HERESIES ANCIENT [GNOSTICISM]

IN THE EARLY CHURCH, MANY FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE GOD'S TRUTH. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT WANDERING TEACHERS WERE A DIME A DOZEN, SINCERE AND PERSUASIVE. IT WAS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO SEPARATE THE GRAIN FROM THE CHAFF. A HERESY WHICH TROUBLED THE EARLY CHURCH FOR SEVERAL CENTURIES WAS GNOSTICISM. THE TEACHINGS OF GNOSTICISM TAUGHT THAT GOD WAS ALL SPIRIT. HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MATTER OF ANY KIND. THOUGH GOD DID NOT CREATE THE MATERIAL  WORLD, HE CREATED LESSER DIVINE BEINGS WHICH THE GNOSTICS  REFERRED TO AS "AEONS" OR "EMANATIONS;" EACH WAS LOCATED AT AN INCREASINGLY GREATER DISTANCE FROM GOD. THE MOST DISTANT ONE MADE THE WORLD AND MAN'S BODY. FRAGMENTS OF "DIVINE LIGHT" FROM GOD DEPARTED FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE TRUE GOD AND BECAME IMPRISONED IN THE BODIES OF PEOPLE ON EARTH. THEY FORGOT WHERE THEY CAME FROM AND WHERE THEY BELONGED. GNOSTICISM DENIED THE INCARNATION, WHICH STATES THAT WHEN JESUS CHRIST WAS CONCEIVED, GOD TOOK INTO HIMSELF A HUMAN NATURE. IT TAUGHT THAT THE "CHRIST" AND "JESUS"  WERE TWO SEPARATE BEINGS.  THE CHRIST ENTERED THE BODY OF MAN, JESUS  WHEN THE LATTER WAS BAPTIZED AND USED HIM AS A TEMPORARY DWELLING PLACE FROM WHICH TO OPERATE DURING HIS EARTHLY MISSION. HE DEPARTED FROM JESUS PRIOR TO THE LATTER'S CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH. THE TRUE GOD SENT THE CHRIST TO EARTH TO TEACH TRUE KNOWLEDGE TO THE LOST AND IMPRISONED FRAGMENTS OF DIVINE LIGHT: THEIR ORIGINS, THEIR PLIGHT AND THE WAY BACK TO WHERE THEY BELONGED- THE PRESENCE OF THE TRUE GOD. THE CHRIST'S MISSION INCLUDED TEACHING THEM THE NECESSARY PASSWORDS TO GET THEM PASSED THE AEONS AND EMANATIONS WHO CONTROLLED THE SPHERES. TWO VIEWS PREVAILED CONCERNING THE USE A GNOSTIC COULD MAKE OF HIS BODY. SOME TAUGHT A PERSON COULD DEVOTE THE BODY TO ANY USE. AFTER ALL, IT WAS MATERIAL, AND WOULD BE DISCARDED AT DEATH. A PERSON COULD THEREFORE LIVE MERELY TO EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY. ( NEW AGE) WARMED OVER GNOSTICISM. "ANTINOMIANISM."
 OTHERS TAUGHT  THAT A PERSON SHOULD BRING A PERSON'S APPETITES  UNDER CONTROL THROUGH TABOOS, SUCH AS " TOUCH NOT, TASTE NOT, HANDLE NOT." COLOSSIANS 2:20-23 "LEGALISM" GNOSTICISM DENIED THAT IN JESUS CHRIST, GOD HIMSELF ENTERED INTO FLESH. " EVERY SPIRIT THAT CONFESSES JESUS CHRIST HAS COME IN THE FLESH IS OF GOD, AND EVERY SPIRIT WHICH DOES NOT CONFESS JESUS CHRIST IS NOT OF GOD, "1 JOHN 4:2,3. ( HEREBY KNOW YE THE SPIRIT OF GOD: EVERY SPIRIT THAT CONFESSETH  THAT JESUS CHRIST IS COME IN THE FLESH IS OF GOD. AND EVERY SPIRIT THAT CONFESSETH NOT THAT JESUS CHRIST IS COME IN THE FLESH IS NOT OF GOD.: AND THIS IS THAT SPIRIT OF THE AN-TI-CHRIST, WHEREOF YE HAVE HEARD THAT IT SHOULD COME; AND EVEN NOW ALREADY IS IT IN THE WORLD. GNOSTICISM DID NOT TREAT SIN SERIOUSLY.  ' IF WE SAY WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US. IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST. AND WILL FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS," 1 JOHN 1:8,9. IT DENIED THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN THROUGH CHRIST; IT SAW NO NEED OF IT.
THIS IS HE WHO CAME BY WATER (BAPTISM) AND BLOOD, (THE CROSS), JESUS CHRIST NOT WITH WATER ONLY BUT WITH WATER AND THE BLOOD," 1 JOHN 5:6.
 NOTE JESUS CHRIST, ONE PERSON, TOOK PART IN BOTH BAPTISM AND CRUCIFIXION.
 GNOSTICISM DEVELOPED A SPIRIT OF SNOBBERY IN ITS FOLLOWERS. THEY LOOKED DOWN ON THOSE LESSER CREATURES INCAPABLE OF TAKING IN GNOSTICISM'S  "SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE." ITS ADHERENTS DID NOT DEVOTE LIFE TO THE SERVICE OF OTHERS. HE WHO DOES NOT LOVE HIS BROTHER WHOM HE HAS SEEN, CANNOT LOVE GOD WHOM HE HAS NOT SEEN. AND THIS COMMANDMENT WE HAVE FRON HIM, THAT HE WHO LOVES GOD SHOULD LOVE HIS BROTHER ALSO 1 JOHN 4 : 2O,21.
