Quote:
Originally Posted by Jo S
Here is an exerpt from gotquestions.org which is a statement that I agree with;
"Second, Gnostics claim to possess an elevated knowledge, a “higher truth” known only to a certain few. Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis which means “to know.” Gnostics claim to possess a higher knowledge, not from the Bible, but acquired on some mystical higher plane of existence. Gnostics see themselves as a privileged class elevated above everybody else by their higher, deeper knowledge of God."
I believe the teaching within the LC is called the "high peak truths".
This isn't about comparing apples to oranges. It's understanding that the apple has multiple parts which make up the whole.
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Just because gnostics take a mystical approach does not mean mysticism in Christianity is gnosticism. Note that the mystical approach in gnosticism is different - gnostics use mysticism to replace the literal truth of the Bible and do not take it literally. They deny John who wrote Jesus came in the flesh, directly contradicting the Bible. Christian mystics on the other hand, reinforce and uphold the objective truth of the Bible through subjective experience. In church history, the reason why gnosticism was deemed heretical in the church and mysticism wasn't, is because gnosticism contradicts the literal written Scripture and mysticism doesn't.
In order to discern the difference you should take note of the whole Gotquestions article:
First, it espouses a dualism regarding spirit and matter. Gnostics assert that matter is inherently evil and spirit is good.
The Person of Jesus Christ is another area where Christianity and Gnosticism drastically differ. The Gnostics believe that Jesus’ physical body was not real, but only “seemed” to be physical
The Gnostics believe that Jesus’ physical body was not real, but only “seemed” to be physical, and that His spirit descended upon Him at His baptism, but left Him just before His crucifixion.
The Gnostics, on the other hand, use a variety of early heretical writings known as the Gnostic gospels, a collection of forgeries claiming to be “lost books of the Bible.”
Only if Lee taught these things could it be considered gnosticism, which he didn't.