Gnostic Baptists can be distinguished from Christians by their use of the name Yahia instead of Iuhana to refer to John the Baptist and the use of the word Ieso instead of Yeshua to refer to Jesus.
Gnostic Baptists rejected the Christian idea of Adoptionism whereby they say G-d adopted some human flesh from Mary to become equal partner in sovereignty. They pointed out that G-d has no need to adopt offspring since all things belong to G-d anyway. They also rejected the idea that there was anything from creation like the Nasut (divine nature) as claimed by the Arians. They also rejected the Collyridian idea (now popular among Mormons) that G-d could have a human concubineand break the Torah laws on betrothal. They also rejected Tritheism and Modalism. Although accepting the idea that G-d's messenger was of divine uncreated nature, they insisted that this was subordinate to God the Father.
Some of these sects such as the Elchassites respected Judaism and Jews as guides, but others such as the Mandaeans rejected them. The Mandaeans also rejected the Christian Jesus as a literary invention.
