Some warm-up reading: Isaiah 6:9-10, Ezekiel 12:2, Luke 10:21, 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16… Isaiah 35:4-5.
This (longish) study is split up into different parts in this thread:
Part 1 – intro., excerpts from extra-biblical sources.
Part 2 – excerpts from introductions of relevant books of Bible.
Part 3 – relevant passages from the Bible, and excerpts from study notes.
Part 1 --
The New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language, Encyclopedic Edition, Volume 1, published by Lexicon Publications, Inc., in 1995, defines Gnosticism on page 408 as “a trend of religious thought with Far Eastern origins which flourished in the Hellenistic Near East. There were numerous Gnostic sects, both pagan and Christian. The Christian Gnostics denied the literal meaning of Scriptures and saw only an esoteric meaning [defined as ‘(of religious, mystical or philosophical teaching or practice) with a meaning that is understood only by those who have received the necessary instruction or training,’ (ibid, p. 322)] based on gnosis [defined as ‘a divinely inspired knowledge,’ (ibid, p. 408)], e.g. they did not believe that a real Jesus was really crucified.”
In the Universal Subject Guide to the Bible, found near the back of The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, published by Thomas Nelson in 1990, Gnosticism is defined as an “early heresy based on knowledge instead of faith.” On that note, please see my faith thread. The faith thread discusses whether we are saved by faith or works (also touching on the issue of blind faith), and this present Gnosticism thread could be thought of as an off-shoot from the faith thread, branching into a discussion of whether we are saved by faith or knowledge (of the “gnosis” variety). According to the aforementioned subject guide, Gnosticism is “warned against (Col 2:8, 18), arrogant (1 Cor 8:1), false (1 Tim 6:20) and surpassed by Christ (Eph 3:19).”
From the “Answering Mysticism” section, page 650 of “The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell:
Robert S. Ellwood, Jr. warns:
“We must receive with considerable caution the common ideas that if religion became more mystical and less dogmatic it would be better, and that mysticism is the true spiritual core of all religion. While a valid case can be argued for some of the assumptions underlying these propositions, they are highly ambiguous unless we take setting into account. Depending upon setting, what people regard as mystical experience can as well release the demons of war and hate in the name of a spiritual cause. For the self-validating nature of mysticism is a two-edged sword: it might enable the wondrous experience of transcendence, yet validate the separation of its associations from the control of reason. Therein comes the dark side of mysticism. Those who release self-validating experiences from the supervision of reason and social control neglect these controls to the peril of all. The danger may, strictly speaking, lie not in the flash of ecstasy but in the feelings and symbols associated with it. In practice, however, often little separation of the two occurs. The self-validating experience easily becomes the false romanticism of exalting feelings as cognitive and guides to action over reason or tradition. One then is likely to evoke the mood of the Nazi madness or of solipsist fanaticism of Charles Manson.” (Ellwood, Mysticism and Religion, 186)
I insert that quote because the exclusive nature of Gnosticism and its “secret knowledge” seems to warrant it here.
Part 2 --
All “introduction” quotes below are from the Zondervan NASB Study Bible.
The section titled
The Colossian Heresy in the introduction to Colossians:
Paul never explicitly describes the false teaching he opposes in the Colossian letter. The nature of the heresy must be inferred from statements he made in opposition to the false teachers. An analysis of his refutation suggests that the heresy was diverse in nature. Some of the elements of its teaching were:
1. Ceremonialism. It held to strict rules about the kinds of permissible food and rink, religious festivals (2:16-17) and circumcision (2:11; 3:11).
2. Asceticism. “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (2:21; cf. 2:23).
3. Angel worship. See 2:18.
4. Depreciation of Christ. This is implied in Paul’s stress on the supremacy of Christ (1:15-20; 2:2-3, 9).
5. Secret knowledge. The Gnostics boasted of this (see 2:18 and Paul’s emphasis in 2:2-3 on Christ, “in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom”).
6. Reliance on human wisdom and tradition. See 2:4,8.
These elements seem to fall into two categories, Jewish and Gnostic. It is likely, therefore, that the Colossian heresy was a mixture of an extreme form of Judaism and an early stage of Gnosticism (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism; see also note on 2:23).
