FREE ESSAY ON OPPOSING VIEWS OF THE SAVIOR IN GNOSSISISM AND IN ORTHODOXY

OPPOSING VIEWS OF THE SAVIOR IN GNOSSISISM AND IN ORTHODOXY

I am attempting to write one coherent essay discussing questions three and two. I propose
to first characterize the opposing views of the savior in Gnosticism and in Orthodoxy.
Secondly, I will compare the Valentinian and classic Gnostics in how they differ and how
the Gospel of Truth exemplifies the features of Valentinian Gnosticism. 
The Orthodox view the church as a necessary medium between the laity and god; they argued
that without the church and the hierarchy of clergy, the congregation would not be able
to attain god on their own. They saw the coming of god's kingdom as a literal event. They
also saw it preposterous thought to separate the body from human life. That is, they saw
Jesus as both flesh and spirit that were inseparable. The Orthodox considered the
crucifixion of Jesus as a historical account. They viewed Jesus as a martyr that
sacrificed his life so that we may live. It was believed that the martyrdom of Jesus
allows for the forgiveness of sins and ensures resurrection and our life everlasting;
this sacrifice allowed us to release our guilt and receive forgiveness for our sins. 
On the matter of what Jesus was, the Gnostics vehemently disagreed with the Orthodox
Church. Gnostics believed that Jesus was more than a human martyr; Gnostics believed that
the Holy Spirit (Christ) and Jesus of Nazareth were two separate entities. They felt that
Jesus was a man of flesh who, at baptism, received the Holy Spirit and became Christ.
They looked at it as though the spirit of Christ was occupying the body of Jesus until
the crucifixion, where the spirit was transfigured and released so that we may attain
salvation. Gnostics and the Orthodox Church also argued over the point of the suffering,
or the passion of Jesus. Gnostics felt that Christ only appeared to suffer and die, it
was the body that suffered and when Jesus passed, the spirit was transfigured and
released.
Gnostics and the Orthodox also disagreed on the point of the existence of God. The
Gnostics rationalized that the god of the old testament-a god of creation and punishment
was clearly a separate entity from the god of Jesus, who was a loving and forgiving god.
How could such a loving god reach out to us with salvation and forgiveness be the same
god who created pain, punishment and suffering. The Orthodox believed in one god, the
father almighty creator of heaven and earth. In fact this was the major claim of the
creed that the orthodox Christians proclaimed as part of their faith. 
Another point of argument was how to attain salvation. Orthodox Christians felt it was
necessary to proclaim, out loud, their belief in one god. This was the discerning factor
that allowed them to separate themselves from the Gnostics-who were now considered
heretics and a threat to the church. Gnostics believed that as long as one lived in faith
and held good conduct throughout their entire life they would achieve salvation. Gnostics
felt their approach was superior to that of the Orthodox Christians because even
hypocrites could proclaim the creed, not believe in it and still reach life eternal and
salvation. 
After Jesus died, both Orthodox Christians and Gnostics claimed to witness the
resurrection of Christ. The orthodox claimed that they saw the physical reappearance of
Jesus Christ and expressed the importance of this type of sighting as the truth. Gnostics
had the belief that the relationship between salvation and themselves was on a more
personal level. Gnostics insisted that it was merely an encounter between the witness and
the spirit of Christ that had been transformed. This follows the Gnostics belief that
religious enlightenment came from introspect and self-knowledge. Once one had achieved
this gnosis they were considered to be of mature knowledge and a member of an elite group
ready to receive the secret knowledge of the spirit. Gnostics believed that they belonged
to the true church of an elect few who were worthy; the orthodox Christians would not be
saved because they were blind to the truth. 
