Why is gnosticism wrong

But Placuit Deo sets the tone by indicating that these temptations have to do with modern weaknesses, not ancient heresies, weaknesses that thought to be pervasive in modern culture. Pope Francis deals with the dangers of Gnosticism and Pelagianism without alluding to the culture in general, or religions in general. He is interested in the spiritual health of the Church itself.

The issue of Gnosticism is particularly interesting, since we find two different interpretations at work. The CDF points to a general spiritual yearning ambivalent about the body, while the Pope has in mind a colder intellectual vice deep inside the Church.

The document is rather simply warning Catholics to respect the whole person, in Christ, and resist the temptation to privatization and a world-fleeing spiritualization. On the other extreme, there are those who think of the body as an obstacle to true spirituality. Gnosticism was a prominent movement that grew up around the church in the second century, although it was partly of pre-Christian origin.

It was a cocktail of Persian, Egyptian, Jewish, and Christian ideas, with some Greek philosophy thrown in. Gnostics believe that we need to be delivered from the physical world in order to go to the spiritual world. Merely appearing to be human means that any atonement can only appear to be effective. Scripture nowhere says that matter is intrinsically evil. But those problems are caused by sin, not by physicality.

He has no intention of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. So Christians, unlike Gnostics, believe in feasting and joy. But this is wrong. The Bible explicitly teaches that not only will these two last into eternity but so will our bodies, in a glorified state John —29; 1 Corinthians — The implication that the spirit is more important than the body is the reason why an answer of "true" to any question in our quiz is incorrect.

James warns us that "pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world" James However, don't make the mistake that believing the converse is true either, that the body is more important than the spirit.

Both have equal importance in the eyes of God. Paul said, "Whether. So let's glorify God by correcting any warped ideas that our minds—the spiritual part of us—are more important than matter—the physical part of us. Taken from Derrick G. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Derrick G. Jeter holds a master of theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and served as a writer for the Creative Ministries Department of Insight for Living Ministries.

He has authored or coauthored more than twenty-five books.