| Beliefs - Group |
Marcionites |
Christian-Jewish
Adoptionists |
Gnostics |
"Proto-Orthodox" |
| Where they lived |
Scattered / most in
(modern) Turkey |
Palestine (E/ Jordan River) |
Major urban areas: Syria,
Egypt, Turkey, Rome, Gaul. |
|
| Time period |
Mid-late 2nd Century |
2nd Century |
2nd to 3rd Century |
2nd, 3rd, Dominant from 4th |
| What they believed |
Followed 2nd C. Evangelist
Marcion. Claimed to uncover the true teachings in Paul's
writings. |
|
Gnostics were diverse and
held different beliefs.
Gnosis - knowledge special for
salvation.
|
By early 4th C., they were
the dominant form of Christianity. Stifled and/or
assimilated opposition ('heretics' - rejecting
true belief), claimed its view was the 'true'. |
| Who was Jesus? |
Jesus was not connected
with Jewish God, the Creator, or the Israelites.
Jesus was the one true God. Jesus came
to save people from this God. Has no ties to the
material world. Not actually born - no flesh and blood
body. A phantasm - bodily manifestations were in
appearance only. |
Jesus was a remarkable man,
more righteous in the Jewish Law than any other, a man
chosen by God to be his son. Jesus was 'adopted' at his
baptism (emerging from the Jordan), saw the heavens open
up and the Spirit of God descend upon him as a dove,
while a voice from heaven proclaimed: "You are my
son, today I have begotten you." |
Some agreed with
Marcionites, others with CJA. God did not adopt Jesus.
Baptism was the moment at which the divine being, the
Christ came into the man Jesus, empowering him for his
healing and teaching ministry. Before death, Christ
departed from the world returned to heaven. |
Jesus completely human, and
divine, taught the way of salvation, not two beings, and
no secret teachings. |
|
Jewish God punishes the
disobedient. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.
God of Jesus is merciful and forgives. Turn the other
cheek. Conquer Jericho by force. Love your enemies. Two
unrelated Gods. |
Jesus was empowered by God
to do remarkable miracles, and to teach the truth of
God. Jesus fulfilled his divine commission, willingly
dying on the cross for the sins of the world, ending all
sacrifice. God raised Jesus from the dead, ascended to
heaven and resides there. |
Jesus was one of many
deities (30-365) that made up the divine realm. |
Counteracted the claims
of competing groups. Drawing in Matthew and John -
to assuage views, but banishing Thomas, Philip, etc. |
|
|
Jesus was a man, not born
from the virgin, and not divine. He did not exist
prior to his birth and was not God. |
True God was not the God of
OT. Not vengeful and righteous, but inherently evil as
was his world. |
|
|
Paul was true apostle to
whom Christ appeared post resurrection. Paul was a good
Jew but R of Ch. revealed that Jewish Law played no part
in the divine redemption. |
Must continue to obey the
Law (except for sacrifice). Must first become Jewish
(circumcision and keeping Sabbath and kosher), then
accept Jesus.
Only one God: Hear O Israel, the Lord
our God, the Lord is One. (D.6.4)
|
Gnostics felt alienation
from this world, not belonging here. They were spiritual
beings, from the divine realm - entrapped by the evil
God. Salvation meant escaping from this material world.
Jesus similarly entered and departed this world,
teaching imprisoned spirits the knowledge for escape. |
|
|
Jesus has no connection
with Creator. |
God the Creator. |
Knowledge was secret - kept
even from most Christians - meant for the
"chosen" Gnostics. |
|
|
Christ was the only way of
salvation. Paul's writings set gospel of Christ against
Jewish Law and urged Christians to abandon Judaism. |
|
Jesus taught publicly, but
revealed only to them. Knowledge passed on mouth to
mouth. The meaning was implicitly in the text, beneath
the surface. The literal meaning meant nothing - it was
the secret meaning for those in the know that led to
salvation |
Apostles wrote J's
teachings and should be taught in a straightforward and
literal manner to reveal truth needed for salvation. |
|
|
Saw Paul as arch-heretic
for teaching Christ brought end to Jewish Law. |
Not tied to literal meaning
- not compile texts. |
|
|
Luke + Paul's (edited)
letters (no OT) |
Books: Matthew and OT
Rejects or never heard of other books. |
Books: John, Thomas, Mary,
Philip, Truth |
Matt, John, Mark... |
|
Two Gods. |
One God |
Many Gods (30-365) |
One God |
|
Divine, not human |
Human, not divine. |
|
Draws from human and divine |
|
Reject the J-Law |
Follow the J-Law |
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