"Jesus said, 'Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. And after they have reigned they will rest.'" The (Gnostic) Gospel of Thomas
The below are points that I agree with, taken from biblicalreader.com. Some statements in the article, I do not support at all: most notably the assertion that Jesus did not die on the cross. That said, the article does recognize that there are various forms of thought in what we call Gnosticism, due to a lack of creed, I suspect, and I consider that the many paths in the traditions to be heaven-sent, because mysticism is personal - a divine revelation between the individual and the Most High itself, whether that is the Adonai, our "Higher Self", or something still to be revealed (to me, at least).
After all, we are all on individual paths, being led to truths as our god, through his working relationship with us, and thereby knowing what we need, and what information we can manage to accept at the various stages of our searchings, reveals to us. When we can, without ego and hierarchy, come together, inspire each other, and help each other to understand the ailments of this world, we can begin to reconcile with ourselves and our environments.
After all, we are all on individual paths, being led to truths as our god, through his working relationship with us, and thereby knowing what we need, and what information we can manage to accept at the various stages of our searchings, reveals to us. When we can, without ego and hierarchy, come together, inspire each other, and help each other to understand the ailments of this world, we can begin to reconcile with ourselves and our environments.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1) This cross between Platonism and Christianity is now broadly referred to as ‘Gnosticism.’
2) Gnostics universally believed that the God of the Old Testament, called ‘Yahweh,’ (or ‘Jehovah’) is not, in fact, the eternal and holy God, but rather a very powerful angelic-like being, often referred to as ‘the Demiurge’
3) To the Gnostic, Christ was not a redeemer from the power of sin, but a deliverer from the power of the false God of the Jews.
4) The serpent in the Garden was actually an agent of good and tried to help man see the truth about the Demiurge.
5) Much of the Old and New Testament Scriptures reflect the religion of the Demiurge, and are therefore unreliable.
6) Gnosticism can in no sense be viewed as an alternate form of Christianity as has been suggested by some.
To conclude, for those who read the full article and noticed the strong connection of Plato to Christianity, here is a note on Platonism and Christianity, taken from Wikipedia:
"Platonism influenced Christianity through Clement of Alexandria and Origen, and the Cappadocian Fathers. St. Augustine was heavily influenced by Platonism as well, which he encountered through the Latin translations of Marius Victorinus of the works of Porphyry and/or Plotinus.
Platonism was considered authoritative in the Middle Ages, and many Platonic notions are now permanent elements of Christianity. Platonism also influenced both Eastern and Western mysticism.
Meanwhile, Platonism influenced various philosophers. While Aristotle became more influential than Plato in the 13th century, St. Thomas Aquinas's philosophy was still in certain respects fundamentally Platonic.
With the Renaissance, scholars became more interested in Plato himself. In 16th, 17th, and 19th century England, Plato's ideas influenced many religious thinkers. Orthodox Protestantism in continental Europe, however, distrusts natural reason and has often been critical of Platonism."
~ Adonai
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