richardhutnik said:
You are showing the said first one from the fourth century. What I wrote about is second century, before Constantine decided to become a benefactor of the Christian faith. The tendency of the gnostic camp was to elevate personal revelation and knowledge above what happens in the world. Such individuals will come up with new revelations and insights and work out all sorts of theological variants that deviated from the traditions that were handed down. That was a source of flak. In regards to the rest, it isn't a case of "hating Jesus". It is a case of denying the flesh and the physical world. There is issues with Jesus as God coming in the flesh, that is found offensive. One can't say this is a universal given, but it is a norm among gnostics. One can actually believe they love Jesus, as an entity, but then totally undermine what really mattered. But there were also individuals who were mostly in the Christian camp who had gnostic influences. Anyhow, here is Wikipedia on the gnostics: |
ah ok, sorry I was under the impression that you thought there was no persecution at all, my bad.