Gnosticism & End Of The World
May 21, 2011 - By Mike Taylor – www.raptureready.com from Prophecy Updates
The internet is all in a buzz. Emails are flying fast and furious. Facebook is all a Twitter with information concerning the “end of the world.” If you are unaware of this phenomenon, then maybe you should count yourself blessed. Still, many people in the “Christian” community are infatuated with the “prophecy” of one, Harold Camping, who has a website www.familyradio.com. On this site, he gives, or the authors do, their reasoning of why God is going to destroy the earth 13 days from now, which is today, May 8th, 2011.
I, like many other curious souls, went to their website to review their material, and the best I can come up with is it’s highly convoluted and twists the scriptures to fulfill their “secret knowledge” of something you and I cannot discern from reading the Holy Bible. Did I say “secret knowledge”? Yes, I did. Does it remind you of something, Christian Saint? It does me. In the first century church, a movement was creeping into the church called “Gnosticism” or Gnosis….secret knowledge.
If you wish, take a moment and Google the word Gnosis or Gnosticism. You will find this definition from Wikipedia:
“Gnosticism (Greek: γνῶσις gnōsis, knowledge) was a group of ancient religions that combined different elements from Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism (especially Zurvanism), Neoplatonism, and eventually early Christianity.
The internet is all in a buzz. Emails are flying fast and furious. Facebook is all a Twitter with information concerning the “end of the world.” If you are unaware of this phenomenon, then maybe you should count yourself blessed. Still, many people in the “Christian” community are infatuated with the “prophecy” of one, Harold Camping, who has a website www.familyradio.com. On this site, he gives, or the authors do, their reasoning of why God is going to destroy the earth 13 days from now, which is today, May 8th, 2011.
I, like many other curious souls, went to their website to review their material, and the best I can come up with is it’s highly convoluted and twists the scriptures to fulfill their “secret knowledge” of something you and I cannot discern from reading the Holy Bible. Did I say “secret knowledge”? Yes, I did. Does it remind you of something, Christian Saint? It does me. In the first century church, a movement was creeping into the church called “Gnosticism” or Gnosis….secret knowledge.
What is Gnosticism?
If you wish, take a moment and Google the word Gnosis or Gnosticism. You will find this definition from Wikipedia:
“Gnosticism (Greek: γνῶσις gnōsis, knowledge) was a group of ancient religions that combined different elements from Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism (especially Zurvanism), Neoplatonism, and eventually early Christianity.
It taught that some esoteric knowledge (or Gnosis) was necessary for salvation from the material world, created by some intermediary figure (or demiurge) instead of God. In some systems, the demiurge was considered evil, in others, it was merely imperfect. Different gnostic schools sometimes identified the demurge as Adam, Ahriman, Samael, Satan, Yaldabaoth, or Yahweh.
Many schools inverted traditional interpretations of the Hebrew Bible, leading Jewish-Israeli scholar Gershom Scholem (according to Hans Jonas) to call Gnosticism "the greatest case of metaphysical anti-Semitism." However, some scholars have argued that Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah) is Gnostic, and more recent research into Gnosticism's origins reveals influence from Jewish Hekhalot mysticism.
Jesus is identified by some Gnostic sects as an embodiment of the supreme being who became incarnate to bring gnōsis to the earth. In others (e.g., the Notzrim and Mandaeans), he is considered a mšiha kdaba or "false messiah" who perverted the teachings entrusted to him by John the Baptist. Still, other traditions identify Mani and Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve, as salvific figures.
Some consider Gnosticism a branch of Christianity, but alternate theories trace Gnostic systems to centuries before the Christian Era, predating the birth of Jesus. The movement spread in areas controlled by the Roman Empire Arian Goths, and the Persian Empire; it continued to develop in the Mediterranean and Middle East before and during the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Conversion to Islam and the Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229) greatly reduced the remaining Gnostics throughout the Middle Ages, though a few Mandaean communities still exist. Gnostic and pseudo-gnostic ideas became influential in some of the philosophies of various esoteric mystical movements of the late 19th and 20th centuries in Europe and North America, including some that explicitly identify themselves as revivals or even continuations of earlier gnostic groups.”
Paul, in his epistles, warned of a heresy that was entering the church when he rebuked the 1st-century church:
Gnosticism is not mentioned by name in the Bible, with one possible exception, I Timothy 6:20-21:
O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and vain babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—by professing it, some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace, be with you. Amen.
Paul warns Timothy and the church members about following this secret knowledge. Paul warns about "the subtleties and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination." The word translated "knowledge" in most translations ("science" in the King James Version) is the Greek gnosis. Literally meaning "to know," it forms the root of the word Gnosticism. It is possible, even probable, that Paul refers to Gnosticism here since both of his letters to Timothy contain warnings against false teachings that draw a believer away from the truth of God.
