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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 4 · Chapter 6

About this work

A sustained refutation of Marcion’s theology and edited Scriptures, defending the unity of the Creator and Christ’s Father and reading the Gospel and Pauline letters against Marcionite claims.

Author: Tertullian
Date: Early 3rd century
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Heresiology

Chapter VI.—Marcion’s Object in Adulterating the Gospel. No Difference Between the Christ of the Creator and the Christ of the Gospel. No Rival Christ Admissible. The Connection of the True Christ with the Dispensation of the Old Testament Asserted.

But we now advance a step further on

‹ Book 4 · Chapter 5 Book 4 · Chapter 7 ›

,

and

challenge

(

as

we

promised

to

do

)

the

very

Gospel

of

Marcion

,

with

the

intention

of

thus

proving

that

it

has

been

adulterated

.

For

it

is

certain

that

the

whole

aim

at

which

he

has

strenuously

laboured

even

in

the

drawing

up

of

his

Antitheses

,

centres

in

this

,

that

he

may

establish

a

diversity

between

the

Old

and

the

New

Testaments

,

so

that

his

own

Christ

may

be

separate

from

the

Creator

,

as

belonging

to

this

rival

god

,

and

as

alien

from

the

law

and

the

prophets

.

It

is

certain

,

also

,

that

with

this

view

he

has

erased

everything

that

was

contrary

to

his

own

opinion

and

made

for

the

Creator

,

as

if

it

had

been

interpolated

by

His

advocates

,

whilst

everything

which

agreed

with

his

own

opinion

he

has

retained

.

The

latter

statements

we

shall

strictly

examine

;

and

if

they

shall

turn

out

rather

for

our

side

,

and

shatter

the

assumption

of

Marcion

,

we

shall

embrace

them

.

It

will

then

become

evident

,

that

in

retaining

them

he

has

shown

no

less

of

the

defect

of

blindness

,

which

characterizes

heresy

,

than

he

displayed

when

he

erased

all

the

former

class

of

subjects

.

Such

,

then

,

is

to

be

the

drift

and

form

of

my

little

treatise

;

subject

,

of

course

,

to

whatever

condition

may

have

become

requisite

on

both

sides

of

the

question

.

Marcion

has

laid

down

the

position

,

that

Christ

who

in

the

days

of

Tiberius

was

,

by

a

previously

unknown

god

,

revealed

for

the

salvation

of

all

nations

,

is

a

different

being

from

Him

who

was

ordained

by

God

the

Creator

for

the

restoration

of

the

Jewish

state

,

and

who

is

yet

to

come

.

Between

these

he

interposes

the

separation

of

a

great

and

absolute

difference

—

as

great

as

lies

between

what

is

just

and

what

is

good

;

as

great

as

lies

between

the

law

and

the

gospel

;

as

great

,

(

in

short

,

)

as

is

the

difference

between

Judaism

and

Christianity

.

Hence

will

arise

also

our

rule

,

by

which

we

determine

that

there

ought

to

be

nothing

in

common

between

the

Christ

of

the

rival

god

and

the

Creator

;

but

that

(

Christ

)

must

be

pronounced

to

belong

to

the

Creator

,

if

He

has

administered

His

dispensations

,

fulfilled

His

prophecies

,

promoted

His

laws

,

given

reality

to

His

promises

,

revived

His

mighty

power

,

remoulded

His

determinations

,

expressed

His

attributes

,

His

properties

.

This

law

and

this

rule

I

earnestly

request

the

reader

to

have

ever

in

his

mind

,

and

so

let

him

begin

to

investigate

whether

Christ

be

Marcion’s

or

the

Creator’s

.

Notes

1
Certe, for certo.
2
Propterea.
3
Conveniemus.
4
Sic habebit.
5
This seems to be the sense of the words, “sub illa utique conditione quæ ex utraque parte condicta sit.”
6
Scindit.
7
That is, between what is severe and judicial and punitive on one side, that is, the Creator’s; and what is mild, merciful, and forgiving, on the other, that is, the Redeemer’s side (Rigalt.).
8
Præscriptio.
9
Defigimus.
10
Creatoris pronunciandum.
11
Adjuverit.
12
Repræsentaverit.
13
Restauraverit virtutes ejus.
14
Sententias reformaverit.