The
term “gnosticism” is derived from the
Greek word gnosis, meaning “knowledge”, because secret knowledge was so important
to the Gnostics. Gnosticism forced its way into prominence during the first few centuries,
and the Apostles and early Christian leaders opposed this heresy. In fact, much of the
early Christian writings were focused on addressing the threat of Gnosticism. It is important for us to understand the Gnostics
and their relationship to early Christianity because it will help us to better understand
certain New Testament verses that are written in direct opposition to Gnosticism. It is
also important to understand this heresy, so that we can identify it’s influence on
the modern Church, and so that we can avoid repeating their mistakes. The Gnostics were a heretical movement based
in early Judeo-Christian beliefs, and did not usually refer to themselves as “Gnostics”,
but simply thought of themselves as Christians, followers of Jesus, or enlightened ones. Historians
and scholars have sought to find its origins but with no consensus. Some suggest Hellenism
and Greek thought, while others say it is rooted in Babylonian thought. Jewish gnosticism
predates Christianity by hundreds of years, and Judaism was in close contact with Babylonian-Persian
and Hellenistic ideas for hundreds of years, which led into Gnostic Jewish beliefs. The term Gnosticism is used with a variety
of meanings and is often used broadly to include Valentinians, Sethians, Marcionites, and followers
of Basilides among others. The Early Church father, Irenaeus, who wrote a five volume
book on the subject called “Against Heresies”, believed that all heresies were rooted in
Gnosticism, and thus any heretic was deemed a Gnostic. Most Gnostics hold to the belief in two deities,
one who is perfectly good and the other who is perfectly evil. They taught that the evil
god was the creator of the world and all matter, and was also the god of the Jews. In fact,
they viewed the serpent in Eden as a good character who tried to help Adam and Eve find
knowledge and escape the created world. These christian gnostics believed in Jesus (Yeshua),
but taught that He was the son of the good deity, and he was sent to oppose the evil
Creator God of the Old Testament. The Apostle John wrote against the Gnostics
when he spoke about the spirit of the antichrist, saying: “He is antichrist who denies the Father
and the Son.” (1John 2:22) The Gnostics rejected the God of the Old Testament,
claiming that Jesus was a different and unrelated God from that of creation (denying the Father
and Son). In fact, one of the leading Gnostic teachers, Marcion, taught that Jesus came
to rescue mankind from the material world so that we could live eternally in heaven. Marcion was originally a Christian bishop,
but around the year 144 AD, he concluded that the teachings of Jesus were incompatible with
the actions of the God in the Old Testament, and developed a dualistic belief system that
he used to reconcile the supposed contradictions he saw between the Hebrew Scriptures and the
teachings of Jesus and Paul. His beliefs led him to completely reject the Hebrew Scriptures
and the God of the Jews, claiming the Creator was a vengeful and violent being. Like many
Gnostics, he taught that Jesus did not come in the flesh, but that His incarnation and
sufferings were merely appearance only. This was the exact heresy that John was writing
about when he said: “and every spirit that does not confess
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the
Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” (1John
4:3) The Gnostics believed that Jesus (Yeshua)
was not actually human, and that he did not really die and resurrect. They argued that
Jesus was a divine spirit that appeared to men in the shape of a human, but not someone
in a true physical body. These Gnostics followed the “spirit of the antichrist” that John
was warning about. John had a disciple named Polycarp who led
the Assembly in Smyrna. Polycarp was noted for keeping the true faith, and was regarded
as one of the Apostolic Fathers of the second century. According to “the Martyrdom of
Polycarp”, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake. With that in mind, read what
Yeshua had to say to His faithful servant, Polycarp, in the book of Revelation: And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,”These
things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: I know your works,
tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say
they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things
which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison,
that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” (Revelation
2:8-11) Many have speculated about what the “synagogue
of Satan” was in reference to, but I am convinced that it was a statement against
