Gnosticism

Gnosticism from the Greek word gnosis, meaning “to know”; Gnosticism had certain beliefs which were considered heresy by the early church.

Montanism a heresy claiming superior knowledge and a greater perfection than other Christians had Docetism a heresy which believed that Jesus Christ only appeared to be human; a denial of the Incarnation.

Arianism a heresy, which stated that only the Father is truly God, that Christ the Son, was not. Sabellianism a heresy which denied the Trinitarian nature of God.

Apollinarianism a heresy denying the full humanity of Christ and made of him a spiritual unreal sort of being.

Nestorianism a heresy stating that Christ was two persons in one.

Monophysitism a heresy stating that Christ’s two natures so blended together that there was really only one nature, fully divine.

1. Name the person behind the teaching. 2. Explain in your own words what the heresy was about. 3. In what century did the heresy occur? 4. Who or what council addressed the heresy? 5. What basic claim of Christianity does this heresy deny? 6. When did the heresy die out?

Gnosticism 1. -------------------------------------------------
Mani
2. -------------------------------------------------
Claimed to have special knowledge, which assured them of salvation. They claimed that salvation did not come through the death and resurrection of Jesus but rather through knowledge, which was in Christ. 3. -------------------------------------------------
Second century 4. -------------------------------------------------
St Irenaeus 5. -------------------------------------------------
Denies that salvation is open to all who repent and believe in the Good news of Jesus, also Christianity believes that salvation is brought about by the death and resurrection of Jesus, Gnosticism reduces Jesus to the level of myth. 6. -------------------------------------------------
Sixth Century
Montanism