according to the gnostics, the god of the Old Testament was the god of the Law.?

Question

And also the creator. They also said that the true God was hidden. At first, it sounds blasphemous that the Abrahamic God is a 'second-class God.' But let's look at this metaphorically. What if the Demiurge is not actually LITERALLY the God of the Old Testament; what if the Yhwh motif was used as a metaphor for the oppressive elements that claim to have adopted the law of Yhwh, and keep people down? The conclusion would then be that the Hidden God of the Gnostics on an ultimate level IS the God of the Jews, Christians and Muslims? I realise that Gnostics are said to have been against the Hebrew God; but what if YHWH is in fact a metaphor for the forces of compulsion and oppression? And the original message, originally passed to initiates in secret for fear of misinrerpretation, has indeed been misunderstood by christians; and the Gnostics were not really rebelling against Jehovah, but rather against those claiming divine sanction: the Catholic Church?

no offence intended to catholics; i am merely pointing out that in early times there were abuses on the part of the early christians, particulalry during constantine.

Answer 1

Interesting point. It does seem to point to that on some levels, especially when it is claimed that God is Love and then we read what God is doing in the Old Test, even to his own Chosen people. It would explain some, not all, of the change that God took from the writers of the Old Test to those of the New Test. Though personally, I feel all religious writings are biased and don't give Truth as a whole... only what the writer perceives as truth.

Answer 2

It seems quite odd to look outside the bible for information about God and Christ. Here are a few Scriptural thoughts to consider:

(Romans 16:17) Keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them.

(2 Corinthians 4:4-6) The god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers

(Philippians 2:14-15) In among a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you are shining as illuminators in the world

(1 Timothy 6:3-5) If any man teaches other doctrine and does not assent to healthful words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor to the teaching that accords with godly devotion, he is puffed up with pride, not understanding anything, but being mentally diseased over questionings and debates about words. From these things spring envy, strife, abusive speeches, wicked suspicions, violent disputes about trifles on the part of men corrupted in mind and despoiled of the truth

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