the Gnostics who claimed to follow Jesus (Yeshua). The Gnostics were the major heretic threat
during the first few centuries, and they thought of themselves as the true Christians, claiming
to follow Jesus. However, they were considered false teachers by the apostles. Irenaeus mentioned an occasion when Marcion
said to Polycarp, “Recognize us, Polycarp.” To which Polycarp responded, “Yes indeed,
I recognize the firstborn of Satan.” Irenaeus also said that one of the reasons John wrote
his Gospel was to refute the views of early Gnostics. John emphasized that Jesus was God’s
incarnate Son who came in the flesh, to defend against the Gnostic teaching that the true
God would not take on flesh. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among
us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of
grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The Gnostics also placed great stress on “secret
knowledge” that did not come by intellectual effort, but was given by special revelation
from Jesus. The Greek word for knowledge is gnosis, and it is because of their heavy emphasis
on knowledge that they are called Gnostics. It is interesting to note that Paul was probably
warning Timothy about Gnosticism when he said, “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to
your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely
called knowledge (gnosis), by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace
be with you. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:20,21) Gnosticism can actually be defined as “salvation
by knowledge”, because the Gnostics believed the true sons of God were saved through knowledge
not faith, and thus believed knowledge to be vastly superior to faith. Which is probably
why Paul placed so much emphasis on salvation by faith alone. Sin was not really an issue for Gnostics,
because they saw salvation as the soul being freed from matter. To a Gnostic, the created
world is the problem (not sin), and therefore, Gnostics tend to be somewhat Antinomian. Antinomianism
is the belief that the moral law is of no use or obligation. Gnostics claimed that Christians
were not actually responsible for what they did in the flesh, and could not actually sin.
We see echoes of this in the Christian belief that we are merely human and cannot be expected
to live according to all of God’s commandments. There was one sect called the Nicolaitans
that existed in Apostolic times who were very antinomian. They believed that since they
opposed the God of Creation, they must also oppose His Law (Torah) that was given to the
Israelites. This opposition to the God of Creation was a duty, and breaking His Law
was considered a solemn obligation. Thomas Aquinas said the Nicolaitans supported either
polygamy or the holding of wives in common. Irenaeus, Hippolytus, and Epiphanius mentioned
the Nicolaitans, and stated that a deacon named Nicolas was the founder of that heresy. “The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that
Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles. They lead
lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is very plainly pointed out in
the Apocalypse of John, [when they are represented] as teaching that it is a matter of indifference
to practice adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.” —Irenaeus The Gnostic heresy known as Nicolationism
was actually mentioned twice in the book of Revelation. The church at Ephesus is commended
for “hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans” (Revelation 2:6) while the church in Pergamos
is accused of holding to “the doctrine of the Nicolaitans” (Revelation 2:15). It is
very clear that Yeshua (Jesus) hates the doctrine and deeds of the Nicolaitans, who rejected
the Law of Yahweh. It is interesting to note the etymology of
the word Nicolaitans, which is a combination of the Greek words nīko meaning “victory”,
and laos meaning “people”, thus the word may be taken to mean “conquerors of the
lay people”. This might be mere coincidence, since the name refers specifically to the
followers of Nicolas, however, it may have significance based on the fact that the Gnostics
thought of themselves as superior to those who do not have the special knowledge. Either
way, it is clear that Gnosticism was considered to be an enemy of the faith, and was opposed
by the Apostles and early Church leaders. Anyone who claims to follow the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob should want nothing to do with this dangerous heresy, which is why we
must now take a closer look into their doctrines and deeds. It might surprise you to know that
many dangerous Gnostic heresies have actually found their way into modern Christian thought. The Gnostics did not believe we should take
the Scriptures literally, but instead taught that they must be understood allegorically.
