WHAT IS GNOSTICISM?

First let’s look at what “Agnostic” means because someone who is a Gnostic is the opposite. Agnostic means: ag·​nos·​tic ag-ˈnä-stik. əg- : a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable. broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god. : a person who is unwilling to commit to an opinion about something.

TO BE A GNOSTIC SIMPLY MEANS THAT YOU AFIRM THAT YOU KNOW.. And Romans 1.27 has this to say about those who reject knowing (a gnosis of) God. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their know-ledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Showing us that we are accountable to God for what we know/gnosis.

So Gnosticism comes the word Gnostic and simply means To know and be known. There has been a large rejection of true Gnosticism because of the misunderstanding and wrong associations with what gnostic means. Gnosticism is a label given to essentially ALL of the New Testament  texts that were NOT included in the Bible canon for various reasons, and they use that label for real heresy symptoms that have Nothing to do with knowing/gnosis

Gnostic, from gnosis means knowing and is what leads us to knowledge as it pertains to scripture. It is central to the gospel so it is important to know how Gnosis and knowing works, because to correctly know something, means you took the time and the effort to understand something APART from what everyone else says. This one pleases God the Father.

2 Peter sats of God that “ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE (gnosis) of (knowing) Him who called us by glory and virtue,

So first off we can see that “through the (by the way of) knowledge of God” by the word “through” indicates that “knowledge is a delivery method like a conduit for the very character and essence of God Himself to be passed to us as joint heirs with Christ. That as we reflect on who God is in the light of His Testimonies, to reflect upon His Glory and His virtue, that a transformation of our own nature takes place for us to share in His Glory and His Virtue right now.

What makes this all possible is this testimony from scripture that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was (the Son of) God. 2 Word was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by Him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In Him is life; and this life is the light of men. 5 And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness does not comprehended it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (The Baptist). 7 The same came for a witness, to testify of the Light, for all who listen to believe. 8 John was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lights up everyone that comes into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him NOT. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name:

And from 2 Corinthians 3.18 that  “we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of YHVH, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of YHVH.

So with just these few verses we can see that knowing from “Gnosis” is key and central to the work our Father does in us to become more like Him. And that if we don’t know Him in the light of these testimonies, then the best we can do is to just be good people and the Gospel becomes worth-less and just another religion because there is a lot of other literature out there for us to try to be good people.

So we must first define what Gods word is by what has power to transform and transfigure us into His image.

And fellowship is a more personal method that our transfiguration takes place as we see here that “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; so that even what God has written in our hearts becomes His epistles. People can be that conduit method as well. That as we expound and reverberate our own transforming experiences, we share in the “all things that pertain to life and godliness” through each other. This is Gnostic and a true knowing God.

Paul said in Corinth that Now we have received, NOT the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, for us to KNOW the things that are freely given to us of God . For us to know through knowing and knowledge = Gnostic and Gnosticism.
We can understand by this text that there are two classes of spirits for two types of Gnostic’s or knowings. Same thing.

And from scripture “But the natural man receiveth NOT the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to them: neither can they KNOW them (meaning the things of the spirit), because they are spiritually discerned (with the mind where you in your understanding to KNOW.

And herein is the struggle for those who use their human reasoning skills verses being led by the Holy Spirit of God we call “The unction” “1 John 2.20” So that those who use only their carnal reasoning skills, cannot KNOW (gnostic) God correctly so therefor for them knowing God according to the Spirit stands in opposition by thinking that God must come back as a man some call a second coming Jesus (a phrase not found once in scripture). But we know that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit in-corruption (to which they argue). And our knowing this is naturally to be a Gnostic because that what Gnostic means.

So for someone to take a stance that un-canonized New Testament era texts are bad or un-approved because they are labelled Gnostic. It is done out of ignorance. And ignorance is not to mean stupid but that they’ve never really objectively examined Gnostic labelled text from a biblical perspective because knowing scripture is knowing God first then knowing your new self more clearly, not of who you were or will be in a next life but who you can be in the here and now by knowing God as clear as you can, as you adopt Gods truths about Himself for yourself to become more godly. For that is what it means to be godly, is to be more like God. And we can only do this through His testimonies and those who testify God correctly. For now we see through a glass, dimly; but then face to face: now I know (gnosis) in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known, (this is a Gnostic verse in scripture). This passage indicates that a transference of character and the “new person”  takes place through the transfer of knowledge or Gnosis about God. “For without faith it is impossible to please Him, for those who come to God must believe (meaning to know or Gnosis) that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

We can display a Gnosis or a knowing here from the beginning of creation here with Adam and Eve where scripture says. ”And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain.”  So we can understand with Adam and Eve that to know has to do with a transfer of genetic information to facilitate a birth. This is what being “born again” and “borne of the Spirit” is all about, a genetic transfer for you to be able to call God your Heavenly Father. Even as scripture“I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” So we must take on His features. And because another name for the Son of God is “the Word of God”. And as we become more like the Son, we become more like the Father. This is how you do it according to scripture. And we’ve made ALL these points with the truncated 66 books, so that means people are without excuse and will be faced with answering for this to the Father.

