What is Gnosticism?

Question

How do the Gnostics differ from traditional Christians?

Answer 1

they believe that they have a special knowledge about God and salvation. only those who possess such knowledge can be saved.

Answer 2

Gnosticism comes from the Greek word "Gnosis".... the Gnostics advocated an "esoteric knowledge" different from the religious knowledge of the broad mass of followers.... In the early church (the first century) Gnostics said that you either had access to this 'secret' knowledge or you didn't; traditional Christians advocated that to know God was through direct revelation in Jesus the Christ, and that salvation was everyone's legacy if they accepted Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross.

Gnosticism like Arianism and Nestorism and all the other -ism's of the age came about during a time where people were still trying to crystallize their views on the meaning and nature of God... A great deal had to do with the nature of Jesus as the Christ - the Logos - the second person of the holy trinity, i.e., God. When thought and speculation over how infinite God became finite man in order to walk amid his creation, different cults arose that proposed alternative interpretations....

Answer 3

One of the biggest differences between Gnostics and other Christians is the tendency for Gnostics to use texts other than those approved by a limited (and limiting) group. For example, Gnostics use texts other than the traditional canon in order to determine what is appropriate to render unto Caesar and what to render unto Christ.

Gnostics are open to stories of Christ that the traditional Church has banned and burned at one time or another. As a result, the Gnostic understanding of Christ has more depth and texture than the traditional understanding.

Gnostics have connections to traditions other than the Jewish experience. They have ties to Buddhism, the Chaldean tradition, Sufism, and even pre-Columbian Native American traditions. As a result, Gnostics are more accepting of people and ideas that are outside of the Judeo-Christian experience.

Answer 4

The Gnostics were a sect of Judaism that split off from the mainstream. They went to live in the mountains and caves in the area called Qumran, and had their own writings, calendar, etc. They allowed no Gentiles, or handicapped people, they we're exclusive, and lived what we would call monastic lives. There are writings of the Gnostics, but the sect died out as a practise, and there is no continuous "Gnostic Church" from those days. Though I believe there are people who would consider themselves Gnostics, and follow the teachings that were discovered concerning them.

The Gnostics split from Judaism before Jesus, so they had their own ideas of how to live the spiritual life prior to any of Jesus' teachings.

Jesus taught to share the good news with all people. So, He taught inclusivity, rather than exclusivity.

Answer 5

The gnostic tradition predates Christianity. They believe they have special (secret) knowledge. The word "gnosis" means "knowledge", but the kind of knowledge that you get from mystical, rather than intellectual, means. They were a large movement in the early days of the Christian church but faded.

Answer 6

Gnostics aren't really Christians. They organized shortly after Christianity and they tried to piggy back on its success. They believed in things like secret words that would get you into Heaven. You can read many of their "gospels" that were dismissed because they were clearly not Judeo/Christian in nature. The gospel of Thomas suggests that only men can get into Heaven and that women have to do something to make themselves men to earn their grace. They're more into mysticism.

Answer 7

Gnostic's. there was a group of "profits" who wrote scripture on Jesus 200-300 years AFTER his death.

Trust in the holy bible, not Gnostics

Let me ask you a question...

if you had a letter written from Elvis's best friend, who walked with him and talked with him

and if you also had a letter written by someone who never actually knew Elvis but decided to write a letter 10 years after his death, Which letter would you trust more?

The first one of coarse

Cheers,

(-:

Answer 8

Heretic teachings and writings of old that claim to be written by one of the 12, they are fakes and frauds. If I remember in the gospel of thomas it is very anti-women, women must turn into men to be saved. Plus or such Heretic teachings, denying Jesus is fully God and fully man. the gnostic gospels were never used by the early church because of the HERETICAL teachings. hope this helps

Answer 9

I thought gnosticism had to do with knowing that God is within and that all the answers can be found within yourself by tapping into the kingdom of heaven within. That we are not seperate from God as God is within all of us and through meditation and opening oneself up to God rather than through what most people do now - pray using their own ideas, words, conditioned beliefs and prejudices to muddy up the connection to God by filling our minds with ego junk.

By clearing the mind of the constant internal chatter and opening oneself up to connecting to the divinity within the self that is the source of all things, God, that we can know God, because God is there for everything and within everyone, regardless of religious affiliation and belief system.