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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 5 · Chapter 17

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 XVII.—The Epistle to the Laodiceans. The Proper Designation is to the Ephesians. Recapitulation of All Things in Christ from the Beginning of the Creation. No Room for Marcion’s Christ Here. Numerous Parallels Between This Epistle and Passages in the Old Testament. The Prince of the Power of the Air, and the God of This World—Who? Creation and Regeneration the Work of One God. How Christ Has Made the Law Obsolete. A Vain Erasure of Marcion’s. The Apostles as Well as the Prophets from the Creator.

We have it on the true tradition

‹ Book 5 · Chapter 16 Book 5 · Chapter 18 ›

of

the

Church

,

that

this

epistle

was

sent

to

the

Ephesians

,

not

to

the

Laodiceans

.

Marcion

,

however

,

was

very

desirous

of

giving

it

the

new

title

(

of

Laodicean

)

,

as

if

he

were

extremely

accurate

in

investigating

such

a

point

.

But

of

what

consequence

are

the

titles

,

since

in

writing

to

a

certain

church

the

apostle

did

in

fact

write

to

all

?

It

is

certain

that

,

whoever

they

were

to

whom

he

wrote

,

he

declared

Him

to

be

God

in

Christ

with

whom

all

things

agree

which

are

predicted

.

Now

,

to

what

god

will

most

suitably

belong

all

those

things

which

relate

to

“

that

good

pleasure

,

which

God

hath

purposed

in

the

mystery

of

His

will

,

that

in

the

dispensation

of

the

fulness

of

times

He

might

recapitulate

”

(

if

I

may

so

say

,

according

to

the

exact

meaning

of

the

Greek

word

)

“

all

things

in

Christ

,

both

which

are

in

heaven

and

which

are

on

earth

,

”

but

to

Him

whose

are

all

things

from

their

beginning

,

yea

the

beginning

itself

too

;

from

whom

issue

the

times

and

the

dispensation

of

the

fulness

of

times

,

according

to

which

all

things

up

to

the

very

first

are

gathered

up

in

Christ

?

What

beginning

,

however

,

has

the

other

god

;

that

is

to

say

,

how

can

anything

proceed

from

him

,

who

has

no

work

to

show

?

And

if

there

be

no

beginning

,

how

can

there

be

times

?

If

no

times

,

what

fulness

of

times

can

there

be

?

And

if

no

fulness

,

what

dispensation

?

Indeed

,

what

has

he

ever

done

on

earth

,

that

any

long

dispensation

of

times

to

be

fulfilled

can

be

put

to

his

account

,

for

the

accomplishment

of

all

things

in

Christ

,

even

of

things

in

heaven

?

Nor

can

we

possibly

suppose

that

any

things

whatever

have

been

at

any

time

done

in

heaven

by

any

other

God

than

Him

by

whom

,

as

all

men

allow

,

all

things

have

been

done

on

earth

.

Now

,

if

it

is

impossible

for

all

these

things

from

the

beginning

to

be

reckoned

to

any

other

God

than

the

Creator

,

who

will

believe

that

an

alien

god

has

recapitulated

them

in

an

alien

Christ

,

instead

of

their

own

proper

Author

in

His

own

Christ

?

If

,

again

,

they

belong

to

the

Creator

,

they

must

needs

be

separate

from

the

other

god

;

and

if

separate

,

then

opposed

to

him

.

But

then

how

can

opposites

be

gathered

together

into

him

by

whom

they

are

in

short

destroyed

?

Again

,

what

Christ

do

the

following

words

announce

,

when

the

apostle

says

:

“

That

we

should

be

to

the

praise

of

His

glory

,

who

first

trusted

in

Christ

?

”

Now

who

could

have

first

trusted

—

i

.

e

.

previously

trusted

—

in

God

,

before

His

advent

,

except

the

Jews

to

whom

Christ

was

previously

announced

,

from

the

beginning

?

He

who

was

thus

foretold

,

was

also

foretrusted

.

