A) INTRODUCTION.

B) MARCION’S TEACHINGS.

C) SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

 

 

A) INTRODUCTION

 

 

Marcionism was an Early Christian dualist belief system that originated in the teachings of Marcion of Sinope in Rome, around the year 144 A.D.

 

Marcionism was denounced by its opponents as heresy and written against; most notably by Tertullian in his five-book treatise, “Adversus Marcionem,” in his chapter, “Against Marcion,” in about 208 A.D. 

 

 

B) MARCION’S TEACHINGS

 

 

“Marcion’s Canon,” possibly the first Christian Canon ever compiled, consisted only of eleven books.  Its gospel consisting of ten sections drawn from the Gospel of Luke; and ten Pauline epistles.  “Marcion’s Canon” rejected the entire Old Testament, as most Chirstian denominations today; along with all other Epistles and Gospels of what would become the Canonized, 27 Books of the New Testament (which were yet to be compiled during his lifetime).  However, the Pauline Epistles enjoy a prominent position in the “Marcionite Canon,” since Paul was considered by Marcion to be Christ’s only true apostle.

 

The premise of Marcionism is that many of the teachings of Christ are incompatible with the actions of the God of the Old Testament -- which is silly, since he rejected the Old Testament anyway, why compare to It?  Thus, focusing on the Pauline traditions of the Gospel, Marcion felt that all other conceptions of the Gospel, and especially any association with the Old Testament religion, was opposed to, and a backsliding from the truth.  Once again, being silly, since Paul quotes extensively the Old Testament Scriptures.  See Paul’s work, The Book of Hebrews.

 

Marcion further regarded the arguments of Paul regarding Law and Gospel, wrath and grace, works and faith, flesh and spirit, sin and righteousness, death and life, as the essence of religious truth (taken from Adolf Von Harnack, in his work, “History of Dogma,” volume 1, chapter 5, page 269). 

 

Marcion ascribed these aspects and characteristics as two principles, the righteous and wrathful God of the Old Testament, Who is at the same time identical with the Creator of the world, and as such, a second God of the Gospel Who is only Love and Mercy.  Sound like Christianity today?  “Marcionites” then held that the God of the Hebrew Bible was inconsistent, jealous, wrathful and genocidal, and that the material world He created was defective, a place of suffering.  That God Who made such a world is a bungling or malicious demiurge.

 

 

C) SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM

 

 

The problem for today’s Western Christianity, is that the Old Testament is rarely, if ever, studied.  The teachings that the God of the Old Testament is unforgiving, while the God of the New Testament (Jesus) forgives everything, has crept in quite well into main-stream Christianity.  That when the Pauline Letters seem to contradict the rest of the Bible, Paul’s Letters are to take precedence.  This doctrine prospered even up to the time of Luther, who taught that the Book of James (as an example) should not exist in the Canon.

 

And the “Crown of Exaggeration” is, that the 10-Commandments, written by the very hand of God, are either changed or abolished.  As an example, Paul’s term, “under the Law,” is made to mean something bad.  Such as, if you attempt to keep God’s Commanded Law, you are “under the Law.”  By contrast, the true meaning of “under the Law,” is to be in violation of Its requirements (you are breaking one or all of them).  While not being “under the Law” is to be free from Its condemnation.  In other words, God’s Law is made out to be bad and against you; instead of a means towards being positively a blessing for the doer thereof.

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