Ignatus took the idea of the father, son and the Holy Spirit to an extreme. He felt that
this same hierarchy was represented on earth by the procession of bishop, priest and
deacon. And only by worshiping the bishop as a stand-in for god would they be saved. The
Orthodox Church was adamant about the importance of the clergy as the medium to god. The
Valentinians were a branch of Gnosticism that often were not recognized as heretics. They
rode a fine line between the orthodox and the Gnostics. The Valentinians were different
from the rest of the Gnostics because they, like the Orthodox Church, proclaimed belief
in one god. The orthodox believed that once the Valentinians were in seclusion that they
entertained the thought of a conflict between the popular image of god as the source of
all being.
The Orthodox Church was soon more threatened by the Valentinians because they were
heretics who's teachings were comparable to that of the Orthodox in what they said-but
what they meant was blasphemous. The Valentinians were like the classic Gnostics because
they disagreed with the Orthodox Church on the matter of the importance of clergy in the
matter of attaining a relationship with god. They both viewed the discussion of god as an
overlying issue to the question of spiritual authority. They stated that the Orthodox
Church was more concerned with the matters of who had more power than focusing on the
real matters. The Orthodox stressed the importance of the relationship between the
succession of clergy and the connection to the father, son and the Holy Spirit. Clement,
of the Orthodox Church decreed that any person who disobeyed the power of the bishop was
blasphemous and should be condemned to death. 
The Gnostics expressed the importance of equality in the worship. They argued that by
considering each other as equals, there would be less concentration on the fight for
power and more focus on attaining knowledge and salvation. The Gnostics took a radical
position for the time and it still emanates today-the position of women in the church.
The Gnostics allowed women to participate in all aspects of the worship; in fact, any one
at any time was allowed to assume the position of bishop. This way, there was no
arguments over who held more power. The Orthodox Church thought this was total and
complete blasphemy. They felt that women had no place in the leadership of the church.
Part of the reason that Gnostics expressed their belief in equality was because of the
way that they viewed the relationship between Jesus and his disciples. They did not see
Jesus as a superior to the apostles. Rather, they saw Jesus not as a prophet with all of
the answers, but as a messenger of the information that should be used as a resource and
a jumping-off point on their search for gnosis. 
The Gospel of Truth is a Christian Gnostic text linked to the Valentinian School. It is a
reflection of the life and work of Jesus. It reflects the significance of Jesus and his
works. This work is exemplary of the basis of the Valentinian Gnostic movement. This text
expressed the Valentinian principle that the knowledge of god destroys ignorance. It
spells out the mythical account of the fall of Sophia and calls it the description of
error. This script talks of Jesus' work as a revealer and a teacher. It expresses the
point about the significance of his death and resurrection of his spirit and its
connection to our salvation. It interprets the event of Jesus' death as a revelation of
the essence of the Father and the Origins of humanity within him. Through this insight,
the powers are overcome. It describes the authentic human experience as one attained
through knowledge-it introduces the contrast between this life of knowledge and that of
the hell of living in ignorance. The account spells out how the revelation permits the
eventual return to the Father. It states that the ultimate goal was to eventually return
to the Father. This was made possible through the teachings of Christ as enlightenment to
our knowledge. The Gospel of Truth says that we should recognize where we come from and
embrace our destiny to return to the father through the salvation of enlightenment and
knowledge. 
The Orthodox Christians and the Gnostics seemed to be at opposite poles when it came to
the discussion of religion, the origin and composition of Jesus and god and the
relationship of these figures to the importance of authority in the church. The Orthodox
took a more strict position on these points of debate-God was only one god and the
relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and its analogy to the hierarchy of
leaders in the church. They tried to impress upon their members the importance of
respecting the authority of the bishops. The Gnostics felt that neither the church, nor
the bishops did have such an important role in the matter of attaining salvation. They
also argued that a punishing god of the Old Testament and the forgiving god of the New
Testament were different entities. Valentinians seemed to be positioned somewhere in the
middle. They agreed with the Orthodox Church, at least out loud, on the point that there
was only one god. On the other hand, they disagreed with the Orthodox and agreed with the
Gnostics on the lack of importance over the debate of who held authority over the
worship. The Gospel of Truth was a Valentinian account of their position and where they
stand on these ideas and about the matter of salvation through knowledge.
