Church Matters: Retrieving the Great Tradition

Session 1: The Apostolic Age, the Ancient Church, the Apologists, and the Great Tradition 17

C. Challenges faced from within the ancient body

1. Marcionism: 2nd century heretic, argued that the God of the OT was evil and capricious, while God of the NT redemptive and loving; possessed his own canon, strongly anti-Jewish in orientation

2. Ebionism: late first century, argued that Jesus succeeded Moses, not God the Son; Jesus is exalted man who kept the Law; righteousness through asceticism and self-denial

3. Montanism: followers of Montanus in 2nd century, argued for the “New Prophecy,” i.e., that the coming of Christ was close at hand; the Holy Spirit has selected Montanus as his anointed messenger, with manifestations of sign gifts as tokens of the Second Coming.

III. Apologists and the Great Tradition

The apologists sought to defend the Christian faith in the face of the various accusations made against it. (And some, such as Justin, were first apologists and then martyrs.) This attempt to defend the faith produced some of the earliest theological works of Christianity.

~ Justo L. Gonzalez. Church History: An Essential Guide . Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996, p. 27.

The early versions of the Apostles’ Creed and similar statements were used to prepare converts for baptism. By the third century it was a widespread custom in the church for those who were about to be baptized (usually taking place at Easter) to first answer a series of questions that took the form “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty . . . ? Do you believe in Jesus Christ . . . ? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit . . . ?” These creeds were thus first a way to teach about the Trinitarian faith and, then, for those joining the church, a way to express this faith as their own. ~ Ibid., p. 44