THE APOSTLE JOHN EXHORTED HIS READERS"... TO TEST THE SPIRITS TO SEE WHETHER THEY ARE OF GOD, 1 JOHN 4:1. WE TODAY NEED TO BE ABLE TO TEST THE SPIRITS. AS WE DO, WE FIND THAT MANY MODERN HERESIES ARE MERELY ANCIENT HERESIES DRESSED UP IN CONTEMPORARY TERMINOLOGY. REFERENCES TO FALSE TEACHINGS OF THE GNOSTICISM ARE FOUND IN 1 AND 2 CORINTHIANS, EPHESIANS, COLOSSIANS, 1 AND 2 TIMOTHY, TITUS, 2 PETER, 1 AND 2 JOHN, THE REVELATION TO JOHN.
 THE "FALSE DOCTRINE" OUTLINED IN THE CASE HISTORY BELOW DESCRIBES AN ATTITUDE THAT CONSTITUTES A DANGEROUS THREAT TO THE EFFECTIVE  WORK AND WITNESS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY CHRISTIAN CHURCH. WHAT IS THIS ATTITUDE?
PASTOR SMITH WAS A VERY POPULAR DURING HIS FIRST FEW MONTHS IN THE CONGREGATION. EVERYONE COMMENTED ABOUT HIS PLEASANT NATURE, ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE WAS EASY TO GET ALONG WITH. NO DOUBT, MANY WERE GLAD JUST TO HAVE A MINISTER AGAIN; THEY HAD BEEN WITHOUT ONE FOR TWO YEARS.
HOWEVER, AFTER PASTOR SMITH HAD BEEN IN THE CONGREGATION FOR A FEW MONTHS, SOME OF THE MEMBERS BEGAN TO GET DISTURBED. ONE NIGHT HE JUST DID NOT SHOW UP FOR A MEETING OF THE CHURCH COUNCIL. WHEN THE CHAIRMEN EVENTUALLY SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT HIS ABSENCE, HE SMILED AND SAID THAT HE JUST HAPPENED TO MEET UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND WHO HAD INVITED HIM TO ATTEND ASOCIAL EVENING WHERE SOMEONE GAVE AN ILLUSTRATED LECTURE
 ABOUT HIS VACATION TRAVELS. HE ACCEPTED THE INVITATION ALSO BECAUSE HE FELT HE WAS THE ONLY ONE- AND THERE WERE PLENTY OF OTHERS WHO WOULD BE AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING. SOME OF THE MEMBERS GOT A LITTLE UPSET WHEN PASTOR SMITH BEGAN TO ATTEND ONLY OCCASIONAL MEETINGS OF THE ADULT BIBLE STUDY FELLOWSHIP. WHEN ONE OF THE REALLY ZEALOUS  SUPPORTERS OF THIS VENTURE SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT ONE OF HIS ABSENCES, HE REPLIED THAT HIS WIFE ASKED HIM TO REPAIR SOME PLUMBING IN THE KITCHEN-AND HE THOUGHT HE BETTER DO IT THEN AND KEEP HER HAPPY. ONE NIGHT HE FORGOT TO SHOW UP  FOR EVENING SERVICES. TRUE ENOUGH, A VISITING PREACHER WAS ENGAGED TO CONDUCT THE SERVICE- BUT THE MEMBERS THOUGHT THAT THEIR OWN MINISTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE ALSO. AFTER ALL EVENING SERVICES WERE POORLY ATTENDED AS IT WAS.. HOWEVER PASTOR SMITH SAID HE AND HIS FAMILY WENT FOR A DRIVE THAT AFTERNOON AND HE WAS RATHER TIRED WHEN THEY GOT BACK. HE JUST DID NOT FEEL LIKE GOING TO THE SERVICE THAT EVENING. THINGS REALLY CAME TO A HEAD WHEN HE BEGAN ARRIVING LATE FOR THE REGULAR MORNING SERVICES. HE WOULD ARRIVE ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATE, AND THEN WALK AROUND TO BEGIN THE SERVICE AS THOUGH NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. WHEN THE ELDERS SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT HIS LACK OF PUNCTUALITY, HE REPLIED THAT HE GOT INTO THE HABIT OF GETTING UP LATE, AND DID NOT SEEM TO BE  ABLE TO DO MUCH ABOUT IT. THERE CAME A DAY WHEN
HE DID NOT COME TO THE SERVICE AT ALL. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN LATE FALL, AND HE AND HIS FAMILY WANTED TO MAKE USE OF THIS LAST OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE FALL COLORS. HE THOUGHT HE WOULD NOT BE MISSED BECAUSE HE SAW SO MANY MEMBERS OUT DRIVING ANYHOW.
THE CONGREGATION CALLED A SPECIAL MEETING, AND PASSED THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION:
 " BE IT RESOLVED THAT PASTOR SMITH BE RELIEVED OF HIS  PASTORAL DUTIES IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT HE CANNOT BE THE MINISTER OF THIS PARISH IF HE INSISTS ON ACTING JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE MEMBERS."