Gospel of John - Gnosticism
Gospel of John - Gnosticism
Gospel of John - Gnosticism
The following is taken from the Book, Adam2: A Guide For The Walk Home, written by our founder.
It is A Commentary On The Gospel Of John, complete with a background look at the contemporary Jewish groups active in Jesus' day.
It includes a summary of each chapter, a redacted study of each disciple, a brief study of Gnosticism of the time, pertinet timelines,
and much more. Each chapter of study includes extensive Biblical references to the notes on the chapter.
A chronological excerpt of each section will be posted here at the beginning of each month. You can access free of charge at any time
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We look now at the study of Gnosticism from the book: Adam2.
II. GNOSTICISM: A MAJOR FIRST CENTURY HERESY.
A. THE ORIGINS OF GNOSTICISM.
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When Gnosticism is spoken of today, it is typically implied to be Christian Gnosticism. In the main, this may be the case,
but this heresy can be traced in its primitive forms to pre-Christian thought. Our limited space, however,
permits us to look only at a brief sketch of this Hellenistic heresy that found its way into the first century Church.
To continue with our previous pattern of development, let us consider first its name and origins before exploring its
essence, practices, and impact upon Christianity.
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Gnostic comes from the Greek word, ginosko. Ginosko has its origin in gnosis, which means
"to know," and is found repeatedly in the letters of John. In the Greek, there are separate words to express the
various elements of one idea or thought. For instance, in
Jn.3:2 & 11,
"know," in this case, is, oida, which means, "to see, have seen, have known." It does not carry with it the
implication of full knowledge, as seen in the word, epignosis, found in the following examples:
Rom.1:28;
3:20;
10:2;
Eph.1:17;
4:13;
Phil.1:9;
Col.1:9-10;
3:10;
I Ti.2:4;
II Ti.3:7;
Heb.10:26;
II Pe.1:2-3,8;
2:20.
The absence of this knowledge is seen in, agnosia
(
I Co.15:34),
or in another form referring to a person with whom we are most familiar, agnostic. Knowledge is not to be confused
with "wisdom" or "intelligence," which are two entirely different things. In the Greek, these are, sophia (cf.
Lk.2:40,52;
Acts 6:3;
I Co.2:7,13;
3:19;
II Co.1:12;
Col.3:16;
Js.1:5)
and, sunesis (
Eph.3:4),
respectively.
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Around these three, gnosis (knowledge), sophia (wisdom), and sunesis (intelligence),
the Greeks ascended in philosophy, which began with Thales of Miletus, ca. 640 B.C., and reached its
zenith under Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle three hundred years later (about the time Alexander the Great came to power).
Athens of Greece and Alexandria of Egypt (where a large Jewish populous thrived) became the capitals of culture and
philosophic thought. Unlike other periods previous and following, the golden years of Greek philosophy during Socrates,
Plato, and Aristotle's time were unparalleled (and to which the Jewish philosopher looks with great admiration).
Within this time, ethics and morality were inculcated and held in the highest esteem. The Epicureans would later arise,
bringing with them their pleasuristic philosophies, and, finally, the Gnostics with their licentious practices.
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As with much of society's debt to the Jewish contributions to a civilized world, particularly in the area of law,
ethics, and morality, Jewish thought is also accepted as a considerable influence in Greek philosophy and modern thought.
(And it can be said in reciprocity, as observed in the late examples of the Alexandrian Jewish philosopher, Philo
(a contemporary of Christ), and Maimonides, or Moses ben Maimon, 1135-1204). The dualistic idea seen in early Jewish
teachings—good and evil, material and spiritual—was expanded in Greek philosophy.
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At the core of Greek philosophy is reason. With reason, or the ability to think or ponder, considered as the unique
element that marks man apart from animal, the natural question that followed was: to what level can man ascend in his thoughts?
Namely, what is the highest truth? In Emil Fackenheim's treatment on the Greek's idea of Via Contemplativa,
to the Greek philosopher, "the highest truth is Divine, and the highest thought at which man can aim is the contemplation
of it" (p. 155). Accordingly, knowledge nor the quest for it was regarded higher than one contemplating upon the Divine,
no matter how frequent or fragmented it may occur. One who was able to achieve this level of thought was said to attain
that life in "imitation of God," or to us, Salvation. Thus, to the Greek, wisdom, and hence "life,"—the ascension of the
spark of life from the material into the spiritual—came through contemplation.
