REL1350

“What did early Christians fight about?”

Heresy in the early church

• I believe in God, the Father Almighty,    the Creator of heaven and earth,    and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,    born of the Virgin Mary,    suffered under Pontius Pilate,    was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven    and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,    whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,    the communion of saints,    the forgiveness of sins,    the resurrection of the body,    and life everlasting.

The Apostle’s Creed• I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

    the Creator of heaven and earth,    and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,    born of the Virgin Mary,    suffered under Pontius Pilate,    was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven    and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,    whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,    the communion of saints,    the forgiveness of sins,    the resurrection of the body,    and life everlasting.

The Apostle’s Creed• Did the apostles really write it?• What does it teach? • Why was it written?

– What purpose did it serve?– Was it in response to some problem?

The Apostle’s Creed• Did the apostles really write it?• What does it teach? • Why was it written?

– What purpose did it serve?– Was it in response to some problem?

• Increasing number of pagan converts to Christianity means introduction of many new ideas

Orthodoxy

• ortho = right, true, straight• doxy = thinking, praise• heresy = teaching that is contrary

to established, orthodox belief

Docetism

• dokeo = “to seem” or “to appear”• Denies humanity of Christ

Gnosticism

• Gnosis = “knowledge”• Dualistic worldview

–God of darkness vs. God of light• “The Hymn of the Pearl”

Visible movement of “lights” escaping from earth

Visible movement of “lights” escaping from earth

Visible movement of “lights” escaping from earth

Visible movement of “lights” escaping from earth

Visible movement of “lights” escaping from earth

Visible movement of “lights” escaping from earth

Visible movement of “lights” escaping from earth

Visible movement of “lights” escaping from earth

Visible movement of “lights” escaping from earth

They’re gone!!!

Marcion

• Prosperous business man in mid-100s AD• Proposed Christian canon that excluded

all Jewish works• How could God of Hebrew scriptures be

same God who sent Christ to die for us?

Orthodox responses to heresy

•Canon•Creed•Apostolic succession

Orthodox responses to heresy

• Canon–By end of 2nd century:

• 4 gospels• Acts• Letters of Paul

–Final canon not established until mid-300s AD

Orthodox responses to heresy

• Creed• The Apostle’s Creed, c. 150AD

The Apostle’s Creed• I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

    the Creator of heaven and earth,    and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,    born of the Virgin Mary,    suffered under Pontius Pilate,    was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven    and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,    whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,    the communion of saints,    the forgiveness of sins,    the resurrection of the body,    and life everlasting.

Orthodox responses to heresy• Creed• The Apostle’s Creed, c. 150AD

– The “Symbol of the faith”• The means by which you could tell a true believer

from a heretic

– Does not reject the material world

Orthodox responses to heresy

• Apostolic succession–Importance of being able to trace

one’s ministry all the way back to Jesus’ first followers• An unbroken line of succession all

the way back to Jesus himself

Questions?

Questions?

• Is there only one true way to understand what it means to be a Christian and what you must believe, or can there be multiple correct understandings of Christianity?

Questions?

• Is there only one true way to understand what it means to be a Christian and what you must believe, or can there be multiple correct understandings of Christianity?

• Why are there so many?

Questions?

• Can you think of other ways in which gnostic beliefs are still around today?