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The definition of the term Gnostic is quite challenging to pin down, akin to catching a slippery fish. It originates from the Greek term gnosis, which means “to know.” In the context of Gnosticism, the understanding of what is “known” has evolved over the millennia since Gnosticism first emerged during the establishment and consolidation of the early church.
Essentially, a Gnostic adherent believes in attaining specialized, mystical knowledge as the path to salvation. According to Gnostic doctrines, there exists a Supreme God who is benevolent and flawless, yet distant and beyond comprehension. The architect of the cosmos was in fact a lesser divine being—a substandard imitation of the “true God”—who aimed to craft a perfect material world but failed in the attempt. Instead of a paradise, what ensued was a realm tainted by suffering, sorrow, and cognitive as well as spiritual ignorance; all physical substance is now tainted and malevolent. Nevertheless, when this inferior deity fashioned humanity, he inadvertently instilled in humans a fragment of the spirit of the “true” God, rendering man an inherently virtuous soul ensnared within a corrupt, material form.
In contrast to the doctrine of redemption solely through Christ «Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. », (Acts 4:12), the Gnostic interpretation of Jesus conveys a message of self-deliverance. Humanity simply needs to introspect on its inner “spark” to discover the wisdom required to liberate itself from the physical body and connect with God. This professed purity of heart contradicts the sentiment expressed in Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?”
Presently, Gnosticism has progressed and diversified beyond the purely spiritual realm into the secular and scientific domains. Psychologist C. G. Jung extolled Gnosticism as being superior to conventional Christianity.As a way of thinking, another form of Gnosticism denies the existence of God altogether while embracing an eternal—yet still flawed—universe. This atheistic form of Gnosticism does not view the material world as entirely evil but as flawed and incomplete. Humanity becomes the “deity,” and it is their right to enhance the human body and the world around them through their own wisdom.
Christianity and Gnosticism are mutually exclusive; however, it is easy for a Gnostic mindset to infiltrate our own thinking if we are not careful «Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: », (1 Peter 5:8). The Gnostic seeks goodness, but instead of aiming to be renewed by Christ, they adopt a man-centered purpose for living. Gnostic thought makes individuals “wise in [their] own eyes” «Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! », (Isaiah 5:21), something Proverbs 3:7 explicitly warns against: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”
Gnostic thinking asserts that deeper truth can be discovered apart from God. However, Proverbs 1:7 states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Instead of exploring our corrupt, flawed “inner selves” for answers, we should evaluate everything against the revealed Word of God «Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. », (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Ultimately, it is only God’s truth that can be relied upon.