From the Background and Purpose section of 1 Timothy’s introduction:
A major problem in the Ephesian church was a heresy that combined Gnosticism (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism), decadent Judaism (1:3-7) and false asceticism (4:1-5).
From the Date section of 2 Peter’s introduction:
The error combated is comparable to the kind of heresy present in the first century. To insist that the second chapter was directed against second-century Gnosticism is to assume more than the contents of the chapter warrant. While the heretics referred to in 2 Peter may well have been among the forerunners of second-century Gnostics, nothing is said of them that would not fit into the later years of Peter’s life.
The section devoted to Gnosticism in 1 John’s introduction:
Gnosticism
One of the most dangerous heresies of the first two centuries of the church was Gnosticism. Its central teaching was that spirit is entirely good and matter is entirely evil. From this unbiblical dualism flowed five important errors:
1. Man’s body, which is matter, is therefore evil. It is to be contrasted with God, who is wholly spirit and therefore good.
2. Salvation is the escape from the body, achieved not by faith in Christ but by special knowledge (the Greek word for “knowledge” is gnosis, hence Gnosticism).
3. Christ’s true humanity was denied in two ways: (1) Some said that Christ only seemed to have a body, a view called Docetism, from the Greek word dokeo (“to seem”), and (2) others said that the divine Christ joined the man Jesus at baptism and left him before he died, a view called Cerinthianism, after its most prominent spokesman, Cerinthus. This view is the background of much of 1 John (see 1:1, 2:22; 4:2-3).
4. Since the body was considered evil, it was to be treated harshly. This ascetic form of Gnosticism is the background of part of the letter to the Colossians (2:21-23).
5. Paradoxically, this dualism also led to licentiousness. The reasoning was that, since matter—and not the breaking of God’s law (1 John 3:4)—was considered evil, breaking his law was of no moral consequence.
The Gnosticism addressed in the NT was an early form of the heresy, not the intricately developed system of the second and third centuries. In addition to that seen in Colossians and in John’s letters, acquaintance with early Gnosticism is reflected in 1,2 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Peter and perhaps 1 Corinthians.
From the Occasion and Purpose section in 2 John’s introduction:
During the first two centuries the gospel was taken from place to place by traveling evangelists and teachers. Believers customarily took these missionaries into their homes and gave them provisions for their journey when they left. Since Gnostic teachers also relied on this practice (see not on 3 John 5), 2 John was written to urge discernment in supporting traveling teachers; otherwise, someone might unintentionally contribute to the propagation of heresy rather than truth.
From the Occasion and Purpose section in 3 John’s introduction:
See Introduction to 2 John: Occasion and Purpose. Itinerant teachers sent out by John were rejected in one of the churches in the province of Asia by a dictatorial leader, Diotrephes, who even excommunicated members who showed hospitality to John’s messengers. John wrote this letter to commend Gaius for supporting the teachers and, indirectly, to warn Diotrephes.
From the Date, Recipients and Occasion and Purpose sections in Jude’s introduction:
Date
There is nothing in the letter that requires a date beyond the lifetime of Jude the brother of the Lord. The error the author is combating, like that in 2 Peter, is not the heretical teaching of the second century, but that which could and did develop at an early date (cf. Acts 20:29-30; Rom 6:1; 1 Cor 5:1-11; 2 Cor 12:21; Gal 5:13; Eph 5:3-17; 1 Thess 4:6).
Recipients
The description of those to whom Jude addressed his letter is very general (v. 1). It could apply to Jewish Christians, Gentile Christians, or both. Their location is not indicated. It should not be assumed that, since 2 Pet 2 and Jude 4-18 appear to describe similar situations, they were both written to the same people. The kind of heresy depicted in these two passages was widespread (see Date).
Occasion and Purpose
Although Jude was very eager to write to his readers about salvation, he felt that he must instead warn them about certain immoral men circulating among them who were perverting the grace of God (v. 4). Apparently these false teachers were trying to convince believers that being saved by grace gave them license to sin since their sins would no longer be held against them. Jude thought it imperative that his readers be on guard against such men and be prepared to oppose their perverted teaching with the truth about God’s saving grace.
