Refuting The Wickedness And Deceptiveness Of Cunningly Devised Myths
The heresy early Christians were dealing with in this letter runs deeper than what appears on the surface, but the apostle Peter will now bring up the heart of the problem. They were making up "myths" to invent an entirely different Christ, one who supposedly hated the God of the Jews, practiced witchcraft and had not come in the flesh. But this bore no resemblance to the Jesus Peter walked with for three years, whom he witnessed manifesting the glory of God during the transfiguration.
16 For we did not follow cunningly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. (2 Peter 1:16-18)
Evidence is abundant that the heretics spoken of in this letter were the Gnostics. For starters, Peter describes them as "promising men (sexual) freedom, yet themselves being slaves of corruption" (2 Peter 2:19-22). This is what was the taught by the Gnostics, and made possible by the "cunningly devised myths" they concocted concerning Christ. Firstly, they taught He was not the son of the Old Testament God but supposedly of a different "god." Some sects referred to him as Abraxas, a chicken-headed "god" with large snakes for legs, and holding a flail in one hand and a shield in the other.
This image was found on numerous ancient amulets and magic rings. Yet as accounts of second heaven reveal, this is a typical form that demonic spirits actually take, especially those charged with deceiving mankind through false religion.
In the early 80s, Harold Pittman was shown various classes of demons that are especially active in the world today. Among them was a class of demon which had special expertise in the areas of sorcery, false religion, magic, occultism, necromancy and Satanism. Regarding their actual appearance, he stated:
The third most powerful type and group of demons were revealed to me in mixed shapes and forms. Some had human form, while others had half-human and half-animal forms. Others resembled mixed animals in their forms. These demons possessed skills in the dark arts, such as witchcraft and other related areas. (Pittman, Placebo. P.20)
This then was the class of demons who gave the Gnostics their doctrines, and not surprisingly these doctrines included an abject hatred for the God of the Old Testament. That Gnostics hated the God of the Jews can be seen in numerous quotes from early church writers. It was taught that He and His angels "ruled the world ill because each one of them coveted the principal power for themselves," and that a man's actions were "not righteous in the nature of things, but by mere accident, in light of how those angels who made the world thought fit to constitute them, seeking by means of such precepts to bring men into bondage." (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XXII, 3). In other words, what Christians thought were sins were only sin because the Old Testament God and His angels (the "Makers of this evil world") said they were, and they had given such commandments only to subjugate mankind under their thumbs.
But writing in the 2nd Century, Ireneaus clarified that it was in reality a demonic spirit who had given them these doctrines. And once received, other demons had entered in to corrupt them completely.
Impious indeed, and beyond all impiety are these men, who assert that the Maker of Heaven and earth was produced by means of a defect... yet the more they seem to excel others in wisdom, the greater fools do they show themselves. For when the unclean spirit of folly has come forth, finding them not waiting upon God, he then "taking seven other spirits more wicked than himself" and inflates the minds of these men with the notion of being able to conceive of something beyond God, and having fitly prepared them for the reception of deceit, he implants within them... the foolish spirits of wickedness." (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XVI).
The God of the Jews was supposedly just another angel who fought with other angels for control over the nations. All of them together were merely self-serving tyrants who sought to bring mankind into subservience through unnecessary laws, especially regarding sexual conduct. As was also said regarding one Gnostic leader named Marion, "He advanced the most daring blasphemy against Him who is proclaimed as God by the law and the prophets, declaring Him to be the author of evils, to take delight in war, to be inept of purpose, and even to be contrary to Himself. But Jesus, being derived from that father who is above the God that made the world.. was manifested in the form of a man to those who were in Judea, abolishing the prophet and the law, and all the works of that God who made the world." (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XXVII, 2). As for Jesus supposedly having been crucified, what the apostles taught was a lie. The real "Christ" had only come in spirit, as Ireneaus also explained.
Those then who know these things have been freed from the principalities who formed the world, so that it is notincumbent upon us to confess Him who was crucified, but him who came (only) in the form of a man, and was thought to be crucified, and was called Jesus, and was sent by "the father," that by this dispensation he might destroy the works of the Makers of the world. If anyone therefore confesses the crucified, that man is still a slave and under the power of those who formed our bodies. But he who denies Him has been freed from these beings, and is acquainted with the dispensation of the unborn father. (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XXIV, P.4).
