Gnosticism Research (naa · sti · si · zm)

Basically an info dump on Gnosticism

Research Sources:
The New Testament And Other Early Christian Writings: A Reader (Second Edition) by Bart Ehrman

Nag Hammadi

Was found in Nag Hammadi in 1945 with the rest of our sources on Gnosticism. The document was seemingly buried in the Egyptian sands as a way to hide them by a monk who was fleeing persecution (maybe in the late 4th century AD).
The 13 leather-bound manuscripts contained 52 tractates that were declared heretical when they were written - the works of Gnostic Christians.
The manuscripts were translations: originally written in Greek, now shown in Coptic.

The Gospel of Thomas

A book of sayings from Jesus himself

Claims to have been written my Didymos Judas Thomas

In some stories, this is Jesus' twin brother

contains 114 "secret teachings"

No other material. Just the sayings.

Heavily resembles Q

(Q is a collection of sayings of unknown origin, named from the German word 'Quelle' meaning 'source')

Q was used as a source by the authors of Luke and Matthew

Possibly closer to what the historical Jesus actually taught

this brings up the debate over chronology

Gnostic teachings cannot be reliably dated to earlier than the 2nd century AD

The Second Letter of Peter

Author claims to be Simeon Peter (the apostle)

Scholars call BS on that

likely pseudepigraphic

pseud = fake

epigraph = writing

seems to be written a number of decades after the death of Peter

written at a time when the apocalypse was a source of ridicule for the Christians

written by a Christian who deeply understands the Greek language

an issue for Aramaic-speaking Jewish Peasant Peter

no evidence of this writing until the beginning of the 3rd century AD

unheard of for a document supposedly written by a disciple of Jesus himself

This letter is seemingly a rebuttle against Christian Gnostics

claims to be Peter to show that he doesn't need "cleverly disguised myths" in order to know Jesus since he knew the man irl

reads like someone that was backed into a corner and is now snapping and trying to defend itself by harming those who hold it captive there

The Third Letter To The Corinthians

pseudepigraphic letter of Paul

included in the Acts of Paul at the end of the 2nd century AD

may have been circulated prior to this

concerning 'false teachings' (i.e. gnostic teachings) by Simon and Cleobius at the church in presumably Corinth

basically just hears the gnostics going "Christ did not have a mortal body, there is sin in the flesh" and yells back "SUCK THIS FLESH"

The Gospel Of Mary

Found in the Akhmim Codex

the Papyrus Berolinensis 8502

Written in Coptic

aquired in Cairo in 1896

Dr. Rheinhardt

Not circulated until 1955

Contains parts of 3 texts:

Gospel of Mary

Apocryphon of John

Sophia of Jesus Christ

Missing pages:

1-6

11-14

these included sections leading up to chapter 4 as well as portions of chapters 5-8

Gospel of Truth

Gospel of Judas

recounts a conversation between Jesus and Judas Iscariot during a week before Passover

Irenaeus on the Gnostics

Irenaeus was a Gallic bishop in the 2nd Century AD

Attacked a wide range of Christian doctrines and practices

He considered them deviants

Epiphanes on Righteousness

Also known as "Concerning Justice"

Written by Epiphanes

Son of Carpocrates - a Gnostic teacher

Found in Clement of Alexandria

Apocryphon of John

(I have... so much on this)
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Main Lecture - Gnosticism

Defining Gnosticism

Not necessarily a religion as much as it's a set of doctrines

Makes Gnosticism compatible with many religions

Hard to pin the start of Gnosticism

seems to draw on Greek origins and Plato's belief of dualism

A. D. Nock: gnosticism is "Platonism run wild" 

Others have suggested is originated in Hellenistic Jewish thought

Contrast between a "good" and "evil" deity

The "Evil" deity is of the material world

typically associated with the Jewish God (YHWH)

The "Good" deity is associated with a heavenly being

Gnosticism is considered a "Christian Heresy"

tho it's not entirely Christian in origin

Nag Hammadi shows to date Gnosticism earlier with draws from the Jewish texts

Now it is considered that Gnosticism developed alongside proto-orthodox Christianity

just used the Jewish sources in different ways

Seems to draw on Hermetic tradition as well

makes Gnosticism syncretistic

Syncretic (adjective) - characterized or brought about by a combination of different forms of belief or practice

Gnosticism as the Result of Syncretism

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Main Lecture - The Gospel of Thomas