God's Elect or World's Elite? XI

"for the soul to be without knowledge is not good"

(Proverbs 19: 2)

Rather than seeing bible believers as "rich" (with great inheritance and fortunes in heaven) or as "wise" and "knowledgeable," the world's elite see them as lazy, illiterate, mentally inferior, persons of the lowest class, people who are to be "looked down upon," their poverty and misfortune being judged to be the result of mental handicap, natural defects, and to a lack of will, desire, and hard work. The poor believer has several reasons for being despised by the world. Being poor and believing in the bible, and being judged as being "behind the times," the believer is often "despised," sometimes even by "false brothers." Recall the words of James that were cited earlier in this series:

"Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?" (James 2: 5-7)

Solomon also talked about how the rich and carnal elite mistreat the poor and needy.

"Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God...Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker..." (Prov. 14: 31; 17: 5)

It is the world's elite, its secular elite, those who think they are "God's gift to humanity," and who "walk in pride" and say "who is the Lord" (Prov. 30: 9), who oppress the poor and uneducated, especially those who are Christians, and who prejudge a man "by the abundance of the things he possesses." The following words of the prophet, though addressed to the infidel elites in Moab, are nevertheless much applicable to such arrogant elites and aristocrats today.

"We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart." (Jer. 48: 29)

The world's elite walk in pride and arrogancy. Arrogance is defined as "an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions." 

Rather than seeing bible believers as "noble," uncommon, special, people of high birth and family heritage, the world's elite see them as being mere "commoners," men "of low estate," slaves, servants, menial laborers, mere "wannabees," people who would like to be among the rich and elite, among the famous, but who simply do not have the intelligence and gifts, being people who "do not have what it takes," as they say. Poor people, they think, are nearly always poor because they "do not have the stuff" to succeed in obtaining the status of the wealthy, especially of the "super rich" or "mega rich."  

But, it is the believer who is the truly rich. Recall that Paul said "in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge" (I Cor. 1: 5) He even similarly said this later in his second epistle:

"Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also." (II Cor. 8: 7)

Instead of using the word "enriched" for a third time, he uses a similar word, "abound." They were "enriched in everything" and "abounded in everything." Paul specifically mentions "knowledge" again, as well as "utterance" (of which we will yet address). But he also adds other areas of enrichment, such as "faith" and "all diligence." 

We have already looked at how the believer, God's elect and called, is enriched in wisdom and in riches. We will yet look at how the believer is enriched in utterance, power, nobility, etc. In the last chapter we looked at how the believer was "enriched in all knowledge," having been "renewed in knowledge" when coming to believe and know God and his word. 

Gnosis & Gnostic

Gnosis is a feminine Greek noun which means "knowledge," but it also includes the ideas of "awareness" or "insight." It is often used for personal intuitive knowledge, though it doesn't exclude intellectual knowledge, at least in classical Greek. Said one source:

"Gnosis is used throughout Greek philosophy as a technical term for experiential knowledge (see gnosiology) in contrast to theoretical knowledge or epistemology."

In other words, "gnosis" may be what we today call "common sense," or "common knowledge." It denotes good sense and sound judgment in practical matters. 

The usual meaning of gnostikos in classical Greek, however, is "learned," an "intellectual." Wrote the same source:

"A related term is the adjective gnostikos, a common adjective in Classical Greek. Plato uses the plural adjective "γνωστικοί" – gnostikoi and the singular feminine adjective "γνωστικὴ ἐπιστήμη" – gnostike episteme in his Politikos where Gnostike episteme was also used to indicate one's aptitude. The terms do not appear to indicate any mystic, esoteric or hidden meaning in the works of Plato, but instead expressed a sort of higher intelligence and ability analogous to talent."

Thus it seems that in Plato's time gnosis and gnostikos primarily denoted mental "aptitude" and "higher intelligence" without any idea of hidden, secret, mystic, esoteric, intuitive knowledge attached to it. Yet, by the time of the birth of Christianity it had taken on such a meaning. 

Said our source again:

"Plato The Statesman 258e — Stranger: In this way, then, divide all science into two arts, calling the one practical (praktikos), and the other purely intellectual (gnostikos). Younger Socrates: Let us assume that all science is one and that these are its two forms." (See here)

I firmly believe that Paul includes all kinds of knowledge when he is discussing the superior knowledge that unbelievers, among the world's elite, are erroneously judged to have (and which believers now actually have, though in part). Paul affirms that God's elect have greater knowledge, insight, and discernment than does the unbelieving elite. 