In truth a genetic transfer is at the core of what knowing God is all about. Paul elaborates on this in the book of Galatians saying that, “now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known by God (like Adam knew Eve), how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements (as if the genetic transfer of being born of the Spirit is a visual) where unto ye desire again to be in bondage?

Meaning that the mirror we look into call scripture and the word of God, contains genetic information for us to assimilate in the spirit of our minds for us to become godly or god-like. Even as Paul stated in Romans 12. ”do not be conformed to this world, but be transfigured by the renewing of your mind, that you may know what Gods good, acceptable and perfect will is”.

That you adopt His things in this way for you to be qualified as being adopted into the Family of God.

And if you understand our transfiguration correctly, that it is the process whereby we take on our new self like Christ is right now without effecting our outside appearance. Even as 1 John states that “as He is, so are we in the world”. And however true it is that flesh and blood does not inherit the Kingdom, it is the spirit of the mind that does as we’ve just quoted from Romans 12.

And what about 2 Corinthians 3 says that “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And  we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed (by knowing Him by the WORD) into the self same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. And this all takes place by what we’ve come to know and believe.

This is true godliness and not a religious form of piety and false humility as you sit and wait for another coming Jesus.

Did God or did He not “send His only begotten Son into the world, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life?

Then why is it that your ever lasting life comes later? That those who reject the true knowledge and the “Gnosis” of knowing God, why is it that they gather for the most part on Sundays and talk about another coming Jesus? Quite likely because they’ve rejected knowing God in a way that pleases Him and being born by Gods Holy Word and Holy Spirit as they converge inside of us to renew us in a way that is suitable for them because if they really liked the flesh then the flesh and blood would not have been ostersized from a true knowledge and convergence with God the Father now through “The Kingdom of God at hand”. And you quite likely do not believe that phrase either because you are still waiting for Gods Kingdom to appear in a way you can marvel in the flesh. But Christ said that His kingdom comes not with observation. And you forget the words of the Savior on trial with the Sanhedrin who questioned Him about when His Kingdom would appear and He denied not that He is a King (for He was born that way). He simple said “but My Kingdom is NOT from here. If it was my armies would fight for Me but My Kingdom is not from here.” Thereby disassociating Himself from that Jerusalem and and any such notion of a visible structure. However many don’t know that because they rely on the church authorities today that Christ would tell too. That “My Kingdom is not from here” of carnal and earthen components. Flesh and blood has no part but the re-spirited mind of faith does.

So of course being a Gnostic, which means that we have a knowing or Gnostic experience. And quite obviously to continue to feed the craving for the knowledge of God for our completion, we have to continue on in ALL THE WORDS OF GOD!

This we know. Amen. And maybe you didn’t notice but we did not use one Gnostic text to make our case. That should make you wonder what you are really missing out on.

So if someone is held back from all the counsel of God, their transfiguration is truncated and delayed if not lost altogether. Think about it, is scripture really only 66 books? Well maybe today for you but other cultures have had up to 94 accepted books. And what about rejected text by the Protestants (a word that means protesters) that they call the Apocrypha? That’s another botched up concept. And who ever gave King James permission to approve anything as if Christ needed his permission. Blasphemy.

Right before the cross our Savior told the disciples in John 16 “12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when the Spirit of truth will come and guide you into all truth: for it shall not speak of its own; but whatsoever it hears, that shall it speak: and it will shew you things to come. 14 It shall glorify me: for it shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father has are mine: therefore said I, that the Spirit of Truth shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The “Spirit of truth” is more sure and secure than anyones authority on any sets of texts. But because the “approved” texts are trust worthy, we used only your bible to make ALL these points, so you decide.

So in conclusion, you can follow the mandates of men but then you have to ask yourself, who do you serve because God in all ages has had his people go against the status quo. We are each individually responsible for pressing to lay hold of the gift from God from the Christ in the bible. And He is the one who told us to go preaching that “The Kingdom of God it at hand”, attainable and within reach through the various testimonies. Have you entered in?