Gnosis

Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge (γνῶσις, gnōsis, f.).^[1][2] The term was used among various Hellenistic religions and philosophies in the Greco-Roman world.^[6] It is best known for its implication within Gnosticism,^[1] where it signifies a spiritual knowledge or insight into humanity's real nature as divine, leading to the deliverance of the divine spark within humanity from the constraints of earthly existence.^[9]

Gnosis is a feminine Greek noun which means "knowledge" or "awareness."^[10] It is often used for personal knowledge compared with intellectual knowledge (εἴδειν eídein), as with the French connaître compared with savoir, the Portuguese conhecer compared with saber, the Spanish conocer compared with saber, the Italian conoscere compared with sapere, the German kennen rather than wissen, or the Modern Greek γνωρίζω compared with ξέρω.^[11]

A related term is the adjective gnostikos, "cognitive",^[12] a reasonably common adjective in Classical Greek.^[13] 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.^[14]

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.^[15]

— Plato's Statesman, 258e

In the Hellenistic era the term became associated with the mystery cults.

In the Acts of Thomas, translated by G.R.S. Mead, the "motions of gnosis" are also referred to as "kingly motions".^[16]

Irenaeus used the phrase "knowledge falsely so-called" (pseudonymos gnosis, from 1 Timothy 6:20)^[17] for the title of his book On the Detection and Overthrow of False Knowledge, that contains the adjective gnostikos, which is the source for the 17th-century English term "Gnosticism".^[18]

The difference and meaning of epignosis (Greek: ἐπίγνωσις) contrasted with gnosis is disputed. One proposed distinction is between the abstract and absolute knowledge (gnosis) and a practical or more literal knowledge (epignosis). Other interpretations have suggested that 2 Peter is referring to an "epignosis of Jesus Christ", what J. B. Lightfoot described as a "larger and more thorough knowledge". Conversion to Christianity is seen as evidence of the deeper knowledge protecting against false doctrine.^[19]

Gnosticism originated in the late 1st century CE in non-rabbinical Jewish and early Christian sects.^[20] In the formation of Christianity, various sectarian groups, labeled "gnostics" by their opponents, emphasised spiritual knowledge (gnosis) of the divine spark within, over faith (pistis) in the teachings and traditions of the various communities of Christians.^{[3][7][8][21]} Gnosticism presents a distinction between the highest, unknowable God, and the Demiurge, "creator" of the material universe.^{[3][7][8][22]} The Gnostics considered the most essential part of the process of salvation to be this personal knowledge, in contrast to faith as an outlook in their worldview along with faith in the ecclesiastical authority.^{[3][7][8][22]}

In Gnosticism, the biblical serpent in the Garden of Eden was praised and thanked for bringing knowledge (gnosis) to Adam and Eve and thereby freeing them from the malevolent Demiurge's control.^[22] Gnostic Christian doctrines rely on a dualistic cosmology that implies the eternal conflict between good and evil, and a conception of the serpent as the liberating savior and bestower of knowledge to humankind opposed to the Demiurge or creator god, identified with the Hebrew God of the Old Testament.^[7][22] Gnostic Christians considered the Hebrew God of the Old Testament as the evil, false god and creator of the material universe, and the Unknown God of the Gospel, the father of Jesus Christ and creator of the spiritual world, as the true, good God.^{[3][7][22][23]} In the Archontic, Sethian, and Ophite systems, Yaldabaoth (Yahweh) is regarded as the malevolent Demiurge and false god of the Old Testament who generated the material universe and keeps the souls trapped in physical bodies, imprisoned in the world full of pain and suffering that he created.^[24][25][26]

However, not all Gnostic movements regarded the creator of the material universe as inherently evil or malevolent.^[23][27] For instance, Valentinians believed that the Demiurge is merely an ignorant and incompetent creator, trying to fashion the world as good as he can, but lacking the proper power to maintain its goodness.^[23][27] All Gnostics were regarded as heretics by the proto-orthodox Early Church Fathers.^{[3][7][8][22]}

Despite rejection of Gnosticism,^{[citation needed]} Christianity has sometimes used the term or derivatives of it in a laudatory rather than lambasting sense.