The Marcion Heresy

Summary

This video delves into the heresy of Marcionism, founded by Marcion in 85 A.D. in Synops, Turkey. Marcion, born into a Christian household, was excommunicated by the Church of Rome in 144 A.D. for proposing two Gods: one evil creator of the material world and a good God who sent Jesus. His beliefs were considered unscriptural and Gnostic. Marcion created an early biblical canon, excluding the Old Testament and editing the Gospel of Luke and Paul's Epistles. Church fathers like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian opposed Marcion's views, arguing for the unity of the Old and New Testaments. Tertullian noted Marcion's late-life repentance, though he died before rejoining the Church.

Takeaways

• 😇 Marcion was a significant figure in early Christianity, known for founding a heretical sect.
• 🗓 Born in 85 A.D. in Synops, modern-day Turkey, Marcion lived during the Roman Empire era.
• ✝️ Initially a Christian, Marcion traveled to Rome in the 130s A.D. to deepen his faith.
• 🚫 In 144 A.D., Marcion was excommunicated by the Church of Rome for his unorthodox beliefs.
• 🌐 Marcion's teachings proposed the existence of two Gods: an evil creator of the material world and a good God who sent Jesus.
• 📜 He rejected the Old Testament, viewing its God as evil, and only accepted a modified version of the Gospel of Luke and ten of Paul's Epistles.
• 🔗 Marcion's ideas align with Gnostic thought, which differentiates between the material and spiritual realms.
• 👨‍🏫 Early Church Fathers like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian opposed Marcion's views and worked to refute them.
• 📚 Marcion is credited with creating one of the first attempts at a biblical canon, though it was heavily edited to fit his beliefs.
• 🔄 Despite his heretical status, some accounts suggest Marcion repented and was reconciled with the Church before his death.

Q & A

Who was Marcion and what was his significance in early Christianity?

Marcion was a significant figure in early Christianity, known for founding a heretical sect. He was born in 85 A.D. in Synops, modern-day Turkey, and lived under the Roman Empire. He was excommunicated by the Church of Rome in 144 A.D. due to his unorthodox beliefs and went on to establish a large following in his home country.

What were the central beliefs of Marcionism?

Marcionism proposed the existence of two Gods: an evil God who created the material world and a good God who sent Jesus to save humanity. Marcion believed the evil God was the deity of the Old Testament, in stark contrast to the loving God of the New Testament.

Why was Marcion excommunicated by the Church of Rome?

Marcion was excommunicated because the Church of Rome deemed his beliefs unscriptural and heretical. His dualistic view of God and rejection of the Old Testament were seen as contradicting the core tenets of Christian faith.

What was Marcion's stance on the Old and New Testaments?

Marcion rejected the Old Testament entirely, viewing its God as evil and incompatible with the loving God of the New Testament. He created his own version of the New Testament, which included an edited version of the Gospel of Luke and ten of Paul's Epistles, with verses that supported his views.

Who were the main opponents of Marcion and what were their arguments against him?

The main opponents of Marcion included Church Fathers Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian. They argued against Marcion's dualistic theology and his editing of scriptures to fit his beliefs. They maintained that the Old and New Testaments were united and that Marcion's actions were heretical.

What did Marcion edit out of the Gospel of Luke and Paul's Epistles?

Marcion edited out parts of the Gospel of Luke and Paul's Epistles that uplifted the Old Testament God or that conflicted with his dualistic view of God. He aimed to create a New Testament that supported his belief in a separate, good God.

How did the early Church Fathers view Marcion's editing of scriptures?

The early Church Fathers were appalled by Marcion's editing of scriptures. They saw it as a mutilation of the texts and an attack on the unity of the Old and New Testaments, which they believed were foundational to Christian faith.

What was the impact of Marcion's beliefs on the early Christian Church?

Marcion's beliefs challenged the early Church's understanding of God and scripture, leading to significant debates and the strengthening of Church doctrines. His sect, though eventually deemed heretical, had a lasting impact on the development of Christian theology.

Did Marcion ever repent of his teachings, and what is the historical account of this?

According to Tertullian, Marcion did reportedly repent of his teachings towards the end of his life and was allowed back into the Church. However, this claim is debated among historians, and Marcion passed away before this could be fully confirmed.

What is the legacy of Marcionism in the context of Christian history?

