What is a Gnostic Christian?

Question

Why is it so confusing? I have read some past questions about it and I still can't seem to wrap my brain around it. Could someone explain it in simple terms (no copied articles). What do they believe? What are their pratices? Do they believe in heaven, reincarnation?

Answer 1

Gnostic Christianity goes way back to the roots of Jesus. One of the basic tenets is that we humans contain a "divine spark" that is part of God. But according to the Gnostics, not all humans possess this spark. The humans that do are said to be closer to God and have a higher consciousness, the humans that don't are thought to be less close to God. Jesus had a divine spark that permeated through out his personality and his teaching. He had the most close relationship to God that any person (according to Gnostic Christianity) has had to date, hence his divine status.

Heaven and reincarnation take on a very Eastern perspective because of the presence of the divine spark. From what I understand, they do believe in reincarnation and as people transform from one body to another, they take their spark and add on, similar to achieving Nirvana in Buddhism.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Gnostics are a part of the very early church. Agnostics figure a man cannot know God, Gnostics believe a man can know God.

Me, I feel a person doesn't know at the start, but if believing, then acting on faith will result in something you experienced, not just believed. Then you are getting to know.

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.


Gnosticism is a descriptive term used to identify a common belief among various religious movements and groups that likely originated in prehistory and became most active in the first few centuries AD/CE. The key to understanding the core belief of these movements is provided by the term gnosis, a Greek word expressing a type of understanding/consciousness gained through personal experience. It is through this type of transcendental experience that followers of Gnostic belief systems ("Gnosticism") seek escape from ignorance and thus the mundane.

Throughout history, followers of various incarnations of Gnosticism (particularly Christian persuasions) were persecuted by those who held the opposing belief that salvation came through faith in particular religious concepts or figures rather than personal knowledge of them. There is no evidence that followers of these earlier Gnostic belief systems ever characterized themselves with the word 'Gnostic.'

The term has become widely used by modern scholars and others as a way to identify an emphasis placed on the salvific benefit of individual wisdom. Although many Gnostic movements identified with the teachings of Jesus Christ and were Christian by their own definition, there remains widespread variation in the particular religious orientations of many Gnostic groups. Especially notable for their extended and uninterrupted presence up until the modern era are the followers of the Persian Prophet Mani, the Manicheans; and the Pre-Christian Mandaeans who still survive in Iraq and Iran.

Particularly with the rise and fall of the Albigensian "Cathar" movement, European Gnostic thought became heavily influenced by the idea of a mythological struggle between competing forces of light and dark. This viewpoint would lead to the development of a strongly dualistic system in which there was a marked division between the higher celestial realms, and the material realms, the latter of which were thought to be under the governance of an ignorant entity known as the Demiurge. Influenced by more widespread branches of Christianity, the Demiurge was eventually conflated with many of the properties of Satan. One potential source of this newfound dualism is directly from the other Near-Eastern schools of Gnosticism, possibly via the influence of the Bogomils.

Answer 3

A gnostic is a heretic that disputes the idea that spirit and matter are connected. They believe that what one does in the body has no effect upon the soul. They also believe that all spirit is good, and all matter is bad. They never have heard of demons? They would also not believe in Jesus having a real physical body, only the appearance of one. They are duelists.

Answer 4

A historical sect (one of the many branches of early Christianity) that believed that knowledge was the ultimate goal, that we should seek knowledge to be closer to God. The world was created by an inferior, not all-loving god, and "behind", or perhaps "beyond" this reality is the true divine. That's one component of gnosticism.

Answer 5

Gnostics believed that God was too far above man to create something as sinful as flesh. Therefore, He created a lesser god, who was a little less perfect, who could create a lesser god, who was a little less perfect, until finally a god was created who was so far detached from that ultimate perfection that he could create sinful flesh. They believed that we were all "children of a lesser god."

A Christian, on the other hand, believes that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, was completely God (Colossians 2:9).

The two concepts don't go together, as much as some people would love to try.

Answer 6

it isnt "gnostic" its agnostic. It is basically someone who believes in a higher power but they dont believe in the bible or anything it says.

Answer 7

They think they know more than the Bible teaches.

They believe al lkinds of cHOP SUEY and it changes in their heads month to month.

Not quite Christian!

Answer 8

I've been exploring the same question. I found a lot of good information at www.gnosis.org. Check it out and good luck!

Answer 9

They believe in a god, but not the murderous wretch that is written about in the bible.

Answer 10

I do not know. Trust in yourself! Pray, meditate, steer clear of organized religions!