DeConick A.D

265
THE PI OF POLITICS
If we were to look at the Gnostics from this perspective of transgression,
what would we find? What were identified as violations of commonly
accepted practices and taken-for-granted assumptions, and who
made these observations? Although we have very little evidence of criticism
among Gnostic groups or of Gnostic groups lofting volleys at the
Apostolic Catholics, we have a hoard of material written by Apostolic
Catholics who identify Gnostic crimes in the areas of theology, human
nature, interpretation of scripture, and ritual practices.
Crimes Against God
Apostolic Catholic authors are very consistent in their assertion that the
Gnostic Christians breach theology in two ways. In their eyes, the most
egregious aspect of Gnostic teaching is the Gnostics’ insistence that the
God of worship is not YHWH, creator and ruler of universe (Irenaeus,
Against the Heresies 1.pref.1). Their teaching that the biblical God is not
and cannot be the supreme God allows them to turn against the biblical
Creator and to speak of him as an adversary (Irenaeus, Against the Heresies
2.9.2, 2.13.3, 2.26.1, 4.pref.4; Tertullian, Against the Valentinians 3.1–2).
This also allows Gnostics to go on to say that the Creator was produced
by a defect or came into his own by leading a revolt. This makes the biblical
God flawed, deceitful, and rebellious (Irenaeus, Against the Heresies
1.16.3). This teaching is identified by the Apostolic Catholic leaders as
blasphemy against God, making Gnostics far worse than pagans (2.9.2,
2.26.1, 2.28.7, 4.pref.3–4). It even gives Hippolytus of Rome reason to
call them atheists (Hippolytus, Refutation 1.pref.1).
The Gnostics’ second theological violation is their inverted view of
YHWH, their teaching that they know about a God besides the Creator
and that they know about him because they have direct experience of him.
He is a God who is more excellent and sublime than anything that exists
(Irenaeus, Against the Heresies 1.pref.1, 1.16.3). They claim that this advanced
knowledge relies on initiation, when they encounter this supreme
God face-to-face (Irenaeus, Against the Heresies 1.4.3, 1.21.3–4; Tertullian,
Against the Valentinians 1.1–4; Hippolytus, Refutation 5.1.4, 5.23.2–3).
The existence of this supreme God is proven by scripture, too, when it
is read correctly (Irenaeus, Against the Heresies 1.pref.1, 1.19.1–2). Who is
this superior God? He is a previously hidden, unknown God who, in the