farewell heresy

Well if anyone ever followed my musings then they probably realized that I have not been super active in awhile. A collaborative blog has been in the works for the last couple months and I have been changing my focus to that pursuit. The new blog will be launching Friday and I will begin to start writing again. I hope that you will stop by and check that blog out here....... http://127project.net

Valentinianism

History

Approximately the same year that the Apostle John died a man was born named Valentinus. Valentinus was raised in Christianity and was tutored by a man named Theudas who claimed to be a pupil of the Apostle Paul. Valentinus was raised in the Alexandrian tradition and was a prolific author. In Valentinus’ later years he was up for a promotion at his job to the position of Bishop. He lost the vote taken for the job by a small margin and that is when Iraenus claims everything went south. Just like in the movies, second was just not good enough for Valentinus. So he left the church, sided with the Gnostics, and created an extremely intricate philosophical system which still has adherents today. The main opponent to this system was Irenaeus.

Theology

            Valentinianism (which from now on I will refer to as “V”) is a form of Gnosticism. It is an extremely complex system of thought which I do not fully understand and I am not going to attempt to explain it all here. V starts going awry from the very beginning. It’s an extremely unbiblical heresy. There is one ultimate source of life (not God) and all things emanate from that source. In V man has no sin problem, but there is an existential (pertaining to existance) problem which must be fixed. The goal in V is to find gnosis or self-knowledge. If you attain gnosis (or you know yourself) you will have inner peace and your psyche will be repaired. The Bible finds its place in all of this as being the spiritual metaphor for Valentinus’s cosmogony. In English that means Valentinus uses the Bible to frame his idea of how the world works.

Valentinianism teaches…

·         The Biblical “Aeons”(godlike beings) include the Father (the demiurge), the Son (logos), the Mother (sophia)

·         An individual is saved (often referred to as being healed) through a cosmic process involving gnosis

·         The Bible is interpreted metaphorically

Orthodoxy teaches…

·         the Trinity

·         salvation is through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ

·         interpretion of the Bible should be literal

Ok …so?

            Valentinianian Gnosticism is not alive today. But that does not mean the idea is not extremely dangerous, on the contrary the idea is very much alive and well. V, Budhism, Liberalism, pop psychology, etc. all advocate something that sounds similar to this.

 “It’s not your fault that you make bad decisions! You just need to look into your heart and forgive yourself. The only way you can do that is by figuring out who you really are…let’s start by uncovering all your scars. Tell me about your father…?”

The Bible is a literal historical book which tells us as sinners how we can overcome sin by the power of Jesus Christ. Don’t let feel good messages draw you away from truth! (John 17:17)

Apostles Creed

With All this talk about what I don't believe, here is a little bit about what I do believe...

"I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible:

            And in  one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Begotten of his Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father; By whom all things were made; Who, for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man, And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried; And the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures; And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father, And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.

            And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets, And I believe one Catholic and apostolic Church*. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins*; And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the Life of the world to come. Amen.

*By ”One Catholic and Apostolic Church” is signified “The blessed company of all faithful people;” and by “One Baptism for the remission of sins” the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.”