“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science [Gk. gnosis] falsely so called.” (1 Tim. 6:20)

Among the early heresies of the Church was that of Gnosticism (Gk. gnosis, knowledge), a philosophy movement exalting secret knowledge above faith. It is mentioned in Scripture, with a word of warning. The Apostle Paul writes to his protege how he is to “Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’” (1 Tim. 6:20, ESV).

The Gnostics believed that a divine being could not be marred by physical matter because matter is impure. On this point, the Gnostics were not wrong. But the spiritual part of man has also been corrupted. That is the main point the Gnostics failed to grasp to advance their dualistic philosophy.

The Bible teaches that every person is born physically alive, but spiritually dead (Ps. 51:5). Sin has touched not just the body of man, but his soul and spirit. Theologians speak of the “Total Depravity” of fallen man. His understanding is darkened that he cannot clearly perceive spiritual truth (Eph. 4:18). His will is bent against obeying God (Isa. 53:6). His emotions drive him to commit the extreme expressions of perversions that include rape, murder, necrophilia, pedophilia, incest, and homosexuality. Study Romans 1:28-32.

Christians must be careful to examine every philosophical concept, considering the Word of God. The divine warning has come. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Col. 2:8).

Docetism: A Foundational Concept

Support for Gnosticism was found in the teaching of Docetism. It was believed the body of Jesus was not human but only appeared to be. “Docetists argue that since the divine nature is immutable and transcendent, it would be incongruent for it to endure human pain and mortality” (Divine Narratives). In addition, the miracles Jesus performed were not an expression of His sovereign control of the Laws of Nature, but a manifestation of His divine nature.

Docetism was opposed by Ignatius of Antioch (d. c. 110 AD), and others, because it made the sufferings of Jesus, and His resurrection, to be only apparent. The Bible says that “many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (2 John 1:7).

The Bible declares, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

The physical death and resurrection of Christ is affirmed in His post resurrection appearances. Jesus invited Thomas to touch Him saying,

“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39).

Two Reasons for the Rise of Docetism

The initial popularity of Docetism was rooted in a dualistic belief between matter and mind. It has been argued that matter is evil while the spiritual is good. In addition to a skewered view of the universe, the Docetic wanted to protect and exalt the divine nature of Jesus, at all cost. While the intention to exalt the deity of Jesus is commended, there is sublime glory in the Incarnation.

A Reversal of History

It is ironic that while the early Church struggled with the humanity of Christ, the modern Church struggles with His  divinity. The idea of the Incarnation seems preposterous to Liberal Theologians. Jesus is believed to be a good man, but only a man. Jesus is viewed as a gifted moral teacher, but He was only a Rabbi. Jesus lived a life worthy of emulation, but He is not to be worshipped.

Along with Liberal Theologians, neither the Jewish faith nor the Islamic faith embrace the idea of God taking on human form. The Messiah in Judaism is viewed as a leader like King David, but not a divine incarnation. In Islam (Arabic, “submission”), God (Allah) is viewed as transcendent and separate from His creation. Jesus is honored as a prophet, but He is not divine or the incarnate God.

A Word of Caution

Though the Doctrine of the Incarnation is a great mystery, care must be taken not to deny what the Bible reveals, Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. Moreover, creation is very good, not evil. “And God looked upon all that He had made, and it was very good” (Gen. 1:31). Because creation is good, Jesus, in His incarnation, is not ashamed to call others, brothers and sisters (Heb. 2:11-13).

A Limited Impact

Fortunately, the influence of Docetism did not last long in the early Church. Devout Christians faithfully maintained that Jesus was fully human and fully divine.

A Greater Impact

In contrast to Docetism, Gnosticism had a greater impact on the early Church. Gnosticism came into existence long after Christianity was established. This is confirmed by the Nag Hammadi texts which were discovered in Egypt in 1945 by two brothers. The Coptic texts date back to the 3^rd and 4^th century AD. They include the pseudepigrapha Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Philip. These alternative gospels were designed to expand on the life of Christ, and amplify the unique teachings of the Gnostics.

A Contemporary Debate

Based on the Nag Hammadi manuscripts, with their alternative gospels, some modern scholars have tried to claim there was no early consensus of the Christian faith. However, that is not true. It was because individuals departed from the established faith, and wrote their own religious works that the unity of the Church was broken, and confusion ensued, especially when it united itself in part with Manicheanism.

History is Repeating Itself

This type of activity is found in the modern cults. The Mormons, the Jehovah Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventist have created their own writings to be used along with or in place of the Christian Bible.

The Elusiveness of Gnosticism

Initially, Gnosticism proved to be elusive. It was never a fully developed religion, it had no settled set of beliefs, and it was subject to whimsical change. It was the diversity of Gnosticism that proved to be its intrinsic weakness. Christians are to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3), but in Gnosticism, what was contended for was the latest novel thought. No theological system can long survive when it continues to be “progressive.”

Opposition to Gnosticism

Because Gnosticism changed the historical narrative of the gospels, because Gnosticism offered alternative religious writing purporting to be apostolic, because Gnosticism was so diverse and eclectic, the Church apologists, such as Irenaeus (c. 130 – 202 AD), a bishop in Gaul (southern France). In his book, Against the Heresies, Gnosticism received attention.

Understanding Gnosticism

After years of scholarly research, a composite picture of Gnosticism does come into focus. Gnosticism embraced ideas about creation, salvation, and the life of a believer.

Creation. The world is not good, but intrinsically evil. That which is good is spiritual; that which is bad is material. This Dualism is a challenge to God’s own verdict of His creation. In the creation stories of Gnosticism, a lesser deity, or an evil one, created the world.

Salvation. A person must have special knowledge to be saved.

The Life of a Believer. A person must strive to live in the spiritual realm by forsaking the flesh in an extreme form of asceticism. The believer was to fast often, and forsake sensual pleasure, especially any form of eroticism. 

A biblical response to Gnosticism is to argue that the world is real, and it is good, very good. “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork” (Ps. 19:1, NKJV). A careful and scientific study of the world will lead to eternal truth, which can be known.  

Several modern expressions of Gnosticism can be found in the following movement:

• New Age Movement
• Utopian Movement
• Hinduism
• Star Wars (the Movie) “Luminous beings are we…not this crude matter.” ~Yoda
• Scientology, which prides itself on not evangelizing and having secret knowledge
• Kabbalah (Heb. reception, mysticism)
• Pentecostalism (when given to speaking in tongues, and prophetic utterances)

A biblical response to Gnosticism is to argue that Jesus Christ is the way of salvation which is graciously given to all who believe by faith. Faith rests in a person, not in secret or special knowledge. “Credo ut intelligam,” meaning “I believe so that I may understand.” This Latin phrase was uttered by Anselm of Canterbury (Proslogion, 1) in reference to Isaiah 7:9b, “If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.”

A biblical response to Gnosticism is to argue that while Christians are to have godly standards, our emotions, creativity, and joy in living are the gifts of God for the people of God. Jesus laughed, loved, cried, grew hungry, bled, and died, yet without sin.  Jesus Himself valued the physical world manifested in His incarnation (John 1:1, 14), and His glorified resurrected body.

A Judgment on Gnosticism

When considered as a whole, the charge can be made that Gnosticism was a purposeful heresy (Dr. Ryan Reeves). Those who embraced Gnosticism were determined to change the orthodox beliefs and practices of the Church. It is one thing to be in error, it is far more serious to embrace error and vigorously defend it while abandoning the orthodox faith clearly set forth in Scripture.