Gnostic Christianity Defined

Gnosticism is not a single thing. It is not a belief system at all. Rather, it is an orientation towards religion. So in Gnostic Christianity, the orientation is Gnostic, but the belief system is Christian. In other words, it is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ as taught by Paul, John, Thomas, and Valentinus.

In order to help the reader understand what I mean by Gnostic Christianity, I offer the following definition, taken from my book Understanding Gnosticism:

Gnostic Christianity

  1. aims for salvation through mystical knowledge (gnosis) of God through Christ.
  2. approaches Scripture as primarily myths, though they contain some historical facts.
  3. interpret Scripture allegorically, though some things might be literally true, the deeper truths never are.
  4. seek new revelations from God, and therefore is open to further Scriptural works.
  5. reserve secret truths for the initiated.
  6. follows the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Prophet, Priest, King, Messiah, Savior, and God in the flesh.

It appears to me that Sethian Gnosticism went astray, by confusing the secret teaching with gnosis (mystical experience). Jesus Christ and mystic union with God got lost in the secret teaching, occult knowledge, and myths making. Valentinus, therefore, is the true representative of the Christianity taught by Paul, John, and Thomas. Too many confuse occultist and mystics. Gnostic Christian were, in my view, mystics.

References

Jay N. Forrest, Understanding Gnosticism: Rethinking Church History, United States: Tserrof Books, 2024.

How Orthodox am I?

As a Progressive Christian and Gnostic sympathizer, how much of orthodox doctrine can I affirm? Here is what I agree with.

I believe that the Holy Scriptures are inspired by God.

I believe that God created all things through the Logos and the Holy Spirit.

I believe in the Holy Trinity, that God is both one and three, known to us as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins.

I believe that Jesus Christ was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again on the third day.

I believe that Jesus Christ was God incarnate in the flesh.

I believe that Jesus Christ will come again.

I believe that salvation is gained through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, and Friend.

Misogyny in the Gospel of Thomas?

Simon Peter said to them, “Mary should leave us, for females are not worthy of life.” Jesus said, “Look, I shall guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter heaven’s kingdom.” (GThom 114).

If you read this with a literal interpretation, you will misinterpret it. This does not mean what it appears to say, as any Gnostic will know. This is a metaphor. A man is a symbol of the educated, a woman is a symbol of the uneducated. It has nothing to do with changing genders. It has to do with the fact that in this historical context, men were given an education and women were not.

Simon Peter, the spokesman for the patriarchy, says that Mary isn’t worthy of spiritual life. Jesus responds by saying, in effect, “I will make her educated. This will make her equal to you men. For every woman who makes herself educated will enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Of course, the education Jesus is talking about is the education of gnosis, the mystical knowledge of God. This education would also include the spiritual illumination of the Holy Spirit. In these times, very few could read and write. Most Christians got their scripture through public reading on Sunday in church.

We know that this passage cannot be taken literally because the Bible is filled with passages where women are filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17; 21:9). And as Paul said, “there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). If we are all one, then we are all equal, and therefore equally worthy of life.

Unfortunately, most people come to the Bible and think that it is historically accurate and literally true. The truth is that the Bible is the record of peoples encounter with God and is conveyed in the language of myth, metaphor, and parable. Interpret the Bible allegorically unless outside evidence points to a literal meaning.

References

Marvin Meyers, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: The Revised and Updated Translation of Sacred Gnostic Texts, New York: Harper One, 2007.

Don’t Speak At All

“It is easier not to speak a word at all, than not to speak more words than we should.” – Thomas a Kempis

I have found this true so often that I think it is something to be aware of.

We can get so carried away talking that our talk turns frivolous and even harmful.

We can wax elegant on how much we don’t like our job, a co-worker, or a family member. But how does such help others or ourselves?

“It is easier not to speak a word at all.” This may be true for some people, but there are many who would find silence unbearable. They just have to open their mouth.

I wish I could claim innocence. I remember recently talking to a friend and got carried away at correcting his misconception of a topic of discussion. I am afraid I gave off more heat than light.

I need to remember, “It is easier not to speak a word at all, than not to speak more words than we should.”

Mystic versus Gnostic

A Gnostic Christian approaches Scripture as myths, interprets Scripture allegorically, has mystic secrets reserved for the initiated, aims for salvation through mystical insight (gnosis), is open to new revelations from God, and follow Jesus as the Messiah, God, and Savior.

A Christian Mystic may or may not approach Scripture as myths and interprets Scripture allegorically. They usually do not have mystic secrets reserved for the initiated. The Christian Mystic does not aim for salvation through mystical insight, but seeks salvation through faith. The Christian Mystic also is not open to new revelations from God. But they do follow Jesus the Messiah, God, and Savior.

Mystics tend to follow church Creeds and obey the Church hierarchy. Although there are, of course, exceptions. The problem is the deeper you go into mysticism the closer you get to Gnosticism. And the closer you get to Gnosticism the further you get from the institutional Church.

Spiritually speaking, mystics and gnostics are brothers and sisters. It is an only outward conformity to established norms that they differ considerably. Mystics are occasionally ostracized as heretics, but Gnostics are always. This is because narcissism undermines the institutional church, and it’s authority and control.

I tend to be on the mystic side of the line. Doctrine is not that important to me, it is the experience of God that is central. The Gnostics were the first mystics. The Gnostics fled to the wilderness of the Alexandria desert, where they became known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers. They again appeared as the great mystics in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church.