I am attempting to write one coherent essay discussing questions three and two. I propose
to first characterize the opposing views of the savior in Gnosticism and in Orthodoxy.
Secondly, I will compare the Valentinian and classic Gnostics in how they differ and how
the Gospel of Truth exemplifies the features of Valentinian Gnosticism. 
The Orthodox view the church as a necessary medium between the laity and god; they argued
that without the church and the hierarchy of clergy, the congregation would not be able
to attain god on their own. They saw the coming of god's kingdom as a literal event. They
also saw it preposterous thought to separate the body from human life. That is, they saw
Jesus as both flesh and spirit that were inseparable. The Orthodox considered the
crucifixion of Jesus as a historical account. They viewed Jesus as a martyr that
sacrificed his life so that we may live. It was believed that the martyrdom of Jesus
allows for the forgiveness of sins and ensures resurrection and our life everlasting;
this sacrifice allowed us to release our guilt and receive forgiveness for our sins. 
On the matter of what Jesus was, the Gnostics vehemently disagreed with the Orthodox
Church. Gnostics believed that Jesus was more than a human martyr; Gnostics believed that
the Holy Spirit (Christ) and Jesus of Nazareth were two separate entities. They felt that
Jesus was a man of flesh who, at baptism, received the Holy Spirit and became Christ.
They looked at it as though the spirit of Christ was occupying the body of Jesus until
the crucifixion, where the spirit was transfigured and released so that we may attain
salvation. Gnostics and the Orthodox Church also argued over the point of the suffering,
or the passion of Jesus. Gnostics felt that Christ only appeared to suffer and die, it
was the body that suffered and when Jesus passed, the spirit was transfigured and
released.
Gnostics and the Orthodox also disagreed on the point of the existence of God. The
Gnostics rationalized that the god of the old testament-a god of creation and punishment
was clearly a separate entity from the god of Jesus, who was a loving and forgiving god.
How could such a loving god reach out to us with salvation and forgiveness be the same
god who created pain, punishment and suffering. The Orthodox believed in one god, the
father almighty creator of heaven and earth. In fact this was the major claim of the
creed that the orthodox Christians proclaimed as part of their faith. 
Another point of argument was how to attain salvation. Orthodox Christians felt it was
necessary to proclaim, out loud, their belief in one god. This was the discerning factor
that allowed them to separate themselves from the Gnostics-who were now considered
heretics and a threat to the church. Gnostics believed that as long as one lived in faith
and held good conduct throughout their entire life they would achieve salvation. Gnostics
felt their approach was superior to that of the Orthodox Christians because even
hypocrites could proclaim the creed, not believe in it and still reach life eternal and
salvation. 
After Jesus died, both Orthodox Christians and Gnostics claimed to witness the
resurrection of Christ. The orthodox claimed that they saw the physical reappearance of
Jesus Christ and expressed the importance of this type of sighting as the truth. Gnostics
had the belief that the relationship between salvation and themselves was on a more
personal level. Gnostics insisted that it was merely an encounter between the witness and
the spirit of Christ that had been transformed. This follows the Gnostics belief that
religious enlightenment came from introspect and self-knowledge. Once one had achieved
this gnosis they were considered to be of mature knowledge and a member of an elite group
ready to receive the secret knowledge of the spirit. Gnostics believed that they belonged
to the true church of an elect few who were worthy; the orthodox Christians would not be
saved because they were blind to the truth. 
Ignatus took the idea of the father, son and the Holy Spirit to an extreme. He felt that
this same hierarchy was represented on earth by the procession of bishop, priest and
deacon. And only by worshiping the bishop as a stand-in for god would they be saved. The
Orthodox Church was adamant about the importance of the clergy as the medium to god. The
Valentinians were a branch of Gnosticism that often were not recognized as heretics. They
rode a fine line between the orthodox and the Gnostics. The Valentinians were different
from the rest of the Gnostics because they, like the Orthodox Church, proclaimed belief
in one god. The orthodox believed that once the Valentinians were in seclusion that they
entertained the thought of a conflict between the popular image of god as the source of
all being.
