You may have never heard of Gnosticism before, but I am sure that you have heard its teachings. Gnostics are not talking about the God that most Christians refer to. They describe a spiritual being that, according to them, is far above the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Oprah promotes a teaching that says that God is so big that it is impossible for the human mind to understand anything about him. This is a central view in the Gnostic belief system, but it is quite contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible is full of attributes that describe God and how He thinks and feels, giving the reader a very good understanding of who and what God is. (Bible Gateway Link to "God is")
NeoGnosticism, my term, is an insidious belief system that can morph its way into any religion and it has made inroads into modern Christianity. It brings a mythical aspect to Christianity, with claims that you will have a better understanding of the scriptures. Gnosticism has always claimed to be more spiritual. This is the lure that is used by Gnostics, that they can provide you with "deeper" spiritual knowledge. No longer do the scriptures "mean what they say and say what they mean;" no, many Christians now depend on "revelations" from God to interpret the scriptures. Now, experience is just as important as scripture when it comes to rationalizing about how many Christians live their lives. Therein lies the problem. Too many Christians have turned to experience and "revelation" to guide them in their walk instead of obeying the scriptures. (Bible Gateway link to "Obey")
This is the essence of NeoGnosticism, that just following the teachings of the scriptures is no longer enough for the believer, we can have other sources of "truth" that can also help us in our Christian walk. Because of our modern sensibilities, it has become almost impossible to declare that something is true. We are now seeing the result of a whole generation of kids that were raised on the idea that there are no absolutes. "What is wrong for you, may be right for someone else" and visa-versa. Everyone is now entitled to have their own truth, which must not be challenged because you do not have the right to "push" your beliefs onto others.
This is true in the Church also. We are always "agreeing to disagree" even when something is clearly stated in scripture. The doctrine of "I believe" or "What that means to me is..." has become the defacto belief system in the Church. We are willing to believe in the teachings contained in the Bible as long as those teachings conform to our belief system. Modern day Christians are quite willing to jettison Biblical doctrine for a doctrine that is more in line with their own personal sensibilities.
So, what is to be done about this intrusion of doctrine into Christianity? First and foremost, Christians need to start reading the Bible. Romans tells us that through the scripture, we will have hope;"For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope." (Romans 15:4 - LEB).
Secondly, Christians must return to the understanding that only in the scriptures will truth be found. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, reminds Timothy of the value that the scriptures bring to the man of God; "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ISV)
Third, If we believe that all truth is contained in the scriptures, then we need to find our interpretations of scripture from the scriptures themselves and not from our own interpretations. In Peter's second letter, he writes, "First of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever originated through a human decision. Instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21 - ISV)
Jesus gave us the great commission; "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 - NIV). If we are to teach what Jesus has commanded, then by necessity we must believe that His commandments are true. And if His commandments are true, then by necessity, they must be obeyed.
Have we become a modern day Israel?
"But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry. Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me. But of Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people." (Romans 10:16-21 - ESV)
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