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Gnosticism: Difference between revisions
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The Gospel of Truth describes the impelling power of the call as well as the power of ''gnosis'' to break the pall of ignorance that holds the soul in its grips: | The Gospel of Truth describes the impelling power of the call as well as the power of ''gnosis'' to break the pall of ignorance that holds the soul in its grips: | ||
<blockquote>If one has knowledge, he is from above. If he is called, he hears, he answers, and he turns to him who is calling him, and ascends to him. He knows in what manner he is called. Having knowledge, he does the will of the one who called him; he wishes to be pleasing to him; he receives rest. | <blockquote> | ||
If one has knowledge, he is from above. If he is called, he hears, he answers, and he turns to him who is calling him, and ascends to him. He knows in what manner he is called. Having knowledge, he does the will of the one who called him; he wishes to be pleasing to him; he receives rest. | |||
He who is to have knowledge in this manner knows where he comes from and where he is going. When the Father is known, from that moment on the deficiency will no longer exist. As with the ignorance of a person, when he comes to have knowledge his ignorance vanishes of itself, as the darkness vanishes when light appears, so also the deficiency vanishes in the perfection. It is within Unity that each one will attain himself; within knowledge he will purify himself from multiplicity into Unity, consuming matter within himself like fire, and darkness by light, death by life.<ref>The Gospel of Truth 22, 24, 25, in Marvin Meyer, ''The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus: The Definitive Collection of Mystical Gospels and Secret Books about Jesus of Nazareth'' (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005), pp. 99, 101.</ref> | |||
</blockquote> | |||
== Orthodoxy vs. Gnositicism == | == Orthodoxy vs. Gnositicism == | ||
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The ascended lady master [[Thérèse of Lisieux]] comments on the significance of the teachings of the Gnostics: | The ascended lady master [[Thérèse of Lisieux]] comments on the significance of the teachings of the Gnostics: | ||
<blockquote>The Gnosticism that has been discovered in this “library in a jar” at Nag Hammadi in 1945 is certainly not the final word, is certainly not the perfected doctrine, but the elements within it reveal clearly that which was banned as heresy by the Church Fathers; and by their banning of this true teaching of Jesus, they have denied our Lord’s doctrine to all the faithful these seventeen hundred years or more. | <blockquote> | ||
The Gnosticism that has been discovered in this “library in a jar” at Nag Hammadi in 1945 is certainly not the final word, is certainly not the perfected doctrine, but the elements within it reveal clearly that which was banned as heresy by the Church Fathers; and by their banning of this true teaching of Jesus, they have denied our Lord’s doctrine to all the faithful these seventeen hundred years or more. | |||
Know, then, beloved, that Christ has indeed long ago been put out of this Church and that Christ resides only in the pure hearts of those who are within it, and some of these pure hearts have risen to the position of pope and high office and some have been the humble of no particular stature. Therefore they in their hearts of fire rather than through an organization or a doctrine have kept alive the true Presence of Jesus [on earth and, coincidentally, within the Church].<ref>Thérèse of Lisieux, {{POWref|31|39}}</ref> | |||
</blockquote> | |||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||