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The Five Books Against Marcion

Tertullian

Book 5 · Chapter 5

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 V.—The First Epistle to the Corinthians. The Pauline Salutation of Grace and Peace Shown to Be Anti-Marcionite. The Cross of Christ Purposed by the Creator. Marcion Only Perpetuates the Offence and Foolishness of Christ’s Cross by His Impious Severance of the Gospel from the Creator. Analogies Between the Law and the Gospel in the Matter of Weak Things, and Foolish Things and Base Things.

My preliminary remarks on the preceding epistle

‹ Book 5 · Chapter 4 Book 5 · Chapter 6 ›

called

me

away

from

treating

of

its

superscription

,

for

I

was

sure

that

another

opportunity

would

occur

for

considering

the

matter

,

it

being

of

constant

recurrence

,

and

in

the

same

form

too

,

in

every

epistle

.

The

point

,

then

,

is

,

that

it

is

not

(

the

usual

)

health

which

the

apostle

prescribes

for

those

to

whom

he

writes

,

but

“

grace

and

peace

.

”

I

do

not

ask

,

indeed

,

what

a

destroyer

of

Judaism

has

to

do

with

a

formula

which

the

Jews

still

use

.

For

to

this

day

they

salute

each

other

with

the

greeting

of

“

peace

,

”

and

formerly

in

their

Scriptures

they

did

the

same

.

But

I

understand

him

by

his

practice

plainly

enough

to

have

corroborated

the

declaration

of

the

Creator

:

“

How

beautiful

are

the

feet

of

them

that

bring

glad

tidings

of

good

,

who

preach

the

gospel

of

peace

!

”

For

the

herald

of

good

,

that

is

,

of

God’s

“

grace

”

was

well

aware

that

along

with

it

“

peace

”

also

was

to

be

proclaimed

.

Now

,

when

he

announces

these

blessings

as

“

from

God

the

Father

and

the

Lord

Jesus

,

”

he

uses

titles

that

are

common

to

both

,

and

which

are

also

adapted

to

the

mystery

of

our

faith

;

and

I

suppose

it

to

be

impossible

accurately

to

determine

what

God

is

declared

to

be

the

Father

and

the

Lord

Jesus

,

unless

(

we

consider

)

which

of

their

accruing

attributes

are

more

suited

to

them

severally

.

First

,

then

,

I

assert

that

none

other

than

the

Creator

and

Sustainer

of

both

man

and

the

universe

can

be

acknowledged

as

Father

and

Lord

;

that

to

the

Father

also

the

title

of

Lord

accrues

by

reason

of

His

power

,

and

that

the

Son

too

receives

the

same

through

the

Father

;

then

that

“

grace

and

peace

”

are

not

only

His

who

had

them

published

,

but

His

likewise

to

whom

offence

had

been

given

.

For

neither

does

grace

exist

,

except

after

offence

;

nor

peace

,

except

after

war

.

Now

,

both

the

people

(

of

Israel

)

by

their

transgression

of

His

laws

,

and

the

whole

race

of

mankind

by

their

neglect

of

natural

duty

,

had

both

sinned

and

rebelled

against

the

Creator

.

Marcion’s

god

,

however

,

could

not

have

been

offended

,

both

because

he

was

unknown

to

everybody

,

and

because

he

is

incapable

of

being

irritated

.

What

grace

,

therefore

,

can

be

had

of

a

god

who

has

not

been

offended

?

What

peace

from

one

who

has

never

experienced

rebellion

?

“

The

cross

of

Christ

,

”

he

says

,

“

is

to

them

that

perish

foolishness

;

but

unto

such

as

shall

obtain

salvation

,

it

is

the

power

of

God

and

the

wisdom

of

God

.

”

And

then

,

that

we

may

know

from

whence

this

comes

,

he

adds

:

“

For

it

is

written

,

‘

I

will

destroy

the

wisdom

of

the

wise

,

and

will

bring

to

nothing

the

understanding

of

the

prudent

.

’

”

Now

,

since

these

are

the

Creator’s

words

,

and

since

what

pertains

to

the

doctrine

of

the

cross

he

accounts

as

foolishness

,

therefore

both

the

cross

,

and

also

Christ

by

reason

of

the

cross

,

will

appertain

to

the

Creator

,

by

whom

were

predicted

the

incidents

of

the

cross

.

But

if

the

Creator

,

as

an

enemy

,

took

away

their

wisdom

in

order

that

the

cross

of

Christ

,

considered

as

his

adversary

,

should

be

accounted

foolishness

,

how

by

any

possibility

can

the

Creator

have

foretold

anything

about

the

cross

of

a

Christ

who

is

not

His

own

,

and

of

whom

He

knew

nothing

,

when

He

published

the

prediction

?

