Anybody notice that in the first decade of the 21st century there was the rise of the so-called Emergent Church (which is a modern form of ancient gnosticism) and that same first decade saw the rise and popularity of Dan Brown's novels (turned into movies) the DaVinci Code and Angels & Demons (based on the writings of the gnostics)? This one-two punch of the slithering snake of gnosticism reborn was not a coincidence. It not only invaded the secular pop culture but also is slithering into mainstream churches now.
The first decade of this century could be called the new gnostic decade.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.
Genesis 3:1
Explanation of GNOSTICISM by Orrel Steinkamp:
"The first heresy the early church faced has been called "Gnosticism" by church historians. "Gnosis" is the Greek word for 'knowledge‘. Gnostic teaching promoted special "higher knowledge" in which hidden truths are revealed directly to the seeking initiate. In computer terms the seeker can access God directly by mystical experiences without any reliance on the rational mind. This was the ancient path of "Gnosticism".
Gnosticism was imported into the Roman Empire from the Eastern Roman provinces in the form of "mystery religions". It was eclectic and adapted easily to other religious themes. Gnostic ideas morphed and blended with Christian teaching. Paul surely encountered this at Corinth among the false apostles whom he contested, as well as at Colossae. This is commonly understood by biblical scholars. Indeed, Gnosticism was the 'New Age' of the first century."
