BELIEVE CHRIST not “ANTICHRIST”
This is a follow-up my WRITING FOR JESUS* as the only way to the God of heaven. In that article my “niece” Tina said she did not believe Jesus is the only way—though the Bible says believing in Jesus Christ who died for the sins of the world is the only way to God the heavenly Father (John 3:16; John 14:6).
Tina said she believes in teachings of Gnosis, which say there is another way to God. The Bible call this an “antichrist” way that leads away from God. In talking to my “niece” it was evident that she was unversed in scriptures of traditional Bibles; and she said she knew “little” about Gnosis, but she had “gut feelings” about it. In my concern for the salvation of her eternal soul, I began to write to tell her more about what the Bible says about Jesus Christ being the only way to God. And I told her I would study more about Gnosis to give her more information, so she could compare what the Bible and Gnosis say about the way(s) to God.
COMPARING THE BIBLE AND GNOSIS ABOUT CHRIST
BASIC BIBLE GOSPEL OF CHRIST SHARED THROUGH A LETTER
In my previous article, WRITING FOR JESUS, I shared a letter I wrote to Tina about basic Bible gospel about Jesus Christ being the only way of salvation and the way to God:
My Dear Beloved Tina,
This letter comes as a follow-up to a conversation we had about Gnosis and Bible teachings. You asked me if I knew anything about Gnosis. You said personally you knew very little about it; and that most of what you knew came from your gut feelings about it.
However, I know very well that the Bible says: It is appointed unto us once to die, and after death the judgment (Hebrews 9:17). It also says, all have sinned, and if we die in our sins where Jesus is we cannot come (Romans 3:23; John 8:21-24).
Yet the biblical scriptures tell us that God the Father loved us so much that He provided the atoning death of his Son Jesus Christ as the only way of forgiveness for our sins (John 3:16; John 14:6; Acts 4:12)…
Knowing what the Bible says, I decided to study more, and share what I learn about Gnosis in comparison with the Holy Bible. At this time, I write especially with you in mind — who is near and dear to me. As you pray and read what results from my praying and studying about Gnosis and the Bible, please consider it above all, a work of love and concern.
Love, Steve
(I hope the Holy Spirit will cause this letter written to my “niece” Tina to be shared with others who are beloved by the Lord and who would benefit from it.)
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GNOSTIC “ANTICHRIST” GOSPEL
In my previous WRITING FOR JESUS, I pointed out that agreeing disciples of Jesus said in the Bible that if anyone, even an angel, taught any way other than believing in the fleshly death and atonement for sin of Jesus Christ as the way to God, let them be “cursed” by God as being of “the spirit of the antichrist” (Galatians 1:8-9; John 3:16; 1 John 4:2-3).
The following information might be helpful in comparing teachings of the Bible to doctrines of “antichrist” Gnosis and others who teach that Jesus Christ of the Bible is not the only way to God. I learned from studying, that Early Fathers called those “Gnostics” who taught what Jesus’ disciple described as antichrist doctrine (Early Christin Dictionary/Gnostics**).
THE NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY. Until recently (when in 1945 a cache of early Gnostics writings, named The Nag Hammadi Library was discovered in Egypt in a cave) much of what was known about early Gnostics and their antichrist beliefs were written by early orthodox Christian Church Fathers, which perhaps had become somewhat latent.
In the introduction of The Nag Hammadi Library, edited by James M. Robinson, Elaine Pagels makes the following telling observations about the Gnostic Scriptures which are not in agreement with writings of the traditional New Testament:
“According to its title, it contained the Gospel According to Thomas; yet unlike the gospels of the New Testament, this text identified itself as a secret gospel”
“Bound unto the same Volume with it is the Gospel of Philip, which attributes to Jesus acts and sayings quite different from those in the New Testament”
“These diverse texts range, then from secret gospels, poems, and quasi-philosophic descriptions of origin of the universe, to myths, magic, and instructions for mystical practice.”
FXPOSURE OF THE GNOSTIC SOCIETY. The Gnostic Society may more recently have felt obligated to acknowledge that the Gospel of Truth, which they recognized as one of the most important Gnostic writings, is not an actual account of the deeds and sayings of Jesus, in the following statement:
- “The Gospel of Truth is one of the most important Valentinian works discovered as part of the NagHammadi cache. The work is not a gospel in the sense of an account of the deeds and sayings of Jesus. Instead it represents an extended homily or meditation on the Gospel and on Christ.”
MORE EXPOSURE OF THE GNOSTIC ANTICHRIST GOSPEL. The Following antichrist teachings are found in the Gnostic Society Library, in the introduction to The figure of Error in The Gospel of Truth.
- Gnostics do not believe in the original sin of Adam and Eve.
- They do not believe in the physical death and atoning blood of Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God as the only way to God.
- They teach that sin is ignorance of one’s “Godself.”
- And they say that salvation comes through arriving to a knowledge(gnosis) of one’s “higher self” with the help of “Messengers of Light.”
OVERCOMING BY BELIEVING THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST
Although the spirit of the antichrist is powerful and deceptive (Ephesians 6:12), the Bible says we can overcome this spirit by relying on the power and understanding of the Spirit of Christ. For his Spirit is far above all in power and understanding (Ephesians 1:19-21; Hebrews 4:13). We need to know Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord (John 3:16), pray to God as our heavenly Father (1 John 3:1; Luke 11:2), and follow the Holy Spirit who empowers, guides and helps us in understanding and applying the inspired Word of God (John 14:26; Acts 1:8; Proverbs 3:5-6).
**www.earlychristiandictionary.com
.