It has generally been assumed that these false teachers were Gnostics. Although this identification is no doubt correct, they must have been forerunners of fully developed, second-century Gnosticism (see Introduction to 2 Peter: Date).
Part 3 --
Now to explore a bold sampling of these indexed verses compiled from the above-mentioned subject guide (see original post), and from the Index to Notes found near the back of Zondervan’s NASB Study Bible (1999), as well as from verses mentioned in the introductions quoted above (from the same bible) (see second post of this thread): Acts 20:29-30; Rom 6:1; 1 Cor 4:2-7; 5:1-11; 8:1-3; 2 Cor 12:21; Gal 5:13; Eph 3:19; 5:3-17; Col 1:19, 28; 2 (entire chapter); 1 Thess 4:3-8; 1 Tim 1:3-11; 4:1-5; 6:20; 2 Tim 2:14-18; 2 Pet 2:12; 1 John 1:1, 10; 2:3, 18, 21-23, 27; 3:4; 4:1-3; 5:6, 16; 2 John 1:7-11; 3 John 1:5; Jude 1:4-19; Rev 2:24.
Note that every time you read the word “mystery” or “mysteries” in any of the above (and below) verses, you can probably find it covered in my “Mystery in the Bible” thread – linked to at the beginning of this thread.
All bible verses and study notes are quoted from Zondervan’s NASB (New American Standard Bible) Study Bible (1999):
1 Corinthians 8:1-3: “1 … we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.”
NASB note v. 1: Knowledge makes arrogant. It fills one with false pride. love edifies. Explained in vv.7-13. The Christian should love his brother who doubts.
NASB note v. 2: has not yet known. The wisest and most knowledgeable Christian realizes that his knowledge is limited. God is the only one who knows all (cf. Rom 11:33-36).
Ephesians 3:19: “…to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”
Nothing directly addressing Gnosticism yet… those were just warm-up passages…
Colossians 1:19, 28: “19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him. 28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.”
NASB note v. 19: fullness. Part of the technical vocabulary of some Gnostic philosophies. In these systems it meant the sum of the supernatural forces controlling the fate of people. For Paul “fullness” meant the totality of God with all His powers and attributes (2:9).
NASB note v. 28: complete. Employed by the mystery religions and the Gnostics to describe those who had become possessors of the secrets or knowledge boasted of by the particular religion (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism). But in Christ every believer is one of the perfect.
From the Colossians section, page 725 of Zondervan’s Handbook to the Bible, 1999 (Pat and David Alexander, authors):
“1:24-2:5 Paul’s own task
The apostle’s job is to make God’s message known. The philosophers hint at secrets, at deep things known only to the initiated. This is God’s open secret: ‘Christ—in you!’ A share in God’s own glory for every Christian ! This is a ‘secret’ worth knowing. It makes all Paul’s struggle and effort ‘to preach Christ to everyone’ worthwhile.”
Colossians 2:1-23 (read it).
NASB note v. 3: knowledge[/b]. Paul stressed knowledge in this letter (v. 2; 1:9-10) because he was refuting a heresy that emphasized knowledge as the means of salvation (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism). Paul insisted that the Christian, not the Gnostic, possessed genuine knowledge.
NASB note v. 8: [i]elementary principles of the world. This term (which occurs also in v. 20 and Gal 4:3,9) means false, worldly, religious, elementary teachings. Paul was counteracting the Colossian heresy, which, in part, taught that for salvation one needed to combine faith in Christ with secret knowledge and with man-made regulations concerning such physical and external practices as circumcision, eating and drinking, and observance of religious festivals.
NASB note v. 9: fullness of Deity. See note on 1:19. The declaration that the very essence of deity was present in totality in Jesus’ human body was a direct refutation of Gnostic teaching.
NASB note vv. 10-15: Here Paul declares that the Christian is complete in Christ, rather than being deficient as the Gnostics claimed. This completeness includes the putting off of the sinful nature (v.11), resurrection from spiritual death (vv.12-13), forgiveness (v.13) and deliverance from legalistic requirements (v. 14) and from evil spirit beings (v. 15).
