Biblical Church History

Following the Hand of God and the Hand of Satan

Revelation 2:8-11c. 200-325 A.D.S

myrna “Bitterness and

death”

WHERE WAS WWII FOUGHT ?

THE RISE OF GNOSTICISM

(Rev 2:6) But this thou hast, that thou hatest the

deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also

hate.(Rev 2:15) So hast thou also them that hold the

doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I

hate.

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Gnosticism came about as an

attempt to make Christianity a philosophical system.

“Gnostic” comes from the word “gnosis,” which means “to know,” or “knowledge”

A Gnostic was one who claimed to have a higher plane of learning, or ability “ to know” , than the common man could know.

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It is a form of the “deeds of the

Nicolaitanes” (Rev.2:6)The first step was teaching that the pastor is elevated over the common man..And if his position is elevated..The next step was, so is his intellect . In Gnosticism, “A man is regarded as exalted in the scale of being in proportion to his knowledge.”Albert Henry Newman, A manual of Church History, Vol.1, 183-184

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It is difficult to actually

define Gnosticism, because it had different views in different localities, and at different periods.It is perhaps best understood, by understanding the 3 main components…

THE COMMON COMPONENTS OF GNOSTICISM

A. Dualism

The Gnostics believed that all matter is evil, and that all spirit is good.

The reason for the fall of man is because his good spirit imprisoned in a evil body.

Man’s only hope was to have his spirit release from his flesh..and this was accomplished through secretive knowledge, in which they transcended the body.

The two extremes produced by this teaching:

ASCETISM- Rigorous denial of the body. ANTINOMIANISM- Since anything physical, fleshly, or anything to do with the body is evil anyway..And since anything to do with the spirit is good..The Gnostic could involve his flesh in any kind of immoral activity, and it have absolutely no effect on his spirit.

God’s refutation of this thinking in I John. The theme of the book of I John is “To know.” (The word “know”, or some form of it is found 38 times)I John 1:8, 10)

(1Jn 1:8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive

ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

(1Jn 1:10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his

word is not in us.

THE COMMON COMPONENTS OF GNOSTICISM

A. Dualism B. Doceticism

Since all flesh is evil, then God could not live in a human body..So Gnostics, denied the humanity of Jesus Christ..(That He was god in human flesh).

They said he only appeared to have a body..That actually, He was a phantom.

God’s refutation of this thinking in I John

(1Jn 1:1) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,

which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and

our hands have handled, of the Word of life;(1Jn 4:3) And every spirit that

confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of

God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now

already is it in the world.

Some Docetics taught that Christ may have had a human body, but only for a short time…”between the baptism of the man Jesus and the beginning of His suffering on the cross.”Earle E. Claims, Christianity Through the Centuries.,99

In other words, the Christ (or God part) left the man Jesus to die on the cross.

(Luk 23:39) And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be

Christ, save thyself and us.

(Luk 23:40) But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing

thou art in the same condemnation?

(Luk 23:41) And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this

man hath done nothing amiss.

(Luk 23:42) And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy

kingdom.

(Luk 23:42) KJV And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when

thou comest into thy kingdom.Luke 23:42 NIV Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you

come into your kingdom."

Luke 23:42 (NASB) And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when

You come in Your kingdom!"

THE COMMON COMPONENTS OF GNOSTICISM

A. Dualism B. DoceticismC. Demiurge

This teaching surfaced as an explanation of the existence of God (Spiritual/Good), and the existence of the physical creation (fleshly/bad)…“The gap between God and the world of matter was bridged by the idea of a demiurge who was one of a series of emanations from the high God of Gnosticism. These emanations were beings with less of spirit, and increasingly more of matter. The demiurge, as one of these emanations, had enough spirit in him to have creative power, and enough of matter to create the evil material world. This demiurge the Gnostics identified with the Jehovah of the Old Testament, whom they heartily disliked.”Cairns, Christianity Through the Centuries, 98.

What this actually is saying..• God spawned many sub-Gods, (or, emanations, angels)…• These sub-God spawned other sub-gods…• Eventually, many generations after the original spawning, the emanations began to get worse and worse…• Until one day, one of these emanations created matter..• And God was so far distant and removed from the situation, He did not have anything to do with it.• Jesus (is their system), was simply one of the original Good emanations, and the evil ones at the end were demons.

(Joh 1:18) KJV No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath

declared him.

John 1:18 (NASB) No one has seen God at any time; the only

begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has

explained Him.

The teaching said that the only way you could break through the barrier of these evil demons that was between God and man, was to worship good emanations, like Jesus and other good angels..

But Jesus alone was sufficient for salvation. You had to have knowledge beyond just Him.

(Col 2:18-19) Let no man beguile you of your reward in a

voluntary humility and worshipping of angels,

intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from

which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment

ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of

God.

(Col 1:15-18) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:(Col 1:16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

(Joh 8:58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,

Before Abraham was, I am.(Rev 1:8) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which

was, and which is to come, the Almighty.(Rev 22:16) I Jesus have sent mine

angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the

root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

GNOSTICISM IN TODAY’S WORLD

The Catholic religion has taught for years that their priest were the channel in which God would reveal his truth The Council of Trent (1545-1564) placed the Bible on its list of prohibited books, and forbade any person to read the Bible without a license from a Roman Catholic bishop or inquisitor. The Council added these words: "That if any one shall dare to read or keep in his possession that book, without such a license, he shall not receive absolution till he has given it up to his ordinary."

The process is not much different in the Baptist movement today. We file people in to church buildings every Sunday, and have Doctors of Theology stand before and proclaim what God meant by the Word of God in the “Original” language.

A quote from “Processing and Principlizing the Biblical Text,” p.107, by Robert L. Thomas, professor of New

Testament, at The mater’s Seminary: What is Expository Preaching?Definitions and concepts of expository preaching vary from person to person. It is definitely not preaching that uses a biblical text as an excuse for what the preacher had already decided to say prior to his analysis of the text. Another name for preaching that is genuinely expository is “Bible Exposition,” because expository preaching is the science and art of “exposing” or “expounding” the meaning of the biblical text addressed in the sermon…

…The element that differentiates expository preaching from every other kind of preaching is the biblical interpretation communicated through the sermon. An expositor who deserves the name “expositor” is on who teaches his audience the meaning of the text intended by its author and understood by its original recipients. Because the original languages of the Old Testament and New Testament and other technical data are inaccessible to almost everyone in an average congregation, precise and detailed interpretations of Scripture will be also. The Bible expositor’s central responsibility is to build upon what his listeners are able to glean for themselves from Scripture by acquainting them with nuances of interpretation previously unknown to them. This service is the distinctive element of Bible Exposition.

Because the common people Don’t know “Greek” or “Hebrew” they are depended on the Preacher to let them know what God said.

Therefore the people look to the Preacher (Dr.) to be the Authority instead of the Bible.

The only other way is for you to go to a Bible College and learn Hebrew or Greek. Know the professor is know the authority in your life