Cerinthus (c 100) was an early Christian originator of a heretical sect, a "heresiarch" in the view of the Church Fathers. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems The history of Gnosticism is subject to a great deal of debate and interpretation Early Gnosticism refers to a point in Gnosticism that occurred following the Fathers of Christian Gnosticism and related groups but prior to the shift to Syrian-Egyptian Gnostic Schools were ancient Gnostic sects from around the Middle East. Gnosticism includes a variety of ancient religions prevalent in the Mediterranean in the third century AD. The Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church is a term used in Catholic and Orthodox forms of Christianity to refer to the early and Philo (20 BC - 50 AD) known also as Philo of Alexandria (gr Φίλων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria Valentinus (also spelled Valentius) ( c 100 - c160 CE) was the best known and for a time most successful Early Christian gnostic "Basilides" redirects here For the 17th century Ethiopian Emperor see Fasilides of Ethiopia. Gnosticism used a number of Religious texts that are preserved in part or whole in ancient Manuscripts or are lost but mentioned critically in Patristic The term gnostic gospels refers to Gnostic collections of writings about the teachings of Jesus, written around the 2nd century AD. Nag Hammadi library (popularly known as The Gnostic Gospels) is a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the The Codex Tchacos is an ancient Egyptian Coptic Papyrus containing early Christian Gnostic texts from approximately 300 A The Bruce Codex (also called the Codex Brucianus) is a gnostic manuscript acquired by the British Museum. This article discusses the relationship between Gnosticism and the New Testament. Gnosis (from one of the Greek words for Knowledge, γνώσις is the spiritual knowledge of a Saint or mystically enlightened human being Pythagoreanism is a term used for the Esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers the Pythagoreans who were much influenced Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is the modern term for a school of Hellenistic philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD, based Manichaeism (in Modern Persian fa-Arab آیین مانی Āyin e Māni; Chinese zh 摩尼教 was one of the major Gnostic Religions originating The Bosnian Church ( crkva bosanska, ecclesia bosniensis) seems to have been a Catholic monastic order that separated itself from the wider Church possibly over the Esoteric Christianity is a term which refers to an ensemble of spiritual currents which regard Christianity as a Mystery religion, and profess the existence This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief A heresiarch (also hæresiarch, according to the Oxford English Dictionary; from the Greek:, hairesiárkhēs, literally "heresy [1] Contrary to proto-orthodox Christianity, Cerinthus's school followed the Jewish law, denied that the Supreme God had made the physical world, and denied the divinity of Jesus. Proto-orthodox Christianity is a term created by New Testament scholar Bart D In Cerinthus' interpretation, the Christ came to Jesus at baptism, guided him in his ministry, but left him at the crucifixion. In the Synoptic gospels, Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist.
Like many early Christians, he taught that Jesus would establish a thousand-year reign of sensuous pleasure after the Second Coming but before the General Resurrection, a view that was defined as heretical at the Council of Nicea. Cerinthus used a version of the gospel of Matthew as scripture.
Cerinthus taught at a time when Christianity's relation to Judaism and to Greek philosophy had not yet been clearly defined. In his association with the Jewish law and his modest assessment of Jesus, he was similar to the Ebionites and to other Jewish Christians. The Ebionites ( Greek: grc Ἐβιωναῖοι Ebionaioi from Hebrew; he '''אביונים''' he-Latn ''Ebyonim'' "the Poor Ones" were an Jewish Christians (sometimes called also "Hebrew Christians" or "Christian Jews") is a term which can have two meanings a historical one and a In defining the world's creator as the demiurge, he matched Greek philosophy and anticipated the Gnostics. Demiurge (the Latinized form of Greek demiourgos, δημιουργός, literally "public or skilled worker" from demos Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems His description of Christ as a bodiless spirit that dwelled temporarily in the man Jesus matches the Gnosticism of Valentinus. Valentinus (also spelled Valentius) ( c 100 - c160 CE) was the best known and for a time most successful Early Christian gnostic
Early Christian tradition describes Cerinthus as a contemporary to and opponent of John the Evangelist, who wrote the Gospel of John against him. Saint John the Evangelist (d ca 110 יוחנן " The LORD is merciful" Standard Hebrew Yoḥanan, Tiberian Hebrew The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon [2] All we know about Cerinthus comes from the writing of his theological opponents.