NASB note v. 15: When He had disarmed. Not only did God cancel out the accusations of the law against the Christian, but He also conquered and disarmed the evil agents (powers and authorities, 1:16; Eph 6:12), who entice people to follow asceticism and false teachings about Christ. The picture is of conquered soldiers stripped of their clothes as well as their weapons to symbolize their total defeat.
NASB note v. 17: shadow…substance. The ceremonial laws of the OT are here referred to as shadows (cf. Heb 8:5; 10:1) because they symbolically depicted the coming of Christ; so any insistence on the observance of such ceremonies is a failure to recognize that their fulfillment has already taken place. This element of the Colossian heresy was combined with a rigid asceticism, as vv. 20-21 reveal.
NASB note v. 18: defrauding. This term pictures an umpire or referee who excludes from competition any athlete who fails to follow the rules. The Colossians were not to permit any false teacher to deny the reality of their salvation because they were not delighting in mock humility and in the worship of angelic beings. self-abasement. Humility in which one delights is of necessity mock humility. Paul may refer to a professed humility in view of the absolute God, who was believed to be so far above man that He could only be worshiped in the form of angels He had created. Second-century Gnosticism conceived of a list of spirit beings who had emanated from God and through whom God may be approached. he has seen. Probably refers to professed visions by the false teachers.
NASB note v. 19: not holding fast to the head. The central error of the Colossian heresy is a defective view of Christ, in which He is believed to be less than deity (see v. 9; 1:19).
NASB note v. 20: elementary principles. See note on v. 8.
NASB note v. 21: Do not handle…taste…touch! The strict ascetic nature of the heresy is seen here. These prohibitions seem to carry OT ceremonial laws to the extreme.
NASB note v. 23: A rather detailed analysis of the Colossian heresy: 1. It appeared to set forth an impressive system of religious philosophy. 2. It was, however, a system created by the false teachers themselves (“self-made”), rather than being of divine origin. 3. The false teachers attempted to parade their humility. 4. This may have been done by a harsh asceticism that brutally misused the body. Paul’s analysis is that such practices are worthless because they totally fail to control sinful desires. self-made religion. The false teachers themselves had created the regulations of their heretical system. They were not from God.
1 Timothy 1:3-11; 4:1-5; 6:20 (read it).
NASB note 1:3-11: In this section, along with 4:1-8; 6:3-5, 20-21, Paul warns against heretical teachers in the Ephesian church. They are characterized by (1) teaching false doctrines (1:3; 6:3); (2) teaching Jewish myths (Titus 1:14); (3) wanting to be teachers of the OT law (1:7); (4) building up endless, far-fetched, fictitious stories based on obscure genealogical points (1:4; 4:7; Titus 3:9); (5) being conceited (1:7; 6:4); (6) being argumentative (1:4; 6:4; 2 Tim 2:23; Titus 3:9); (7) using talk that was meaningless (1:6) and foolish (2 Tim 2:23; Titus 3:9); (8) not knowing what they were talking about (1:7; 6:4); (9) teaching ascetic practices (4:3); and (10) using their positions of religious leadership for personal financial gain (6:5). These heretics probably were the forerunners of the Gnostics (6:20-21); see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism).
NASB note 1:4 myths and endless genealogies. Probably mythical stories built on OT history (genealogies) that later developed into intricate Gnostic philosophical systems (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism).
NASB note 4:1 in later times. The time beginning with the first coming of Christ (see note on Heb 1:1). That Paul is not referring only to the time immediately prior to Christ’s second coming is obvious from his assumption in v. 7 that the false teachings were already present at the time of his writing.
NASB note on 4:3 This unbiblical asceticism arose out of the mistaken belief that the material world was evil—a central belief of the Gnostic heresy (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism).
NASB note on 6:20 what is falsely called “knowledge.” A reference to an early form of the heresy of Gnosticism, which taught that one may be saved by knowledge. (The term “Gnosticism” comes from the Greek word for knowledge; see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism.)
