Good question. I included those passages because I found them included in other sources as possible references to gnosticism.

For example, the Catholic Encyclopedia (an admittedly non-evangelical source), says this in its treatment of “Gnosticism”:

* * * *

The last words of the aged St. Paul in his First Epistle to Timothy are usually taken as referring to Gnosticism, which is described as “Profane novelties of words and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called [antitheseis tes pseudonomou gnoseos — the antitheses of so-called Gnosis] which some professing have erred concerning the faith”. Most probably St. Paul’s use of the terms pleroma, the æon of this world, the archon of the power of the air, in Ephesians and Colossians, was suggested by the abuse of these terms by the Gnostics. Other allusions to Gnosticism in the New Testament are possible, but cannot be proven, such as Titus 3:9; 1 Timothy 4:3; 1 John 4:1-3.

* * * *

But I agree that the connection is not immediately apparent. So thank you for pointing that out. I’ll clean up my article before publishing it anywhere else.

On a side note, John 1:14 is a helpful cross-reference in response to the gnostic view of Christ. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us . . .”

Thanks again for your interaction. The feedback has been a bit sparse on these articles, so I appreciate your willingness to comment.

- NB

How do these two verses show that the gnostic view of Jesus was completely incompatible with that taught by the apostles?

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. Titus 3:9 KJV

Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:3 KJV