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Gnostic or New Age Terms and Concepts

Gnostic or New Age Terms and Concepts

From Strong's Concordance:

the God <theos> 2316. yeov theos, theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).

of hope> 1680. elpiv elpis, el-pece' from a primary elpo (to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstractly or concretely) or confidence:--faith, hope.

the power <dunamis> 1411. dunamiv dunamis, doo'-nam-is from 1410; force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself):--ability, abundance, meaning, might(-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle(-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.

God of green hope is not Biblical whatsoever. 'Energy' of the Holy Spirit is a concept also found throughout new age and gnostic beliefs.

Another reader wrote after reading the articles and the letter and regarding Peterson's use of "God of green hope" and the above reference, "The god of green hope is probably the Green Man, Dionysus, etc." and stated:

I did a quick search for "green man" and came up with the link below.
 http://www.mythinglinks.org/ct~greenmen.html

That information references the following pagan myths:

"The Green Man is that spirit energy, presence, inherent in every cell of the vegetative realm, and transmitted to the animal/human realms through the food we eat, ...He is Pan...."

Referring to various sites there that promote or discuss the various concepts of the Green Man, one site mentioned, "His Green Man site, "The Gaia Counterpart: The Green Man," ... He also has icon-images for such things as Yggdrasil, cherubs, the phoenix, and the androgyne..."

From the gnostic Gospel of Phillip:

"God is a dyer. As the good dyes, which are called "true", dissolve with the things dyed in them, so it is with those whom God has dyed. Since his dyes are immortal, they become immortal by means of his colors. Now God dips what he dips in water." 9

The Gnostic Apostle Thomas: Chapter 11

Mani and the Pure Ones

Re Seeds of light > "...One of the Emissaries or Messengers sent by the Father to rescue the captive particles sets up a mechanism, a sort of conveyer belt, by which seeds of light are drawn up into the heavens and concentrated. They move up the Milky Way to the moon, and when that way-station becomes stuffed full (as anyone can see, it happens every four weeks), the accumulated store of light is then transferred to the sun, and the process begins anew." 10 

The Gnostic Apostle Thomas: Chapter 4

Beyond the Law
"Establish in your Bridal chamber the seed of light. receive from me the bridegroom, and grasp him and be grasped by him. Behold the grace descends on you. ..."11.

Meditations: For Services of the Holy Sophia in the Month of March
... Let your power impart the true Gnosis to us and strengthen us in your wisdom and compassion so that we may lovingly gather the seeds of light from the sea of ..." 12.

"...Freemasons are emphatically called the 'sons of light,” because they are, or at least are entitled to be, in possession of the true meaning of the symbol; while the profane or uninitiated who have not received this knowledge are, by a parity of expression, said to be in darkness. The connection of material light with this emblematic and mental illumination, was prominently exhibited in all the ancient systems of religion and esoteric mysteries." 13.  

"...Spiritually the Christmas season is about the light, the promise of the Divine, and the birth of the Christ Consciousness in the human heart inaugurating an era of right human relations. This energy remains ever with us, "The Christ in you, the hope of glory"...During the 2000 years since Pisces has seen the spreading of the light. Aquarius will see the rising of the light with Christ as the eternal symbol of both these great impulses. Humanity will move from the birth stages of the light within to the lifting of the life light in sacrifice, as we become the Risen Ones..." 14.

Perusing discussion forums, there are such as Gnostic Christians, Christian Wiccans and so on:

"Welcome, Gnostic Mystics of Christianity!

 

We're a friendly and loving group of spiritual seekers who hope to personally experience the Life of Pentecost! We believe that Christianity intends to bring us ultimately into the presence of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. And that process can only be experienced personally by the truly humble and holy Saints of God. The process involves spiritual growth and maturation first in Faith, then in Hope through Knowledge, and lastly in Love in Perfection. Therefore, Christians strive to become Gnostics and in turn, they seek union with God as Mystics in a Divine Mystery that corresponds to the life-path of the High Priest working in the Holy Temple of God.

 

Anyone willing to give the True message of Jesus Christ an ear, welcome. Please join in on the discussion. We are all brothers and sisters journeying along the Way back Home to the Pleroma or Fullness of the Universal Spirit and God of All." 14b

There is no mention of a circle or a golden circle in any manuscript. Circles are commonly mentioned in pagan or neo-pagan practices. "removing your light from the golden circle" is different than 'remove thy candlestick or lampstand out of its place,' just as repent is different than 'recover'.  The Message changes the doctrine that the Lord chastening and teaching will provide rest, and states instead, "Providing a circle of quiet". [Psalm 94:13] This is adding to and changing the Word of God, prohibited, but also especially so in the Book of Revelation.

In Cathy Burn's book, Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, various definitions regarding the circle are mentioned. Including:  The circle is the symbol of the universe,[p.27-28] in witchcraft, 'the circle is used to enforce demons to appear,' masons use the circle with the point within it, it's a symbol for sun-god worship or worship of the phallus. It also represents other gods in other religions and so on.