2 Timothy 2:14-18 “14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.”
NASB note vv. 14-18: The wording of vv. 14-16 indicates that the heresy mentioned here is an early form of Gnosticism—the same as that dealt with in 1 Timothy and Titus (see note on 1 Tim 1:3-11 and Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism). Two leaders of this heresy, Hymenaeus (see 1 Tim 1:20) and Philetus, denied the bodily resurrection and probably asserted that there is only a spiritual resurrection (similar to the error mentioned in 1 Cor 15:12-19). Gnosticism interpreted the resurrection allegorically, not literally.
2 Peter 2:12 “But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed,”
NASB note v. 12: like unreasoning animals. A scathing denunciation. They are like irrational animals, whose lives are guided by mere instinct and who are born merely to be slaughtered. Destruction is their final lot. where they have no knowledge. The heresy to which Peter refers may have been an early form of second-century Gnosticism (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism) that claimed to possess special, esoteric knowledge. If so, it is ironic that those who professed special knowledge acted out of abysmal ignorance, and the result was arrogant blasphemy. Ichthus: read whole chapter.
1 John 1:1, 10; 2:3, 18, 21-23, 27; 4:1-3; 5:6, 16: “1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life--, 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. 2:3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 5:6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.”
NASB note 1:1 heard…seen…looked at…touched. The apostle had made a careful examination of the Word of Life. He testifies that the one who has existed from eternity “became flesh” (John 1:14)—i.e., a flesh-and-blood man. He was true God and true man. At the outset, John contradicts the heresy of the Gnostics (see Introduction: Gnosticism).
NASB note 1:10 we have not sinned. Gnostics denied that their immoral actions were sinful.
NASB note 2:3 Forty-two times 1 John uses two Greek verbs normally translated “know.” One of these verbs is related to the name of the Gnostics, the heretical sect that claimed to have a special knowledge (Greek gnosis of God (see Introduction: Gnosticism).
NASB note 2:18 antichrist…many antichrists. John assumed his readers knew that a great enemy of God and His people will arise before Christ’s return. That person is called “antichrist” (v. 18), “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thess 2:3; but see note there) and “the beast” (Rev 13:1-10). But prior to him, there will be many antichrists. These are characterized by the following: (1) They deny the incarnation (4:2; 2 John 1:7) and that Jesus is the divine Christ (v.22); (2) they deny the Father (v.22); (3) they do not have the Father (v.23); (4) they are liars (v.22) and deceivers (2 John 1:7); (5) they are many (v.18); (6) in John’s day they left the church because they had nothing in common with believers (v.19). The antichrists referred to in John’s letter were the early Gnostics. The “anti” in antichrist means “against” (cf. 2 Thess 2:4; Rev 13:6-7).
NASB note 2:22 Jesus is the Christ. The man Jesus is the divine Christ (see the parallel confession in 5:5; see also Introduction: Gnosticism and not on 5:6).
NASB note 2:23 See 2 John 1:9 for the same thought.
NASB note 2:26 One of the statements of purpose for the letter (see Introduction: Occasion and Purpose).
NASB note 2:27 have no need for anyone to teach you. Since the Bible constantly advocates teaching (Matt 28:20; 1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11; Col 3:16; 1 Tim 4:11; 2 Tim 2:2,24), John is not ruling out human teachers. At the time when he wrote, however, Gnostic teachers were insisting that the teaching of the apostles was to be supplemented with the “higher knowledge” that they (the Gnostics) claimed to possess. John’s response was that what the readers were taught under the Spirit’s ministry through the apostles not only was adequate but was the only reliable truth. teaches you. The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit (what is commonly called illumination) does not involve revelation of new truth or the explanation of all difficult passages of Scripture to our satisfaction. Rather, it is the development of the capacity to appreciate and appropriate God’s truth already revealed—making the Bible meaningful in thought and daily living. all things. All things necessary to know for salvation and Christian living.
NASB note 4:1 spirit. A person moved by a spirit, whether by the Holy Spirit or an evil one. test the spirits. Cf. 1 Thess 5:21. (Matt 7:1 does not refer to such testing or judgment; it speaks of self-righteous moral judgment of others.) false prophets. A true prophet speaks from God, being “moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:21). False prophets, such as the Gnostics of John’s day, speak under the influence of spirits alienated from God. Christ warned against false prophets (Matt 7:15; 24:11), as did Paul (1 Tim 4:1) and Peter (2 Pet 2:1).
