HS 1105

Lecture 4:
FORMING CHRISTIAN IDENTITY: THE GREAT CHURCH

NOTE: Our next session will a ZOOM discussion of the Second-century Gnostic Texts in the
reader.

You will need your copy of Ancient Christian Writings for this lecture.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Eusebius of Caesaraea, The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine, ed. and trans. Louth,
A. Williamson et al. (London: Penguin, 1989)
Augustine Thompson, Francis of Assisi: A New Biography (Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press, 2012)
Walter Bauer, Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity, 2. ed. (1934; English trans.
Mifflentown PA: Sigler Press, 1996)

OUTLINE

I. Interpreting Sources for Early Christianity

Ignatius of Antioch (d. c. 106)
Gnosticism
The Ante-Nicene Fathers: The Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325, ed. Alexander Roberts
and James Donaldson, 10 vols. (1867–1897; rpt. Grand Rapids MI: W. B. Eerdmanns, 1995)

II. The Canon of the Great Church—see HANDOUT 4 from Lecture 3

The Developing Canon of New Testament
Eusebius of Caesarea (265–339), The History of the Church
Papias of Hieropolis (70-163)
Hegesippus (110–180)
King Abgar V of Edessa (d. c. 40)
Recognized Books; Disputed Books; Spurious Books; Heretical Books
Augustine of Hippo (354–430), On the Christian Doctrine, 2:12 (425)
Dublin: Chester Beatty Papyrus 45 (P45)
“Textual Communities”
Philemon of Colossi (d. 68)
Polycarp of Smyrna (69 – 155)
Onesimus: slave of Philemon (Col. 4:9, Philemon 9–17); bishop of Ephsus?
Kerygma
Codex Sinaiticus (IV century)
Constantin von Tischendorf (1815–1874)
1 Clement as Scriture

III. Issues Facing the Great Church

Judaizing Heresy (50s?) = “Right wing”
“Docetism” (90s?) = “Left wing”
Antichrist (cf. 1 Jn 2:18–22; 2 Jn 1:7) denied “Christ in the Flesh”
Raymond Brown, Community of the Beloved Disciple (Mawah NJ: Paulist Press, 1978)
Letter to the Smyrneans (ACW, p. 102)
Ephesus / Island of Patmos
Docere = to seem or to appear
Monoepiscopalism (Ignatius of Antioch)
Episcopos (“bishop”)
Presbyteroi (“elders” / “priests”)
Diaconoi (“deacons”)
Widows (1 Tim 5:9–10, Titus 2:3–5)
 2

IV. The Crisis of Scriptural Authority

Keep whole Old Testament? “Letter of Barnabas”
2 Esdras / Book of Enoch
Numerology
Trope Parallelism (Allegory), e.g:
Rock in Desert (1 Cor. 10:4)
Crossing Red Sea (1 Cor. 10:1–2)
Solution
Jesu ben Nave (Barnabas 12.7, p. 174)
Abraham and 318 circumcised (Barnabas 9.7–9, p. 170)
I (iota) = 10; E (epsilon) = 8; T (tau) = 300 (Jesus and the Cross)
Reject whole Old Testament?
Marcion of Sinope (c. 85–c. 260)
Ignatius of Antioch, Philadelphians 8.2, p. 95
Reject only some parts of the Old Testament?
Intended to lead Jews astray: Ez 20:24
Introduced by Moses, not God
"Satanic verses" / "false pericopes"—Pseudo-Clementine Literature

V. The Crisis of Human Authority

Clement of Rome (35?–99? Pope? 88–99)
Charismatic leaders: Charles Gandison Finney (1792–1875)*
Didache—role of prophets

VI. Sources for “Heresy” and the Earliest Dissenters

Great Church Writers
Ignatius of Antioch (d. 106), Letters
Irenaeus of Lyons (130-200), Against All the Heresies
Tertullian (160-220), Against Marcian
Hippolytus (170-236), The Apostolic Tradition
Apocryphal Writings
Non-Canonical Gospels—e.g Gospel of Thomas (after 140s)
Gnostic Scriptures: The Nag-Hammadi Codices
“Judaizing Heresies”
Adoptionism
Ebionites (c. 150)
Elchasaites (200s)
Mandaeanism (Iraq today?)
“Docetic Heresies”
Cerinthus (late 1st cent.)
Jesus vs. Christ

Lecture 5:
FORMING CHRISTIAN IDENTITY: THE GNOSTICS
BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR NON-GREAT CHURCH MOVEMENTS

The Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudoepigrapha, ed. James H. Charlesworth, 2 vols (Peabody
MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2010)
The New Testament Apocrypha, ed. M. R. James (1924; rpt. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 1991)
New Testament Apocrypha, ed. Wilhelm Schneemelcher and R. Wilson, 2 vols. (Louisville KY:
Westministe–John Knoxr, 1990)
The Nag Hammadi Library, ed. James M. Robinson (New York: Harper–Collins, 1990)

You will need your copy of Ancient Christian Writings for this lecture.
 3

OUTLINE

VII. Gnosticism Generally Considered (Recording at 17:30)

Docetism versus Dualism
Pagan, Jewish, Christian varieties
Salvation by Gnosis (Knowledge)
"I speak in parables so they will not understand."—Mk 4:33–34
Justin Martyr (c. 100–165)
Simon Magus (d. 65?)---Acts 8:9–24

VIII. Basilides, fl. 125–150

Floruit (fl.) = period when active
Matthias the Apostle
Gospel of Mary Magdalene
Emanations: 4 heavens, 365 firmaments
Archons (pl. archontes)

IX. Valentinian, fl. 130–170

Nag Hammadi Gospel of Truth
Plato, Timaeus
Pythagoras ( c. 570?–c. 495? B.C.)
Theology
30 Emanations: Aeon (Saeculum, “Age”), pl. Aeontes
Pleroma (“fullness”)
Demiurge (Creator)
Pneuma = spirit
Psyche = soul
Soma = body

X. Marcion, fl. 140–160

Background
Tertullian ( c. 160–c. 240)
Papias of Hierapolis (d. after 100)
Polycarp of Smyrna (69?–155)
Expelled from Rome: 144
Dualism: Two Gods; Two Testaments
O.T. God (The Creator) = Evil
N.T. God (Father of Jesus) = Good
The Marcionite Prologues
Modalism
Asceticism
Pneumatic versus Psychic Christians
Reincarnation