The Orthodox Church was soon more threatened by the Valentinians because they were
heretics who's teachings were comparable to that of the Orthodox in what they said-but
what they meant was blasphemous. The Valentinians were like the classic Gnostics because
they disagreed with the Orthodox Church on the matter of the importance of clergy in the
matter of attaining a relationship with god. They both viewed the discussion of god as an
overlying issue to the question of spiritual authority. They stated that the Orthodox
Church was more concerned with the matters of who had more power than focusing on the
real matters. The Orthodox stressed the importance of the relationship between the
succession of clergy and the connection to the father, son and the Holy Spirit. Clement,
of the Orthodox Church decreed that any person who disobeyed the power of the bishop was
blasphemous and should be condemned to death. 
The Gnostics expressed the importance of equality in the worship. They argued that by
considering each other as equals, there would be less concentration on the fight for
power and more focus on attaining knowledge and salvation. The Gnostics took a radical
position for the time and it still emanates today-the position of women in the church.
The Gnostics allowed women to participate in all aspects of the worship; in fact, any one
at any time was allowed to assume the position of bishop. This way, there was no
arguments over who held more power. The Orthodox Church thought this was total and
complete blasphemy. They felt that women had no place in the leadership of the church.
Part of the reason that Gnostics expressed their belief in equality was because of the
way that they viewed the relationship between Jesus and his disciples. They did not see
Jesus as a superior to the apostles. Rather, they saw Jesus not as a prophet with all of
the answers, but as a messenger of the information that should be sed as a resource and a
jumping-off point on their search for gnosis. 
The Gospel of Truth is a Christian Gnostic text linked to the Valentinin School. It is a
reflection of the life and work of Jesus. It reflects the significance of Jesus and his
works. This work is exemplary of the basis of the Valentinian Gnostic movement. This text
expressed the Valentinian principle that the knowledge of god destroys ignorance. It
spells out the mythical account of the fall of Sophia and calls it the description of
error. This script talks of Jesus' work as a revealer and a teacher. It expresses the
point about the significance of his death and resurrection of his spirit and its
connection to our salvation. It interprets the event of Jesus' death as a revelation of
the essence of the Father and the Origins of humanity within him. Through this insight,
the powers are overcome. It describes the authentic human experience as one attained
through knowledge-it introduces the contrast between this life of knowledge and that of
the hell of living in ignorance. The account spells out how the revelation permits the
eventual return to the Father. It states that the ultimate goal was to eventually return
to the Father. This was made possible through the teachings of Christ as enlightenment to
our knowledge. The Gospel of Truth says that we should recognize where we come from and
embrace our destiny to return to the father through the salvation of enlightenment and
knowledge. 
The Orthodox Christians and the Gnostics seemed to be at opposite poles when it came to
the discussion of religion, the origin and composition of Jesus and god and the
relationship of these figures to the importance of authority in the church. The Orthodox
took a more strict position on these points of debate-God was only one god and the
relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and its analogy to the hierarchy of
leaders in the church. They tried to impress upon their members the importance of
respecting the authority of the bishops. The Gnostics felt that neither the church, nor
the bishops did have such an important role in the matter of attaining salvation. They
also argued that a punishing god of the Old Testament and the forgiving god of the New
Testament were different entities. Valentinians seemed to be positioned somewhere in the
middle. They agreed with the Orthodox Church, at least out loud, on the point that there
was only one god. On the other hand, they disagreed with the Orthodox and agreed with the
Gnostics on the lack of importance over the debate of who held authority over the
worship. The Gospel of Truth was a Valentinian account of their position and where they
stand on these ideas and about the matter of salvation through knowledge.