They were constantly looking for hidden spiritual meaning while mostly ignoring the literal
meaning of the text. This secret knowledge led to various different interpretations of
the Scriptures. According to the Gnostic Epistle of Barnabas, the law of Moses was never meant
to be taken literally. Their allegorical interpretation of the Old
Testament led them to spiritualize everything, and give everything a Christian meaning. We
see the same type of allegory and spiritualization being applied today when preachers try to
interpret hidden spiritual meaning behind certain verses, claiming things like, “the
Church is spiritual Israel”. Their allegorical interpretations led them
to conclude that when Paul spoke about the Jews, he was actually referring to those who
have the secret knowledge. Thus according to them, the “Jews” spiritually represented
the Gnostic Christians. We see this same type of manipulation happening today in dispensational
theology, when dispensationalists claim that “Israel” in the Bible represents the “Church”
today. They place heavy emphasis on this type of allegorical interpretation, however, their
interpretation requires special revelation or knowledge that not everyone has access
to, and this special knowledge is rooted in Gnosticism. Peter warns us against this type
of interpretation when he said, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of
Scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20) Marcion was the first to suggest that we separate
the Old Testament from the New Testament. In fact, he completely rejected the Old Testament
and took it upon himself to create his own New Testament canon that included only a modified
version of the Gospel of Luke, and Paul’s epistles. Irenaeus made note of this in his
book Against Heresies, saying, “Wherefore also Marcion and his followers
have betaken themselves to mutilating the Scriptures, not acknowledging some books at
all; and, curtailing the Gospel according to Luke and the Epistles of Paul, they assert
that these are alone authentic, which they have themselves thus shortened.” – Irenaeus Marcion’s suggestion lives on today in Bibles
that separate the Old Testament from the New, and especially in Bible’s that contain only
a New Testament. Most people are not aware of the fact that
some of Marcion’s modifications actually appear in certain modern Bible translations.
One such example is the Lord’s Prayer in the Gospel of Luke. Marcion’s mutilated
prayer can be found in the New International Version (and various other modern translations).
Let’s compare the NIV and the KJV to see what was changed. He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,
hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive
us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into
temptation.'” (NIV) Now read the true version of the prayer that
was preserved in the King James Version. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say,
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done,
as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins;
for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but
deliver us from evil. (KJV) Did you notice the things that are missing
from Marcion’s version? [OUR] Father [WHICH ART IN HEAVEN] – without
this, you could be praying to any “Father”. This could be a prayer to Satan or even to
the Pope, because they are both called “father” by their followers. “Father” is a term
used by Buddhists, occultists, and even satanists. But there is only one “Father which art
in heaven.” Thy kingdom come. [THY WILL BE DONE, AS IN
HEAVEN, SO IN EARTH] – again, this signifies who’s kingdom and who’s will. It is the
one who is in Heaven, but when this is left out, we could be praying for Satan’s kingdom
to come, or the kingdom of the Antichrist. Also, it is not just a prayer for the kingdom
to come, but it includes the important desire for Yahweh’s will to be done on earth. And lead us not into temptation; [BUT DELIVER
US FROM EVIL]. – this again signifies who we are praying to, the only one who can deliver
us from evil. Satan cannot deliver us from evil, the Pope can’t deliver us from evil,
and neither can the Antichrist, but OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN CAN! The Gnostics were basically antinomian, which
means they were opposed to keeping the Law of God. Some early Gnostic sects were accused
of rejecting part of the Mosaic Law, while others (such as Marcion) rejected the entire
Old Testament. Their rejection was based on their belief that the Gospel message was in
opposition to the Law of God. Marcion did not believe the Jewish Scriptures were false,
but he believed Yahweh was not the Father of Jesus. This dual deity concept is put forth
in his most influential writing entitled “Antithesis”, which was described by Tertullian as “contrasted
statements arranged to prove the incompatibility of the law and the gospel.” He also said
that it was, “a work strained into making such a division
between the Law and the Gospel as thereby to make two separate gods, opposite to each
other, one belonging to one instrument (or, as it is more usual to say, testament), one
to the other, and thus lend its patronage to faith in another gospel, that according
to Antithesis.” – Tertullian Marcion believed the Old Testament God was
separate and opposite to the New Testament God, setting them up to be Thesis and Antithesis.
Obviously no Christian would admit to believing in two gods, however, many Christians are
convinced that Jesus came to set us free from the God of the Old Testament, claiming that
“Jesus freed us from the Law.” However, they do not realize that if Jesus is one with
the Father, then He is the one who gave the commandments. This is why John chapter 1 is
so significant, because Jesus was with God in the beginning. “In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things
were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made… And the Word became
flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-3,14) He is the Word of God that spoke everything
into existence. Did Yeshua come to free us from Himself? No, that would be ridiculous.