But

,

again

,

how

happens

it

,

that

in

the

system

of

a

Lord

who

is

so

very

good

,

and

so

profuse

in

mercy

,

some

carry

off

salvation

,

when

they

believe

the

cross

to

be

the

wisdom

and

power

of

God

,

whilst

others

incur

perdition

,

to

whom

the

cross

of

Christ

is

accounted

folly

;

—

(

how

happens

it

,

I

repeat

,

)

unless

it

is

in

the

Creator’s

dispensation

to

have

punished

both

the

people

of

Israel

and

the

human

race

,

for

some

great

offence

committed

against

Him

,

with

the

loss

of

wisdom

and

prudence

?

What

follows

will

confirm

this

suggestion

,

when

he

asks

,

“

Hath

not

God

infatuated

the

wisdom

of

this

world

?

”

and

when

he

adds

the

reason

why

:

“

For

after

that

,

in

the

wisdom

of

God

,

the

world

by

wisdom

knew

not

God

,

it

pleased

God

by

the

foolishness

of

preaching

to

save

them

that

believe

.

”

But

first

a

word

about

the

expression

“

the

world

;

”

because

in

this

passage

particularly

,

the

heretics

expend

a

great

deal

of

their

subtlety

in

showing

that

by

world

is

meant

the

lord

of

the

world

.

We

,

however

,

understand

the

term

to

apply

to

any

person

that

is

in

the

world

,

by

a

simple

idiom

of

human

language

,

which

often

substitutes

that

which

contains

for

that

which

is

contained

.

“

The

circus

shouted

,

”

“

The

forum

spoke

,

”

and

“

The

basilica

murmured

,

”

are

well

-

known

expressions

,

meaning

that

the

people

in

these

places

did

so

.

Since

then

the

man

,

not

the

god

,

of

the

world

in

his

wisdom

knew

not

God

,

whom

indeed

he

ought

to

have

known

(

both

the

Jew

by

his

knowledge

of

the

Scriptures

,

and

all

the

human

race

by

their

knowledge

of

God’s

works

)

,

therefore

that

God

,

who

was

not

acknowledged

in

His

wisdom

,

resolved

to

smite

men’s

knowledge

with

His

foolishness

,

by

saving

all

those

who

believe

in

the

folly

of

the

preached

cross

.

“

Because

the

Jews

require

signs

,

”

who

ought

to

have

already

made

up

their

minds

about

God

,

“

and

the

Greeks

seek

after

wisdom

,

”

who

rely

upon

their

own

wisdom

,

and

not

upon

God’s

.

If

,

however

,

it

was

a

new

god

that

was

being

preached

,

what

sin

had

the

Jews

committed

,

in

seeking

after

signs

to

believe

;

or

the

Greeks

,

when

they

hunted

after

a

wisdom

which

they

would

prefer

to

accept

?

Thus

the

very

retribution

which

overtook

both

Jews

and

Greeks

proves

that

God

is

both

a

jealous

God

and

a

Judge

,

inasmuch

as

He

infatuated

the

world’s

wisdom

by

an

angry

and

a

judicial

retribution

.

Since

,

then

,

the

causes

are

in

the

hands

of

Him

who

gave

us

the

Scriptures

which

we

use

,

it

follows

that

the

apostle

,

when

treating

of

the

Creator

,

(

as

Him

whom

both

Jew

and

Gentile

as

yet

have

)

not

known

,

means

undoubtedly

to

teach

us

,

that

the

God

who

is

to

become

known

(

in

Christ

)

is

the

Creator

.

The

very

“

stumbling

-

block

”

which

he

declares

Christ

to

be

“

to

the

Jews

,

”

points

unmistakeably

to

the

Creator’s

prophecy

respecting

Him

,

when

by

Isaiah

He

says

:

“

Behold

I

lay

in

Sion

a

stone

of

stumbling

and

a

rock

of

offence

.

”

This

rock

or

stone

is

Christ

.

This

stumbling

-

stone

Marcion

retains

still

.

Now

,

what

is

that

“

foolishness

of

God

which

is

wiser

than

men

,

”

but

the

cross

and

death

of

Christ

?

What

is

that

“

weakness

of

God

which

is

stronger

than

men

,

”

but

the

nativity

and

incarnation

of

God

?