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Biography
The date of his birth and his death are unknown. In the Roman province of Asia he founded a school and gathered disciples. The Roman province of Asia, also called Phrygia was an administrative unit added to the late Republic. None of Cerinthus' actual writings seem to have survived, and it is unlikely that any were ever very widely disseminated. As is the usual case, we can interpret his teachings only through what his more orthodox enemies reported. The word orthodox, from Greek orthodoxos "having the right opinion" from orthos ("right true straight" + doxa ("opinion By the time we have the most detailed accounting of Cerinthus' teachings, from Epiphanius in the 4th century, the accounts are all second- and third-hand hearsay and not reliable, as the Catholic Encyclopedia (1910) notes. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia
Beliefs
The earliest surviving account of Cerinthus is that in Irenæus' refutation of Gnosticism, Adversus haereses[3], which was written about 170 AD. Saint Irenaeus (Greek Ειρηναίος (2nd century AD - c 202 was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, Roman Empire (now Lyons France On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis ( commonly called Against Heresies (Latin Adversus haereses,) is a five-volume work According to Irenæus, Cerinthus, a man educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians, claimed angelic inspiration. An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition
Scripture
Prior to Irenaeus, various Christian communities commonly used one gospel over the others. Cerinthus used a version of the Gospel of Matthew, the most Jewish of the four canonical gospels. Unlike Marcion, another heretic associated with Gnosticism, Cerinthus honored Jewish scripture and the God of the Old Testament.
Creation
He taught that the visible world and heavens were not made by the supreme being, but by a lesser power (Demiurge) distinct from him. Demiurge (the Latinized form of Greek demiourgos, δημιουργός, literally "public or skilled worker" from demos Not Jehovah but the angels have both made the world and given the law. See also Yahweh Tetragrammaton (from the Greek, meaning ' of four letters' (tetra "four" + gramma (gen An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition These creator-angels were ignorant of the existence of the Supreme God. The term Supreme Being is often defined simply as " God " and it is used with this meaning by theologians of many religious faiths including but not limited to
His use of the term demiurge (literally, craftsman) for the creator fits Greek philosophy, which dominated the learned environment of the eastern Mediterranean. Unlike true Gnostics that followed him, Cerinthus taught that the demiurge was good, more like Philo's logos than Valentius's evil god.
Jesus
Cerinthus distinguished between the man Jesus and the Christ. He denied the supernatural birth of Jesus, making him the son of Joseph and Mary, and distinguishing him from Christ, who descended upon him at baptism and left him again at his crucifixion. Cerinthus is also said to have taught that Jesus will be raised from the dead at the Last Day, when all men will rise with Him.
In describing Jesus as a natural-born man, Cerinthus agreed with the Jewish Christian Ebionites. In portraying Christ as a spirit that came from heaven, undertook its divine task in the material world, and then returned, he anticipates the fully developed Gnosticism of Valentius and others.
Jewish law
Cerinthus taught his followers to obey the Jewish law to attain salvation. This view contradicted the Council of Jerusalem (c 50), at which Paul of Tarsus had successfully established the understanding that Christians did not need to be circumcised or, in general, obey the laws of Moses. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and Various other Jewish Christian groups, like Cerinthians, followed the Jewish law and opposed Pauline Christianity. Pauline Christianity is a term used to refer to a branch of Early Christianity associated with the beliefs and doctrines espoused by Paul the Apostle through
Eschatology
Cerinthus believed that Christ would establish a 1,000-year earthly kingdom prior to the general resurrection and the spiritual kingdom of God in heaven. This article concerns itself with Jesus Christ Christian, Islamic and other religious interpretations of resurrection in general Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond This belief, premillennialism, was common among early Christians[4], as it is a literal interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6. Premillennialism in Christian eschatology is the belief that Christ will literally reign on the earth for 1000 years at his Second coming. The Council of Nicea and Augustine of Hippo both opposed this belief, and it came to be considered heretical.
