A hint of a New Gnosticism in the church today verses The Simple Gospel

Gnosticism: A heresy confronted by the church in the first two centuries in which the key to salvation was believed to be the possession of secret mystical knowledge that would unite the soul with God.
A gnostic, (from "gnosis" meaning "knowledge") was an (esoteric) member of any of certain heretical early Christian mystical sects that claimed that matter was evil and denied that Christ had a natural corporeal existence. This teaching had a basic dualism running through it, the higher and the lower, the spirit and the flesh, the good and the evil. Basically a dualistic religious and philosophical movement of the late Hellenistic and early Christian eras. The term designates a wide assortment of sects, numerous by the 2d cent. ; they all promised salvation through an occult knowledge that they claimed was revealed to them alone. Scholars trace these salvation religions back to such diverse sources as Jewish mysticism, Hellenistic mystery cults, Iranian religious dualism (see Zoroastrianism), and Babylonian and Egyptian mythology. The definition of gnosis [knowledge] as concern with the Eternal was already present in earlier Greek philosophy, although its connection with the later Gnostic movement is distant at best. Christian ideas were quickly incorporated into these syncretistic systems, and by the 2d cent. the largest of them, organized by Valentinus and Basilides, were a significant rival to Christianity. Much of early Christian doctrine was formulated in reaction to this movement.
Gnosticism held that human beings consist of flesh, soul, and spirit (the divine spark), and that humanity is divided into classes representing each of these elements. The purely corporeal (hylic) lacked spirit and could never be saved; the Gnostics proper (pneumatic) bore knowingly the divine spark and their salvation was certain; and those, like the Christians, who stood in between (psychic), might attain a lesser salvation through faith. Such a doctrine may have inspired extreme asceticism (as in the Valentinian school) or extreme licentiousness (as in the sect of Caprocrates and the Ophites). The influence of Gnosticism on the later development of the Jewish kabbalah and heterodox Islamic sects such as the Ismailis is much debated.
The movement and its literature were essentially wiped out before the end of the 5th century CE by mainline Christianity heresy hunters. Its beliefs are currently experiencing a rebirth throughout the world.
Gnostics consider themselves "people in the know. [They] are the elect, their souls fragments of the divine, needing liberation from matter and the power of the planets." (McManners: 26) They believe that God is found in the self as well as outside the self (Ellwood and Partin: 96). The greatest hope for the Gnostic is to attain ultimate, first-hand knowledge so that they may be freed from this world and return to the world of God. Is this a belief that we are "super spiritual" beings, if we "know" more? What has the Word of God to say about this false belief:

Gnosticism defined [Colossians 2:18] "puffed up mind"

We are warned against this [Colossians 2:8,18 ]"deceptive philosophies"

Of it's arrogance[1 Corinthians 8:1 ] "knowledge puffs up"

It's false teachings [1 Timothy 6:20 ] opposing ideas/false knowledge.

Error and the seriousness of it [1Timothy 1:20] blasphemy

Surpassed by Christ [Ephesians 3:19 ] "The love of Christ passes knowledge"

We do not just need "knowledge", but rather the "epignosis" the "full-knowledge" (revelation) of who Christ is as Lord and savior, through whom all things were made. This is only available to us through the power of the Holy Spirit and not through our own understanding, feelings, or experiences. (John 1), (Colossians 1:9-10, 3:10) "the knowledge of His will"..."knowledge of God", "renewed in knowledge in the image of it's Creator".

Church historian A.M. Renwick has noted that:

"By the beginning of the third century A.D. most of the intellectual Christian congregations throughout the Roman empire were to some degree affected by Gnosticism" [writing in G.W. Bromiley, ed., The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Eerdmans, 1982, Vol.2, p.484].
If one wishes to look for a doctrine which could "seduce the elect" (if that was possible), one need look no further than Gnosticism. Its fundamental tenets have never had any difficulty seducing the vast numbers of professing Christians who, because of an over-reliance on human wisdom and subjective experience, find themselves unable to rest in the simplicity of the Gospel.