In fact, Yeshua had some things to say on this very topic. “Do not think that I came to destroy the
Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to make full. For assuredly, I say to
you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from
the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments,
and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does
and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19) If we truly believe and take serious the words
of Yeshua (Jesus), then we must re-evaluate the popular Christian teachings about the
Law being done away with. Heaven and earth are still here, so according to Yeshua, not
even a single jot has been removed from the Law. We cannot allow the lawless teachings of the
Gnostics to distort our understanding of the Gospel message. Yeshua came to set us free
from sin, and sin is lawlessness. Therefore, if we are free from sin, that means we obey
the Law. That is why Paul said, “Do we then make void the law through faith?
Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish [uphold] the law.” (Romans 3:31) Marcion hated the Jews and their God so much
that he declared the Sabbath to be a day of fasting, to spite the Creator. He did not
want to take any pleasure in the Sabbath, and he did not want to do anything that might
resemble Sabbath keeping. “Marcion for this reason fasted on the Sabbath.
For, said he, since the day is the rest of the God of the Jews, who made the world and
rested on the Sabbath day, we therefore institute fasting on that day, that we may not seem
to do anything in compliance with the rites of the God of the Jews.” – Epiphanius The practice of fasting on the Sabbath was
later adopted by the Catholic Church, and at the council of Laodicea, they issued the
command that everyone must work on the Sabbath. “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle
on Saturday, but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s Day they shall especially honor,
and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they
are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ.” – Catholic Council of Laodicea,
Canon 29. The Catholic church proudly admits to this
change in the Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, which says: Q. Which is the Sabbath day?
A. Saturday is the Sabbath day. Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea,
(AD 336) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday Gnosticism’s influence in this area has
reached beyond the second century, and has had lasting influence on Christianity even
unto today. There are approximately 40,000 Christian denominations in the world, and
only about 500 of these denominations keep the Sabbath. Marcion would be proud. Most Christians say that we should obey the
“Ten Commandments”, but the vast majority seem confused about the Sabbath commandment.
Some say it was changed to Sunday, while others say it was abolished altogether. Sadly, when
someone suggests that we should keep the Sabbath according to the Bible, excuses and accusations
begin to surface about how we are “no longer under the law” and “you shouldn’t judge
me.” It is not only hypocritical to say we must only keep nine of the ten commandments,
but it is also irresponsible with our faith. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and
yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,”
also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder,
you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged
by the law of liberty.” (James 2:10-12) The Gnostics believed the created world was
evil, which led them to conclude that Jesus only had the appearance of a man, but he did
not actually become human. They could not believe that their god would take on flesh,
therefore they also concluded that Jesus did not really die, and if He didn’t die, then
He could not resurrect. This is the most significant heresy that they
taught, because the death and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus) was the most important event
in human history, and it is central to the Gospel message! The Gnostics did not understand
the significance of the resurrection because they did not value life. Their desire to escape
the created world led them to teach that the soul leaves the body at death and lives eternally
in heaven. This teaching has no Biblical foundation, and is actually based on Greek philosophy.
Tertullian explains it this way, “For Marcion does not in any wise admit
the resurrection of the flesh, and it is only the salvation of the soul which he promises”
– Tertullian The majority of Christians today also hold
to the belief that when we die, our soul escapes our body and goes to heaven. It is very troubling
to me that this particular Gnostic belief has infiltrated Christian teaching. The Apostles
believed, taught, and died for their belief in the resurrection, and sadly, many Christians
do not even know about the resurrection of the dead that will take place when Yeshua
returns. Listen to the way that Paul emphasizes the importance of the resurrection. “Now if Christ is preached that He has been
raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is
not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty… But now Christ
is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam
all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ
the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” (1 Corinthians 15:12-14,20-23) For more information about the resurrection
of the dead, please see my teachings about Death and Resurrection. The early Christians opposed heresy, and did
their best to turn people away from the lies of the Gnostics. We need to follow their example,
by helping others to UNLEARN the lies we have inherited.