Christian opponents
According to Irenaeus, Polycarp told the story that John the Evangelist, in particular, is said to have so detested Cerinthus that he once fled a bathhouse when he found out Cerinthus was inside, yelling "Let us flee, lest the building fall down; for Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is inside!"[5] One tradition maintains that John wrote his gospel to counter Cerinthus's heresy. Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (ca 69 – ca 155 was a second century Bishop of Smyrna. Saint John the Evangelist (d ca 110 יוחנן " The LORD is merciful" Standard Hebrew Yoḥanan, Tiberian Hebrew
Irenaeus opposed Gnosticism, including the teachings of Cerinthus, in Against Heresies. On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis ( commonly called Against Heresies (Latin Adversus haereses,) is a five-volume work Epiphanius of Salamis documented many heresies and heretics, Cerinthus among them, in his Panarion. In early Christian Heresiology, the Panarion (Greek Πανάριον "Medicine Chest" also known as Adversus Haereses (Latin "Against
Modern discussion concerning Cerinthus
Rabbi Moshe Yosef Koniuchowsky of Your Arms To Israel, in his article, "The Greater and Lesser YHWH", taught that Cerinthus was a "Born Again Believer" who held the same views as the Nazarenes. He believes that "the world was not created by the Supreme Deity but by a certain power emanating from Him. "[Ibid. ]
Koniuchowsky's ideas are disputed by Tim Hegg of Torah Resource, in his article, "The Same Old Heresy".
Works attributed to Cerinthus
Cerinthus may be the alleged recipient of the Apocryphon of James (codex I, text 2 of the Nag Hammadi library), although the name written is largely illegible. Nag Hammadi library (popularly known as The Gnostic Gospels) is a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the A second- or third-century heretical Christian sect (later dubbed the Alogi) alleged Cerinthus was the true author of the Gospel of John and Book of Revelation. The Alogi (ἄλογοι also called "Alogians" were a group of Christian heretics in Asia Minor that flourished around 170 CE The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon Revelation is the act of revealing or disclosing (see etymology or in the theological perception making something obvious and clearly understood through active or passive communication According to Catholic Encyclopedia: Caius: "Additional light has been thrown on the character of Caius's dialogue against Proclus by Gwynne's publication of some fragments from the work of Hippolytus "Contra Caium" (Hermathena, VI, p. 397 sq. ); from these it seems clear that Caius maintained that the Apocalypse of John was a work of the Gnostic Cerinthus. The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John ( pronounced, from the Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου "
References
- ^ See, in particular, Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, Book I, III and relative External links
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia article cited below
- ^ I: xxvi; III: ii, iii and xi; Book I and III - external links below
- ^ "The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasm, or millenarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgement. Cerinthus ( c 100 was an Early Christian originator of a heretical sect a " Heresiarch " in the view of the Church Fathers It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion, but a widely current opinion of distinguished teachers, such as Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactantius, while Caius[8], Origen, Dionysius the Great[9], Eusebius (as afterwards Jerome and Augustin) opposed it. " Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. Philip Schaff ( January 1, 1819 – October 20, 1893) was a Swiss -born German -educated Protestant 2 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, n. d. ) 381. [1]
- ^ Irenaeus mentions the anecdote about Polycarp in Adv. Haer. , III. 3. 4.
External links
- Catholic Encyclopedia: 'Cerinthus'
- Cerinthus from Encyclopedia Britannica (1911)
- Cerinthus from New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (1952)
- Schaff's History of the Christian Church, volume II, chapter XI: THE HERESIES OF THE ANTE-NICENE AGE section 123: Cerinthus
- EarlyChurch.org.uk: Cerinthus
- Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, Book I (Chapter XXVI, §1-2)
- Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, Book III (Chapter II, §1; Ch. III, §4; Ch. XI, §1)
- Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiae.
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