Johnny Skeptic

The Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2004 says "Gnosticism, esoteric religious movement that flourished during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD and presented a major challenge to orthodox Christianity. Most Gnostic sects professed Christianity, but their beliefs sharply diverged from those of the majority of Christians in the early church."

What is the definition of a Christian? Were the Gnostics actually Christians?

Chili

The difference between a Gnostic and a Christian is that a Gnostic has completed the race that the Christian can't finish. The Gnostic would have the mind of Christ wherein sin is not and the Christian has the mind of Christ wherein sin prevails. Gnostics would be in heaven and the others would go there when hell burns itself out. Same fire with the only difference that the Gnostic is the fire and the Christian is burned by this fire because of their sin nature that prevails (boost about?).

general_koffi

WTF?

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Gnosticism was one of the first main branches of Christianity. It was a powerful Christian influence before Rome took over.

They are monotheistic and place very high importance on Jesus Christ. This qualifies them as "Christians", IMO.

However, their beliefs differ greatly from both mainstream Western and Eastern Christianity in many smaller ways. This is how they got in trouble with the bad boys in Rome and Alexandria to begin with... "heretics".

Here's a link.

Chili

If only by definition the -ism doesn't belong to Gnostic because a gnostic knows, he, as a Christian with the mind of Christ should know, shouldn't he, just as Buddhist with a Buddha mind should know, shouldn't he? I mean what else is there to know if you are omniscient and why would you want to go to Church if you are omniscient . . . wherefore Gnostic-ism, as they had it, must be a heresy if they went to church to learn more. In fact if the gnostic mind is the fruition of religion to place an -ism behind Gnostic whould suggest that God has grand-children and that even sounds stupid.

To place a very high importance on JC is not a good sign for a gnostic who has no equal but is God (being gnostic and all), but it does indeed qualify them as good church-going Christians who are saved and want to be with God after they die.

Do you see the problem with Gnosticism? Well these bad boys in Rome knew that because they own the mind of Christ.

But thanks for the link anyway.

Clivedurdle

Not sure about that link.

I see the gnostic mythicist route being the first one, probably including Paul (if separate from Marcion) or directly from Marcion.

Historicists like St Nicholas are the heretics!

So the Albegensians got it right and the literally minded xians lost the plot!

But the problem now is getting some sort of scientific philosophical structure on this wisdom stuff - Jung had a thought provoking attempt.

Doug Shaver

Words are defined by usage. As far as I'm concerned, that means anybody who calls himself a Christian is one.

Chris Weimer

Calling yourself a dog doesn't make you one...or does it?