THE CHRISTOLOGICAL DEBATES OF THE FIRST FIVE CENTURIES/KNIGHT

The Christological debate to be discussed is that of Gnostic Arianism. The apostle Paul was forced to address this rising heresy less then thirty years after Christ resurrection and ascension. Paul writes in Galatians 3:1 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” 1 What had happened is after the conversion to Christ of many at Galatia, through the ministry of Paul, many Galatians had been turning away from faith alone in Christ as a result of false teachers. The false teaching was by unconverted Jewish leaders that intended to turn followers of Jesus back to their false beliefs. “While he (Paul) was with them, they (the Galatians) had expressed the greatest esteem and affection both for his person and ministry; but he had not been long absent from them before some humanizing teachers got in among them, by whose arts and insinuations they were soon drawn into a meaner opinion both of the one and of the other.” 2 The argument for gnosticism says that the flesh is evil and the spirit is good. All Christians would believe sin is not executed in the spirit but in the flesh. The problem with gnosticism is that it attacks Christ' sacrifice on the cross for the sins of man. Christians do not live right and accomplish the Great Commission through the flesh, but by the flesh submitting itself to the Spirit. If the flesh were completely punished and destroyed there would be no bodies to carry the Spirit around, so that the Lord might receive glory. The Judeizers would blend grace and the law turning believers away from grace alone by faith.

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1 cf. Galatians 3:1ff. 2 Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary On The Bible (Peabody: Hendrickson Press, 1994), p. 521. in Jesus Christ. Paul goes on to make the argument for faith in Christ over Gnosticism, a type of works salvation through basically sacrificing ones self. Romans 11:6 “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” 3 The problem with gnosticism is not that it insults the flesh but that it insults Christ and the salvation He provided. Christ did not die on the cross for all mankind for man to find another way of redemption. Christ is the only way of redemption. The purpose of Paul writing to the Galatians was that that these believers might understand true justification from sin was not dependent on them but on Christ. Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” 4 If there was any doubt that this problem of gnosticism was a source of confusion for the believer all one needs to do is look at all the number of times the Bible address the subject of the flesh. Some 420 times the flesh is mentioned. Paul addresses this paradox of living in the Spirit while still in the flesh. Paul makes clear that the Christian life is played out and won in the power Galatians 3:3-5 “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh ? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” 5

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3 cf. Romans 11:6ff. 4 cf. Galatians 2:20ff. 5 cf. Galatians 3:3-5ff. of the Spirit. Furthermore Paul teaches and re-teaches the Galatians that it is not the law that saves but the Savior by the Spirit. The Spirit comes by hearing the Word of God, and receiving it by faith. Irenaeus defended Christ in the second century against the heretical views of Gnosticism. Irenaeus had a good understanding of the Apostles divine mission to communicate God's Word to mankind both verbally and in written form. The Gnostics did not believe either the tradition or the Scriptures. Irenaeus argues that the gospel came from the apostles both orally And in writing. These “first preached it abroad, and then later by the will of God handed it down to us (in scriptures), to be the foundation and piller of our faith” 6 The Gnostics seem to be in a constant state of denial. This new movement of the Christ ones, the miracles, the healings, and the resurrection were all well documented events. And yet the Gnostics were unwilling to believe the obvious. Irenaeus' time, New Testament Scripture was still in process of collection, and therefore he attaches great significance to the perpetuation of the oral witness as well as to the written Word. 7 Here seems to be the root problem and source of the Gnostics unbelief, pride that seems to blind and keep them from the truth. When referred to Scripture, they say that the tradition was handed down orally, but when referred to the tradition they claim greater wisdom than the apostles, “who mixed matters of the law with words of the Saviour,” and even than the Lord Himself, who “spoke sometimes from the demiurge.” 8 _______________________

6 Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Historical Theology (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), p. 19. 7 Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Historical Theology (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), p.20. 8 Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Historical Theology (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), p.20. Just sixty or so years after Christ' resurrection and ascension John addresses this debate of flesh being good or evil. The Bible makes it very clear that the Gnostics are not true believers in Christ, and frankly need not be treated with any degree of hospitality. II John 7 “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” 9 The Gnostics are antichrist's, and have failed to understand clear teaching from the Scriptures as well as the Apostles themselves with regard to the physical not being evil. If flesh was evil in and of itself then Jesus would have to be evil. Anyone that believes that does not believe Scripture or is a true believer. John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” 10 The Gnostics lose this argument again and again as it relates to Christ and the incarnation. They cannot separate Christ in His earthly ministry from the God Man. Christ came in the flesh, and He suffered in the flesh. “For them (Gnostics) Christ always has to be ‘without flesh and free from suffering.'…By relating the witness of John the Baptist to that of Elijah, the apostle also shows that the Word is that of the God who is the Fashioner of this world. Two planks in the Gnostic program are thus knocked out at a single stroke.” 11 So Irenaeus clearly shows both from Scripture and from Christ' earthly ministry That both the spirit and the physical are for our good and God's glory.

