In the Gospel of Nicodemus the purpose of Christ's descent into hell is to raise the dead and arrest Satan, taking from Satan what was gained from the Tree of Knowledge ( this is recorded to being among the chief virtues of the Gnostics, forebearers to modern Christianity ) by the force of the Tree of the Cross ( the ultimate sacrific asked of Jesus by God Almighty ) thereby returning man's souls to obedience to God and gaining a passage for all to enter Heaven. This then creates the unavoidable circumstance that Knowledge is heresy, how is this then resolved in modern Christianity? For those that ascribe to the four Gospels James has a fairly close parallel to these conduits of passage that are similar enough to convey the same argument.
2007-03-15 02:27:46 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
First, the so-called "Gospel of Nicodemus" is a 4th century writing from the Gnostics...a group outside of mainstream Christianity. There really isn't anything to be reconciled from a Christian point of view, because the writing is purely fictional. Do some points of Gnostic belief dovetail with Christian thought? Sure. Like most cult groups, they merely emphasized/embellished those things that fit their slant.
The Tree of Knowledge wasn't about obtaining intellectual acumen. Rather, it was the realization of good & evil. It was the realization that free will can be used in the capacity of rebellion and disobedience.
James is often misunderstood. Even Martin Luther at first thought the book ran counter to the rest of the the New Testament (he later changed his understanding of that). James wasn't warring against knowledge. Rather, he was saying that knowledge/faith is worthless in a Christian's life if it wasn't accompanied by deeds. That is, knowledge and actions are intertwined with a "living faith"...
Good question...I hope I'm not missing the full intent of what you asked...?
2007-03-15 03:03:04 · answer #1 · answered by Seven 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I could be wrong, but Gnostic's weren't fore bearers of Christianity. I believe their system was developed by taking some of the Jewish beliefs and merging them with some of Plato's philosophies. It is a belief system with it's own unique history and value system. Their beliefs and written text's don't work with orthodox Christianity - they are not compatible.
You have outlined some Gnostic beliefs which are a good example of the differences between the two faiths.
Hebrews 5:12 - 'For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food' - in other words, there is a base of knowledge which is milk, and then the Christian faith goes on into more complex topics and application. This states clearly, in my mind, that my faith requires me to study and learn these topics, as taught in the OT and NT. Knowledge in its own right does not give me rights to enter Heaven.
Both the Old and New Testaments teach extensively of the needed sacrifice as the only way to the Father. We are born into sin, and nothing we can ever do will make us pure before God, except accepting Jesus as our Savior. I'd argue that the Bible, OT and NT, are written with this being the primary teaching.
regards
2007-03-15 03:33:14 · answer #2 · answered by super Bobo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gnostics are heretics. Sorry but that is true. They say he is only a mediator, not the Son of God. They are supposedly on the search for knowledge and move up on the plane of salvation by good deeds.But turn on the news and you'll see that no one is good enough to earn heaven. It is true that the Cross destroyed Satan's grip on us, even if we still turn to Satan in sin. Try and look into what the Catholic Church has to say about Gnostics.
2007-03-15 02:36:16 · answer #3 · answered by Elisha 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Mordern Christianity is the same Christianity that was found in the early church, gnostic believes are nothing more then pagan ideas that intruded opon early church doctrine and are heretical in nature, plus the fact that gnostic beliefs have many holes that can not be filled or explained.
2007-03-15 02:37:53 · answer #4 · answered by JesusFreak 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is all part of the reason why that so called book is NOT part of the recognized canon of scripture- it's full of heresy.
This gnosticism is the same heresy the Apostles wrote against. It is incompatible with Christian doctrine.
2007-03-15 02:33:40 · answer #5 · answered by Jed 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You are quite right but the difference is knowledge is not heresy.It was intellect which got adam and eve to be thrown out not knowledge.
they exercised intellect in that to do as
GOD or act as GOd told them not to do they execised a thought called doubt which is not knowledge but a use of in tellect. Untill the the spoke face to face with GOD.
See the book "the cloud of unknowing" which relates to this,
2007-03-15 02:29:58 · answer #6 · answered by Tribble Macher 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