The legacy of Marcionism is multifaceted. It represents a significant early challenge to Church orthodoxy, prompting a more defined response to heresy and a clearer articulation of Christian doctrine. Marcion's efforts also highlight the diversity of beliefs in early Christianity.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Introduction to Marcionism and its Founder

The video discusses the heresy of Marcionism, founded by Marcion who was born in Synop, modern-day Turkey, in 85 A.D. He was raised in a Christian household and traveled to Rome in the 130s A.D. to deepen his faith. Despite gaining a following, Marcion was excommunicated by the Church of Rome in 144 A.D. due to his unorthodox beliefs. He then returned to his homeland and established a lasting following. Marcion proposed the existence of two Gods: an evil God who created the material world and a good God who sent Jesus for salvation. He rejected the Old Testament and its God, viewing them as evil, and instead focused on the Gospel of Luke and ten of Paul's Epistles, which he edited to align with his beliefs. This stance was seen as anti-Jewish and likely influenced by the Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire in the 130s A.D. Marcion's views were opposed by early church fathers like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian, who criticized his rejection of the Old Testament and his editing of the New Testament texts.

05:01

📜 Church Fathers' Opposition and Marcion's Repentance

The video continues by detailing the opposition of three prominent Church Fathers to Marcion's teachings. Justin Martyr, who lived during Marcion's time, wrote about him in his 'First Apology,' accusing Marcion of teaching a different God and denying the Creator's role in the universe. Irenaeus, writing around 185 A.D., criticized Marcion for mutilating the Gospel of Luke and the teachings of Jesus to remove references to the Creator. Tertullian, in his writings against Marcion, argued that the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament and that separating them undermines their foundation. Interestingly, Tertullian also mentions that Marcion reportedly repented of his teachings towards the end of his life and was reconciled with the Church before his death. The video concludes by summarizing the Church Fathers' view of Marcion as a heretical Christian whose beliefs contradicted the core tenets of scripture.

Keywords

💡Marcionism

Marcionism refers to the theological system proposed by Marcion of Sinope, a significant figure in early Christianity. It is a heresy that was rejected by the early Church. Marcionism posits the existence of two gods: an evil God who created the material world and a good God who sent Jesus to save humanity. The video discusses how Marcion's beliefs were considered unscriptural and led to his excommunication by the Church of Rome in 144 A.D.

💡Excommunication

Excommunication is the formal act of expelling a person from a religious community, often as a result of their beliefs or actions being deemed heretical. In the context of the video, Marcion was excommunicated by the Church of Rome due to his beliefs, which were seen as contradicting the Church's teachings.

💡Old Testament

The Old Testament is the first part of the Christian Bible, which contains the sacred scriptures of Judaism. Marcionism rejected the Old Testament, viewing its God as evil and in opposition to the loving God of the New Testament. This rejection is a central aspect of Marcion's heresy, as it challenges the continuity between the Old and New Testaments.

💡New Testament

The New Testament is the second part of the Christian Bible, containing the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles. Marcion's version of the New Testament was heavily edited to remove references to the Old Testament God, reflecting his belief in a dualistic God concept.

💡Gnosticism

Gnosticism is a set of religious ideas and systems that emphasize personal spiritual knowledge over orthodox teachings. The video suggests that Marcion's beliefs align with Gnostic thought, particularly in his dualistic view of God and his rejection of the material world as evil.

💡Justin Martyr

Justin Martyr was an early Christian apologist who wrote against Marcion, criticizing his teachings as heretical. His writings provide insight into the early Church's perspective on Marcionism and the defense of orthodox Christian beliefs against Marcion's teachings.

💡Irenaeus

Irenaeus was an early Church father who also opposed Marcion, arguing against his editing of the Gospel of Luke and his rejection of the Old Testament. Irenaeus' writings are significant in understanding the early Church's response to Marcionism and the development of Christian doctrine.

💡Tertullian

Tertullian was a prominent early Christian theologian who wrote against Marcion, emphasizing the unity of the Old and New Testaments. His works are important for understanding the early Church's stance on Marcionism and the defense of the biblical canon against Marcion's revisions.

💡Biblical Canon

The biblical canon refers to the collection of books considered authoritative and sacred in Christianity. Marcion is said to have created the first official New Testament canon, but his version was heavily edited and rejected by the Church, reflecting his heretical views.

💡Pontus

Pontus was the region in modern-day Turkey where Marcion was born. The video mentions Marcion's origin to provide context for his life and the development of his beliefs, which were influenced by his cultural and geographical background.

💡Heresy

Heresy refers to a belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or opinions. In the video, Marcionism is described as a heresy because it contradicts the fundamental doctrines of the early Christian Church, particularly regarding the nature of God and the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.

Highlights

Marcionism is a heretical belief system that the early church rejected.

Marcion was born in 85 A.D. in Synops, modern-day Turkey.

He was born into a Christian household and traveled to Rome in the late 130s A.D.

Marcion was excommunicated by the Church of Rome in 144 A.D. for his unscriptural beliefs.

After excommunication, Marcion returned to his home country and established a large following.

Marcion proposed the existence of two Gods: an evil God who created the material world and a good God who sent Jesus.

