Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

How similar is;

Valentinian Gnosticism and Basilidean Gnosticism
Basilidean Gnosticism and Simonianism
Valentinian Gnosticism and Paul’s Theology in the Authentic Epistles

I’m studying the origins of these sects (particularly Valentinianism) and the claims that Valentinus inherited his teachings from Theudas, who was a student of Paul. I’ve also read that he met (and likely studied under) Basilides.

What do you know?

Thanks
Max

Hi
There's some similarity to Valentinians and Basilides and were active about the same time and location
They seem to be a variations of a very similar thing. I'd be interested to know where they really differed as well

The church fathers claim they came from the earlier Simonians whereas these sects themselves claimed an apostle or great teacher as their origin
Either way probably there was similar groups around before either Valentinus or Basilides came along

The Simonians have 2 reports on their theology. One casts them as quite dualistic gnostics (Irenaeus), the other (Hippolytus) has them as more a mystical group without familiar gnostic themes of the demiurge or emanation except for i think 5 aeons. They held that Simon was, in some way, Christ and Helena the Holy Spirit - which is not found in the Valentinian/Basilidean systems. But the aeon type view is even found in orthodoxy sometimes (Shephard of Hermas) even were it a SImonian thing, it probably predates them too

All these groups had offshoots teaching slightly different things but often still being called the same thing, and they didn't really call themselves by those names just to confuse things. Even followers of Paul's gospel got called Paulinists sometimes i remember reading. It wasn't just a gnostic thing (eg Montanism produced a father of the church Tertullian)

My clumsy answer to the theology is Valentinians divided man into 3 classes, one saved by nature (them) that just needed awakening to become the Christians they always were and so being saved (not a million miles from Calvinism huh!)
Paul was about salvation by converting through his gospel to be saved and he invited pretty much anyone

The claim about Theudas

It was later, in the times of Adrian the king, that those who invented the heresies arose; and they extended to the age of Antoninus the elder, as, for instance, Basilides, though he claims (as they boast) for his master, Glaucias, the interpreter of Peter.
Likewise they allege that Valentinus was a hearer of Theudas.

Comes from Clement of Aleandria c 200 CE. It is unclear how reliable it is.

Andrew Criddle