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WHAT IS A TRUE GNOSTIC?
True Gnostics vs Gnostic Christians
For the True Gnostic, the revelation of gnosis began with Father Adam and Mother Eve during the first dispensation of God (c.12,775 BCE). With each succeeding dispensation, the original gnosis was added upon by ever increasing amounts, disseminated by teachers of light throughout the world.
While the gnosis of God was often corrupted, hijacked, obscured, or dogmatized by the ways of prideful men and dark traditions, the personal experience of the divine moved softly behind the world’s greatest mystics, artists, teachers, writers, musicians and revolutionaries, guiding and inspiring the ways of human progress.
The gnosis of God coalesced with the rise of John the Baptizer. After the death of John, the gnosis became personified and magnified through the extraordinary life of John’s student, Yeshua Ben Joseph (Wisdom 29:8-14). After his resurrection, Yeshua created the Church of the Nazoreans in 37 C.E. However, this first True Gnostic Church died with the fall of Jerusalem in 69 C.E.
To better understand what a True Gnostic is, we must first come to terms with the true Gnostic attitude towards Christ and the Christian religion. Yeshua Ben Joseph is the original Aramaic proper name of the man commonly referred to as Jesus Christ. While True Gnostics believe in Yeshua and in the gnosis which he represents, we reject emphatically both Christ and Christianity.
The doctrine of Christ was not founded in the life and teachings of Yeshua, but rather, it was the invention of Paul. In the orthodoxy of Paul, the radical teachings of Yeshua were lost. For it was Paul who superimposed the false image of Christ over that of the historical Yeshua—the true Galilean. True Gnostics view Paul as no less than the Great Usurper who hijacked the simple message of Yeshua, and created something altogether different: the theological construct known as Jesus Christ.
While the knowledge of God revealed through John and Yeshua was preserved in some fashion through the writings and teachings of Yeshua’s disciples (namely his brothers James and Thomas), the gnosis was scattered or simply lost during the centuries that followed.
Various religious groups arose from the remnants of John and Yeshua’s influence, yet these groups were mostly condemned and persecuted into extinction by the early Christian Church. While adherents to these “Gnostic” groups included Jews and Pagans, they are often categorized in modern discourse as “Gnostic Christians”, as represented by a host of differing sects, including the Marcionites, Valentinians, Manichaeans, Mandaeans, Sethians, and Carpocratians. Unlike the false “Gnostics” of ages past who considered themselves to be “Gnostic Christians” or “Gnostic Jews”, the True Gnostic is simply a True Gnostic.
In June, 1979, God began the process of restoring the True Gnostic Church through the writings and teachings of Archie D. Wood Sr (aka “Azrael). As a consequence, True Gnostics have their own unique book of scripture called the Song of God, which stands distinctly apart from the Bible, and is the foundation upon which all True Gnostics find themselves enraptured by the light and gnosis which flows from the heart of God. With this restoration now in place, the True Gnostic is a person who embraces fully the doctrines and mysteries of the Ahgendai, as revealed in the Song of God.
True Gnostics vs Gnostic Christians
The following addresses some of the differences when comparing the beliefs of early “Gnostic Christians” to those of True Gnostics.
Material World
Many “Gnostic Christians” believed that the material, physical, mortal world entraps the spirit, and holds people as prisoners. Therefore, the world of matter is considered evil. True Gnostics believe the material, physical, mortal world is a school where the spirit learns, matures, and develops. True Gnostics do not believe the material world is evil, but that it is less “real” than the eternal realms of God.
Demiurge
Many believed the Demiurge to be the creator or architect of the flawed physical world or universe. True Gnostics understand the Demiurge to be represented primarily by Yaldaboath, the dark Nemesis of God and Heaven, and his first emanation: Jehovah-Yahweh. While the Demiurge would boldly proclaim themselves as creators, they are incapable of creating, and can only destroy, distort and manipulate that which is created.
Archon
Many false “Gnostic” traditions believed Archons to be rulers that serve the Demiurge and strive to keep divine souls ensnared in the material world. For the True Gnostic, Archons are Arch-Angels. They are eternal beings that manifest the divine will of The One. Archons are the greatest, most glorified, most powerful citizens of eternity. They are the Gods and Goddesses of the Celestial Kingdom of Heaven. All dispensational leaders are Arch-Angels manifesting in mortal form.
Aeon
Many used this term to describe various emanations of God. For True Gnostics, this term is simply a measurement of time: 1 aeon = 1 billion years.
» Glossary: Eternity vs Infinity
Sophia
Some “Gnostic Christians” believed Sophia was an emanation who fell from grace and gave birth to the Demiurge. True Gnostics believe Sophia to be the wisdom of God made manifest in a woman.
Perfection
Many believed in the doctrine of perfection, ie: keeping the law perfectly. True Gnostics reject the doctrine of perfection and consider it hurtful to human spiritual development. True Gnostics believe in the doctrine of holiness, which states that holiness cannot exist without some slight but happy imperfection (1st Endowment 4:9-14).
Sexuality
Many “Gnostic Christians” avoided sex and reproduction under the misguided notion that such practices tainted the spirit which was striving towards God. Celibacy was part of their religious observations. True Gnostics believe that in order to be fully spiritual, one must be fully sexual. Among True Gnostics, celibacy is seen as being offensive to God, for it was Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother who made us to be sexual beings.
» Topical Guide: SEXUALITY
Physical Body
Asceticism was practiced by many ‘Gnostic Christians’. This austere denial of the flesh was seen as a means of freeing the spirit. Asceticism is not practiced among True Gnostics. We do not view the physical body as a hindrance to spiritual achievement. For us, the physical body—with all its varied passions—is a school where we learn to become like our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.
» Topical Guide: BODY
Notes/References
8 Thus throughout each succeeding dispensation did God continue in faith to give even more of the gnosis, here a little there a little; yet did the minions of the Demiurge strive by every means to hide the things of God in darkness, being hopeful to drown in obscurity the light of greater things.
9 Yet regardless of all these things, still did God continue faithful to reveal, and in the time appointed there came into the world of men the Teacher of Righteousness, being known among men as John the Baptizer, being in himself alone, the very father of the Essenes and the Gnosis.
10 For in the days of his youth did John turn himself to great and ponderous study regarding the things of God, tracing back with utmost care even all the truths of God which were dispersed throughout the ages; and when he was concluded, John did bind even all the scattered shards of twinkling flame, to make as one a brightly glowing light which, like a star which fell from Heaven, drew forth the very Anointed One of God, even Yeshua.
11 And when he had come to stand before John, to put forth his petition, even John did set Yeshua above all the other Essenes which were gathered in Khirbet Qumran, to appoint him a serving priest within the community of believers.
12 And there in the desert of Judea, did John teach to Yeshua the gnosis which came from God, beginning from the days of Adam and Eve when first they strode upon the world of man, even till the days of John; and to Yeshua alone did John reveal the gnosis which leads to transformation, even while in the mortal flesh.
13 Which gnosis even Yeshua did reveal to those apostles which he did gather secretly around him after the day of his resurrection, both of men and women. And over the gnosis did he place his brothers Thomas and James, and Mary the Beloved also, being herself proclaimed and anointed to be the first Sophia of many mothers.
14 But in the passing of the generations was the gnosis of God made to seem as lost again and deep forgotten; for the house of Christ did strive by every means to extinguish the light of God, to bury it in the ashes of ages past; finding in this very gnosis the undoing of themselves.
Wisdom 29:8-14