Gnosticism and the 'Gospel' of Thomas: A Biblical Response

Abstract

The spirit of the antichrist had appeared in the first century AD and was misleading the Christians of that day. The Apostle John through his letter guided the Lord's church so that it would not to be led astray. In his epistle John wrote thus: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist.” (1 Jn 4:1-3). The doctrine that John was facing at that time was Gnosticism. The word 'Gnosticism' comes from the words Ancient Greece: ωστνωστικός (gnostikos), which means: learned. While the word ῶσνςις (gnōsis) means knowledge. The teachings of Gnosticism are also encountered by Christians today. For that reason, Christians today need to understand the doctrine and then anticipate its influence in Christian life. Through this paper, the author will give some responses to the views of Gnosticism and its relation to the ‘Gospel’ of Thomas.