DeConick A.D

120
PAUL AND GNOSTIC DOGMA
and divinity in nature, according to Paul, they went about worshipping
it all wrong. Instead of worshipping the immortal God, they created
idols and worshipped those. Paul says that the Gentiles did not recognize
that, when they did this, they were really worshipping demons, a practice
that enslaved them to the elemental forces of the universe (1 Corinthians
10:20–22). So their minds were darkened as they became foolish and futile
in their thinking. Since they did not acknowledge the real God, they fell
under the power of wickedness and evil (Romans 1:19–29).
Following Paul’s logic, the Jews fared no better on this account; they
also had become idol worshippers, when they built the golden calf in the
wilderness. Although they were chosen by God and had real opportunities
to know him over the years, they too (with the exception of a few
Jews) failed to understand him and did not seek him out (Romans 11:7).
Because of their ignorance, they turned away from God and became idol
worshippers in the desert (1 Corinthians 10:5). Because they did not know
God, they became sinners caught in the confines of a law they could not
keep (Romans 3:10–12, 19–20, 5:20, 11:1).
To illustrate his point, Paul refers to the story of Moses, who experienced
a luminous transfiguration on Mount Sinai and then donned a
veil to cover the brilliance of his face. Paul says that the veil is still there,
preventing the Jews from seeing the authentic, glorious manifestation of
God in Jesus the Messiah. This veil remains, covering their minds, keeping
their hearts hardened to the true God (2 Corinthians 3:7–18).
Yet, while they had been disobedient and contrarian throughout their
past, Paul was convinced that God never gave up on them or rejected
them (Romans 11:1–2). He hopes that they will come around to the truth
one day, even if their motivation must be jealousy that God shines his
favor on the non-Jews (Romans 11:11–15).
Paul remarks that there are many so-called gods represented by idols.
But these aren’t the One God. For Paul and his converts there is only one
God, the Father, and his manifestation as Lord Jesus the Messiah, from
whom all things come and for whom we exist (1 Corinthians 8:4–6). Paul
is quite positive that YHWH and his manifestation as Jesus is the One
God of both the Jews and the Gentiles, even though both groups have
failed to know him or worship him (Romans 3:29–30).
The human failure to seek and know the One God resulted in human
disobedience, sin, and death, beginning with Adam and extending