Why is Gnosticism so dangerous? Because it draws the believer away from the truth with contradictions of God’s Word. Jesus said in Mark 13:
13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
13:34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
13:36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
How clear must our Lord be? Why has this heresy been allowed to flourish at this future time of when this warning was given by the creator of the universe, our Lord, Jesus Christ?
There has been a heightened awareness of the Gnostic movement by Hollywood producing thrillers (fictional) like the “Da Vinci Code” or “National Treasure” that puts emphasis on the concept of secret knowledge, or total denial of the truth of the Bible.
Then there are the Gnostic gospels that have been discovered that give an alternate version of the Holy Bible. They go so far as to deny the divinity of Jesus Christ, the crucifixion, and the bodily resurrection of Jesus to their own damnation to those who believe such rubbish.
Let us look at one example of heresy in just one of these Gnostic gospels that directly conflicts with Holy Scripture. In the Gospel of Thomas, we find this:
Jesus says, "[Blessed is] the one who came into being before coming into being." This makes no sense to us, but it does make sense to Gnostics, who believe in a dualism of flesh and spirit. Thus, they understand that "Jesus" implies that the spirit could come into being before the flesh. Many Gnostics were followers of docetism, believing that Jesus and Christ were separate beings in one body. Docetists believed that the man Jesus was born and that the pre-existing god Christ entered into Him when He was baptized and left again before He was crucified. This is an example of coming into being before coming into being.
Do we see the error of this type of thinking? It denies that Jesus was God, that He was brought into being, and that He was not eternal with the Father.
In Hidden Gospels: How the Search for Jesus Lost Its Way, Philip Jenkins notes: "Gnostic believers practiced 'equal access, equal participation and equal claims to knowledge,' to the extent of allocating clerical functions by lot at their ceremonies." This can be seen not only in the ordination of women but also in the attitude of some Christians who argue that, since "we all have the Holy Spirit," we do not need any authoritative teacher or leader. While this idea on the surface appears to support “goodness”, the result is confusion as doctrine becomes subjected to the lowest common denominator. Not surprisingly, such individuals typically believe that they know better—or more—than the rest of the church, particularly the ministry.
Is Harold Camping promoting Gnosticism?
If you study the life of Mr. Camping, as I have written in the past, he was an engineer by trade. What does an engineer do that is a part of his profession? He uses science to calculate. Mr. Camping is a mathematician who has tried to calculate the world's end. I recall that there has been a group of heretics called the Jehovah's Witnesss, who have tried to calculate the return of Jesus Christ for the last 150 years. They have elaborate schemes and scenarios of when the Day of the Lord will arrive and when the Church will be removed from this earth.
Of course, it will only be their sect that will be removed, as they are the only ones with the truth. The problem is they have failed each and every time that they have made predictions. That got so many dates wrong, that I don’t believe they have predicted anything for a little while, or at least broadcasted it past their windowless “Kingdom Halls” for several years.
So it is with Mr. Camping and the Family Radio website. They have used special knowledge that is only available to them. They have picked and chosen the scriptures that they wish to use to support their false doctrine and have ignored or denied the clear message of what Jesus taught when He was here on earth and what the Apostles preached in the New Testament concerning His return to this earth. What did Jesus say? He told us to WATCH!!
Luke 12:35-40 provides a good illustration of watching:
Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning [that is, be prepared]; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. . . . And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
And in Luke, Jesus emphasized:
21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
If you take the Bible as a whole, which is all of God’s Word, and take it for what it says, do you find anything in its verses that would give you the calculations of when the Day of the Lord will be precise? No, you do not.
I have covered this subject before, but with the heightened buzz of the “end of the world,” I found it necessary to warn all who love truth and scriptures found in your Bible and to cover this subject one more time. If you would like to read the full account of this heresy that Mr. Camping is promoting, then you will find the article I wrote here on this website at
http://www.raptureready.com/soap/taylor24.html
Brothers and sisters, I would love to be wrong and say that Jesus would actually come in just short of two weeks, but my bible proves to me that this is not the case. Many things must come to pass, as noted in Revelation, Matthew, and Daniel, for the Day of the Lord to arrive and for the Church to be removed before these events transpire, and we are not there yet. Be not deceived, as Gnosticism will do nothing but one thing:
Wear out the saints!!
When this event comes and goes, many who put their whole trust in this “false prophecy” will be disillusioned and may question their standing with God. They may think they have missed “the return of Jesus Christ.” They may become despondent or fall from the faith and follow after Jesus Christ. Many will have sold their homes, dropped out of society, or left friends and family, thinking they have no need for these material trappings. But if this prophecy is genuine, has Mr. Camping sold his possessions and his home? I’m told he has not. Again, what did Jesus Say?