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At this point, Jewish thought and Greek thought divorces in at least two areas,
(1) the source of wisdom, and (2) the study and practice of knowledge. Although both minds were in agreement
as to the pinnacle of man's thoughts (
Jer.9:23-24;
Mk.12:28-29),
for the Jew, wisdom has its basis in the fear of the Lord (
Job 28:28;
Ps.111:10). This wisdom did not come from the exercise of reason in contemplation, as the Greek saw it, rather,
it came purely from God's revelation to one whose heart was prepared in fear (yare, in Hebrew, meaning, "reverencing" -
Job 1:1,8;
2:3).
This revelation, transcribed and handed down from generation to generation, became the focal point of the Jewish search.
Therefore, for the Jew, a life devoted to the study of this record is regarded as supreme; for it was through the holy
lives of their predecessors God's words came, thus, it is from them wisdom for salvation is obtained (
Jn.5:39;
II Ti.3:15)
and one's understanding of his own place within creation finally seen. Note one contemporary Rabbi's observations on
the place of Torah in a person's life:
Torah, "Instruction," is the visible bond between God and Israel. It is God's Torah, but also ours to evolve
out of our historical experience. It is given us every day anew. It is not in heaven, but here with us.
"The word is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart that you may observe it." [
Deut.30:14]...In Torah God speaks to us, but in human terms, through language. As human beings, we interpret God's utterance.
Torah thus becomes the word of God and of man, reflecting human understanding. This understanding varies with
times and circumstances...Every Jew must look at himself or herself and ask, Where do I stand? With the help of the
information and guidance provided by Torah, the Jew may find an answer to that question, to the demands of conscience
and the issues of life. Ben Bag Bag said: "Turn it [Torah] and turn it again, for all is in it. Look in it, grow gray
and old in it, never turn away from it for there is no better guide for you than it (Abot 5:25)." (Trepp, pp. xi, xii, 1, xiii)
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This is not to say that the Jew could not see wisdom in any other source, for indeed he did. To the Jew, wisdom was
personified and seen present with God before the beginning (cf.,
Pr.8:22;
Job 28; 38:1-40:2). Since nature was God's divine creation and wisdom was the agent with which He created it (
Ps.104:24;
Pr.3:19),
then wisdom could be seen in every aspect of the natural world (Ps.97). Listen to Paul's Jewish reasoning for the
attainment of knowledge of God: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they [those who reject God
and His knowledge] are without excuse" (
Rom.1:20).
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We arrive now at the second major area of difference in Greek and Jewish thought. This is evident in the dilemma
that eventually comes to any one who has emerged from Plato's cave into the light: should he or she there remain,
or, remembering his fellowman behind, descend back into his darkness with the hopes of so benefiting others?
As any student of human nature knows, obviously some would choose the former, while others more benevolent,
the latter. To the enlightened Greek mind, often disengagement from the common man, sometimes even from society,
followed. What had been gained through contemplation became secretive and imparted only to those proven worthy
to acquire such esoteric teachings. Thus an elitism developed, with a related hierarchy of the enlightened and
their corresponding wisdom. (If this is beginning to sound like the Essene, it should, for similar patterns often
develop in achieved enlightenment and acquired knowledge, and to the Christian, should be carefully guarded against.)
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To the Jew, however, the response was quite different. Unlike the Greek metaphysician, he was to act upon what he had learned,
for it was not the contemplation of, nor the learning of, but the doing of God's word that became paramount. It was not
enough to be a hearer only of those things spoken to him, either through observation in nature, contemplation in thought,
or examination of His revelation, but He must do those things learned of Him (
Deu.5:27,31;
6:3).
Once man had achieved the knowledge and understanding of the nature of the Divine, life lived in the Divine meant
life in imitation of the Divine (
Lev.11:43,45).
If, as the Divine says (
Jer.9:24),
He is a doer of lovingkindness, then man too must love to do that kindness; if judgment, then man must exercise justice;
and if righteousness, then man must live righteously. Only in doing these could man please God (
Ecc.2:24-26;
12:13-14;
Mi.6:6-8).
Obviously to fulfill this, he could not separate himself from his fellowman. To the Jew, then, Israel was community and
Judaism was their calling, and that lived out through every fiber of their being.
- Author: Ken Livingston
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