Believers have a right understanding about God, creation, sin and death, and about salvation and human destiny. Further, they are destined for greater knowledge and aptitude when they are fully renewed and glorified (after obtaining their resurrected and perfected bodies).

There has been a lot said and written about the "Gnostics" and of Paul's thoughts in regard to them. Some question whether Paul confronts them and their beliefs at all in his Corinthian epistles (as he does in other epistles, like that of Colossians).  

When we speak of the Gnostics of Paul's day we must first speak of them in their pre-Christian, or classical Greek context, before we speak of how Gnosticism evolved and was by some joined with Christian doctrine in the first century and after. It seems to me most likely that since Paul is talking about elitism and social status, among the world's best specimens, he would speak about why they think that they are elite people. One of those reasons why includes their claim to superior insight into the reason of things. 

One of the chief reasons why the elite claim to be earth's select is due to their superior knowledge, the evidence of which is their wealth, education, and social status. They were not only people "in the know," but the "people who know," who really know. Then, just who is the true Gnostic and just who is the Agnostic? Who are the ones who really know? Who has superior knowledge? The world's elect or God's elect? Why are the worldly unbelieving elite wrong in their assessments of themselves? 

All this makes us think of Plato's "allegory of the cave." In brief it is described as follows:

"The Allegory of the cave, or Plato's Cave, is an allegory presented by the Greek philosopher Plato in his work Republic (514a–520a) to compare "the effect of education (παιδεία) and the lack of it on our nature". It is written as a dialogue between Plato's brother Glaucon and his mentor Socrates, narrated by the latter...In the allegory, Socrates describes a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them and give names to these shadows. The shadows are the prisoners' reality, but are not accurate representations of the real world. Three higher levels exist: the natural sciences; mathematics, geometry, and deductive logic; and the theory of forms. Socrates explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall are actually not reality at all. A philosopher aims to understand and perceive the higher levels of reality. However, the other inmates of the cave do not even desire to leave their prison, for they know no better life." (See here)

The Gnostic, or intellectual elite of the world, would affirm that they are the ones who see the reality of things while all others see only shadows. In other words, the Gnostic claims that the agnostic people, who are generally among the poor and uneducated class, show their ignorance by their belief in myths, superstitions, illusions, etc., and by their not knowing the "better life." The irony is apparent in Paul's apologetic response to such thinking by the world's "know it all" elites. The Gospel believer is the true Gnostic, the one who truly knows, while Plato's Gnostic man is the one who believes in myth and shadows, in non realities. 

Paul would say that the knowledge of the Sophist Gnostic is "knowledge falsely so called" (I Tim. 6: 20). His supposed special knowledge is false (Greek "pseudes" from which we get pseudo). The knowledge Christians receive in the Gospel and word of God is real knowledge, the truth. In fact, the Greek word for "truth" (aletheia) denotes not only what is correct or factual, but what is real. Bible students need to keep this in mind when reading passages in the new testament where the word is used and discern how in some of them the idea of reality rather than correctness is predominant, such as when Paul says "since you knew the grace of God in truth." (Col. 1: 6) To know the grace of God (in salvation) really and truly stands in opposition to those who experience fake (or non real) conversions, whose claimed enlightenment is but the shadows in the cave. Paul in first Corinthians mentions the confession of a man who says of the believers in Corinth - "God is in you of a truth" (14: 25), by which he means "God is really in you." Or, we could say "God is in fact in you." 

The pagan Gnostics were people who claimed to have real knowledge that only a few have (so too do Christians, in a sense). The source of this knowledge comes from within the Gnostic himself, from a supposed secret inner knowledge that springs from divinity within, and not from some external revelation or sacred writing, nor from God himself or the Spirit of God. What is the source of knowledge? An inner light and innate divinity? Or, light from without, from the revelation of the Spirit of God through the scriptures?

Modern examples of Gnosticism may be found in certain "Christian" cults, in the New Age Movement, in Scientology, etc. 

