Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

CRUCIFIXION, Gnostic Conception of

According to the Gnostic speculative view, as soon as Christ was born, Christos, united himself with Sophia (Holy Wisdom), descended through the seven planetary regions, assuming in each an analogous form to the region, and concealing his true nature to its genii, whilst he attracted into himself the spark of Divine Light they severally retained in their angelic essence. Thus Christos, having passed through the seven Angelic Regions before the "Throne" entered into the man Jesus, at the moment of his baptism in the Jordan. From that time forth, being supernaturally gifted, Jesus began to work miracles.

Before that, according to Gnostic theology, he had been completely ignorant of his mission. When on the cross, Christos and Sophia left his body, and returned to their own sphere. Upon his death, the two took the man Jesus,"and abandoned his material body to the earth"; for the Gnostics held that the true Jesus did not (and could not) physically suffer on the cross, and die, and that Simon of Cyrene, who bore his cross, did in reality suffer in his room: "And they compelled one, Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross." (St. Mark XV, 21) The Gnostics contended that a portion of the real history of the Crucifixion was never written.

According to this Gnostic view, at the resurrection Christos and Sophia gave the man Jesus another body, made up of ether (Aetheroeum). Thence-forward he consisted of the first two Rosicrucian principles only, soul and spirit; which was the reason that the apostles did not recognize him after the resurrection. During his sojourn upon the earth, after he had risen, he received from Sophia, or Holy Wisdom, the perfect knowledge or illumination, that true "Gnosis," which he communicated to the small number of the Apostles who were capable of receiving the same.

see also: GNOSTICISM

RESOURCES FROM OTHER CHRISTIAN SITES:
(Opens in a New Window)
GNOSTICISM (PDF Article) at Ankerberg Theological Institute

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc