GnosticismGnosticism (from Ancient Greek: γνωστικός, romanized: gnōstikós, Koine Greek: [ɣnostiˈkos], 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized personal spiritual knowledge (gnosis) above the proto-orthodox teachings, traditions, and authority of religious institutions. Gnostic cosmogony generally presents a distinction between a supreme, hidden God and a malevolent lesser divinity (sometimes associated with the God of the Hebrew Bible) who is responsible for creating the material universe.
DocetismIn the history of Christianity, docetism (from the δοκεῖν/δόκησις dokeĩn "to seem", dókēsis "apparition, phantom") is the heterodox doctrine that the phenomenon of Jesus, his historical and bodily existence, and above all the human form of Jesus, was mere semblance without any true reality. Broadly it is taken as the belief that Jesus only seemed to be human, and that his human form was an illusion.
Church FathersThe Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical period in which they worked became known as the Patristic Era and spans approximately from the late 1st to mid-8th centuries, flourishing in particular during the 4th and 5th centuries, when Christianity was in the process of establishing itself as the state church of the Roman Empire.
MosesMoses (ˈmoʊzᵻz,_-zᵻs) is considered the most important prophet in Judaism and one of the most important prophets in Christianity, Islam, the Druze faith, the Baháʼí Faith, and other Abrahamic religions. According to both the Bible and the Quran, Moses was the leader of the Israelites and lawgiver to whom the authorship, or "acquisition from heaven", of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) is attributed.
Baptism of JesusThe baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is a major event in the life of Jesus which is described in the three synoptic Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark and Luke), in which John baptized Jesus with water by method of immersion and laying on of hands (Hebrews 6:2) to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15). Jesus Christ who is God in His essence cannot be purified either realistically or ritually, so His baptism is according to Jesus to "fulfill all righteousness".
ChristologyIn Christianity, Christology (from the Greek Khristós and -logia), translated from Greek as 'the study of Christ', is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would be in the freeing of the Jewish people from foreign rulers or in the prophesied Kingdom of God, and in the salvation from what would otherwise be the consequences of sin.
John the EvangelistJohn the Evangelist (Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; يوحنا الإنجيلي, Ioannes, יוחנן ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although this has been disputed by most modern scholars. Johannine literature and Four Evangelists The Gospel of John refers to an otherwise unnamed "disciple whom Jesus loved", who "bore witness to and wrote" the Gospel's message.
Disciple whom Jesus lovedThe phrase "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (ho mathētēs hon ēgapā ho Iēsous) or, in John 20:2; "the other disciple whom Jesus loved" (ton allon mathētēn hon ephilei ho Iēsous), is used six times in the Gospel of John, but in no other New Testament accounts of Jesus. John 21:24 states that the Gospel of John is based on the written testimony of this disciple. Since the end of the first century, the beloved disciple has been commonly identified with John the Evangelist.
Johannine literatureJohannine literature is the collection of New Testament works that are traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, or to the Johannine community. They are usually dated to the period AD 60–110, with a minority of scholars such as John AT Robinson offering the earliest of these datings. Johannine literature is traditionally considered to include the following works: The Gospel of John The Johannine epistles The First Epistle of John The Second Epistle of John The Third Epistle of John The Book of Revelation Of these five books, the only one that explicitly identifies its author as a "John" is Revelation.
Arrest of JesusThe arrest of Jesus was a pivotal event in Christianity recorded in the canonical gospels. It occurred shortly after the Last Supper (during which Jesus gave his final sermon), and immediately after the kiss of Judas, which is traditionally said to have been an act of betrayal since Judas made a deal with the chief priests to arrest Jesus. The event ultimately led, in the Gospel accounts, to Jesus's crucifixion. The arrest led immediately to his trial before the Sanhedrin, during which they condemned him to death and handed him to Pilate the following morning.