If

,

however

,

Christ

was

not

born

of

the

Virgin

,

was

not

constituted

of

human

flesh

,

and

thereby

really

suffered

neither

death

nor

the

cross

,

there

was

nothing

in

Him

either

of

foolishness

or

weakness

;

nor

is

it

any

longer

true

,

that

“

God

hath

chosen

the

foolish

things

of

the

world

to

confound

the

wise

;

”

nor

,

again

,

hath

“

God

chosen

the

weak

things

of

the

world

to

confound

the

mighty

;

”

nor

“

the

base

things

”

and

the

least

things

“

in

the

world

,

and

things

which

are

despised

,

which

are

even

as

nothing

”

(

that

is

,

things

which

really

are

not

)

,

“

to

bring

to

nothing

things

which

are

”

(

that

is

,

which

really

are

)

.

For

nothing

in

the

dispensation

of

God

is

found

to

be

mean

,

and

ignoble

,

and

contemptible

.

Such

only

occurs

in

man’s

arrangement

.

The

very

Old

Testament

of

the

Creator

itself

,

it

is

possible

,

no

doubt

,

to

charge

with

foolishness

,

and

weakness

,

and

dishonour

and

meanness

,

and

contempt

.

What

is

more

foolish

and

more

weak

than

God’s

requirement

of

bloody

sacrifices

and

of

savoury

holocausts

?

What

is

weaker

than

the

cleansing

of

vessels

and

of

beds

?

What

more

dishonourable

than

the

discoloration

of

the

reddening

skin

?

What

so

mean

as

the

statute

of

retaliation

?

What

so

contemptible

as

the

exception

in

meats

and

drinks

?

The

whole

of

the

Old

Testament

,

the

heretic

,

to

the

best

of

my

belief

,

holds

in

derision

.

For

God

has

chosen

the

foolish

things

of

the

world

to

confound

its

wisdom

.

Marcion’s

god

has

no

such

discipline

,

because

he

does

not

take

after

(

the

Creator

)

in

the

process

of

confusing

opposites

by

their

opposites

,

so

that

“

no

flesh

shall

glory

;

but

,

as

it

is

written

,

He

that

glorieth

,

let

him

glory

in

the

Lord

.

”

In

what

Lord

?

Surely

in

Him

who

gave

this

precept

.

Unless

,

forsooth

,

the

Creator

enjoined

us

to

glory

in

the

god

of

Marcion

.

Notes

1
Præstructio.
2
Titulo.
3
1 Cor. i. 3.
4
Appellant.
5
Officio.
6
Isa. lii. 7.
7
Pacem quam præferendam.
8
1 Cor. i. 3.
9
Competentibus nostro quoque sacramento.
10
Nisi ex accedentibus cui magis competant.
11
Disciplinæ.
12
Per naturæ dissimulationem. This Fr. Junius explains by τὴν φύσεως ἀφοσίωσιν, in the sense of “original sin” (ἀφοσιοῦσθαι seems to point to sin requiring expiation).
13
1 Cor. i. 18.
14
1 Cor. i. 19, from Isa. xxix. 14.
15
Causam.
16
Aut si: introducing a Marcionite cavil.
17
Apud dominum.
18
1 Cor. i. 20.
19
Boni duxit Deus, εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεός.
20
1 Cor. i. 21.
21
Hic vel maxime.
22
That is, “man who lives in the world, not God who made the world.”
23
1 Cor. i. 22.
24
Æmula.
25
Causæ: the reasons of His retributive providence.
26
1 Cor. i. 23.
27
Consignat.
28
Isa. viii. 14.
29
Isa. xxviii. 16.
30
“Etiam Marcion servat.” These words cannot mean, as they have been translated, that “Marcion even retains these words” of prophecy; for whenever Marcion fell in with any traces of this prophecy of Christ, he seems to have expunged them. In Luke ii. 34 holy Simeon referred to it, but Marcion rejected this chapter of the evangelist; and although he admitted much of chap. xx., it is remarkable that he erased the ten verses thereof from the end of the eighth to the end of the eighteenth. Now in vers. 17, 18, Marcion found the prophecy again referred to. See Epiphanius, Adv. Hæres. xlii. Schol. 55.
31
1 Cor. i. 25.
32
Caro.
33
Vere.
34
1 Cor. i. 27.
35
Apud Creatorem etiam vetera: (vetera, i.e.) “veteris testamenti institutiones” (Oehler).
36
Lev. xv. passim.
37
Lev. xiii. 2–6.
38
Æmulatur.
39
1 Cor. i. 29, 31.
40
By Jeremiah, chap. ix. 23, 24.