Hence

the

apostle

refers

the

statement

to

himself

,

that

is

,

to

the

Jews

,

in

order

that

he

may

draw

a

distinction

with

respect

to

the

Gentiles

,

(

when

he

goes

on

to

say

:

)

“

In

whom

ye

also

trusted

,

after

that

ye

heard

the

word

of

truth

,

the

gospel

(

of

your

salvation

)

;

in

whom

ye

believed

,

and

were

sealed

with

His

Holy

Spirit

of

promise

.

”

Of

what

promise

?

That

which

was

made

through

Joel

:

“

In

the

last

days

will

I

pour

out

of

my

Spirit

upon

all

flesh

,

”

that

is

,

on

all

nations

.

Therefore

the

Spirit

and

the

Gospel

will

be

found

in

the

Christ

,

who

was

foretrusted

,

because

foretold

.

Again

,

“

the

Father

of

glory

”

is

He

whose

Christ

,

when

ascending

to

heaven

,

is

celebrated

as

“

the

King

of

Glory

”

in

the

Psalm

:

“

Who

is

this

King

of

Glory

?

the

Lord

of

Hosts

,

He

is

the

King

of

Glory

.

”

From

Him

also

is

besought

“

the

spirit

of

wisdom

,

”

at

whose

disposal

is

enumerated

that

sevenfold

distribution

of

the

spirit

of

grace

by

Isaiah

.

He

likewise

will

grant

“

the

enlightenment

of

the

eyes

of

the

understanding

,

”

who

has

also

enriched

our

natural

eyes

with

light

;

to

whom

,

moreover

,

the

blindness

of

the

people

is

offensive

:

“

And

who

is

blind

,

but

my

servants

?

…

yea

,

the

servants

of

God

have

become

blind

.

”

In

His

gift

,

too

,

are

“

the

riches

(

of

the

glory

)

of

His

inheritance

in

the

saints

,

”

who

promised

such

an

inheritance

in

the

call

of

the

Gentiles

:

“

Ask

of

me

,

and

I

will

give

Thee

the

heathen

for

Thine

inheritance

.

”

It

was

He

who

“

wrought

in

Christ

His

mighty

power

,

by

raising

Him

from

the

dead

,

and

setting

Him

at

His

own

right

hand

,

and

putting

all

things

under

His

feet

”

—

even

the

same

who

said

:

“

Sit

Thou

on

my

right

hand

,

until

I

make

Thine

enemies

Thy

footstool

.

”

For

in

another

passage

the

Spirit

says

to

the

Father

concerning

the

Son

:

“

Thou

hast

put

all

things

under

His

feet

.

”

Now

,

if

from

all

these

facts

which

are

found

in

the

Creator

there

is

yet

to

be

deduced

another

god

and

another

Christ

,

let

us

go

in

quest

of

the

Creator

.

I

suppose

,

forsooth

,

we

find

Him

,

when

he

speaks

of

such

as

“

were

dead

in

trespasses

and

sins

,

wherein

they

had

walked

according

to

the

course

of

this

world

,

according

to

the

prince

of

the

power

of

the

air

,

who

worketh

in

the

children

of

disobedience

.

”

But

Marcion

must

not

here

interpret

the

world

as

meaning

the

God

of

the

world

.

For

a

creature

bears

no

resemblance

to

the

Creator

;

the

thing

made

,

none

to

its

Maker

;

the

world

,

none

to

God

.

He

,

moreover

,

who

is

the

Prince

of

the

power

of

the

ages

must

not

be

thought

to

be

called

the

prince

of

the

power

of

the

air

;

for

He

who

is

chief

over

the

higher

powers

derives

no

title

from

the

lower

powers

,

although

these

,

too

,

may

be

ascribed

to

Him

.

Nor

,

again

,

can

He

possibly

seem

to

be

the

instigator

of

that

unbelief

which

He

Himself

had

rather

to

endure

at

the

hand

of

the

Jews

and

the

Gentiles

alike

.

