Marcion was born about 85 CE, at Sinope, which was
in
Marcion rejected all that was Hebrew. He
rejected the Tanak, calling it the Old Testament,
making the first distinction as “Old” and “New”. He rejected the books
written by MaththtiYahu [Matthew], Mark and Yahuchanan [John], because of Jewish influences. He
accepted the book of Luke, but edited it, removing any Jewish influences. Marcion claimed that Paul was the only true “apostle”. He
gathered 10 of Paul’s letters, excluding 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus
and Ibriym [Hebrews]. Of the 10 that he selected, Marcion edited them, removing what he called, “Jewish
corruptions.” As to the other sheliychiym [sent ones,
“apostles”], Marcion claimed that they corrupted the
teachings of Yahusha` (he called him Jesus), by
mixing in legalism. Marcion rejected Thorah [teaching, law] and replaced it with love and grace.
Marcion wrote his own “gospel” and
presented it to the Church of Rome. He gave them 200,000 sesterces.
After reading his gospel, the Church refused it and gave back the money. His
gospel was corrupted and void of all Hebrew references. Due to the listing of
“acceptable” books, by Marcion, the Church was forced
to determine what books, circulating in the Church, would be authorized. This
was the first attempt at an official canon of what came to be known as the New
Testament.
First Apology of Justin – Chap. 26,
“And there is Marcion, a man of
FRAGMENTS OF THE LOST WORK OF JUSTIN ON THE RESURRECTION, II, “And Justin well said in his book against Marcion,
that he would not have believed the Lord Himself, if He had announced any other
God than the Fashioner and Maker [of the world], and our Nourisher.
But since, from the one God, who both made this world and formed us and
contains as tell as administers all things, there came to us the only-begotten
Son, summing up His own workmanship in Himself, my faith in Him is steadfast,
and my love towards the Father is immoveable, God bestowing both upon
us.--IRENAEUS: Heresies, iv. 6.”
Irenaeus Against Heresies, Chap. 27, “1. Cerdo was one who took his system
from the followers of Simon, and came to live at
2. Marcion of
3. Salvation will be the attainment only of those souls which had
learned his doctrine; while the body, as having been taken from the earth, is
incapable of sharing in salvation. In addition to his blasphemy against God
Himself, he advanced this also, truly speaking as with the mouth of the devil,
and saying all things in direct opposition to the truth,--that Cain, and those
like him, and the Sodomites, and the Egyptians, and others like them, and, in
fine, all the nations who walked in all sorts of abomination, were saved by the
Lord, on His descending into Hades, and on their running unto Him, and that
they welcomed Him into their kingdom. But the serpent(3)
which was in Marcion declared that Abel, and Enoch,
and Noah, and those other righteous men who sprang(4) from the patriarch
Abraham, with all the prophets, and
those who were pleasing to God, did not partake in salvation. For since these
men, he says, knew that their God was constantly tempting them, so now they
suspected that He was tempting them, and did not run to Jesus, or believe His
announcement: and for this reason he declared that their souls remained in
Hades.
4. But since this man is the only one who has dared openly to mutilate
the Scriptures, and unblushingly above all others to inveigh against God, I
purpose specially to refute him, convicting him out of his own writings; and,
with the help of God, I shall overthrow him out of those(1)
discourses of the Lord and the apostles, which are of authority with him, and
of which he makes use. At present, however, I have simply been led to mention
him, that thou mightest know that all those who in
any way corrupt the truth, and injuriously affect the preaching of the Church,
are the disciples and successors of Simon Magus of Samaria.”
Irenaeus Against Heresies, Chap. 28, “1. Many offshoots of
numerous heresies have already been formed from those heretics we have
described. This arises from the fact that numbers of them--indeed, we may say
all--desire themselves to be teachers, and to break off from the particular
heresy in which they have been involved. Forming one set of doctrines out of a
totally different system of opinions, and then again others from others, they
insist upon teaching something new, declaring themselves the inventors of any
sort of opinion which they may have been able to call into existence. To give an example: Springing from Saturninus and Marcion, those who
are called Encratites (self-controlled) preached
against marriage, thus setting aside the original creation of God, and
indirectly blaming Him who made the male and female for the propagation of the
human race. Some of those reckoned among them have also introduced abstinence
from animal food, thus proving themselves ungrateful
to God, who formed all things. They deny, too, the salvation of him who was
first created. It is but lately, however, that this opinion has been invented
among them. A certain man named Tatian first
introduced the blasphemy. He was a hearer of Justin's, and as long as he
continued with him he expressed no such views; but after his martyrdom he
separated from the Church, and, excited and puffed up by the thought of being a
teacher, as if he were superior to others, he composed his own peculiar type of
doctrine. He invented a system of certain invisible AEons,
like the followers of Valentinus; while, like Marcion and Saturninus, he
declared that marriage was nothing else than corruption and fornication.(3) But
his denial of Adam's salvation was an opinion due entirely to himself.”
