Expert: Elder Greg Madden - 11/20/2006

Question
I hope that you can help me with this, being a Christian Minister. I am currently doing a project for school called the I-Search, in which I am required to seek the answers and opinions of an expert in response to a few brief questions. If you could find the time to reply to these questions, it would be appreciated, thanks.
What are the essential Gnostic beliefs, and how do they compare with those of Christianity?
What is your opinion of the Gnostic faith, and how does it affect you as a Christian?
Around when did Gnosticism first emerge as a religion in contrast with Christianity?
Once again, thank you for your time, and I hope that this hasn't been any trouble.  

Answer
Clint,
Thanks for your questions. I will answer them as briefly as I can.

1."What are the essential Gnostic beliefs..."
Gnosticism is a heresy which is made up of a diverse set of beliefs. It is the teaching based on the idea of gnosis (a Koine Greek word meaning "secret knowledge"), or knowledge of transcendence arrived at by way of internal, intuitive means. While Gnosticism thus relies on personal religious experience as its primary authority, early "Christian" Gnostics did adopt their own versions of authoritative Scriptures, such as those found at Nag Hammadi in Egypt.

2."...how do they compare with those of Christianity?"
The following is a list of several differences between Christianity and gnosticism.

Matter or materiality.
Gnostics believed that matter, whether it be the physical universe or the human body, is evil. It is obvious that there is a great tension between spirit and matter. This effects many of their beliefs and especially the way they perceive the world and God's interactions with it.

God.
God is wholly transcendent, that is, he is far removed from his creation. He did not create the material universe because it was instead created by an evil or lesser God, sometimes called a "demiurge". God is thus too perfect and pure to have much to do with the evilness of the material universe.

Humanity.
Gnostics believed that human beings were "sparks" or "droplets" of the very same spiritual substance (or essence) that God is. Somehow we we became trapped in our physical bodies from which we are to escape.

The Fall.
All Gnostics agreed that The Fall was identical to the fall into matter. In other words, creation and The Fall coincide. "As long as spirits are trapped in physical bodies and materiality, they will be subject to sin, which is caused by ignorance of their true nature and home."

Salvation.
Gnosticism commonly held that "salvation is to escape from the bondage of the material existence and travel back to the home from which souls/spirits have fallen." God initiates salvation because he wants to draw back the stray bits and pieces of himself, and so he sends forth an emanation of himself - "a spiritual redeemer" - who comes down from heaven and gives an attempt to teach some of the "divine sparks of Spirit" what their true identity is and where their real home lies. Once they are awakened by this redeemer they can then begin their journey back home. "Salvation is by knowledge - self-knowledge."

Jesus.
Lastly, as far as most scholars know, Gnostics considered themselves Christians and saw Jesus as a heavenly messenger. However, they rejected the idea of God becoming incarnate (God becoming a man), dying and rising bodily. "These beliefs were considered unspiritual and against true wisdom because they entangled spirit with matter." Most Gnostics believe that whoever entered Jesus at his baptism left him before he died on the cross.

3."What is your opinion of the Gnostic faith, and how does it affect you as a Christian?"
My opinion is that those who hold to these beliefs are deceived, believe a wrong gospel, and are in need of true Biblical salvation.
It does not effect me personally, though this heretical view is still in existence today, both in various secretive cults and in such pop religious movements as astrology or alchemy.

The Masonic movement has been referred to as a Gnostic movement. The popular book The Da Vinci Code promotes Gnostic ideas as it attempts to undermine orthodox Christianity.

4."Around when did Gnosticism first emerge as a religion in contrast with Christianity?"
Justin Martyr the early Christian apologist, wrote the First Apology to Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, which mentions his lost 'Compendium Against the Heretics', a work which reputedly reports on the activities of Simon Magus, Menander and Marcion; since this time, both Simon and Menander have been considered as 'proto-Gnostic'. This would be between 114-162 ad.

Please let me know if this helps.
Elder Greg Madden