We

may

therefore

simply

conclude

that

these

designations

are

unsuited

to

the

Creator

.

There

is

another

being

to

whom

they

are

more

applicable

—

and

the

apostle

knew

very

well

who

that

was

.

Who

then

is

he

?

Undoubtedly

he

who

has

raised

up

“

children

of

disobedience

”

against

the

Creator

Himself

ever

since

he

took

possession

of

that

“

air

”

of

His

;

even

as

the

prophet

makes

him

say

:

“

I

will

set

my

throne

above

the

stars

;

…

I

will

go

up

above

the

clouds

;

I

will

be

like

the

Most

High

.

”

This

must

mean

the

devil

,

whom

in

another

passage

(

since

such

will

they

there

have

the

apostle’s

meaning

to

be

)

we

shall

recognize

in

the

appellation

the

god

of

this

world

.

For

he

has

filled

the

whole

world

with

the

lying

pretence

of

his

own

divinity

.

To

be

sure

,

if

he

had

not

existed

,

we

might

then

possibly

have

applied

these

descriptions

to

the

Creator

.

But

the

apostle

,

too

,

had

lived

in

Judaism

;

and

when

he

parenthetically

observed

of

the

sins

(

of

that

period

of

his

life

)

,

“

in

which

also

we

all

had

our

conversation

in

times

past

,

”

he

must

not

be

understood

to

indicate

that

the

Creator

was

the

lord

of

sinful

men

,

and

the

prince

of

this

air

;

but

as

meaning

that

in

his

Judaism

he

had

been

one

of

the

children

of

disobedience

,

having

the

devil

as

his

instigator

—

when

he

persecuted

the

church

and

the

Christ

of

the

Creator

.

Therefore

he

says

:

“

We

also

were

the

children

of

wrath

,

”

but

“

by

nature

.

”

Let

the

heretic

,

however

,

not

contend

that

,

because

the

Creator

called

the

Jews

children

,

therefore

the

Creator

is

the

lord

of

wrath

.

For

when

(

the

apostle

)

says

,

“

We

were

by

nature

the

children

of

wrath

,

”

inasmuch

as

the

Jews

were

not

the

Creator’s

children

by

nature

,

but

by

the

election

of

their

fathers

,

he

(

must

have

)

referred

their

being

children

of

wrath

to

nature

,

and

not

to

the

Creator

,

adding

this

at

last

,

“

even

as

others

,

”

who

,

of

course

,

were

not

children

of

God

.

It

is

manifest

that

sins

,

and

lusts

of

the

flesh

,

and

unbelief

,

and

anger

,

are

ascribed

to

the

common

nature

of

all

mankind

,

the

devil

however

leading

that

nature

astray

,

which

he

has

already

infected

with

the

implanted

germ

of

sin

.

“

We

,

”

says

he

,

“

are

His

workmanship

,

created

in

Christ

.

”

It

is

one

thing

to

make

(

as

a

workman

)

,

another

thing

to

create

.

But

he

assigns

both

to

One

.

Man

is

the

workmanship

of

the

Creator

.

He

therefore

who

made

man

(

at

first

)

,

created

him

also

in

Christ

.

As

touching

the

substance

of

nature

,

He

“

made

”

him

;

as

touching

the

work

of

grace

,

He

“

created

”

him

.

Look

also

at

what

follows

in

connection

with

these

words

:

“

Wherefore

remember

,

that

ye

being

in

time

past

Gentiles

in

the

flesh

,

who

are

called

uncircumcision

by

that

which

has

the

name

of

circumcision

in

the

flesh

made

by

the

hand

—

that

at

that

time

ye

were

without

Christ

,

being

aliens

from

the

commonwealth

of

Israel

,

and

strangers

from

the

covenants

of

promise

,

having

no

hope

,

and

without

God

in

the

world

.

”

Now

,

without

what

God

and

without

what

Christ

were

these

Gentiles

?