As Robert Law puts it in his brilliant commentary on First John: "Of all the forces with which Christianity had to do battle for its career as the universal religion – whether Jewish legalism, pagan superstition, Greek speculation or Roman imperialism – none, perhaps, placed it in sharper hazard than Gnosticism, that strange, obscure movement, partly intellectual, partly fanatical, which, in the second century, spread with the swiftness of an epidemic over the Church from Syria to Gaul" [Robert Law, The Tests of Life: A Study of the First Epistle of St. John, T. & T. Clark, 1909, pg2]

An interesting and thought provoking comment from an article I once read by Morrison:
"Today we have a New Gnosticism which has "spread with the swiftness of an epidemic over the Church" from Korea to the U.S.A. In earthly terms, Gnosticism began in Eden when the fruit of the tree of knowledge (gnosis) was disobediently eaten. It was sparked off by the hubristic question "Hath God said...?" and it found its expression in the realisation that this was "a tree to be desired to make one wise" (Gen. 3:6). What God had given Adam and Eve was not good enough for them. They wanted more. They wanted to be zapped with something more than what God had allotted to them. It is no different today. The vast majority of professing Christians are not satisfied with the simplicity which is in Christ. They are not happy to walk merely by faith. They want to walk "by sight". They want an experience.

"Exegesis" is when you pull out of the text what is really there and put it in its context in the Word. That is what good preaching is based on. "Isogesis" is when you read into the text whatever suits your motives and you can then pull the whole thing out of its true context. That is what bad preaching is based on. It is how heresies and cults are founded."

A hint of gnosticism in the church today:

The teaching that man ought to assist God in the struggle between good and evil, and thereby hasten the complete overthrow of evil. Our God is perfect and unchangeable in his wisdom, power, justice, goodness and truth, He is in control of all and is an omnipotent God who knows the beginning from the end and chooses to let us be involved in His kingdom. Yes, we have to put on our armor and do spiritual warfare, but this does not mean that God has lost control, but rather that we are to do our part in growing up into salvation (1 Peter 2: 1-3).
A belief that all sickness or hardship that comes due to our lack of knowledge, spirituality, or our sin, is another hint of gnosticm, placing man in the lead of his own destiny. Jesus' answer about a man born blind". Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.", we therefor see that one cannot judge each situation the same (John 9:1-4). The dogmatic theory of man being his own healer and savior, places him in the exalted positions of divine leader over his own life, instead of a willing servant of God. Man creates perfection though his own faith, forgetting God's grace and mercy. This subtle dogmatic belief has not only divided the believers, and bought condemnation to many, but has also created a fear to speak or confess weakness, sin and/or lack of faith in a particular area of the believers life. Some of the fruits of this behavior, are; division, false judgement fear of rejection and pride from those who believe that they "have it all". This spiritual pride and hierarchial system of "greater knowledge", has done nothing to bring unity to the body of Christ, neither has it helped create, harmony or peace amidst the brethren.
It is written in God's Word that "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge" (Hosea), but this does not mean that we are ultimately in control of our own salvation or eternal destiny through our own knowledge. It is a "knowing" (Rhema) God's truth, by His Holy Spirit revealing this to us, that we are set free, and by believing on Jesus Christ as Lord. Yes, it is by faith that we can stand on His Word for healing, but it is ultimately God that heals us, not our faith. For without God's divine intervention, nothing would be achieved, for all things are done through Him, our savior Christ Jesus. When we begin to depend on our own works, faith or confessions, we begin to grow arrogant, self -centered and presumptuous, a dangerous place to be that robs one of humility, reverence and the fear of God. Yes, it is right to speak the Word of God, to speak good things (Philippians 4:8), but words are nothing if they are only lip service, and do not come from a contrite and humble heart.
Another distinctive hint at the old gnostic mind set, teaches that man's spirit is much more important (to God) than the body and soul or mind, (will and emotions). God made us in His image and blessed us, not just the spirit, but the whole person (Genesis 1:27,28). We are not our own saviors, but have been bought with a price, paid by the precious blood of Jesus.
Sensationalism, another deviant play in the church today, where people seek to satisfy "feelings", test God's presence, or their status of spirituality, through a display of fleshy emotions. Remembering that not all displays of emotions are fleshy, but rather those that seek to gain attention for themselves, and take attention off the things of God. The "feel good", "quick solution" gospel of today is dangerous and does not help to create mature spiritually rooted Christians in godly foundation in the things of the Lord. Jesus said "you will see them by their fruit", and we know that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is (Galatians 5:22).
Although we strive to do good things for the sake of the Gospel and for the extension of God's kingdom, we have to realize that fruit comes from time spent getting to know the Lord, and developing an intimate relationship with Him.
We have to constantly "grow up" in the things of God. Nothing is new under the sun, except that He reveal truth to us as we can be trusted. The Spirit of the Lord leads us into deeper waters of growth, individually and corporately, however, I believe the church has taken this out of context by stating that there are the new revelations for today, that only some of us receive them, thereby making it sound that only some of us are "extra special, or "extra spiritual". We are all in a constant place of growth, some faster than others, but there is nothing new under the sun, only new understanding for us individually as we mature. So much emphasis is placed on new revelation today, that people seem to be looking more for this than for the deeper things of God. This smacks of the New Age philosophy of fortune telling instead of a foretelling for ones destination. The line between the two seems so thin it tastes of the old temptation of: "Hath God said" instead of "It is written".
Another area to consider is psychology in the church. As a former student of psychology and interned Chaplin in a mental institute, I can see the importance of counsel and emotional support, however, when our problems seem impossible, and we just keep the focus on "our healing", and "our emotional well being, we can take our eyes off the one who does heal, and move into self- pity and to much introspection. Everything needs balance in order to be healthy and whole. Psychology in and of itself is not a danger, unless it is made to be an idol and a solution within its own theories. We need to remember that it is Christ who came to set us free, and no matter what tools we use to reach a solution, the final victory will came from knowing Christ and receiving His healing and delivering power.