On Gnostic Scientology one source writes (emphasis mine):

"Scientology is based upon L. Ron Hubbard’s controversial book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. During his life, Hubbard led his “new religion” as its founder, prophet, and sole authority. Scientology basically promotes a form of Gnosticism, that salvation comes not through the saving actions of Jesus Christ but through the possession of special knowledge alone. Hubbard’s type of Gnosticism also includes reincarnation. Scientology claims that human beings are, in actuality, “thetans,” gods who have forgotten their god-like state. In the mind of each thetan are implanted “engrams,” which are negative thoughts from past lives that cause irrational or compulsive behavior. The explicit goal of Scientology is to “clear” these engrams from the body so that knowledge of this god-like state can be attained." (here)

There are similarities and differences between Pagan Sophist Gnostics on the one hand, and Christians who have been "renewed in knowledge," on the other hand. Each claims to be elite, elect, special, and favored by God or gods. Each claims to have a reliable source of knowledge for obtaining the "better life" and salvation. Each claims to be enlightened, to have experienced revelatory knowledge of things beyond the senses. But, the differences concern the source of knowledge, and about the explanations for the why of things, about what is truth and what is error, about what are facts to be believed.

Wrote one source:

"The beginnings of Gnosticism have long been a matter of controversy and are still largely a subject of research. The more these origins are studied, the farther they seem to recede in the past." 

"Whereas formerly Gnosticism was considered mostly a corruption of Christianity, it now seems clear that the first traces of Gnostic systems can be discerned some centuries before the Christian Era." (See here) 

The first Gnostics in the days of Plato were the intellectual elites. This being so, it seems natural to suppose that since Paul is discussing elitism, as respects wisdom and knowledge, he would discuss the claim to superior knowledge made by Sophists and Gnostics in comparison with the knowledge that Christians have by the teaching of the Spirit of God via the scriptures. Sophist Gnostic elites lay claim to having "the key of knowledge," but like the lawyers Jesus condemned, they did not have it.

Christian vs. Gnostic

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant...Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit...For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit." (I Cor. 8: 1, 4, 8)

What is meant by "the word (logos) of wisdom" and "the word of knowledge"? Again, we have another instance of a Genitive and we must ascertain which kind it is. Let us focus on "the word of knowledge" since we are talking about how the Christian is "enriched in all knowledge." 

By "the word of knowledge" does he mean "the word unto knowledge" (objective)? Or, "the word from knowledge" (genitive of source)? Or, "the word which is knowledge" (appositive)? Or, "the word belonging to knowledge" (genitive of possession). I do believe that the Greek word "logos" (word) often denotes more than is conveyed by the English word "word." Many translators will say it means "discourse," or "reasoned speech," perhaps teaching or lecturing. Thus it is quite likely that by "logos of gnosis" he means "discourse of knowledge," or "knowledgeable discourse." 

There is much disagreement about the supernatural gifts of the Spirit as enumerated by Paul in First Corinthians. Are they still present in believers within the Christian assemblies? Are they no longer being given to believers? If not, why not? Can they be restored? It is not my intention to answer these questions in this series for it is outside of the subject, which deals with elitism, status, and election or divine favor. But, I do think it is worth mentioning the supernatural aspects of the wisdom and knowledge that some believers possessed in the first century, and perhaps even in later centuries. 

All believers will possess in fullness all the gifts of the Spirit together when they are fully glorified in resurrected bodies. I have already mentioned Paul's remark about the first Christians having "tasted of the powers of the age to come" (Heb. 6: 5). The gifts of the Spirit were a part of that foretaste. Notice too the mention of future "powers" that believers will be endowed with when they are made immortal. But, I will be expanding on this thought in upcoming chapters.

Said our source again:

"...it is markedly peculiar to Gnosticism that it places the salvation of the soul merely in the possession of a quasi-intuitive knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and of magic formulae indicative of that knowledge. Gnostics were "people who knew", and their knowledge at once constituted them a superior class of beings, whose present and future status was essentially different from that of those who, for whatever reason, did not know." (Ibid)

But, all these Pagan Gnostics were not the truly wise and knowing. Rather, believers are such, even though they are not so now in the eyes of the world. The Pagan Gnostics were not in "reality" a "superior class of beings"! This designation belongs to believers, now in part, and fully "in the age to come." We should consider the destiny of believers, what they will become "in the age to come." The apostle John wrote:

"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is."(I John 3: 2 NASB)

What we shall be as believers! What a thing for us to think upon! Our minds will become "lost in wonder, love, and praise." When they become "sons of the resurrection" they will no longer be "children." They will have become perfected and possess "powers" amazing. Wonderful thought! They will be the elite of "the world to come."