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Gnosticism: Knowledge
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Gnosticism taught generally that matter was evil, and was the creation of a lesser god (called the demiurge, after Plato). But human bodies, although their matter is evil, contained within them a divine spark that fell from the good, true God. Knowledge (gnosis) enables the divine spark to return to the true God from whence it came.
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The Gnostics, at the time when Gnosticism was a threat to the church, were a subgroup of Christianity. Whereas most Christians believed the Christian doctrines to the extent that they were revealed to us in the word of God, the Gnostics believed that they held a deeper knowledge of the order of reality, and believed that they were saved by this deeper knowledge.
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Gnosticism generally taught that the Earth was ruled over by a lesser "god" called Yaldabaoth... known as the Demiurge, after Plato (Gr. demiurgos - 'one who shapes'). The Demiurge was the head of the Archons, "petty rulers" and craftsmen of the physical world. But human bodies, although their matter is evil, contained within them a divine spark or pneuma that fell from the Source, or Nothingness from which all things came. Knowledge (gnosis) enables the divine spark to return to the Source whence it came.
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The process of salvation in Gnosticism is simple, yet at the same time complex. Where most religions require faith, good works, or a combination of the two to avoid damnation, the Gnostic believes salvation comes through gnosis, or knowledge. Though despite their elitist attitude, one of the more philosophical components of Gnosticism seems to indicate that even those who are not pursuing saving knowledge can return to the light eventually. However, there are an unfortunate few who seemed to be damned for life. Cosmology ... comes into play when discussing Gnostic salvation. As stated previously, the Gnostics believed that above the material world were several heavens.
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There are many forms of Gnosticism. In its basic concept, it is a mystical system that attempts to explain Bible events based upon hidden or secret knowledge. Gnosticism can be traced to Babylon where it was first used by Nimrod and Semiramas to created a false religion based upon a re-interpretation of God, the creation, angels, the devil, man, woman, and the fall. This re-interpretation has secret knowledge allegedly hidden in symbols, words, icons, idols, and rituals. There is a public exoteric religion and hidden there is an oral esoteric religion containing secret knowledge [Freemasonry etc.]. Gnosticism is the hidden [dark] side or the esoteric side of re-interpretation of that which the general public is seldom informed or made to know.
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There is probably no greater heresy within Christianity than Gnosticism. It is its first heresy, and, ironically, it promulgated reactionary doctrines that, if not as heretical and false, they were just as inaccurate. They were the byproduct of inaccurately rebutting the rationalizations of passing Greek culture. Rationalism was Gnosticism’s mistake, and this supplication to universal wisdom called Logos was rightly condemned by the Church as “knowledge falsely so called.” This “knowledge” was nothing more than self-invented allegory and metaphor aimed at creating an esoteric, “spiritual” reality of deeper truths. Since it came largely from the Greeks, it was tainted with contemporaneous Greek pagan and philosophical outlooks. Since Gnosticism is a methodology of allegory and rationalization it cannot die out.
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