Surely

,

without

Him

to

whom

the

commonwealth

of

Israel

belonged

,

and

the

covenants

and

the

promise

.

“

But

now

in

Christ

,

”

says

he

,

“

ye

who

were

sometimes

far

off

are

made

nigh

by

His

blood

.

”

From

whom

were

they

far

off

before

?

From

the

(

privileges

)

whereof

he

speaks

above

,

even

from

the

Christ

of

the

Creator

,

from

the

commonwealth

of

Israel

,

from

the

covenants

,

from

the

hope

of

the

promise

,

from

God

Himself

.

Since

this

is

the

case

,

the

Gentiles

are

consequently

now

in

Christ

made

nigh

to

these

(

blessings

)

,

from

which

they

were

once

far

off

.

But

if

we

are

in

Christ

brought

so

very

nigh

to

the

commonwealth

of

Israel

,

which

comprises

the

religion

of

the

divine

Creator

,

and

to

the

covenants

and

to

the

promise

,

yea

to

their

very

God

Himself

,

it

is

quite

ridiculous

(

to

suppose

that

)

the

Christ

of

the

other

god

has

brought

us

to

this

proximity

to

the

Creator

from

afar

.

The

apostle

had

in

mind

that

it

had

been

predicted

concerning

the

call

of

the

Gentiles

from

their

distant

alienation

in

words

like

these

:

“

They

who

were

far

off

from

me

have

come

to

my

righteousness

.

”

For

the

Creator’s

righteousness

no

less

than

His

peace

was

announced

in

Christ

,

as

we

have

often

shown

already

.

Therefore

he

says

:

“

He

is

our

peace

,

who

hath

made

both

one

”

—

that

is

,

the

Jewish

nation

and

the

Gentile

world

.

What

is

near

,

and

what

was

far

off

now

that

“

the

middle

wall

has

been

broken

down

”

of

their

“

enmity

,

”

(

are

made

one

)

“

in

His

flesh

.

”

But

Marcion

erased

the

pronoun

His

,

that

he

might

make

the

enmity

refer

to

flesh

,

as

if

(

the

apostle

spoke

)

of

a

carnal

enmity

,

instead

of

the

enmity

which

was

a

rival

to

Christ

.

And

thus

you

have

(

as

I

have

said

elsewhere

)

exhibited

the

stupidity

of

Pontus

,

rather

than

the

adroitness

of

a

Marrucinian

,

for

you

here

deny

him

flesh

to

whom

in

the

verse

above

you

allowed

blood

!

Since

,

however

,

He

has

made

the

law

obsolete

by

His

own

precepts

,

even

by

Himself

fulfilling

the

law

(

for

superfluous

is

,

“

Thou

shalt

not

commit

adultery

,

”

when

He

says

,

“

Thou

shalt

not

look

on

a

woman

to

lust

after

her

;

”

superfluous

also

is

,

“

Thou

shalt

do

no

murder

,

”

when

He

says

,

“

Thou

shalt

not

speak

evil

of

thy

neighbour

,

”

)

it

is

impossible

to

make

an

adversary

of

the

law

out

of

one

who

so

completely

promotes

it

.

“

For

to

create

in

Himself

of

twain

,

”

for

He

who

had

made

is

also

the

same

who

creates

(

just

as

we

have

found

it

stated

above

:

“

For

we

are

His

workmanship

,

created

in

Christ

Jesus

”

)

,

“

one

new

man

,

making

peace

”

(

really

new

,

and

really

man

—

no

phantom

—

but

new

,

and

newly

born

of

a

virgin

by

the

Spirit

of

God

)

,

“

that

He

might

reconcile

both

unto

God

”

(

even

the

God

whom

both

races

had

offended

—

both

Jew

and

Gentile

)

,

“

in

one

body

,

”

says

he

,

“

having

in

it

slain

the

enmity

by

the

cross

.

