The Origin of Gnosticism

Gnostic cosmogonies can be classified in two main Groups: a)A female Ennoia descends from the "Father" b)An Anthropos descends from the World of Light

On the origin of Gnosticism with additional notes on the origin of the early baptismal ritual

"For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:" 1 Corinthians 1:22. But the "Gnostics?" The "Gnostics" sought after Knowledge (Gnosis.) Who were they? What gave rise to the phenomenon we call "Gnosticism?" Christos Z. Konstas 14/05/2022 Gnosticism appears in history as a Christian phenomenon. The "gnostics" of old were calling themselves "Christians" not "gnostics." In this I explore the reasons this phenomenon emerged out of the very early Christianity as well as some of it's distinctive features. The aim is it provide a framework for a better understanding of the "Gnostic" phenomenon and also to give means to distinguish what was "Gnostic" then and what it wasn't, and also what is "Gnostic" today, and what isn't even if claimed to be. Gnosis, Greek for 'knowledge,' is found 3 times in the New testament is this form: all in the 1st epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: 1 Corinthians 8:2,7 and 13:8, another 8 times it is found as "gnosei" (to know, knowing) and quite a few more times in various forms or as a part of a compound word. So "gnosis"' is a Biblical, new testament term. Gnosis entered the Judaic vocabulary long before the New Testament, though. It is found in several different forms, 424 or more times, in the Septuagint Greek translation of the Judaic writings. So in Jesus's and in Paul's cultural milieu was a familiar term. in fact "gnosis" - knowledge - is described as a reason of the Fall in Genesis 2 & 3, it was one of the things that made the forbidden "tree of knowledge" attractive. "Gnostics" (the knowledgeable) was a term designating a level of spiritual attainment in the New Testament and the early Church but with the warning that the "gnosis" - knowledge - bloats, puffs up, and needs to be moderated by love, which is superior (see 1 Corinthians 8 & 13.) That's why later Irenaeus writing against those we call "Gnostics" he is stressing his is writing against the "falsely called knowledge (gnosis)" not against knowledge in general. Gnosis is good unless misused or abused or pretended. While there is no question that Gnosis - in the sense of mystical, or experiential transcendental "knowledge" or restricted knowledge passed secretly to "initiates" - is a pre-Christian phenomenon, what we call "Gnosticism" today is something that emerged out of the early Christianity and it was triggered by the nature of the earliest Christian eccesiastical experience as illustrated in the Acts and in the apostolic epistles. Simon magus and the Holy Spirit in the Acts Gnosticism: - It arose out of a Judaic social substratum in Palestine (Samaria) and it uses Judaic cosmology expressed in Hellenistic/Greco-Roman terms, - It arose as a result of the fascination of people seeing the apostles wonderworking, especially the (seeming) "ability" to pray on people to "receive the Holy Spirit" - something looking as a "superpower" at the time. What is "Gnostic" and what is not? Checklist questions - is it about "secret" knowledge? - is it suggesting "gnosis" as a means or a way to "salvation?" - is it using Judaic terms and worldviews? - is it using Judaic cosmological concepts, cosmology and theology? - is Jesus there? - is Jesus the central figure in it? - is the God of Jesus, the Father and the God the Judaic writings reveal one and the same? - is it offering concrete or alluded experiential ways (methods) to corroborate the "secret" knowledge? - are they calling themselves "Christian?" - do they claim to possess and have access and means to access salvific "knowledge" and that they are willing to share that knowledge and the means for one to access it for oneself with anyone interested in joining them? - are they appealing to apostolic authority? All that presented using Greek terms, anthropological and cosmological, used by the philosophers of the time. Origin - Jewish/Judaic origin The historical "gnosticism" must contain Judaic elements to be "gnostic" but "gnosticism" did not emerge out of those elements. These pre-existed and were the background onto which "gnosis" emerged and acted. - The Jesus movement The historical "gnosticism" must have Jesus at it's centre. "Gnosticism" as a conscious "movement" specifically seeking and understanding "gnosis" (knowledge) as a means to salvation emerged out of this, the Way of the disciples of Jesus. - - Simon magus, Acts 8, Samaritan wonder-worker. Apophasis Megale. The Big Decision. "Oh, I want to do that too!" here is some money Peter give me this power" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWlevBd7ME0, Nathan Scott, Footsteps to Follow, accessed, on 14/05/2022, 4'.21"-22") - This is central to the understanding of the gnostic phenomenon and the reason the "seeds" of pre-gnostic "knowledge" and how gnosticism emerged connected inseparably to Christianity that in effect has given rise the the phenomenon itself. The earliest Christianity, of Jesus's apostles was an experiential movement. People not only "believed" and acted on what they were told to be the "truth" but they were given means to corroborate the "truth" they were given: " (Acts 4:19) That naturally attracted those that were already into the (what we would call today) the "paranormal." And since the "paranormal" is also an "industry" people naturally thought that money could buy the abilities the apostles were showing and the new believers and disciples were "receiving" form the apostles as in Acts 8. Not only that, but this attraction and the loose structure and leadership of the earliest Church was a fertile ground for a 'movement' within the movement' focusing on the "Wow!" aspects of the gospel, wonderworking, and enthusiastic states of awareness bringing one into contact with the "unknown" or even the "unknowable" and the "ineffable" and producing mystic/secret "knowledge." Why the study of this (so-called) "gnosticism" matters? - It echoes unknown aspects of the earliest Christianity: because the "gnostics" self-identified as "Christians" and they were part of the earliest Christian communities, the "gnostic" sources offer a glimpse into the earliest Christianity. What about "Gnostics" in history before Jesus and "Gnosticism" independent of the Christian movement or outside of the Mediterranean Christian milieu? What about "Gnosticism" later in history and what about "Gnosticism" today? - The Before and the After

A Historical Overview of Gnosticism

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 36/3 (2014): 240-250.

In discussing the origin of Gnosticism one has to take note of the fact that Gnosticism with a libertine practice (Simon Magus, Cainites, Carpocratians, Nicolaitans) is older than Gnosticism with an ascetical practice. The belief in a divine but fallen female principle (Simon, Valentinus) is older that the belief in a fallen primordial man. Now Gnosticism obviously has some similarity with the kind of mysticism cultivated in Hindu religion. We all know that the classical goal of Hinduism is to attain mystic vision by cutting off the flow of information and impressions from the senses. But there is also another method less known by Western students of religion: the Tantric, " left hand " path, where one hopes to attain ecstasy by breaking social taboos, drinking wine, eating flesh and (most important!) engaging in taboo-breaking sexual activities

Describing and defining early Christian Spirituality