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Against the Valentinians

Tertullian

Chapter 39

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXXIX.—Their Diversity of Sentiment Affects the Very Central Doctrine of Christianity, Even the Person and Character of the Lord Jesus. This Diversity Vitiates Every Gnostic School.

Now, concerning even the Lord Jesus, into how

‹ Chapter 38

great

a

diversity

of

opinion

are

they

divided

!

One

party

form

Him

of

the

blossoms

of

all

the

Æons

.

Another

party

will

have

it

that

He

is

made

up

only

of

those

ten

whom

the

Word

and

the

Life

produced

;

from

which

circumstance

the

titles

of

the

Word

and

the

Life

were

suitably

transferred

to

Him

.

Others

,

again

,

that

He

rather

sprang

from

the

twelve

,

the

offspring

of

Man

and

the

Church

,

and

therefore

,

they

say

,

He

was

designated

“

Son

of

man

.

”

Others

,

moreover

,

maintain

that

He

was

formed

by

Christ

and

the

Holy

Spirit

,

who

have

to

provide

for

the

establishment

of

the

universe

,

and

that

He

inherits

by

right

His

Father’s

appellation

.

Some

there

are

who

have

imagined

that

another

origin

must

be

found

for

the

title

“

Son

of

man

;

”

for

they

have

had

the

presumption

to

call

the

Father

Himself

Man

,

by

reason

of

the

profound

mystery

of

this

title

:

so

that

what

can

you

hope

for

more

ample

concerning

faith

in

that

God

,

with

whom

you

are

now

yourself

on

a

par

?

Such

conceits

are

constantly

cropping

out

amongst

them

,

from

the

redundance

of

their

mother’s

seed

.

And

so

it

happens

that

the

doctrines

which

have

grown

up

amongst

the

Valentinians

have

already

extended

their

rank

growth

to

the

woods

of

the

Gnostics

.

Notes

1
See above, ch. xii. p. 510.
2
The Æons Sermo and Vita.
3
See above, ch. vii. p. 506.
4
See above, ch. viii. p. 507.
5
See above, ch. xiv. p. 511.
6
Superfruticant.
7
Archamoth is referred to.