Gnostics & Orthodox Christians essays

Gnostics & Orthodox Christians essays It is not permitted for a woman to speak in the church, nor is it permitted for her to teach, nor baptize, nor to offer the eucharist, nor to claim for herself a share in any masculine function-least of all, in priestly office (p.155). In the beginning of Christianity this was not the view towards women and even todays modern times many of these restrictions against women have been removed. Orthodox Christians placed many of these restrictions against women in the first century after the death of Christ. These restrictions were strongly rejected by the Gnostics who felt that women were equals to men. In this paper the differences between the orthodox Christians and the Gnostics will be examined. Such issues as views of sexuality, creation, the Trinity, the gender of God, and the role of women in church will be discussed. I hope to have provided a full understanding of all these issues and differences by the end of this paper. Many people think that the battle of the sexes is a new thing but this war has been raging since the time of Jesus with males being the predominant winners. When it comes too superior or not superior the orthodox will take men over women every time. The orthodox even thought that since men made up the body of the community that only men were allowed into heaven and the only way for women to get into heaven was to assimilate themselves to men (p.142). Gnostics felt that man and woman were created equally and that woman did not have to conform to enter the gates of heaven. When it come to the story of creation the orthodox believe in the story that is told today to describe creation. It is the story of God creating the world the world in seven days and creating woman from man. There are several Gnostics accounts one states as follows, From the power of silence appeared a great power, the Mind of the Universe, which manage ...