiventohim.Hedoesnotbelieve,forfaithisinferiortognosis.ThemostimportantaspectofGnosticismisthatitisareligionofsavingknowledge.Themythologyandspeculationaredevotedtofreedom.TheGnosticapproachtolifeingeneralcanbedescribedaspassionatesubjectivity.GnosticdoctrineissaidtohaveoriginatedoutofapocalypticJudaism."Thefour(seasons),theseven(days),andthethirties(inonemonth)ofGnosticthoughtallindicatetheywerederivedfromthecalendricalconcernofapocalypt

icJudaism."1ThecreationofGnosticsystemswasstronglyinfluencedbytheEast(Iran)forthosewhohadbeenshakenbyJudaismandthereforewelcomedarevision.ThesesystemsareascribedtoSimonMagus,MenanderandSaturninus.Theyallagreethatevilangelsmadetheworldandhaveoppressedthedivineprinciple.Theinterventionofasavior(Magus,Menander,Christ(forSaturninus))upontheseangelsdidoccur.Theangelic-creationdeception-divineinterventionresemblesheterodoxJudaismintheextremesense.1..Grant,R.M.,GnosticismandEarlyChristianity.ColumbiaUniversityPress-NewYork,1959(p.42).

TheDevelopmentofDualisminGnosticThoughtTheOldTestamentwasre-written,sotospeak,bythegnosticmenwhosehopesforapocalyismweresoughtindualisticgnosis,ratherthantheprophecyoftheOldTestament.Theheavenlyworldwaspopulatedbyhostilespiritscalledarchons

orotherplanets.Commandmentsweregiventomantofreehimfromslaverytotheselaw-givingangels.Thelaw-givingangelmosthighisYahweh.Therefore,theyregardedtheviolationofhislawsasapositiveduty.Inordertoachieveperfectknowledge,theyhadtopassthrougheverykindofexistenceinvokingappropriateangels.ItissaidthatChristisathomeinthehighestheavenabove.AccordingtoGnosticthought,inordertogaincontroloverthesearchons,onemustknowthepasswordsandbeabletoaddressthembyname,asChristdidatHisAscension.Iftheycannotachievethisexperience,theirsoulswilltransmigrateintoothernewbodiesuntilthetotalexperienceiscompleted.Deathistheescapefromearthandit'screator;onlythroughitcouldone'ssoulpossiblyreachthehighestheaven.

ThedualisticdevelopmentofGnosticismcontainedaradicalanti-semiticmovemen

tandtherejectionofapocalypticthinking.SinceYahwehsendsrainandthunder,hisactionsseemratherunequal.TheGnosticexplanationconcerningAdamandEvesaysthatYahwehdeservestobecursedbecausehehimselfcursedtheserpentwhichgavethefirstmantheknowledgeofgoodandevil.ItisplainthattheGnosticsareradicallyanti-semiticyettheycontinuetore-writetheOldTestament..."Sincethemostmilitantanti-semitesareex-Jews,whatseemedtohavehappenedisthatamovementaroseagainstapocalypticJudaismattractingGentiles.ChristianitywassavedfromdualisticgnosisbecauseitinsisteduponretainingtheOldTestament,retainingalsothedoctrineofthegoodnessofthecreatedworld."2ThisdoctrineoftheunityofGodmeantthatthecreatedworldwasunder

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Hiscontrol.ThemaindifferenceseperatingthephilosophicaltheologyofChristianityandGnosticismistheattitudeeachonetakestowardtheworld.ForanyGnostic,theworldisreallyhell(evil).ForChristians,theworldisonewhichGodmade;aworldwhosehistoryHegoverns.

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2..Grant,R.M.,GnosticismandEarlyChristianity(p.118).

JesusBecomes"TheWord""GnosticisminearlyChristianityreflectsthepictureofJesusnotasanenthusiastforapocalypticeschatologybutastheWordandNameofGod.St.Paul'sde-emphasisofapocalypticeschatologyisevidentwiththereferencetoChristiansalreadylivingintheheavens."3TheChurchhasalreadyascendedintoheaveninordertomakethewisdomofGodknowntothepowersthere.ThewarfareoftheGnosticsisusedagainstthepowers,againsttheworldrulersofdarkness,andagainstthewickedspiritualbeingsintheheavens.ThisinterstincosmologycomesfromaneedtodenouncethegodofthisworldwhoisnowcalledSatan.Theviewoftheworldispermanentlysubjecttothehostileangels;"nature"isinherentlyevilbecauseitwascreatedbyevilpowers."Everythingintheworld-thelustofthefleshandthelustoftheeyesandtheprideoflife-isnotoftheFatherbutofthisworld.Andtheworldispassingaway,asisits'lust;buthewhodoesthewillofGodremainsforever."FirstEpistleofJohn(2.16-17)St.Ignatiushaswrittenanexcellentexplanationaboutthehighestarchon(evilpower)whoteachesawickeddoctrineinhiseffortstotearChristiansapartandtocorrupttheirmindsawayfromGod.BythebirthanddeathoftheLordJesus,theoldKingdomwasbeingdestroyedandeverythingwasbeingshaken.Theprocesso

fdestructioncontinuesonearthasitdoesinheaven.WhenChristianscometoworship,thepowersofSatanarebeingdestroyed.Ignatius,aswecansee,comesclosesttothegnosticwayofthinking.3..Jonas,Hans.,TheGnosticReligion.BeaconPress-Boston,1958(p.146).

