TheologyThoughts

This was part of a post on one of the lists, slightly edited:

Now, that having been said, for Paul, the Father is not distant or
unknowable, but is known through the work of Jesus Christ. There are
numerous proof texts for this, since it is a cornerstone of Paul's theology.
Here is one [translation is ESV]

2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old
has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2Co 5:18 All this is from God,
who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not
counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of
reconciliation. 2Co 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God
making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God. 2Co 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no
sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Now, this is the same author (practically all scholars agree that the same
author, Paul, wrote Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Galatians). In Paul's
viewpoint, we can be reconciled to God, and God to us. We can know God.
Paul's God is hardly the unknowable supreme force of the Gnostics, so why do
you want to impute that meaning to 1 Cor 8:6? Do you have any other
passages you can cite to support your contention?

Also, note in the passage above that it's not about gnosis, but about
redemption. Sin is practically a foreign concept to the Gnostics, but it
plays a huge part in Paul's theology. Now, consider the following passage.
Can you imagine any of the Gnostics writing something like this?

Rom 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Rom 8:15
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but
you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba!
Father! Rom 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are
children of God, Rom 8:17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and
fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may
also be glorified with him. Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of
this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed
to us. Rom 8:19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but
because of him who subjected it, in hope Rom 8:21 that the creation itself
will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of
the glory of the children of God. Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole
creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as
sons, the redemption of our bodies.

What should be clear about this text, as I've been arguing about with another
correspondent, is that it's not about gnosis and ontology, but eschatology, the
fulfillment of God's redemptive purposes in Christ. The Spirit (and this
Spirit is wholly unlike the Gnostic conception) enables believers to know
God as their Father, and to be his children and heirs, and to look forwarad
to the complete redemption of all creation. Now, if you know anything about
Gnosticism, the general idea was that creation itself is bad, and the idea
is to lose the material and gain the spiritual. In a fascinating turnaround
on that subject, Paul talks about the redemption of creation, groaning under
the curse, and τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν, the redemption of our
bodies, Grk., σῶμα, about as un-gnostic an idea as you can find...