”

Thus

we

find

from

this

passage

also

,

that

there

was

in

Christ

a

fleshly

body

,

such

as

was

able

to

endure

the

cross

.

“

When

,

therefore

,

He

came

and

preached

peace

to

them

that

were

near

and

to

them

which

were

afar

off

,

”

we

both

obtained

“

access

to

the

Father

,

”

being

“

now

no

more

strangers

and

foreigners

,

but

fellow

-

citizens

with

the

saints

,

and

of

the

household

of

God

”

(

even

of

Him

from

whom

,

as

we

have

shown

above

,

we

were

aliens

,

and

placed

far

off

)

,

“

built

upon

the

foundation

of

the

apostles

”

—

(

the

apostle

added

)

,

“

and

the

prophets

;

”

these

words

,

however

,

the

heretic

erased

,

forgetting

that

the

Lord

had

set

in

His

Church

not

only

apostles

,

but

prophets

also

.

He

feared

,

no

doubt

,

that

our

building

was

to

stand

in

Christ

upon

the

foundation

of

the

ancient

prophets

,

since

the

apostle

himself

never

fails

to

build

us

up

everywhere

with

(

the

words

of

)

the

prophets

.

For

whence

did

he

learn

to

call

Christ

“

the

chief

corner

-

stone

,

”

but

from

the

figure

given

him

in

the

Psalm

:

“

The

stone

which

the

builders

rejected

is

become

the

head

(

stone

)

of

the

corner

?

”

Notes

1
Veritati.
2
Titulum interpolare gestiit: or, “of corrupting its title.”
3
Certe tamen.
4
For a discussion on the title of this epistle in a succinct shape, the reader is referred to Dean Alford’s Gr. Test. vol. iii. Prolegomena, chap. ii. sec. 2.
5
ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι, “to sum up into a head.”
6
Eph. i. 9, 10.
7
Eph. i. 12.
8
He explains “præsperasse by ante sperasse.”
9
Eph. i. 13.
10
Joel ii. 28.
11
Eph. ii. 17.
12
Ps. xxiv. 10.
13
Eph. i. 17.
14
Isa. xi. 2.
15
Eph. i. 18.
16
Isa. xlii. 19 (Sept.).
17
Eph. i. 18.
18
Ps. ii. 8.
19
Eph. i. 19–22.
20
Ps. cx. 1.
21
Ps. viii. 7.
22
Infertur.
23
Plane.
24
Eph. ii. 1, 2.
25
Deo mundi: i.e. the God who made the world.
26
Operator: in reference to the expression in ver. 2, “who now worketh,” etc.
27
Sufficit igitur si.
28
Isa. xiv. 13, 14. An inexact quotation from the Septuagint.
29
On this and another meaning given to the phrase in 2 Cor. iv. 4, see above, chap. xi.
30
Plane: an ironical particle here.
31
Eph. ii. 3.
32
Eph. ii. 3.
33
In Marcion’s sense.
34
Eph. ii. 3.
35
Captante.
36
Eph. ii. 10.
37
Literally, “the covenants and their promise.”
38
Eph. ii. 11, 12.
39
Conversatio: rather, “intercourse with Israel.”
40
Eph. ii. 13.
41
This is rather an allusion to, than a quotation of, Isa. xlvi. 12, 13.
42
Eph. ii. 14.
43
Eph. ii. 15.
44
“The law of commandments contained in ordinances.”
45
He expresses the proverbial adage very tersely, “non Marrucine, sed Pontice.”
46
Vacuam fecit.
47
Ex adjutore.
48
Conderet: “create,” to keep up the distinction between this and facere, “to make.”
49
Eph. ii. 10.
50
Eph. ii. 15–16.
51
Eph. ii. 16.
52
Eph. ii. 17–20.
53
“Because, if our building as Christians rested in part upon that foundation, our God, and the God of the Jews must be the same, which Marcion denied” (Lardner).
54
Eph. ii. 20.
55
Ps. cxviii. 22.