Marcion viewed the God of the Old Testament as evil, in contrast to the loving God of the New Testament.

Marcion's beliefs align with Gnostic thinking, which is a subject of a separate video.

Marcion is credited with creating the first official biblical Canon, excluding the Old Testament.

His New Testament consisted of an edited version of the Gospel of Luke and ten of Paul's Epistles.

Marcion's edits to the Gospel of Luke and Paul's Epistles removed references to the Old Testament God.

Marcion's anti-Jewish stance may have been influenced by the Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire in the 130s A.D.

Church fathers like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian opposed Marcion's views.

Justin Martyr criticized Marcion for teaching a different God and denying God's role as creator.

Irenaeus accused Marcion of mutilating the Gospel of Luke by removing verses.

Tertullian argued that the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament, and they are interdependent.

The church fathers saw Marcion as a heretic whose beliefs contradicted the unity of the Old and New Testaments.

Tertullian suggested that Marcion repented of his teachings towards the end of his life.

Transcripts

welcome back today we're discussing the

heresy of martianism and while the early

church followers rejected it

Martian was the founder of the soretical

belief he was born in 85 A.D in synops

synop is in modern day Turkey

so Martian lived under the rule of the

Roman Empire

Marcin was as well born into a more

Christian household and eventually

traveled to Rome in the late 130s A.D to

further his faith

Martian started to build somewhat of a

following there but eventually in 144

A.D the Church of Rome excommunicated

him as they thought his beliefs were

unscriptural

after this took place Marcin headed back

to his home country and established a

large following there

in fact the churches he established

there have actually lasted for centuries

after his death

now what were these beliefs that the

Church of Rome were so shocked by that

they had to excommunicate marcion

marcian proposed that there were two

Gods an evil God who created the

material world and a good God who sent

Jesus to save us morrissian believed

that this evil God was the god of the

Old Testament in fact marcion looked

down at the Old Testament God and

couldn't see how the god of the New

Testament who he saw as loving was the

same being as the Old Testament who is

evil as you can see his beliefs fall

under more of a gnostic set of thinking

if you would like to know more about the

gnostics I made a video about them in

the description below

marcian is said to have come up with the

first official biblical Canon of course

since he rejected the Old Testament God

he is well rejected the Old Testament as

scripture his whole new testament

composed of the Gospel of Luke although

he did edit out the parts that he saw

uplifted the Old Testament God

he as well had used ten of Paul's

Epistles which were as well edited by

him

what you can see here based on all of

this is a rejection of Jewish texts as

Luke is considered to be a gentile and

Paul of course was a Roman citizen this

anti-jewish presence we see in Martian

was most likely caused by the Jewish

revolt against the Roman Empire that had

occurred in the 130s AED

many early church fathers opposed

marcian's views but the main three would

be Justin Martyr irenaeus and tertullian

Justin Martyr actually lived during the

time period of marcian and wrote his

opinion on him in his first apology

for example Justin mother says this

about marcion and there is marcion a man

of Pontius who is even at this day alive

and teaching his disciples to believe in

some other God greater than the Creator

Justin even says this

and as we said before the Devils put

forward marcian of Pontius who is even

now teaching Ben to deny that God is the

maker of all things in heaven and on

Earth

of Leon who wrote around 185 A.D saw how

Marcin had took out verses that he

didn't like theologically so irenaeus

says this about marcion

he mutilates the gospel which is

according to Luke removing all that is

written respecting the generation of the

Lord and setting aside a great deal of

the teaching of the Lord in which the

Lord is recorded as most dearly

confessing that the maker of this

universe is his father

aaronis then further says this

but since this man is the only one who

has dared to openly mutilate the

scriptures into unblemishingly above all

others to invade against God I purpose

specially to refute him convicting him

of his own writings

the Church Father tatulian wrote books

against marcion into a 7 A.D to trillion

holds to the position that the New

Testament fulfills the Old Testament and

they are both dependent on each other

for example he says this

for since Martian separated the New

Testament from the old he is necessarily

subsequent to that which he separated in

as much as it was only in his power to

separate what was previously United

to sum up the beliefs of the church

fathers on marcian they believed he was

a heretical Christian who had beliefs

that contradicted the basics of

scripture the church fathers believed

that the old and the New Testament were

United so to separate them was to

separate and destroy their very

Foundation they stood upon

the church fathers were as well

disgusted by how Marcin took out verses

he didn't like in Luke's gospel and

Paul's Epistles

interestingly enough tertullian actually

talks about how marcian towards the end

of his life repented of his own false

teaching and was allowed back into the

church

but before this could happen Marcin

passed away

thank you for watching this quick video

on marcian's heresy if you enjoyed

please leave a like And subscribe and as

always God bless