RecentDiscoveriesInrecentyears,twogospelsofmajorimportancehavebeenmadeavailablethatshowthedifferencesbetweentheChristianandGnosticinterpretationsofJesus."ThegospelofSt.ThomasisacollectionofsayingswhichconstitutethesecretrevelationgivenbyJesustohisdisciplesaftertheresurrection."4Firstofall,theOldTestamentanditseschatologyhavebeeneliminated.TheKingdomofGodisnolongeridentifiedwithaneschatologicalthemebutinsteadasapresentspiritualreality.InThomas,thesecretrevelationofthe"LivingOne"replac

esthegospelstoryofthelife,deathandresurrection."ThegospelofSt.Thomasoffersnohope,eschatologicalorotherwise,tomankindasawhole.GnosticsectarianismreplacesthelifeoftheChurch."5

TheothergospelisthegospelofPhillip.InitisfoundbitsofGnosticmythandsayingsofJesus.AlsodiscussedaredifferentsacredritessuchasBaptism,Eucharist,andMarriage.OneimportantfeatureofPhillipistherelationmadeoftheGnostictotheJewandChristian."IfonebecomesaGnosticChristian,heleavesboththeGentileandJudiasmworldbehind.AHebrewisonewhohasnotreceivedtheLord.ChristiansarethosethatdonotunderstandthatChristcontainedeverythinginamysterywhichmeantherevealedhimselfnotashewasbutasmencouldseeHim."6Thismeantthatordinaryideasregardingtheorigin,lifeandendofJesusonearthareoftenwrong.Also,thosewhosaythatMarybecamep

regnantoftheHolySpiritarewrongbecausenofemalebeingeverbecamepregnantfromanotherfemale(theHolySpirit).7PhillipsaystheLordhastwofathers,oneofthemishis"Fatherinheaven."Duringhislife,JesuswasaccompaniedbythreeMary's:Hismother,Hissister,andMaryMagdalene.Finally,thosewhosaythattheLordfirstdiedandthenrosearewrongbecauseanyonewhodoesnotattaintheresurrectionwilldie."Ifanyonedoesnotfirstreceiveresurrection,whileheisstillalive,hereceivenothingatdeath."8

AnotherGnosticgospelrecentlypublishedinthe1950'sdeservesmention.ThisisthegospelofMary(Magdalene).Again,liketheothersIhavementioned,itre

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placesapocalypticeschatologywithGnosticinwardness."TheKingdomofGodwithin(Luke)isreplacedbytheinnerSonofManwhoresemblestheinnermanortheinnerChristoftheapostlePaul."9

Conclusion:TheChurchRejectsGnosticismTome,theGnosticgospelswanttoremoveapocalypticelementsfromtheChristiangospelandtreateschatologyasalreadyrealized.Inconclusion,IwanttoexplaintheroleoftheChurchincombatingGnosticismandthebasisofit'sdisagreement.UndertheleadershipoftheRomanChurch,theruleofGodoverhistoryandnaturewasgood.OrthodoxChristiansheldthatthisworldisneitherheavenorhell.TheGnosticemphasisuponsalvationasanescapedidnotprovideagoodenoughanswertotheproblemofhumanexistence.ThesignificanceoftherejectionofGnosisbytheChurchandSynagoguewasbasedontheworshipofGod,Makerofheavenandearth.TheChurchinsistedthatthestoryofJesuscouldnotbeunderstoodinonlysymbolicterms.TheevangelistwhocomesclosetoGnosis,butrejectsit,isJohn:

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"GodsolovedtheworldthathegavehisonlySon,sothatallwhobelieveinHimmightnotperishbuthaveeverlastinglife."John(3.16)4..Grant,R.M.,GnosticismandEarlyChristianity(p.183).5..Ibid.,p.189.6..Ibid.,pg.191-192.7..ThewordforSpiritisthereforefeminine,asintheGospeloftheHebrews,andpresumablycomesfromaSemiticlanguage.8..GospelofPhillip(pgs.21and90).9..Grant,R.M.,GnosticismandEarlyChristianity.(p.196).

BIBLIOGRAPHYGrant,RobertM.,Gnosticism:AnAnthology.Collins-St.JamesPlace,London,1961.Jonas,Hans,TheGnosticReligion.BeaconPress-Boston,1958.Grant,RobertM.,GnosticismandEarlyChristianity.ColumbiaUniversityPress-NewYork,1959.

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