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The Prescription Against Heretics

Tertullian

Chapter 23

About this work

Tertullian argues that apostolic churches possess the proper claim to interpret Christian Scripture and that rival teachers should not be granted equal standing in debates over the inherited rule of faith.

Author: Tertullian
Date: c. AD 200–210
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Heresiology

Chapter XXIII.—The Apostles Not Ignorant. The Heretical Pretence of St. Peter’s Imperfection Because He Was Rebuked by St. Paul. St. Peter Not Rebuked for Error in Teaching.

Now, with the view of branding the

‹ Chapter 22 Chapter 24 ›

apostles

with

some

mark

of

ignorance

,

they

put

forth

the

case

of

Peter

and

them

that

were

with

him

having

been

rebuked

by

Paul

.

“

Something

therefore

,

”

they

say

,

“

was

wanting

in

them

.

”

(

This

they

allege

,

)

in

order

that

they

may

from

this

construct

that

other

position

of

theirs

,

that

a

fuller

knowledge

may

possibly

have

afterwards

come

over

(

the

apostles

,

)

such

as

fell

to

the

share

of

Paul

when

he

rebuked

those

who

preceded

him

.

I

may

here

say

to

those

who

reject

The

Acts

of

the

Apostles

:

“

It

is

first

necessary

that

you

show

us

who

this

Paul

was

,

—

both

what

he

was

before

he

was

an

apostle

,

and

how

he

became

an

apostle

,

”

—

so

very

great

is

the

use

which

they

make

of

him

in

respect

of

other

questions

also

.

It

is

true

that

he

tells

us

himself

that

he

was

a

persecutor

before

he

became

an

apostle

,

still

this

is

not

enough

for

any

man

who

examines

before

he

believes

,

since

even

the

Lord

Himself

did

not

bear

witness

of

Himself

.

But

let

them

believe

without

the

Scriptures

,

if

their

object

is

to

believe

contrary

to

the

Scriptures

.

Still

they

should

show

,

from

the

circumstance

which

they

allege

of

Peter’s

being

rebuked

by

Paul

,

that

Paul

added

yet

another

form

of

the

gospel

besides

that

which

Peter

and

the

rest

had

previously

set

forth

.

But

the

fact

is

,

having

been

converted

from

a

persecutor

to

a

preacher

,

he

is

introduced

as

one

of

the

brethren

to

brethren

,

by

brethren

—

to

them

,

indeed

,

by

men

who

had

put

on

faith

from

the

apostles

’

hands

.

Afterwards

,

as

he

himself

narrates

,

he

“

went

up

to

Jerusalem

for

the

purpose

of

seeing

Peter

,

”

because

of

his

office

,

no

doubt

,

and

by

right

of

a

common

belief

and

preaching

.

Now

they

certainly

would

not

have

been

surprised

at

his

having

become

a

preacher

instead

of

a

persecutor

,

if

his

preaching

were

of

something

contrary

;

nor

,

moreover

,

would

they

have

“

glorified

the

Lord

,

”

because

Paul

had

presented

himself

as

an

adversary

to

Him

.

They

accordingly

even

gave

him

“

the

right

hand

of

fellowship

,

”

as

a

sign

of

their

agreement

with

him

,

and

arranged

amongst

themselves

a

distribution

of

office

,

not

a

diversity

of

gospel

,

so

that

they

should

severally

preach

not

a

different

gospel

,

but

(

the

same

)

,

to

different

persons

,

Peter

to

the

circumcision

,

Paul

to

the

Gentiles

.

Forasmuch

,

then

,

as

Peter

was

rebuked

because

,

after

he

had

lived

with

the

Gentiles

,

he

proceeded

to

separate

himself

from

their

company

out

of

respect

for

persons

,

the

fault

surely

was

one

of

conversation

,

not

of

preaching

.

For

it

does

not

appear

from

this

,

that

any

other

God

than

the

Creator

,

or

any

other

Christ

than

(

the

son

)

of

Mary

,

or

any

other

hope

than

the

resurrection

,

was

(

by

him

)

announced

.

Notes

1
Suggillandam.
2
Gal. i. 13.
3
John v. 31.
4
Ut credunt contra Scripturas.
5
Atquin.
6
Gal. i. 18.
7
Scilicet.
8
Gal. i. 24.
9
Gal. ii. 9.
10
The same verse. [Note Peter’s restriction to Jews.]
11
Vers. 12, 13. See also Anti-Marcion, iv. 3 (Trans. p. 182).