In the gnostic and new age concepts of The Message, Christ is no longer the 'head'  in various verses, but becomes the center or something else.  Instead of "the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus ", He is the centerpiece -are we then the table that it is placed upon, no longer joined, as the analogy of the body teaches, but holding the centerpiece up? God becomes the 'high center' and we see the phrases focused center and so on. None of which are found in the true Scriptures, but which are found throughout gnostic and new age teachings.

Many desire to return to Eden and the peace they believe was there. Eden or Eden's dawn light has nothing to do with Christ being crowned with glory and honour.

"Chaos ... in Greek religion and mythology, vacant, unfathomable space. From it arose all things, earthly and divine. There are various legends explaining it. In one version, Eurynome rose out of Chaos and created all things. In another, Gaea sprang from Chaos and was the mother of all things. Eventually the word chaos came to mean a great confusion of matter out of which a supreme being created all life." 15a

"...Thus the aeons were completed quickly in the heavens and the firmaments in the glory of Immortal Man and Sophia, his consort: the area from which every aeon and the world and those that came afterward took (their) pattern for their creation of likenesses in the heavens of chaos and their worlds. And all natures, starting from the revelation of chaos, are in the Light that shines without shadow, and joy that cannot be described, and unutterable jubilation... "15   

Chaos > "A confused and shapeless mass, such as is supposed to have existed before God reduced creation into order. It is a Masonic symbol of the ignorance and intellectual darkness from which man is rescued by the light and truth of Masonry. Hence, ordo ab chao, or, "order out of chaos," is one of the mottoes of the Institution." 16.

Apocryphon of John:
"And I asked to know it, and he said to me, "The Monad is a monarchy with nothing above it. It is he who exists as God and Father of everything, the invisible One who is above everything, who exists as incorruption, which is in the pure light into which no eye can look."

"He is the invisible Spirit, of whom it is not right to think of him as a god, or something similar. For he is more than a god, since there is nothing above him, for no one lords it over him. For he does not exist in something inferior to him, since everything exists in him...."

"And when the mother recognized that the garment of darkness was imperfect, then she knew that her consort had not agreed with her. She repented with much weeping. And the whole pleroma heard the prayer of her repentance, and they praised on her behalf the invisible, virginal Spirit. And he consented; and when the invisible Spirit had consented, the holy Spirit poured over her from their whole pleroma. For it was not her consort who came to her, but he came to her through the pleroma in order that he might correct her deficiency. And she was taken up not to her own aeon but above her son, that she might be in the ninth until she has corrected her deficiency. ..." 18

The Gospel of Judas:
"Jesus said, [Come], that I may teach you about [secrets] no person [has] ever seen. For there exists a great and boundless realm, whose extent no generation has seen, [in which] there is [a] great invisible [Spirit], which no eye of an angel has ever seen, no thought of the heart has ever comprehended, and it was never called by any name."19

The Sophia of  Jesus Christ.

The Sophia (Wisdom) of Jesus Christ.
"After he rose from the dead, his twelve disciples and seven women continued to be his followers, and went to Galilee onto the mountain called "Divination and Joy". When they gathered together and were perplexed about the underlying reality of the universe and the plan, and the holy providence, and the power of the authorities, and about everything the Savior is doing with them in the secret of the holy plan, the Savior appeared - not in his previous form, but in the invisible spirit. And his likeness resembles a great angel of light. ..."

"Behold, I have revealed to you the name of the Perfect One, the whole will of the Mother of the Holy Angels, that the masculine multitude may be completed here, that there might appear in the aeons, the infinities and those that came to be in the untraceable wealth of the Great Invisible Spirit, that they all might take from his goodness, even the wealth of their rest that has no kingdom over it. I came from First Who Was Sent, that I might reveal to you Him Who Is from the Beginning, ...I have given you authority over all things as Sons of Light, that you might tread upon their power with your feet."

"...And his consort is the Great Sophia, who from the first was destined in him for that Light and the tri-male Spirit, which is that of Sophia, his consort. ..." 20

From an article titled, THE ATLANTEAN SYMBOLISM OF THE EGYPTIAN TEMPLE (PART I):

"...In some temples, such as the one of Karnak, an alley of sphinxes guarded the place. In others, these were substituted by giant statues of divine guardians or of lions or some other fearful figure...." 23

"60.... the Wonderful God of the Strong Gate, i.e., the Divine-Wonderful-Strong-Gate-Keeper. ... the Powerful God of the Strong Gate, i.e., the Divine-Abundant-Strong-Gate-Keeper. ... either name is used ...to indicate one and the same God,... Both Gods are divine guardians of the Imperial Gates, according to one of the Shintō Rituals.... As regards the eight deities enshrined at the Jingikan, i.e., the Department for the Worship of the Shintō Gods, ..." 24.

85. "The Three Gods of Suminoe....played a prominent part among the divine guardians who accompanied the expeditionary army to Korea ... on its return to Japan in triumph, a shrine was erected at Suminoe in Settsu Province in honour of these Gods." 25.

Jesus Christ is God's 'only begotten Son'  We are adopted, born again spiritually, not begotten like Christ and we have the victory because of Christ, due to our faith in Him, which He authored. It's about Him, not us. The phrase "every God-begotten person" implies all mankind.

Regarding the concept of Jesus being a messenger:

From "Twin" of Jesus? The Gnostic Apostle Thomas: Introduction:

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