NASB note 4:2 confesses. Not only knows intellectually—for demons know, and shudder (James 2:19; cf. Mark 1:24)—but also confesses publicly. Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. See note on 1:1. Thus John excludes the Gnostics, especially the Cerinthians, who taught that the divine Christ came upon the human Jesus at his baptism and then left him at the cross, so that it was only the man Jesus who died (see Introduction: Gnosticism).
NASB note 5:6 Water symbolizes Jesus’ baptism, and blood symbolizes His death. These are mentioned because Jesus’ ministry began at His baptism and ended at His death. John is reacting to the heretics of his day (see Introduction: Gnosticism) who said that Jesus was born only a man and remained so until His baptism. At that time, they maintained, the Christ (the Son of God) descended on the human Jesus, but left him before his suffering on the cross—so that it was only the man Jesus who died. Throughout this letter John has been insisting that Jesus Christ is God as well as man (1:1-4; 4:2; 5:5). He now asserts that it was this God-man, Jesus Christ who came into our world, was baptized and died. Jesus was the Son of God not only at His baptism but also at His death (v.6b). This truth is extremely important, because, if Jesus died only as a man, His sacrificial atonement (2:2; 4:10) would not have been sufficient to take away the guilt of man’s sin.
NASB note 5:16 Verses 16-17 illustrate the kind of petition we can be sure God will answer (see vv.14-15). sin leading to death. In the context of this letter directed against Gnostic teaching, which denied the incarnation and threw off all moral restraints, it is probably that the “sin leading to death” refers to the Gnostics’ adamant and persistent denial of the truth and to their shameless immorality. This kind of unrepentant sin leads to spiritual death. Another view is that this is sin that results in physical death. It is held that, because a believer continues in sin, God in judgment takes his life (cf. 1 Cor 11:30). In either case, “sin not leading to death” is of a less serious nature.
2 John 1:7-11: “7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”
NASB note vv.7-11: This section deals with the basic Gnostic heresy attacked in 1 John, namely, that the Son of God did not become flesh (John 1:14), but that He temporarily came upon the man Jesus between his baptism and his crucifixion (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism).
NASB note v.7: Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. See 1 John 4:2-3 and note. antichrist. See note on 1 John 2:18.
NASB note v.9: goes too far. A reference to the Gnostics, who believed that they had advanced beyond the teaching of the apostles. teaching of Christ. The similarity of this letter to 1 John, the nature of the heresy combated, and the immediate context suggest that John is not referring to teaching given by Christ, but to the true teaching about Christ as the incarnate God-man.
NASB note v.10: receive him into your house. A reference to the housing and feeding of traveling teachers (see Introduction: Occasion and Purpose). The instruction does not prohibit greeting or even inviting a person into one’s home for conversation. John was warning against providing food and shelter, since this would be an investment in the “evil deeds” of false teachers and would give public approval (see v.11).
Jude v.19 “These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.”
NASB note v. 19: the ones who cause divisions. At the very least this phrase means that they were divisive, creating factions in the church—the usual practice of heretics. Or Jude may refer to the later Gnostics’ division of men into the spiritual (the Gnostics) and the sensual (those for whom there is no hope). worldly-minded. An ironic description of false teachers, who labeled others as “sensual.” devoid of Spirit. Rather than being the spiritual ones—the privileged elite class the Gnostics claimed to be—Jude denies that they even possess the Spirit. A person who does not have the Spirit is clearly not saved (see Rom 8:9).
Rev 2:24 “But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you.”
NASB note v. 24: deep things of Satan. Later Gnosticism (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism) taught that in order to defeat Satan one had to enter his stronghold, i.e., experience evil deeply.
Personal note: This last one reminds me of Nietzsche more than anything (I won’t quote him). What a fool. And what a fool I was, before I was saved. If God could save a fool like me, He can save anyone.
This concludes a review of the Biblical view of Gnosticism (and the extent of my awareness of it).