Irenaeus Against Heresies, III, Chap. 12, “ For all
those who are of a perverse mind, having been set against the Mosaic
legislation, judging it to be dissimilar and contrary to the doctrine of the
Gospel, have not applied themselves to investigate the causes of the difference
of each covenant. Since, therefore, they have been deserted by the paternal
love, and puffed up by Satan, being brought over to the doctrine of Simon
Magus, they have apostatized in their opinions from Him who is God, and
imagined that they have themselves discovered more than the apostles, by
finding out another god; and [maintained] that the apostles preached the Gospel
still somewhat under the influence of Jewish opinions, but that they themselves
are purer [in doctrine], and more intelligent, than the apostles. Wherefore
also Marcion and his followers have betaken
themselves to mutilating the Scriptures, not acknowledging some books at all;
and, curtailing the Gospel according to Luke and the Epistles of Paul, they
assert that these are alone authentic, which they have themselves thus
shortened. In another work,(1) however, I shall, God
granting [me strength], refute them out of these which they still retain. But
all the rest, inflated with the false name of "knowledge," do
certainly recognise the Scriptures; but they pervert
the interpretations, as I have shown in the first book. And, indeed, the
followers of Marcion do directly blaspheme the
Creator, alleging him to be the creator of evils, [but] holding a more
tolerable(2) theory as to his origin, [and] maintaining that there are two
beings, gods by nature, differing from each other,--the one being good, but the
other evil.”
Irenaeus Against Heresies, III, Chap. 13, “1. With regard to those (the Marcionites)
who allege that Paul alone knew the truth, and that to him the mystery was
manifested by revelation, let Paul himself convict them, when he says, that one
and the same God wrought in Peter for the apostolate of the circumcision, and
in himself for the Gentiles.(7) Peter, therefore, was an apostle of that very
God whose was also Paul; and Him whom Peter preached as God among those of the circumcision, and likewise the Son of
God, did Paul [declare] also among the Gentiles. For our Lord never came to
save Paul alone, nor is God so limited in means, that He should have but one
apostle who knew the dispensation of His Son. And again, when Paul says,
"How beautiful are the feet of those bringing glad tidings of good things,
and preaching the Gospel of peace,"(8) he shows clearly that it was not
merely one, but there were many who used to preach the truth.”
Irenaeus Against Heresies, IV, 8, “1. Vain, too, is [the effort of] Marcion
and his followers when they [seek to] exclude Abraham from the inheritance, to
whom the Spirit through many men, and now by Paul, bears witness, that "he
believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness."(14) And the
Lord [also bears witness to him,] in the first place, indeed, by raising up
children to him from the stones, and making his seed as the stars of heaven,
saying, "They shall come from the east and from the west, from the north
and from the south, and shall recline with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the
kingdom of heaven;"(15) and then again by saying to the Jews, "When
ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom
of heaven, but you yourselves cast out."(1) This, then, is a clear point,
that those who disallow his salvation, and frame the idea of another God
besides Him who made the promise to Abraham, are outside the kingdom of God,
and are disinherited from [the gift of] incorruption, setting at naught and
blaspheming God, who introduces, through Jesus Christ, Abraham to the kingdom
of heaven, and his seed, that is, the Church, upon which also is conferred the
adoption and the inheritance promised to Abraham.
Irenaeus Against Heresies, IV, Chap. 13, “1. And that the Lord did not abrogate the natural
[precepts] of the law, by which man(2) is justified, which also those who were
justified by faith, and who pleased God, did observe previous to the giving of
the law, but that He extended and fulfilled them, is shown from His words. "For,"
He remarks, "it has been said to them of old time, Do
not commit adultery. But I say unto you, That every
one who hath looked upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery
with her already in his heart."(3) And again: "It has been said, Thou
shalt not kill. But I say unto you, Every one who is angry with his brother without a cause,
shall be in danger of the judgment."(4) And, "It hath been said, Thou
shalt not forswear thyself. But I say unto you, Swear
not at all; but let your conversation be, Yea, yea,
and Nay, nay."(5) And other statements of a like nature. For all these do
not contain or imply an opposition to and an overturning of the [precepts] of
the past, as Marcion's followers do strenuously
maintain; but [they exhibit] a fulfilling and an extension of them, as He does
Himself declare: "Unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the
scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."(6)
For what meant the excess referred to? In the first place, [we must] believe
not only in the Father, but also in His Son now revealed; for He it is who
leads man into fellowship and unity with God. In the next place, [we must] not
only say, but we must do; for they said, but did not. And [we must] not only
abstain from evil deeds, but even from the desires after them. Now He did not
teach us these things as being opposed to the law, but as fulfilling the law,
and implanting in us the varied righteousness of the law. That would have been
contrary to the law, if He had commanded His disciples to do anything which the
law had prohibited. But this which He did command--namely, not only to abstain
from things forbidden by the law, but even from longing after them--is not
contrary to [the law], as I have remarked, neither is it the utterance of one
destroying the law, but of one fulfilling, extending, and affording greater
scope to it.”
Eusebius’ Ecclesiatical History, Book 4, Chap. 22, “Hegesippus and the Events
which he mentiones. Hegesippus in the five books of Memoirs [1] 1
which have come down to us has left a most complete record of his own views. In
them he states that on a journey to