Marcionem

Marcionism was a dualistic religious movement within early Christianity founded by Marcion of Sinope around the 2nd century AD. Marcion taught that the God of the Old Testament, who created the material world, was a lesser, wrathful deity, distinct from the benevolent God of love revealed by Jesus Christ in the New Testament. He believed that this intervening, lesser god, the Creator, was responsible for the harsh laws and suffering described in the Old Testament.

Marcion's theology led him to reject the Old Testament entirely, viewing it as the work of the inferior creator god. He also created his own canon of scripture, which consisted of a modified Gospel of Luke and ten edited Pauline epistles. He believed that other Gospels and writings contained Jewish influences and were therefore corrupted. His followers, known as Marcionites, were often highly ascetic, abstaining from marriage and worldly pleasures.

The church fathers vigorously opposed Marcionism. Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Epiphanius of Salamis wrote extensively against his teachings, considering them heretical. Marcionism was eventually suppressed, though pockets of its followers may have persisted for several centuries. Its influence, however, contributed to the ongoing discussions and debates about the canon of the New Testament and the nature of God within early Christianity.