Lessons

The message on December 2, 2018 was on exposing Gnosticism.  The word itself is from Ancient Greek: γνωστικός gnostikos, “having knowledge”, from γνῶσις gnōsis, knowledge).  This belief is a modern name for a variety of ancient religious ideas and systems, originating in Jewish-Christian milieux in the first and second century AD. These systems believed that the material world is created by an emanation of the highest God, trapping the divine spark within the human body. This divine spark could be liberated by gnosis or knowledge.  Some of their core teachings include the following:

1. All matter is evil, and the non-material, spirit-realm is good.
2. There is an unknowable God, who gave rise to many lesser spirit beings called Aeons.
3. The creator of the (material) universe is not the supreme god, but an inferior spirit
4. Gnosticism does not deal with “sin”, only ignorance.
5. To achieve salvation, one needs to get in touch with secret knowledge.

They claim that John and the Apostle Paul were Gnostics!  Those who actually understand John and Paul’s writings is they actually expose the lie of Gnosticism.  This lesson looks at the scripture that exposes it.  The scripture reading was from John 4:20-26 KJV

“20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”