So what can we learn from these false theologies and how have we strayed from the simple gospel?

The Simple Gospel:

We are in need of a personal savior; have a need to be forgiven and made whole. It is not knowledge or our own understanding that gets us to this position of repentance, salvation, peace and eternal life.
We see the plan of salvation right from the garden of Eden, when Satan asked the woman (and the man who was with her), "did God say... ".They both would have known better if they had been keeping the Lord as their main focus in their lives while in the garden.
Man chose sin above God's ways, therefore, Jesus had to come, walk on the earth, and take our suffering and sin upon himself. He had to pay the price for our iniquities on the cross of suffering, the cross that would break this curse of eternal damnation once and for all. All this, so that we may have eternal life, and be united once again with our father in heaven. He then gave us His power to walk in relationship with His Holy Spirit, the one who is our counselor, our guide and our teacher. A simple plan that man, even today chooses not to submit to. Man still refuses to acknowledging his need for salvation, forgiveness and divine intervention. How foolish when humans formulates theories like Evolution, just to side step the responsibility of our own behavior, our sinful Adamic nature. We can see that all the "religious" excuses, justifications, and "theories' only enhance our need for a savior, and a desperate need to have our "fallen" nature not only changed, but taught humility and obedience. Jesus said "unless we come to him like a child, we shall not "see" the kingdom of God. We can then see how important it is to be humble is spirit and have simple faith in a loving and forgiving personal God. When our own pride and intellect drives us from submission, truth and righteousness, we see the base nature of man creating for himself false idols, and setting himself up for a fall through his self exalted beliefs.
Lucifer was cast out of heaven for this same prideful behavior (Luke 11:18)/ (Isaiah 14:12-17). New age philosophies today show man making himself a god,believing himself the master of his own kingdom and destiny - ie. a god within that is not a god, but rather a created fallen being, one in desperate need of a holy savior, the Lord Christ Jesus.

William of Ockham (1285-1347) once stated:

"In matters of faith and science I am more impressed by one evident reason or by one authoritative passage of Holy Scripture correctly understood than by the chorus of mankind. I am not ashamed to be convinced of truth. In fact, to have truth victorious over me I consider the most useful thing for me. But I never want to be defeated by the multitude. It may, indeed, be read in the sacred utterances that the multitude, as a rule, errs, and that very often one solitary man may put all the rest to flight."
Let us who desire God's truth test every spirit, teaching, preaching and word that we hear, so as not to deviate from the Word of God. Let us press on to a closer walk with Jesus Christ.
Madam Guyan: had the heart of a true believer in the 17 -1800"s, (despite some strange beliefs, we shall not discuss here) was willing to suffer much, and stand for a deeper intimacy with Christ, rather than accept the religious traditions of the day. A quote to her persecutors: "Oh, that you could comprehend the depth of this mystery, and learn the secrets of the conduct of God, revealed to babes, but hid from the wise and great of this world, who think themselves the Lord’s counselor’s, and capable of investigating His procedures, and suppose they have attained that divine wisdom hidden from the eyes of all who live in self, and are enveloped in their own works. Who by a lively genius and elevated faculties mount up to Heaven, and think to comprehend the height and depth and length and breadth of God."
Paul pleaded with the disciples to hold fast to the truth, to not to be deceived to "watch your life and doctrine closely. “Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Timothy 4:16). Remember our own righteousness is as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6) Therefore, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15)

Essay–A New Gnosticism©2005 Rev. Babette du Plessis-Biddlecombe – Eagles Glide International Ministries. All Rights Reserved.