According to the noted historian Elaine Pagels for nearly 2,000 years, Christian tradition "has preserved and revered orthodox writings that denounce the gnostics, while suppressing — and virtually destroying — the gnostic writings themselves. Now, for the first time, certain texts discovered at Nag Hammadi reveal the other side of the coin: how gnostics denounced the orthodox. The Second Treatise of the Great Seth polemicizes against orthodox Christianity, contrasting it with the "true church" of the gnostics. Speaking for those he calls the sons f light, the author says:
. . . we were hated and persecuted, not only by those who were ignorant [pagans], but also by those who think they are advancing the name of Christ, since they were unknowingly empty, not knowing who they are, like dumb animals.
The Saviour explains that such persons made an imitation of the true church, "having proclaimed a doctrine of a dead man and lies, so as to resemble the freedom and purity of the perfect church (ekklesia)." Such teachings, he charges, reconciles its adherents to fear and slavery, encouraging them to subject themselves to the earthly representatives of the world creator, who, in his "empty glory," declares, "I am God, and there is no other beside me." Such persons persecute those who have achieved liberation through gnosis, attempting to lead them astray from "the truth of their freedom."
The Apocalypse of Peter describes, as noted before, catholic Christians as those who have fallen "into an erroneous name and into the hand of an evil, cunning man, with a teaching in a multiplicity of forms," allowing themselves to be ruled heretically. For, the author adds, they blaspheme the truth and proclaim evil teaching. And they will say evil things against each other. . . . many others . . . who oppose the truth and are the messengers of error . . . set up their error . . . against the purest thoughts of mine...
The author takes each of the characteristics of the catholic church as evidence that this is only an imitation church, a counterfeit, a "sisterhood" that mimics the true Christian brotherhood. Such Christians, in their blind arrogance, claim exclusive legitimacy: "Some who do not understand mystery speak of things which they do not understand, but they will boast that the mystery of the truth belongs to them alone." Their obedience to bishops and deacons indicates that they "bow to the judgment of the leaders." They oppress their brethren, and slander those who gain gnosis.
The Testimony of Truth attacks ecclesiastical Christians as those who say "we are Christians," but "who [do not know who] Christ is." . . .
The bitterness of these attacks on the "imitation church" probably indicates a late stage of the controversy. By the year 200, the battle lines had been drawn: both orthodox and gnostic Christians claimed to represent the true church and accused one another of being outsiders, false brethren, and hypocrites.
How was a believer to tell true Christians from the false ones? Orthodox and gnostic Christians offered different answers, as each group attempted to define the church in ways that excluded the other. Gnostic Christians, claiming to represent only "the few," pointed to qualitative criteria. In protest against the majority, they insisted that baptism did not make a Christian: according to the Gospel of Philip, many people "go down into the water and come up without having received anything," and still they claimed to be Christians. Nor did the profession of the creed, or even martyrdom, count as evidence: "anyone can do these things." Above all, they refused to identify the church with the actual visible community that, they warned, often only imitated it. Instead, quoting a saying of Jesus ("By their fruits you shall know them") they required evidence of spiritual maturity to demonstrate that a person belonged to the true church.” 1
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