Featured Christian Gnosticism - Hidden Treasures?

Gnosticism is a fungus. I never met a Gnostic who didn't hate Christians and Jews. They think that they have secret information and are super intelligent.

 

Are they called Gnostics?

 

Would any of those terms be Calvinists or reformed?

 

Scripture itself gives rules for its interpretation.
One of those is that the Scripture itself interprets Scripture. The truth is not decided by 'it is written' but by 'it is written again' (Matthew 4:6-7; c.f. Acts 15:15-16). When there is a question of the true meaning of a text of Scripture, it must be searched out by looking at other passages that speak more clearly. The Bible is one harmonious message without confusion or contradiction and pulling out one text that seems to support an argument is no guarantee that it does. Therefore the use of a Thompson's Chain Reference Bible can be helpful in finding other passages that illuminate the one under consideration.

Another most important rule taught in the Scriptures is to seek the advice of those wiser than oneself, usually in commentaries before coming to an opinion (Proverbs 8:33; 11:14; 15:32 etc.). Our pride will naturally reject that, but it is a fact that all kinds of heresies have arisen from people thinking that they alone are interpreting the Scriptures correctly or have the master technique for doing so. We believe in Sola Scriptura, but beware of Solo Scriptura. We must certainly not follow commentaries blindly, but wisdom did not start with us.

Allied to this is humility, which at the very least will drive us to prayer (James 1:5), and will, God willing, prevent us from supposing that our view is the 'classic' one, whilst those of others are mere 'tradition.'

 

Very Solid Post, MartinM,

So you believe scriptures can be understood without being a Christian gnostic?
MM do you believe what is written in green below, [kjv] or, the newer suggested modified version in purple;and red;
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
or,

6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: [those who follow confessions, and Cathechisms]

yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom,[you know,secret gnostic philosophies that are hidden below the surface]


which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: [edited, insults removed] for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
[so the whole confessional church has not understood the Fall, spiritual death, and what a natural man is ie, only flesh even]
so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God [edited, insults removed]

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
[And yet if we do any more than a direct reading of the text, we have become gnostics . Instead, the Bible is declared to be a fragmented group of sentences that we cannot put the puzzle pieces together on.]

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

 

I think that you need another term because Gnostic denotes an ancient cult predating Christianity. In cities such as Indianapolis where cultists far outnumber Christians, there are actual Gnostics. I personally tend to toss them in the category of occultists because Indianapolis is an international center of Spiritualism, and those groups seem to flock together.

 

One side of pure error is a person cannot answer when asked the right questions
so what is Adams original condition just flesh?
and does not have a spirit at all
he has no spirit and soul is just flesh is that your position that you're defending because as biblicist pointed out several of us have address something died that day and it wasn't Adam physically
so until you could show how death is passed all men that men are spiritually dead but they never thought it was just asked you that's what times you saying that people type but denied your position is an absurd nonsensical position. Try to describe my view is on many and is also ridiculous and it just used to cover up.
No one disputes that eternal life is in Christ that's not the issue you bring it up several times and each post now to try to make you a post have some semblance of validity but the fact is until you can determine the origin of the spiritual death that you say men have your posts are nonsense

 

No one has said that we born spiritually alive and die the only person that had a spirit that was alive in the original righteousness is Adam he fell and he spread it to all mankind so it was spiritual and physical death.
the definition biblicist posted found in Ephesians about the condition of man separate and alienated from God shows the condition we inherited and Adam. You denying Federal headship of Adam in the spiritual sense denies the gospel in the sense that Christ as you put it gives us life but you're you're not accounting Adams for giving us death to keep repeating that we're trying to say that people natural men have life and then lose it and get it back is a red herring and just ridiculous and it's a cover-up I listed 50 things that you did say and by sorting through anyone looking at it can see that you've not answered the question that was put to you for five times reform commented on it Martin commented on it was just commented on and I commented on it and several others so until you answer that you have nothing to post

 

Let's make it really simple what condition was Adam in in Genesis 1 31 what condition was he physically what condition was his soul Spirit did he have one that they have any life or was he created spiritually dead answer that question and if he alone was created spiritually dead is that how it's passed all men or was it as it says in Romans death passed upon all men
you assume that it's physical death first you have no scripture that says its physical death at all as a cause but as a result yes spiritual death leads to physical death

 

Unless I have missed something (which is possible since I have very little time at present), you have not addressed the point, except with blank denials. You have not addressed SFAIK Ecclesiates 7:29; you have not addressed the contrast between Genesis 1:26 & Genesis 5:3; you have not addressed Genesis 2:17 in respect of what would have happened to Adam if he had not eaten the fruit.

So whether you have already done so or not, will you please humour me by addressing these points again. You ahve agreed with me that 'When there is a question of the true meaning of a text of Scripture, it must be searched out by looking at other passages that speak more clearly.' Here is your opportunity.

 

In my estimation, there are a lot of people who do that, Jon.
Growing up in Baptist churches, I ran across many who, instead of actually reading their Bibles for themselves, just took everything that came out of the pastor's mouth as truth, whether or not he was actually speaking it.

Hardly anyone ever cross-checked the pastor.
I no longer wonder why false teachings get propagated so far, so fast and for so long.

 

Perhaps I did not make myself clear: Gnosticism is a cult and always has been a cult for more than 2,000 years. I myself throw it in with the occult because the Gnostic cultist that I have met in Indianapolis, and there are a few, believe that they have secret knowledge and that reminds me of the occult. Gnosticism cannot be rehabilitated. Real Gnostics are virulent opponents of Judaism and Christianity.

If you are correct that authentic Christians call themselves Gnostics, I have to wonder if they know what the word means?