The Spiritual Spider Web

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The Spiritual Spider Web

• The most weird seminar you have ever attended!

Ancient and Contemporary Gnosticism
VulnerablePentecostal Charismatic churches
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A key text

• Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to
  your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the
  opposing ideas of what is falsely called
  knowledge, which some have professed and in so
  doing have wandered from the faith (1 Tim.620)
• Knowledge Gnosis - Gnosticism

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A Big Issue in the NT
NT Books
John
1,2,3 John
Revelation 1-3
Colossians
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1 2 Corinthians
1 2 Timothy
2 Peter
Jude
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NT Overall Structure
Positive
Kingdom of God
Grace
Negative
Legalism
Gnosticism
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Gnostic Profile
Very spiritual
Up there Beyond correction
Double life
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Original Soil of Origin

• Traditional Greek religions were waning nature
  gods
• Philosophies were waning not real, not
  satisfying the need for experience
• The mystery religions met a need personal,
  secret experiences

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Eclectic

• Plato dualism of material and ideal world
• Plotinus dualism of light and darkness
• Mystery magic formulae, secrets and rituals

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History

• Proto-Gnosticism during NT era
• Visible movement in 2nd Century
• Manicheanism
• Fee-Masonry
• Metaphysics New Age

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Sources

• Nag Hammadi Library in Egypt - 1945
• The Secret Teaching of John
• The Gospel of Truth
• The Gospel of Thomas

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The Bad Guys

• Simon of Samaria (Acts 89-23)
• Menandes of Samaria (First Century)
• Satornitus of Antioch (First Century)
• Cyrinthus of Ephesus (Early Second)
• Basilides of Alexandria (120-140)
• Valentinus of Rome (136-165)
• Marcion of Sinope (Died 160)

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The Good Guys

• John Paul Peter
• Irenaeus of Lyon (130-200)
• Tertullian of Carthage (160-220)
• Hippolytus of Rome (170-236)
• Epiphanius of Cyprus (315-403)

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Where most meet it today

• Word of Faith teaching
• Kenneth Hagin and his followers

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Gnostic Teachings

• Fasten your safety belt!

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Dualism
Cosmos
Spiritual Reality
Physical Reality
Inherently Good
Inherently Bad
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Creator Descending Waterfall
Fount
Abortion
God of OT
Creator of Matter
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Man Home Sick Angel
Evil Body
Escape
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Jesus No Incarnation

• Redeemer cannot inhabit physical body
• Only appeared to
• Christ Spirit descended on and left Physical
  Jesus
• Swapped with Simon of Cyrene stood by laughing
  as Simon was crucified

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Salvation
Evil Body
Revelations
Escape
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Salvation
Planets
Absorbed
Fount
Planets
Password
Aeons
Pass Word
Angels
Pass Word
Angels
Revelations
God of OT
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Church

• Elitism Spiritual Pride
• No spark cannot be saved
• Small spark work for salvation
• Big spark receive revelations

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Ethics
Dualism
Spirit is Good Body is Bad
Reject Your Body
Let It Go
Asceticism
Licentiousness
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