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The term "gnostic" derives from "gnosis," meaning "knowledge" in Greek. The Gnostics strongly felt that only they were privy to a hidden knowledge with regards to the Divine, hence the name. (Huxley coined "agnosticism" on the basis of all knowledge has got to be discovered using reason. We can’t rationally claim to have access to knowledge that's beyond the powers of the intellect.)

As mainline Christianity grew in power and organization, Gnostic sects came under increasing pressure and were more persecuted. The Gnostics almost disappeared by the sixth century. The only sect still surviving into modern times is the Mandaean sect of Iraq and Iran. This sect has about 15,000 members (1 source says fifteen hundred), and can trace their history continuously back to the original Gnostic movement. Their beliefs are currently experiencing a rebirth all over the world.

Although Gnosticism does draw on personal religious or spiritual experiences, it would be wrong to make the assumption that every experience will result in people converting to being Gnostic. It is nearer the truth to say that Gnosticism expresses a specific religious experience, an experience that does not lend itself to the language of theology or philosophy, but which has been instead closely connected to, and expresses itself using, myths. Indeed, one finds that most Gnostic holy words are in myth form. The word “myth” used here should not construed as meaning “stories which aren’t real”, but rather, that the truths embodied in these types of myths are of a unusual order from the dogmas of theology or the statements of philosophy. Gnosticism consisted of many syncretistic belief systems, which combined parts borrowed from Asian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek and Syrian pagan religions. Their beliefs are also from astrology, from Judaism, as certainly from Christianity. Their beliefs constituted one of the three main types of early Christianity, the other 2 being:

·The remnants from the Jewish Christian sect which had been created by Jesus' disciples, and

·The churches started by St. Paul, which were eventually to grow into "mainline" Christianity by the end of the 3rd century.

During 1945, near the Egyptian desert of Nag Hammadi, quite a few Gnostic gospels that had been hidden for centuries, were found by 2 local farmers.

Some Gnostic documents are: the Gospel of Truth, the Letter to Rheginus, Treatise on our Three Natures, Apocalypse of Adam, the Gospel of Matthias, Gospel of Philip, Acts of Peter, and Acts of Thomas. Although the Gnostics had been prolific writers, the majority of of their writings were set afire or ‘lost’ in favor of more ‘acceptable’ writings (and known only in patristic references).| Some scholars have theorized that Gnosticism may have its roots in pre-Christian religions, instead of being only as an off-shoot of Christianity.