A Gnostic Christian vs. Orthodox Christian interpretation of the Christ’s role in salvation
Larry asked several questions which I will try to address. The term
“salvation” refers to a Path or Way which can lead Man back to the
original purpose that was inherent in Man’s nature as an emanation
from the Godhead. The Gnostic Christian worldview sees Man as in
need of salvation, because Man is spiritually “asleep,” and ignorant
of his true and ultimate essence, purpose, power and potencial. This
state of ignorance is so deep and profound that a Redeemer was and
is needed to “save” or retrieve us from our “fallen” condition. This
salvific need is accentuated by the spiritual truth that the
agencies and forces that govern materiality constantly conspire to
keep Man in a state of ignorance. Man needs the salvific assistance
provided by Christ Jesus to awaken and learn through His example the
Way home to what Man is and from whence Man came.
Your Question #1 Do you agree that Christ brought Salvation?
Answer: Yes, He perfectly demonstrated a Path to salvific
regeneration and gnostic attainment.
Question #2: Did He bring actual salvation or just the possibility of
it?
Answer: His Path to salvific gnosis would have never been
available to Man had His spiritual embodiment not actually
manifested on the Earth plane. Because Christ did manifest, it is
now a possibility for Man to exercise the free will choice of
learning, practicing and, with His Grace, following Christ’s
salvific Path to Gnosis.
Question #3: What is salvation anyway?
Answer: See above, plus:
Salvation is liberation from the condition of spiritual ignorance
which is the plight of unregenerated Man. If one has been “saved,”
it means that one has experienced a spiritual awakening/rebirth that
can lead to Gnosis.
Question #4: Can Christ’s “neutralizing of Man’s Karma” be said to
mean the same as Christ’s “taking on Himself the sins of Mankind”?
Answer: This question addresses the doctrine of atonement. In my
opinion, this doctrine is outside or alien to a Gnostic Christian
worldview. In the orthodox Christian view, Man’s depravity required
a blood sacrifice of God’s Son in order to pay the debt Man owed to
the Father. Man was so guilty of sinful transgressions and so
incapable of repaying an adequate blood price, only the Son’s
torture and death were able to atone for Man. Karma does not carry
the same tone of moral condemnation as the orthodox Christian
concept of Sin. Karma refers to the impersonal, cosmic law which
holds that all our actions and their effects impact and determine
our future circumstances. No one can alter the course of the cause
and effect (Karmic) relationships we set in motion, except
ourselves. In short, Sin is not Karma and Christ’s mision was
neither to “suffer and die for our sins” or to overcome/undo our
individual Karma. Rather, the purpose of the whole span of His
manifestation was to show Man the Path to Gnosis.
Question #5: How did Christ bring Gnosis/Did He affect our cognition
in some way?/Were people incapable of gnosis before?
Answers: As indicated above, Christ’s manifestation on the Earth plane
created the possibility(otherwise eternally not present) that His Path to
Gnosis would be available for Man’s regeneration and spiritual
attainment unto Gnosis. The spiritual force of Christ’s
manifestation has the power to awaken and vivify the dormant divine
spark at the core of every soul. This awakening or spiritual
apprehension includes, but also transends, mental cognition. Prior
to Christ’s manifestation, other Paths to Gnosis were made available
to Man and, as a result, some individuals awoke and moved toward
gnostic attainment. However, the unique power and quality of the
Path revealed by Christ Jesus has had and continues to have an
impact vastly surpassing that of previous or subsequent revelations.
Rev. M. Curtis Paddock