These then are the exaggerations Peter was talking about when he said, "when they speak great and swelling exaggerations, they allure through the lusts of the flesh and through sexual licentiousness those who have escaped from the ones living in error. For while they promise them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption. For by whatever a person is overcome, by that he is also brought into enslavement. (2 Peter 2:18-19)
Advocating Sorcery
Gnosticism advocated the use of sorcery and witchcraft, and still does today. Modern Gnostics not only use witchcraft but practice it upon true Christians as well. Like their ancient counterparts, they attribute Christ's "miracles" to use of occult magic. The disciples of Simon the Magician were apparently among the first to do this, after Simon himself went back into sorcery wholeheartedly after parting ways with the apostle Peter in the Book of Acts. As Ireneaus also added:
The mystic priests belonging to this sect both lead profligate lives and practice magical arts, each one to the extent of his ability. They use exorcisms and incantations, love-potions too, and charms, as well as those beings who are called "Paredri" (familiars) and "Oniropompi" (dream senders), and whatever other curious arts can be had recourse to, are eagerly pressed into their service. (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XXIII, 4).
The followers of Carpocrates were described in much the same way, indicating it was not a fluke but standard practice amongst the early Gnostic sects to practice of sorcery in the name of "Christ."
They practice also magical arts and incantations, philters also, and love potions, and have recourse to familiar spirits, dream-sending demons and other abominations, declaring that they possess power to rule over even now the princes and formers of this world. (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XXV, 3).
These words suggest they even believed they had magical power over the God of the Jews. No surprise, however, since they depicted Him as just another demon. In some sects He was called "Ialdabaoth," a lion-headed demon with the body of a snake, and together with His angels He supposedly no longer had power over them, for they were aware of His "lies" and self-serving wickedness.
In supposedly representing "true" Christianity, a Gnostic magician named Marcus was described as little more than a spiritual predator who used witchcraft to seduce women, especially richer woman, into sexual enslavement through the invocation of demons.
It appears probable enough that this man possesses a demon by means of whom he appears able to prophecy, and also enable as many as he counts worthy to be partakers of his grace to prophesy also... But such spirits as are commanded by these men and speak when they desire it are earthly and weak, audacious and impudent, sent forth by Satan for the seduction and perdition of those who do not hold fast that well-compacted faith which they received at first through the church. Moreover, that this Marcus compounds philters and love potions in order to insult the persons of some of these women, if not all, those of them who have returned to the church of God - a thing which frequently occurs - have acknowledged, confessing too, that they have been sexually defiled by him, and were filled with a burning passion towards him. (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XIII 3-5)
The heresy early Christians were dealing with in this letter runs deeper than what appears on the surface, but the apostle Peter will now bring up the heart of the problem. They were making up "myths" to invent an entirely different Christ, one who supposedly hated the God of the Jews, practiced witchcraft and had not come in the flesh. But this bore no resemblance to the Jesus Peter walked with for three years, whom he witnessed manifesting the glory of God during the transfiguration.
16 For we did not follow cunningly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. (2 Peter 1:16-18)
Evidence is abundant that the heretics spoken of in this letter were the Gnostics. For starters, Peter describes them as "promising men (sexual) freedom, yet themselves being slaves of corruption" (2 Peter 2:19-22). This is what was the taught by the Gnostics, and made possible by the "cunningly devised myths" they concocted concerning Christ. Firstly, they taught He was not the son of the Old Testament God but supposedly of a different "god." Some sects referred to him as Abraxas, a chicken-headed "god" with large snakes for legs, and holding a flail in one hand and a shield in the other.
This image was found on numerous ancient amulets and magic rings. Yet as accounts of second heaven reveal, this is a typical form that demonic spirits actually take, especially those charged with deceiving mankind through false religion.
In the early 80s, Harold Pittman was shown various classes of demons that are especially active in the world today. Among them was a class of demon which had special expertise in the areas of sorcery, false religion, magic, occultism, necromancy and Satanism. Regarding their actual appearance, he stated:
The third most powerful type and group of demons were revealed to me in mixed shapes and forms. Some had human form, while others had half-human and half-animal forms. Others resembled mixed animals in their forms. These demons possessed skills in the dark arts, such as witchcraft and other related areas. (Pittman, Placebo. P.20)
This then was the class of demons who gave the Gnostics their doctrines, and not surprisingly these doctrines included an abject hatred for the God of the Old Testament. That Gnostics hated the God of the Jews can be seen in numerous quotes from early church writers. It was taught that He and His angels "ruled the world ill because each one of them coveted the principal power for themselves," and that a man's actions were "not righteous in the nature of things, but by mere accident, in light of how those angels who made the world thought fit to constitute them, seeking by means of such precepts to bring men into bondage." (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XXII, 3). In other words, what Christians thought were sins were only sin because the Old Testament God and His angels (the "Makers of this evil world") said they were, and they had given such commandments only to subjugate mankind under their thumbs.
