We now come to the essence of Gnosticism as it evolved in the first and second century from the origins of the admixture of eastern (philosophy unseparated from religion) and western philosophy (philosophy apart from religion). For the Greek Gnostic, the Jewish explanation of God and evil would not suffice. To the Gnostic, there were two worlds. The dualistic aspect of the natural and spirit, good and evil observed in Judaism was reflected in the universe. All evil was believed to reside in the natural, or material world, and all good resided in the spirit world. God, being holy, could not possibly have created a world filled with evil. Therefore, emanations from Him, called aeons, or lesser gods progressing from the One True God, finally arriving upon one less holy who was capable of contact with the material, was responsible for the evil material world as we know it with our senses. (Again some identify this aeon as the God of the Old Testament.) Thus we have two distinct worlds, a higher spiritual world of the good god and a lower order of the material and evil. The less holy god who had created this world, where all evil resides, had likewise created unholy spirits who were given charge of this creation (cf., Jn.12:31; 14:29-30; 16:7-11; Ro.8:38-39; Ep.2:2), and quite often played upon its fancy ( Gen.6:2). These two worlds, then, were forever locked in conflict -- evil against good ( Dan.10:11-14).

With man imprisoned in the lower world, the next obvious question that arose to be answered, and became the point of differing doctrines was: how was man to escape this evil material world? For some, it became the ascension of the spirit (that internal and imprisoned spark of the divine) made possible through knowledge gained in metaphysical contact. For others, it would be a parousia and an apocalyptic terminus of the creation as man knew it.

To the Gnostic, then, these lesser gods (recurrently identified as angels, thus explaining angel worship, which was the major developing characteristic of the Gnostic heresy in the Colossian church - Col.2:18) were designed to communicate the One True God's knowledge to man whereby man's spirit might rise above his evil material body and regain his once lost rightful position with the good God ( Acts 7:53). (Witness two appearances to Israel's patriarchs, Abraham - Gen.18:1-2,16-19; and later his grandson Jacob - Gen.32:24-30. Keep in mind that the Pharisees had developed an extensive hierarchy of angels identified and named by them - Acts 23:8,9.) Therefore, to the Greek, knowledge was the key to man's salvation, or redemption. Through knowledge, man is rescued from the evil constraints of the material world that did not matter, escaping its punishment and penalty. Since the body was material and contained the evil contrary to the spirit, it would serve no purpose beyond the grave, therefore, the resurrection of it was foreign to their thought. And, unlike the apocalyptic, the Gnostic expected no parousia or redemption of the material world since it was the residence of all evil. Those who possessed this knowledge considered themselves far superior to the less informed, and, as the Essenes, oftentimes separated from the impious society within which they lived. These became heady with their superior knowledge, loving to engage in debate to demonstrate their high degree of philosophistry. (Compare: I Co.8:1-2; Gal.6:3; Col.2:18; II Ti.3:1-9; Js.3:13-18; Jude 16; I Co.3:17-23; 4:6; Jer.9:23-24.)

When Christianity exploded upon the scene within the Jewish religion, at the outset this new theology was ripe for such self-proclaimed converts. As with any new popular movement, in time there will arise and attach to it those who will claim to have a superior knowledge and understanding of its teachings and cause than those who were initially there and partly, or wholly, responsible for its inception. Jewish Christianity was no exception.

And so, to the Hellenistic Gnostic, all the elements were present in this new religion for their superior knowledge to identify to those early unlearned members of this new Jewish sect just who and what they were serving and practicing. Christian Gnosticism would gain momentum in the first century, and become such a threat within the second, serious measures had to be taken to combat this heresy. Early origins of these false teachers are seen in the New Testament writings and warned against by their authors.

Although remnants continued to exist, the proponents of the first schism that had posed a threat to the church in its early days, Judaizers -- those who sought to convert to Judaism through circumcision new Gentile believers -- had been successfully dealt with after the first council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-31). Luke's account of the Acts of the Apostles are replete with references to these heretics who were Paul's constant antagonist, following behind him wherever he went frustrating his gospel of grace without works. Paul's epistle to the Galatians written from Corinth in the winter of A.D. 56 had dealt with that heresy. His letter to the Colossians written from Rome during his first imprisonment, in A.D. 60-63, addresses this later day threat. Compare John's first chapter in his gospel to Paul's first chapter of Colossians. Also note Col.2:8-12 & 16-23. Compare these additional references: I Tim.1:3-20, written in A.D. 65, just a couple of years before Paul's death; II Peter, key vs.1:16-21, written by Peter as a final warning, likely from prison in Rome shortly before his execution in A.D. 67; and Jude, written as a strong warning and defense of Jesus by his half-brother (if this was the genuine author). There are other references to these Gnostic false teachers in the New Testament; look for them as you read, considering the time the material was written and comparing to them the characteristics and doctrines of the Gnostics. John's we will deal with later.

For the Gnostic, when Christ appeared, in Him could be seen the attributes of the first created aeon, the most holy, who came as the intermediary between God and man to bring to him this superior knowledge of enlightenment. It is at this point the heresy begins. Unlike the doctrine of the Apostles who knew, believed, and taught the virgin birth and the incarnation of God in Jesus the man as His full revelation, these self-proclaimed converted Gnostics did not hold to this incarnate view. To them, Christ only appeared, that is to say He appeared not fully as man and God, but in one of two distinct fashions. Some believed He appeared only in spirit form and disappeared as He had appeared once His knowledge had been imparted, as seen in the angelic appearances within the Old Testament. Still others taught that Christ (the highest aeon god) overshadowed the man Jesus who was born of both Joseph and Mary, having, as all men, both earthly father and mother. This is said to have occurred at Jesus' baptism when the dove was seen to descend upon him. Jesus then proceeded in his didactic mission to perform many wondrous deeds while teaching the higher knowledge of God. (cf. Jn.5:36-37; 6:38; 7:15-17; 8:25; 10:25; 10:32-38). When Jesus went to the cross, it is then when Christ is said to have departed him, leaving him to suffer death alone. This is attested to by Jesus' own words when he asked, "My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mat.27:46)

We now have the denial of the very core of authentic Christian doctrine: (1) the virgin birth, (2) the incarnation of God in human flesh, (3) the complete deity of Christ, (4) the eternalness of Christ, (5) the creation and its care by Christ, (6) the oneness of Christ with the Father, (7) the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and the list goes on. Look for John's refutation of these in the first chapter alone of his gospel, and Paul's in Colossians. Is it small wonder then why Paul scathingly condemns anyone who preaches any other gospel than that which was preached by the apostles of Christ (I Co.15)? ("Accursed" = anathema, meaning eternally cut off from Christ; cf. I Co.16:22 & Gal.1:8.)