Gnosticism 'About the second century before the Christian Era
there began a blending of elements from both Greek and
Oriental sources...
known as Gnosticism.11 This philosophical
system--if system it may be called--resulted from se-
lecting and combining elements from every current school
of thought, and presented a confusing variety of views.
It found fruitful soil in the doctrinal developments of
early Christianity, and produced there its most familiar
and characteristic results. The reaction of its thought
tendencies on early Christian theology generated the
first great heresies.' (NTW, p. 197)'The eastern Mediterra-
nean mind' of the 1st century 'found greatest satisfaction in Gnosticism,
with Platonic transcendentalism and Oriental dualism
infiltrated with other contributions from Greek and Jew-
ish sources. Gnosticism was really a philosophical
method rather than a philosophical system. It found a
distinct and quite individualistic representative in Philo.' (NTW, p. 199)A diverse religious movement of the first 3 centuries A.D. The Gnostic is 'saved' through possesing a special knowledge. Some human beings (i.e. the Gnostics) possess a 'divine spark', an inner self different from the soul. The focus of Gnostic 'redemption' is not on God, but ultimately upon the individuals self-understanding and the resulting freedom it provides.
--NTW = THE NEW TESTAMENT WORLD, 3rd Edition, Revised, H. E. Dana, Broadman Press, Nashville, Tennesee, 1937.