Sometimes, things have to change title or name for the purpose of relevancy or concealment of identity. That is simply the case between Gnosticism and the New Apostolic Reformation. A careful study of the teachings of the two movements will only reveal that NAR is simply a rebranded Gnosticism in the modern age. John MacArthur has observed that,
as a matter of fact, Gnosticism was never totally and thoroughly exterminated. Some of the most ancient expressions of gnostic error are experiencing a powerful comeback in the current generation.
Gnosticism is a false doctrine that particularly threatened the gospel in the first century, the apostolic church (1 John 2:22; 4:2-3;) but became predominant in the second century. That is why most church leaders in the second century which included Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, and Tertulian where Christian apologist. They had to because Gnosticism posed a serious threat to the survival of the gospel. The central idea and belief behind the doctrines of Gnosticism is that truth is a secret known only by a select few elevated, enlightened minds. This doctrine down play the generality of the priesthood of every believer and the presence of the Holy Spirit in every believer to give illumination taught by the Bible.
The New Apostolic Reformation do not only belief in the exclusivity of the knowledge of the truth to some few special individuals, but because of their belief in the reinstatement of the ministry of the twelve apostles of Jesus in the twenty first century, they go as far as believing that these few individuals have the higher calling of the twelve designated apostles of Jesus Christ (you may wish to check the introduction to NAR on this site for details on this). The implication of this teaching is that, followers of this movement are meant to see their spiritual leaders as spiritual elites or masters to guide the kingdom on earth.
It is therefore common, like the entertainment industry, in New Apostolic Reformation as an expert on NAR movement, Sarah Lesile has rightly noted:
to idolize church personality, popular leadership. The leaders are consider more elite than others, and thus deserving absolute obedience, awe or reverence. And the heresy that Christians cannot access God without going through a media trix, a specially empowered leader.
Another common similarity between the two movements is that Gnosticism was a loose movement without a definite structure and system of beliefs. Again, MacArthur has observed:
Gnosticism was not a single, unified cult. Gnostic thinking offered the possibility of “designer” religions, where each false teacher could basically invent his own unique sect. that is why Gnosticism as a system wasn’t easy to refute and isn’t easy to describe. The ideas of one gnostic group were’nt necessarily held by other gnostics. It too much labor to contend against this diverse set of false doctrines. And over several centuries’ time, gnostics produced hundreds of varieties of counterfeit Christianity…Gnosticism constantly mutated and metamorphosed and spawned new errors, gnostic thought was like a persistent virus attacking biblical Christianity.
New Apostolic Reformation is a movement that does not have an official structure, cohesive belief, and mode of operation as a movement. It is such a Liberal and aberrative movement that every apostle and prophet is free to propound his system of beliefs and operation.
Reference
1. John MacArthur, The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception (Nashville, Thomas Nelson, 2007).
2. https://blooper.wordpress.com/2021/09/05/the-nar-and-dominionism-revisited/