There is a dangerous line of thought whose history goes all the way back over 2000 years. In our text Paul warned of such a thing. The object of our concern is a word unfamiliar to most people. It is Gnosticism or inner enlightenment. The concept seems appealing, even empowering. It invaded religion by preaching this as hidden wisdom or inner knowledge that was necessary for salvation but only available to a few people. In the literature of the second century there were numerous references. The word itself does not appear in the Bible. It’s However, and more importantly, the warnings are there in blazing words. It is recorded in 1 Timothy 1:4; 6: 20, as examples.
Gnosticism was built on Greek philosophy that taught matter was evil and the spirit was good. So-called “Christian Gnostics” said since matter was evil, God could not really incarnate in a human body; he only appeared in human form and only appeared to suffer, but basically, it was an illusion. John Wimber was a Quaker who came into the charismatic movement. He eventually taught the famous course at Fuller seminary. MC 510 “Signs, Wonders, and Church Growth,” which launched a “signs and wonders” movement that spread Gnostic teachings throughout the Earth. Eventually this movement became the Vineyard Fellowship.
Perhaps the premier proponent in the evangelical movement and charismatic church these days Is Bill Johnson, Senior Pastor of Bethel Church in Reading, California. Johnson’s church Is the current version of the Toronto Airport Vineyard and Brownsville Assembly Of God pilgrimage sites people influenced by Gnosticism come to “Experience” God.
Through Bethel and most notably through the Worship Team (a popular rock band called “Jesus Culture”) , Bethel reaches hundreds of thousand with its Gnostic message of anti-doctrinal, experience-based, new age emulating ”power” evangelism. This is one reason that the astute Christian must avoid their type of music.
One of the key points of modern Gnosticism is that we are all little gods. We must release the divinity that is within us. We have the ability to eject faith into a rational environment. The basic thought is to say it, and it will be reality. Famous television personality Joyce Myers has gone to the extreme of taking worship out of context declaring that we are all little gods.
For the follower of Gnosticism anything done in the body, even the worst of sins, is not relevant, has no meaning, has no effect, because the only real life is in the spirit realm. They practice an extreme method of meditation and contemplation to get in touch with their inner divine self that is just waiting to be revealed.
Gnostics believe that the physical body of Jesus was not real but only appeared to be physical. Their claim was that his spirit descended upon him at baptism and then departed his body just prior to his crucifixion. Jesus was fully God and fully human and of course, physically real. This philosophy thus releases its believers of guilt or shame. The biblical view of Jesus affirms both his full deity and full humanity. Thus, his death on the cross served as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 2:14-47).
The word of faith movement and the prosperity gospel are modern definitions of Gnosticism. The concept is to be so in touch with the divine the hardships are automatically addressed and cured. Today’s televangelists such as Kenneth Copeland and Paula White endorse a Christianized version of Gnosticism. Other Gnostics in disguise include Peter Popoff, Jesse Duplantis, and psychologist Carl Jung. In addition, they are able to gain great wealth. Unfortunately, Paula White is a spiritual advisor to Pres. Trump. This was not just an issue in Paul’s time. It has gone into hiding and later resurrected itself frequently through the decades. As we await the coming of Christ, we must know the Scriptures well and discern these false prophets.
