The Gnostics didn have Churches, so why copy Rome?
This is a misconception many have. While there are some groups which happen to fall under the general guise of “gnostic” who did not have a particularly well-defined structure, there were many that did. Our particular lines of succession are outlined elsewhere, but it is a well-known fact that many Gnostics had parallel structures to the Church developing not long after Christ’s time on earth. Valentinus traveled and taught in Rome and was at one time considered or suggested as a candidate for Bishop of Rome – the position now called the pope. Even the early church fathers who wrote polemics against the gnostics agree that one had to be careful about which church one entered because the Marcionite gnostic church was virtually identical to that of the burgeoning oriental orthodox church, at least in appearance and structure – and obviously similar in many practices. The Cathars, too, had a well-defined structure for both clergy and laity.
Related Questions
- Why is the city of Rome itself crowded with Churches in which are stored up most of the finest and valuable art treasures on earth?
- Who was the first Bishop of Rome to attempt to exercise authority over other churches?
- Are we empire building - simply trying to copy other churches, from HTB to Willow Creek?
