CHAPTER 2

Early Apologists and their Fight Against Heresies

SUBTOPICS
1.

Heresies Against the Early Church

1.1 Gnosticism 1.2 Marcionism 1.3 Montanism 1.4 Manichaenism

HERESIES AGAINST THE EARLY CHURCH

Aside from persecution, the proliferation of heresies ( false teachings) against the early Church threatened the unity and stability of the Christians. These false teachings were perpetuated by the following groups/sects in the early centuries:

GNOSTICISM
Greek term gnosis which means knowledge. Philip Hughes elaborates that Gnosticism proclaimed its teachings, its rites, and its prescriptions. In addition, the Gnostic viewed the world of as evil and the spirit alone good.

Consequences
Body

resurrection of Jesus was denied Marriages was condemned Bodily or worldly were also abhorred and despised

In relation to Christianity, Henry Chadwick (1992) writes:

Most of the Gnostic sects claimed to be Christian, collecting sayings of Jesus and offered their adherents an alternative or rival form of Christianity.

In later centuries, they attracted followers to their group and continued to perpetuate their false teaching and their numbers increased.

MARCIONISM
Is named after its founder, Marcion. His belief was first a reaction to the contradicting of God of the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Adalbert Hamman
Described

Marcionism as the error of Marcion who rejected the vengeful God of the Old Testament in favour of the good God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Philip Hughes affirms that for Marcion there were two Gods..

Marcion was an advocate of a loving God but he simply cannot reconcile the vindictive God of the Old Testament, based on his own interpretation.

MONTANISM
Its leader is Montanus (132 A.D.) who claimed a special inspiration for the Holy Spirit. Hubert Jedin describes the development of Montanist movement had an early phase, then a period when it underwent modification by Tertullian, and finally a stage of decline after the Church had defeated it. In the year 200, Montanism was condemned by Pope Zephyrinus, putting a gradual end of the movement.

MANICHAENISM
Founded by Mani, a Persian priest a fundamental battle between good and evil, with opposing forces struggling for the souls of humans It rose to greater prominence when Saint Augustine of Hippo joined

2. Christian Response: The Apologists

2.1 Clement of Rome (30-100 A.D.) 2.2 Polycarp of Smyrna (65-155 A.D.) 2.3 Ignatius of Antioch (30-107 A.D.) 2.4 Irenaeus of Lyons (120-202 A.D.) 2.5 Justin Martyr (114-165 A.D.) 2.6 Tertullian (145-220 A.D.)

CLEMENT OF ROME (40-100 AD)

He wrote an Epistle to the Church at Corinth His significance is better appreciated in his writings which seek to defend and propagate the Christian faith

Polycarp of Smyrna ( 65 155 A.D. )

Polycarp was a 2nd century Christian Bishop of Smyrna.
was the one who wrote to the Church at Philippi on the exhortation of virtue, the practice of love, hope and patience, the reminders for deacons, youths and virgins , and the duties of presbyters, and all the Christians. But, he was betrayed by a servant, asked to denounced his faith in Jesus by his persecutors.

 Despite all those trials, He refused to revile Christ, stood unthreatened by torture and death, and embraced martyrdom by being burned alive inside the stadium before a multitude of people.

The martyrdom of Polycarp was well recorded by ancient writers, and was considered as one of the most inspiring stories of the early Christians that defied human persecution and withstood the trial of faith even the fearful test of death.

Ignatius of Antioch ( 30 107 A. D. )

Coming from a humble beginning, Ignatius Succeeded Evodius as Bishop of Antioch, the largest city in Syria. As to his fight against heresies, Ignatius fought the Judaizers and the Docetists. Judaizers were Christians who felt that all Christians, Gentile converts included, must follow the Jewish law.

Docetism was the name given to the belief that Jesus did not really have a body but only seemed to have one.