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9 cf. II John 7ff. 10. Cf. John 1:14ff. 11. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Historical Theology (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), p. 21. Gnosticism was confronted as early as A.D.70, and Paul wrote to the Colossian believers to warn them about this false teaching. History shows that this false teaching has not only been around for over nineteen centuries ago but has been prevalent in some form up through the present time. “The Gnostics claimed to be in possession of the true philosophy of Christianity. They were of two classes: Judaizing and Anti-Judaizing. 12 As like many false teachings they tend to have a number of variations that contradict one another. This false teaching, Gnosticism is no exception. Contradictions in spiritual matters should be an indication something is wrong. The first of the two sects of Gnostics were the Judaizers. The Judaizing Gnostic recognized the distinction spoken of by Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, and employed by the Christian Apologist himself against the Ebionite, ---that, viz., of a Jew outwardly and inwardly. But this distinction he entirely misapprehended. He regarded it to be the same as that found in all Oriental philosophies between the esoteric and exoteric, the initiated and uninitiated, the philosophic and the unphilosophic mind.” 13 The second form of Gnosticism is just the opposite from the Judaiziers. These are the AntiiJudaizing Gnostics. This group actually has to dismiss the entire Old Testament in order to prop up their doctrinal positions and false teaching.

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2 William G.T. Shedd, A History of Christian Doctrine (Minneapolis: Klock & Klock Christian Publishers, 1978), p. 115. 13 William G.T. Shedd, A History of Christian Doctrine (Minneapolis: Klock & Klock Christian Publishers, 1978), p. 115. “The Anti-Judaizing Gnostics, on the other hand, were originally Pagan philosophers or theosophers, who passed over to a nominal Christianity directly, and not through Judaism, and hence cherished a profound contempt for the whole Old Testament Dispensation…The consequence was, that those two doctrines which are the life and life-blood of Christianity, --the doctrines of guilt and atonement, --were thrown out of the scheme of the Anti-Judaizing Gnostics.” 14 The key word here is ‘nominal Christianity'. Some church groups only teach from the New Testament. Many times these believers are shallow in there understanding of the Scriptures. As a result bring forth very little fruit. Taken a step further shallow believers are a prime target for the cults. When ones view of Christ is off that leads to a wrong view of sin and atonement. The answer to this problem in the past and going forward is to be a diligent student and practitioner of the Scriptures. Acts 17:10,11 “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea : who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” 15 Integrity comes from having a right heart with the Lord, which of course comes from a regenerated heart. Thus to have a right view of Christ, sin and atonement the individual needs to be saved and study and pray to be able to learn and apply the Scriptures. ________________

14 William G.T. Shedd, A History of Christian Doctrine (Minneapolis: Klock & Klock Christian Publishers, 1978), p. 116 15 cf. Acts 17:10, 11ff. Clement, another apologist from the first century defended Christian philosophy, though he does not seem to have a clear salvation testimony, does argue against the philosophies of the Gnostics. “He repudiated the excessive intellectualism of extremist Gnosticism, and he showed that the most ardent of the Gnostics must postulate the validity of their first principle, the unproved assumptions at the basis of their doctrine.” 16 Clement had, what of course, what is the consistent answer to the false teaching and philosophies of the Gnostics, and that is that the Scriptures is the only and true source of faith and practice for the Christian life. To have a right view of sin, atonement and of Jesus Christ, one must with integrity study the Scriptures diligently, and have the illuminating power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. “God in Himself is wholly transcendent, beyond space and time, and quite outside the range of the defining powers of the human mind; and it is only through the agency of the Logos that the Divine Being is creative and can enter into a sympathetic relationship with creaturely existence.” 17 As man seeks to understand life, the world and human history he must seek the Divine Author of all these matters. Satisfaction and completeness that every human heart seeks will only be completely satisfied after a lifetime of seeking, study and service to the Savior.

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16 T.A. Burkill, The Evolution of Christian Thought (London: Cornell University Press, 1971), p. 65. 17 T.A. Burkill, The Evolution of Christian Thought (London: Cornell University Press, 1971), p. 67.