But writing in the 2nd Century, Ireneaus clarified that it was in reality a demonic spirit who had given them these doctrines. And once received, other demons had entered in to corrupt them completely.
Impious indeed, and beyond all impiety are these men, who assert that the Maker of Heaven and earth was produced by means of a defect... yet the more they seem to excel others in wisdom, the greater fools do they show themselves. For when the unclean spirit of folly has come forth, finding them not waiting upon God, he then "taking seven other spirits more wicked than himself" and inflates the minds of these men with the notion of being able to conceive of something beyond God, and having fitly prepared them for the reception of deceit, he implants within them... the foolish spirits of wickedness." (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XVI).
The God of the Jews was supposedly just another angel who fought with other angels for control over the nations. All of them together were merely self-serving tyrants who sought to bring mankind into subservience through unnecessary laws, especially regarding sexual conduct. As was also said regarding one Gnostic leader named Marion, "He advanced the most daring blasphemy against Him who is proclaimed as God by the law and the prophets, declaring Him to be the author of evils, to take delight in war, to be inept of purpose, and even to be contrary to Himself. But Jesus, being derived from that father who is above the God that made the world.. was manifested in the form of a man to those who were in Judea, abolishing the prophet and the law, and all the works of that God who made the world." (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XXVII, 2). As for Jesus supposedly having been crucified, what the apostles taught was a lie. The real "Christ" had only come in spirit, as Ireneaus also explained.
Those then who know these things have been freed from the principalities who formed the world, so that it is notincumbent upon us to confess Him who was crucified, but him who came (only) in the form of a man, and was thought to be crucified, and was called Jesus, and was sent by "the father," that by this dispensation he might destroy the works of the Makers of the world. If anyone therefore confesses the crucified, that man is still a slave and under the power of those who formed our bodies. But he who denies Him has been freed from these beings, and is acquainted with the dispensation of the unborn father. (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XXIV, P.4).
These then are the exaggerations Peter was talking about when he said, "when they speak great and swelling exaggerations, they allure through the lusts of the flesh and through sexual licentiousness those who have escaped from the ones living in error. For while they promise them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption. For by whatever a person is overcome, by that he is also brought into enslavement. (2 Peter 2:18-19)
Advocating Sorcery
Gnosticism advocated the use of sorcery and witchcraft, and still does today. Modern Gnostics not only use witchcraft but practice it upon true Christians as well. Like their ancient counterparts, they attribute Christ's "miracles" to use of occult magic. The disciples of Simon the Magician were apparently among the first to do this, after Simon himself went back into sorcery wholeheartedly after parting ways with the apostle Peter in the Book of Acts. As Ireneaus also added:
The mystic priests belonging to this sect both lead profligate lives and practice magical arts, each one to the extent of his ability. They use exorcisms and incantations, love-potions too, and charms, as well as those beings who are called "Paredri" (familiars) and "Oniropompi" (dream senders), and whatever other curious arts can be had recourse to, are eagerly pressed into their service. (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XXIII, 4).
The followers of Carpocrates were described in much the same way, indicating it was not a fluke but standard practice amongst the early Gnostic sects to practice of sorcery in the name of "Christ."
They practice also magical arts and incantations, philters also, and love potions, and have recourse to familiar spirits, dream-sending demons and other abominations, declaring that they possess power to rule over even now the princes and formers of this world. (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XXV, 3).
These words suggest they even believed they had magical power over the God of the Jews. No surprise, however, since they depicted Him as just another demon. In some sects He was called "Ialdabaoth," a lion-headed demon with the body of a snake, and together with His angels He supposedly no longer had power over them, for they were aware of His "lies" and self-serving wickedness.
In supposedly representing "true" Christianity, a Gnostic magician named Marcus was described as little more than a spiritual predator who used witchcraft to seduce women, especially richer woman, into sexual enslavement through the invocation of demons.
It appears probable enough that this man possesses a demon by means of whom he appears able to prophecy, and also enable as many as he counts worthy to be partakers of his grace to prophesy also... But such spirits as are commanded by these men and speak when they desire it are earthly and weak, audacious and impudent, sent forth by Satan for the seduction and perdition of those who do not hold fast that well-compacted faith which they received at first through the church. Moreover, that this Marcus compounds philters and love potions in order to insult the persons of some of these women, if not all, those of them who have returned to the church of God - a thing which frequently occurs - have acknowledged, confessing too, that they have been sexually defiled by him, and were filled with a burning passion towards him. (Ireneaus, Against Heresies, XIII 3-5)
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