Ignatius, on his part, strongly cautioned the Christians in his Epistle to the Magnesians against Judaizing : It is absurd to speak of Jesus Christ with the tongue, and to cherish in the mind a Judaism which has now come to an end. For where there is Christianity there cannot be Judaism. He emphasized the divine vindication of the Christians as the new people of God who replaced the corrupt Jews through Christs passion, death and resurrection. With regards to Docetism, Ignatius, in his Epistle to the Trallians, explained the errors of the Docetists: For if they had been branches of the father, they would not have been enemies of the cross of Christ, but rather of those who killed the Lord of glory. But Christ invites you to share His immortality by his passion and resurrection,inasmuch as ye are His members. Like his comment against the Judaizers , he criticized the Docetists as an

IRENAEUS OF LYONS (120-202 A.D.)

Born in Smyrna,
a

territory (diocese) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Christian community of Smyrna was one of the Seven Churches of Asia, mentioned by Apostle John in the Book of Revelation.

was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, a part of the Roman Empire (now Lyons, France).

IRENAEUS OF LYONS (120-202 A.D.)

A hearer of Polycarp Apologist who defended the Christian practices and doctrines. Adversus Haeresus (Against Heresies)

On

the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis, today also called On the Detection and Overthrow of Knowledge Falsely So Called

ADVERSUS HAERESUS

is a five-volume work written by St. Irenaeus in the 2nd century. The purpose of Against Heresies was to refute or to prove the teachings of various Gnostic groups are false. Gnostics would secretly meet outside of regular church activity where they would discuss their "secret knowledge" and scripture that pertains to it As bishop, Irenaeus felt obligated to keep a close eye on the gnostics and to safeguard the church from them. Christians in Asia and Phrygia especially needed his protection from Gnostics Polycarp hearer

ADVERSUS HAERESUS
In order to fulfill this duty, Irenaeus educated himself and became well informed of Gnostic doctrines and traditions. Standard and Tradition,

What they taught is no more than what the apostles told Test for truth against those who deviate from the Church

He pointed out that Gnostics preached as salvific revelation by God was not rooted in the teachings of Apostles.

JUSTIN MARTYR (114-165 A.D.)

Born in Flavia Neapolis, Samaria, the modern Noblous was an early Christian apologist, and is regarded as the foremost interpreter of the theory of the Logos in the 2nd century. After conversion from paganism found his peace in the hope offered by the Christian faith

TWO APOLOGIES

Apology of Justin
Address to Roman Emperors Titus, Aelius, Andrianius, Antonius Pius, Augustus Ceasar and other Roman person of nobility This works have been cited as one of the earliest examples of Christian apology, and many scholars attribute this work to creating a new genre of apology out of what was a typical Roman administrative procedure Christians centered on the practice of Baptism First: Principal Criticisms and early church practices Second: Persecutions under Urbicus

DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO

Dialogue with Trypho

Conversation between Justin and Trypho Most scholars agree that Trypho, a Jew is a fictional character invented by Justin. Intellectual Inquiry Documents showing that Christianity is the new law for all men, and to prove from Scripture that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah For I choose to follow not men or men's doctrines, but God and the doctrines [delivered] by Him. ch. 80

TERTULLIAN (145 220 A.D.)

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. Joseph Kelly:

First

great Christian Latin writer Created much Latin terminology -- trinity.

TERTULLIAN (145 220 A.D.)

"the father of Latin Christianity" "the founder of Western theology. Most remembered by his strong character Historians find it difficult to determine his roots He is well-educated in the law , rhetoric and Greek He is truly a fighter against faulty reasoning and divisive, false teaching

TERTULLIAN (145 220 A.D.)

Produces number of apologetic writing against Marcion, paganism and heresy Conversion to Montanism and he was never canonized by the Catholic Church, as several of his later teachings directly contradicted the actions and teachings of the apostles. His trinity formulation was considered heresy by the Church during his lifetime, however, it was later accepted as doctrine at the council of Nicaea.