"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" —Luke 18:8
The implication seems that very few will have the strength of faith that Jesus is discussing. As the God of the Old Testament, Jesus, having looked into man's heart from Creation and seeing humanity's trajectory to our day, had every reason to ask if there would be faith at the end time! Even the Jews of His lifetime, full of Messianic fervor, did not have the faith He was seeking! Would even His chosen people—Christians, the followers of Christ—have saving faith?
These followers of this new “prophecy” claim unless you believe their teachings and believe that Jesus will return on their prescribed day, then, as one emailer from Family Radio sent to me, “May God have mercy on your soul.” Let me explain something to him and to all. There is only one way to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ, and it is not believing on a “scientifically calculated” day that smacks of Gnosticism. Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the Life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me” John 14:6.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believeth in HIM, should not perish, but have everlasting life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved.” John 3:16-17.
The Apostle Peter proclaimed this truth in Acts:
4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
When this day comes and goes, I encourage every believer that truly loves the Lord, to get in contact with any one who is connected with this site www.familyradio.com, and preach them the gospel of Jesus Christ and His soon return to this earth to receive His church in His hour, not theirs.
This is Pastor Mike Taylor praying God’s blessings on you all. If you have any comments, need prayer, counseling from the Bible or just someone to listen, then drop me a line at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net , or visit me online at www.churchofgod-usa.org . Till we meet at Jesus feet.
Traci Morin, speaker, minister, anxiety coach, teacher of deliverance, Who's Who of America
So it is with Mr. Camping and the Family Radio website. They have used special knowledge that is only available to them. They have picked and chosen the scriptures that they wish to use to support their false doctrine and have ignored or denied the clear message of what Jesus taught when He was here on earth and what the Apostles preached in the New Testament concerning His return to this earth. What did Jesus say? He told us to WATCH!!
Luke 12:35-40 provides a good illustration of watching:
Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning [that is, be prepared]; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. . . . And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
And in Luke, Jesus emphasized:
21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
If you take the Bible as a whole, which is all of God’s Word, and take it for what it says, do you find anything in its verses that would give you the calculations of when the Day of the Lord will be precise? No, you do not.
I have covered this subject before, but with the heightened buzz of the “end of the world,” I found it necessary to warn all who love truth and scriptures found in your Bible and to cover this subject one more time. If you would like to read the full account of this heresy that Mr. Camping is promoting, then you will find the article I wrote here on this website at
http://www.raptureready.com/soap/taylor24.html
Brothers and sisters, I would love to be wrong and say that Jesus would actually come in just short of two weeks, but my bible proves to me that this is not the case. Many things must come to pass, as noted in Revelation, Matthew, and Daniel, for the Day of the Lord to arrive and for the Church to be removed before these events transpire, and we are not there yet. Be not deceived, as Gnosticism will do nothing but one thing:
Wear out the saints!!
When this event comes and goes, many who put their whole trust in this “false prophecy” will be disillusioned and may question their standing with God. They may think they have missed “the return of Jesus Christ.” They may become despondent or fall from the faith and follow after Jesus Christ. Many will have sold their homes, dropped out of society, or left friends and family, thinking they have no need for these material trappings. But if this prophecy is genuine, has Mr. Camping sold his possessions and his home? I’m told he has not. Again, what did Jesus Say?
"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" —Luke 18:8
The implication seems that very few will have the strength of faith that Jesus is discussing. As the God of the Old Testament, Jesus, having looked into man's heart from Creation and seeing humanity's trajectory to our day, had every reason to ask if there would be faith at the end time! Even the Jews of His lifetime, full of Messianic fervor, did not have the faith He was seeking! Would even His chosen people—Christians, the followers of Christ—have saving faith?
These followers of this new “prophecy” claim unless you believe their teachings and believe that Jesus will return on their prescribed day, then, as one emailer from Family Radio sent to me, “May God have mercy on your soul.” Let me explain something to him and to all. There is only one way to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ, and it is not believing on a “scientifically calculated” day that smacks of Gnosticism. Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the Life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me” John 14:6.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believeth in HIM, should not perish, but have everlasting life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved.” John 3:16-17.
The Apostle Peter proclaimed this truth in Acts:
4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
When this day comes and goes, I encourage every believer that truly loves the Lord, to get in contact with any one who is connected with this site www.familyradio.com, and preach them the gospel of Jesus Christ and His soon return to this earth to receive His church in His hour, not theirs.
This is Pastor Mike Taylor praying God’s blessings on you all. If you have any comments, need prayer, counseling from the Bible or just someone to listen, then drop me a line at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net , or visit me online at www.churchofgod-usa.org . Till we meet at Jesus feet.
Traci Morin, speaker, minister, anxiety coach, teacher of deliverance, Who's Who of America
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