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Marcionism - Coggle Diagram
Marcionism
The Canon
Marcion also rejected the use of allegory to explain contradictions. He advocated the literal understanding of Scriptures
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This definition of the Canon led the church to produce her own version- this was one of the positive outcomes of Marcion's early activity.
As far as the NT went he erased anything with any Jewish influences so he was left with a multiated version of Luke's gospel and none of the other gospels.
IR. T. argued against Marcion. He highlighted the unity of the OT and NT saying the NT was mirroring but restoring the OT covenant and creation and so the two parts should remain.
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He also said that in dividing God into 2 he was saying that if God was not good then He was not God while if the good God is not judicial then He is deprived of His deity.
Danger to the Church
He based his beliefs on writings already accepted by the church and so this gave him more authority than if he had used heretical writings
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Formed a network of churches with missionary outreach at a time when the orthodox church was only getting herself organised. He was able to reach many people across the Empire
He rejected the early church practice of combining the OT and NT using allegory and just delete the OT instead
Started from Christian foundations and so was familiar with Christians doctrines. He did not just pull ideas like the Gnostics did.
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Marcion AD100-160
He wrote a book called 'Antithese' He was excommunicated from there in AD 144 and founded lots of communities in opposition to the one that had cast him out.
He was taught by Cerdon who had been the pupil of the Gnostics Saturninus therefore he came under the influence of Gnostics
He was denounced by Polycarp of Smyrn who called him ' the first born son of satan' Tertullian devoted 5 books against him called 'Against Marcion'
We know of its existence from writings such as Justin's claim that Marcionism had spread to every nation and Tertullian's claim that it had filled the whole world.
He came from Sinope on the Black Sea and seems to have been the son of a bishop who excommunicated him probably for errant theology rather than for immoral behavior
In the mid 4th century Cyril of Jerusalem advised Christians to check when going to a church to ensure it was not Marcionite
Marcion was regarded as an arch heretic, and a major target for the attacks of the early church Fathers.
Differences
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Formed his own churches
He created his own churches while Gnosticism existed within the branch of Christianity and christian churches
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Marcion's main teachings
The God of the NT was by, contrast, a God of love and mercy and grace and forgiveness. Marcion did not equate OT God with God at all.
God sent Jesus to abolish the Jewish law and all the works of the inferior OT God and to bring men to a knowledge of the truth. The God who was the Father of Jesus had nothing to do with creation. Rather the reason why He sent Jesus was to free mankind from the power of OT God
He pointed to the low moral standards in the OT and said therefore that God was morally defective. He saw this OT God as indecisive.
In his book he highlights such issues. Through his study of both Testaments he came to the conclusion that the God and Father of Jesus was superior to the God of the Jews
This dualism is seen clearly in how Marcion contrasted the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New Testament. The former was a God of law and violence who created the world and the God of jews.
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