Is gnosticism the same thing as Christianity?

Answer 1

Answer There are quite a number, probably the chief one being the Gnostic attitude to both the identity of Jesus Christ and the source of authoritative teaching.

Regarding the former, the Gnostics believed that Jesus was some kind of an 'emanation' from God and therefore not identical or co-equal with God the Father as Christians believe. He was regarded by them as somewhat akin to an angel, whereas Christians hold Him to be almighty God and worthy of worship - something which He accepted while on the earth and which no angel will ever accept, as recorded variously in the scripture.

Regarding the latter, the Gnostics believed in special 'knowledge' which only they possessed, hence their name, which comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis. They thus had a source of revelation and authority outside of The Bible, something which Christians reject, especially since it flatly contradicts much which is taught there.

The differences between Gnosticism and modern Christianity are essentially the same as they always were. The Bible is still the ultimate source of authority for Christians and Jesus remains the one true God, co-equal with the Father. Even those who claim today to be bringing a 'revelation from God' only have true Christian legitimacy if what they say is in accord with scripture. A true Bible teacher will encourage people to check what they say against God's revelation. They will not claim to have any kind of new doctrine which somehow overrides or supersedes the scripture as the Gnostics did. Nor will they appeal to the human ego and suggest that they alone are bringing some kind of special teaching or 'knowledge' which no-one else has.

Answer 2: Christians pray to the invoked entity who signs his name with a capital 'G.'

Gnostics acknowledge the existence of a supreme architect, but do not believe that what man perceives to be real as the absolute reality, implying that Man's four dimensional existence resides within a bubble- for lack of a better word surrounded by other aeons/planes of existence/dimensions. Gnosis teaches that the demi-urge manufactured this reality after falling from a higher aeon. It is in the lower aeon that he sought to imprison the divine sparks (the spirits) that were born within the Pleroma inorder to perform his works. Such is also the way of various types of demons that manifest vi

a bloodletting rites, ceremonies and other rituals- including wars between the tribes of Mankind.

Gnostics do not lay claim to possess hidden knowledge that only they know. This is a common misconception within the Christian/Catholic/Orthodox communities as Gnosis teaches that through studying their doctrine, Jesus Christ may choose to appear to you in what science calls "dreams" and teach you to attain Christification in the secrecy of your own soul.

Christians teach that there is only the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, whereas Gnostics teach that if you deny the divine feminine Mother Kundalini, you thereby walk half the path an atheist. Thus to follow the path of Gnosis, one must seek Sophia and Jesus Christ.

Some Gnostic communities, while hard to find, also teach that Mary Magdalene was a priestess who may or may have not married Jesus, and who may or may not have given birth to His son. Then again much of the writings of the Gnostics have been suppressed by the followers of Constantine (Order of the Victorious Sun) for well over a thousand years via genocide, rape, assassinations, etcetera- all of which were performed by the blessing hand of the Papacy.

To discover more, pick up the Nag Hammadi, the Gnostic Bible, the Pistis Sophia, etcetera.

Also note that some variations of Gnosticism have been around at least since the second century BCE, and that the proto-Coptic Gnostics of that time foresaw the coming of the Chirst via the Signs.

Answer 2

A:

Gnosticism is an early form of Christianity. In perhaps the first three centuries, Christianity consisted of two main branches - Gnosticism and the forerunner of the Catholic and Orthodox faiths. Some scholars believe that at a peak, around half of all Christians owed allegiance to the Gnostic branch. There was no one Gnostic faith, but what all Gnostic denominations held in common was a belief that they had secret religious knowledge.

Gnosticism was already in decline by the fourth century, but persecution under Emperor Constantine and his fourth-century successors led to its complete extinction in the west, while only small pockets of Gnostic faith continued for a few centuries in remote areas in the eastern empire.