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Gnosticism: New Testament
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The basic idea of Gnosticism is this: The true infinite God “emanated” some beings from itself. These beings are called Aeons. Depending on the particular flavor of Gnosticism you are talking about, these Aeons have various names. But one, named Sophia (Greek for wisdom), emanated another creature called the “DemiUrge”. The DemiUrge thinks it is God, and is the God of the Hebrew Old Testament. It doesn’t realize it has been emanated from an emanation and is already twice-removed.
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Gnosticism arose, and made a noticeable advance, during the lifetime of the apostles. The early Fathers attached to Simon the magician, whom Peter withstood in Samaria, the opprobrium of being the first Gnostic. Quite a number of passages which probably refer to Gnostic heresy are found in the New Testament (Col. ii. 8, 18; 1 Tim. 1, 4, vi. 20; 2 Tim. ii.
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[W]here is Gnosticism in today's culture? You might bump into it in successful films and novels, such as Harry Potter, Star Wars and The Matrix, or face it in "religious" and "philosophical" movements, such as the New Age, the Raelian cult and Freemasonry.
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The influence of Gnosticism can be seen in some of the heresies of today. For example, many of the teachings stated above are found, in revised form, in the teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses. To the Jehovah's Witness, Jesus is a created god, not God manifest in the flesh. It is no wonder that the Watchtower's New World Translation omits "God was manifest in the flesh" in 1 Timothy 3:16 and replaces it with "He was made manifest in flesh." In the TR Greek which underlies our King James Bible reads it reads yeov (God) <2316> efanerwyh (was manifested/revealed) <5319> (5681) en (in) <1722> sarki (the flesh) <4561>. However, the Greek text which underlines the NWT has made the change, so it is natural for the Jehovah Witnesses to choose the reading which reflects their false doctrine.
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There are any number of reasons why Gnosticism was bound to come into conflict with that portion of the Church which was consolidating into an institutional monolith. Gnosis, by its very nature, was an individual experience that eluded systematisation. While the Gnostics had priests and even bishops, their leadership derived from their mystical bonafides, not from a bureaucratic position of authority. Furthermore, the canonical Gospels portrayed Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and the Messiah promised to the Hebrews. The Gnostics’ break with what they considered the Demiurge was at cross purposes with this historical reading and undermined the working mythos of the institutional Church.
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More recently, Gnosticism has become popular through successful films and novels, such as Harry Potter, Star Wars and The Matrix. It has ... gained followers among the ranks of ordinary people through pseudo-religious "movements," such as the New Age and the Raelian cult.
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