nazz
Doubting Thomas
I am very excited about this as I just discovered something which helped greatly in understanding the meaning of the term "gnosis". Gnosis of course translates to "knowledge" in English but I knew already it was not ordinary knowledge but rather inner knowledge of spiritual realities. I knew also it was not obtained the way other knowledge is obtained but rather through intuition and revelation. But where I was unclear is how the first gnostics understood its transmission. Was it through an inner revelation on an individual basis or was it a body of secret doctrine handed down to inititiates? If it were the latter how could it be said to be any different than orthodox teaching passed down through catechism to other believers? And how could it be properly called "knowledge"? Accepting something you claim to know does not make me know it also.
So here is what I came across that opened my eyes. And it came from the most unlikeliest of places--Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words!
"In the NT ginosko [verbal form of gnosis] frequently indicates a relation between the person 'knowing' and the object known; in this respect, what is 'known' is of value or importance to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship"
Did ya get that? Gnosis is a RELATIONAL form of knowledge. A COMMUNION of BEINGS. It is not like knowing a bunch of facts or accepting a collection of propositions as true. It's not even about attaining to certain mystical insights (though those will certainly come through experiencing gnosis). In fact ginosko is the verb used of a man and a woman who know one another sexually. In other words intimate relational knowledge. This is why it was this word that was used in the Hellenistic mystery cults to denote supernatural mystical knowledge obtained through the union of a god and worshiper. So "the gnosis of God" translates to an intimate communion between God and humankind.
I can't stress this point enough. If you speak of gnosis you are speaking of a relationship between a knower and what is known. If that is not the case then it is simply not gnosis as originally understood. And this relationship goes both ways. We know God and God knows us. In fact it is indispensable that God first reveals himself to us. And this is what we understand through the Scriptures that it was Jesus Christ who first revealed knowledge of the previously unknown Father. And through communion with him we gain access to knowledge of the Father. THIS is Christian gnosis.
Christian gnosis was the original teaching of the church which later devolved into partaking of the eucharist as a means to achieve communion and even later mere belief and acceptance of the dogma of an official orthodox church. The living relationship with the living Christ was lost in the process and it was many hundreds of years before it was rediscovered.
So here is what I came across that opened my eyes. And it came from the most unlikeliest of places--Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words!
"In the NT ginosko [verbal form of gnosis] frequently indicates a relation between the person 'knowing' and the object known; in this respect, what is 'known' is of value or importance to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship"
Did ya get that? Gnosis is a RELATIONAL form of knowledge. A COMMUNION of BEINGS. It is not like knowing a bunch of facts or accepting a collection of propositions as true. It's not even about attaining to certain mystical insights (though those will certainly come through experiencing gnosis). In fact ginosko is the verb used of a man and a woman who know one another sexually. In other words intimate relational knowledge. This is why it was this word that was used in the Hellenistic mystery cults to denote supernatural mystical knowledge obtained through the union of a god and worshiper. So "the gnosis of God" translates to an intimate communion between God and humankind.
I can't stress this point enough. If you speak of gnosis you are speaking of a relationship between a knower and what is known. If that is not the case then it is simply not gnosis as originally understood. And this relationship goes both ways. We know God and God knows us. In fact it is indispensable that God first reveals himself to us. And this is what we understand through the Scriptures that it was Jesus Christ who first revealed knowledge of the previously unknown Father. And through communion with him we gain access to knowledge of the Father. THIS is Christian gnosis.
Christian gnosis was the original teaching of the church which later devolved into partaking of the eucharist as a means to achieve communion and even later mere belief and acceptance of the dogma of an official orthodox church. The living relationship with the living Christ was lost in the process and it was many hundreds of years before it was rediscovered.
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. And I like the way that you have presented things, it was very well done! "Gnosis is a RELATIONAL form of knowledge. A COMMUNION of BEINGS." Based on my sixty years as a Christian mystic you have very clearly explained it all. I was just never aware of the fact that what I was exploring came under the definition of "gnosis"