The cosmic revolution in Colosse: incipient gnosticism

1. Gnosticism derives its name from gnwsij or the intellectual snobbery which occurred throughout the early church. This was one of the greatest attacks on Bible doctrine in the early church. This came primarily from those who had adopted or were attracted to Hellenistic systems of philosophy. it was an attempt to reconcile philosophy with doctrine. They are irreconcilable but this was an attempt. The people involved in gnosticism are also involved in reversionism.

2. Definition. A word which must be understood is the word “syncretism.” Syncretism means a combination of things. Gnosticism is the major thrust of the cosmic revolution of Satan which combines Greek philosophy and legalistic Judaism with oriental dualism to form an apostate syncretism — combining these things into one system — covered with a veneer of Christian vocabulary. It picked up and utilised the vocabulary of Bible doctrine.

3. The polemical advantage. Gnosticism caused Paul to develop a technical vocabulary to describe certain principles of doctrine, the principles and the mechanics of the Christian way of life. So there is a great polemical advantage in gnosticism and its rise. This is best illustrated by the book of Colossians. Gnosticism itself claimed to have gnwsij which was “super knowledge.” Paul demonstrated that gnwsij, as far as the Christian life is concerned, is simply Bible doctrine in the left lobe. This is being a hearer of the Word and the Holy Spirit makes gnwsij a reality. The great polemical advantage of gnosticism was the fact that it forced a technical, doctrinal vocabulary on the Church which the Church in its purity of doctrine still retains. When these doctrines are attacked then we have these words abused or misused, or given new definitions, or simply set aside entirely. Paul says to the Gnostics in Colosse, you have gnwsij; I am presenting e)pignwsij, something which is ultimately superior to what can be learned through human IQ. Human IQ, even in the genius class, has limitations; but the grace apparatus for perception or spiritual IQ has no limitations and the whole plan of God and the whole realm of doctrine can be understood. Paul will demonstrate the polemical advantage of e)pignwsij.

4. A general description of gnosticism. Gnosticism had technical words which become technical words in Christianity. Gnosticism begins with a dualism. Oriental dualisms had some concept of good versus evil, and gnosticism used plhrwma in opposition to u(lh which is the world of matter. Plhrwoma is the world of the spiritual. This is taken from Plato who said that plhrwma is a kind of ethereal, spiritual concept of good, and u(lh is the world of matter, including the human body. This is Platonic dualism. Plato said that the world of matter, which is the human body, traps certain things from plhrwma called aeons [a)iwn]. These aeons are imprisoned by the world of matter causing man to be created evil. That appealed to Christian doctrine because in the reproduction of man man is born spiritually dead. So this is where the attack is subtle and agrees and disagrees all at the same time. Now the world of matter imprisons these aeons. The God of the Old Testament is called by the Gnostics the demiurge and He created man evil because he created aeons in u(lh, and these aeons have to be liberated. But God did not create man evil, God cannot in any way sponsor evil, and this is the fallacy of this particular part of gnosticism. The whole objective in salvation is to liberate the aeons into the world of plhrwma, and plhrwma becomes the heaven. So how are you going to get the aeons out of the body and out of evil and get them to heaven. That is the big problem that gnosticism poses. How are you going to save man? They claimed that there are two ways to do it: either by maximum asceticism or maximum lasciviousness. So there were two ways of salvation. They had to consider Christ in the picture and they said He was the highest aeon. He is not the saviour and He is not God, and they claimed that the cross was an optical illusion.

5. Gnostic salvation. It is the synthesis conspiracy. In a synthesis conspiracy you attack by using a thesis and an antithesis. Thesis salvation is asceticism, and the aeons are liberated into plhrwma by abstaining from food, drink, marriage. The original Gnostics in this groups were called Essenes. The Dead Sea scrolls uncovered a lot of the teachings of the Essenes. There were also the Marcionites and the Manachaens. These are three groups that were getting saved by asceticism. Every one in the old sin nature has a trend either toward asceticism of toward lasciviousness, so whichever way there was always someone trying to be saved under gnosticism. The antithesis salvation is lasciviousness in which the aeons are liberated into the world of plhrwma by the functions of the phallic cult, and this is why you have so much immorality among the Greeks. It started with Plato, for example. This group are called the Nicolaitans and the Ophites. So we have two systems of salvation and this is the synthesis conspiracy. Both systems are wrong, and when you combine the thesis with the antithesis you have a system of salvation by works. it is designed to appeal to everyone.

6. Gnosticism was both an experiential and philosophical attack on Bible doctrine. As a form of Greek mysticism it declared revelation apart from the canon of scripture. Therefore gnosticism was an attack upon the Bible. Gnosticism also had a system of sacraments. They had sacred names, formulas and symbols, used to have a good destiny after death. In this way the Roman Catholic church copied many of its rituals from gnosticism. So that Romanism in its ritualistic function is a perfect illustration of how gnosticism has been perpetuated from the first century right down to the present.

Gnosticism also believed in seven world powers which are characterised as angels. Therefore Gnostics worshipped angels — fallen angels, demons. Cf Colossians 2:18. So in gnosticism we have a fusion of Babylonian and Persian concepts connected with demonism, and also we have the Phrygian worship of Sibole, the natural mother of the Phrygians, which gave rise to the basic part of the phallic cult.

7. The leaders of gnosticism. Cerinthus, Valentinus, Basilides, Marcion, and others.