Marcionism

Abstract

Abstract Marcionism originated in the teachings of Marcion of Sinope, who was expelled from the church in Rome around 144 ce . Since Marcion's Antitheses are no longer extant, scholars have attempted to reconstruct his doctrines via his opponents. Marcion argued that the rigidly just and vengeful God of the Hebrew Scriptures should be distinguished from the true, “alien” God, the loving Father of Jesus Christ. Marcion also rejected the Jewish Scriptures, which he considered to be cruel and crude and thus intellectually scandalous. He further argued that Jesus was not the prophesied Jewish Messiah and that Paul was the only apostle to have truly understood the new salvation found in Jesus, but even Paul's writings had been altered. The marcionite canon included a redacted edition of the Gospel of Luke and ten emended Pauline epistles. While Marcionism entailed an aversion to the material world, it lacked the elaborate, speculative myths and emphasis upon secret knowledge that characterized gnosticisms. According to Tertullian, Marcion espoused a form of docetism and denied a future resurrection of the body. Marcionism was usually characterized by a rigorous asceticism and a willingness to suffer persecution and even martyrdom. Marcionism developed a well‐organized ecclesiastical structure, enabling it to become a formidable alternative to the mainstream church. Justin Martyr claimed that Marcionism had already spread among “many people of every nation” ( Apology , 1.26). Some of Marcion's followers developed their theologies in new and variant directions. For example, Apelles claimed that there was only one god, while others spoke of three divine principles: good, just, and evil. Marcionism survived in the west into the 4th century, and it continued in the east even longer. As late as the 5th century, Orthodox Church members were urged to use caution while traveling, lest they unintentionally enter and participate in a Marcionite assembly. The Trullan Synod at Constantinople (622 ce ) regulated the reception of Marcionites into the Orthodox Church. So‐called “Marcionite” prologues to the Pauline epistles appear in numerous Vulgate manuscripts, but their exact origin is disputed.