Marcion
Marcion in the middle of the second century AD, left the church and started the Gnostic Marcionites. Marcion was a native of Sinope. He first studied with the stoics then became a Christian. As he began to apostatize he seduced a young girl, according to Epiphanius, was then excommunicated. Marcion then traveled to Rome in hopes to be readmitted to the church. Later Marcion joined Cerdon and another Gnostic, preaching in Rome, in hopes of creating a schism in the church. Marcion's most famous disciples were Apelles, Lucanus, Basilus, Potitus, and Blastus who caused a schism in Rome. Marcionites continued until the 6th century, principally in Egypt, Israel, and Syria.

The teachings of Marcion are as follows:

1. Rejects the Old Testament and uses cut up versions of Luke and some of Paul's epistles. The god of the old testament and his prophets and are evil and will be destroyed.
2. God is the author of sin. Marcionites must be celibate.
3. There are two equal and opposite gods one good and one evil.
4. Strongly addicted to astrology.
5. The Law and The Gospel being so against each other proves two different gods.
6. There is no resurrection. The saved should not marry.
7. Removed references in his gospel that Christ was creator.
8. Jesus was a phantom (no physical body)
9. Marcion Forbids marriage and says it is evil. married people can't be baptized unless they get a divorce.

• Jesus came to overthrow the dominion of the evil creator
• Baptized often in order to remove sins recently committed.
• Women were allowed to baptize other women.
• Must be single, widows, or divorced before one could be baptized.
• Deny Christ came in the flesh
• Marcion tried to publish a Gospel he wrote himself in the name of Paul.
• No salvation or resurrection of the flesh, only the spirit.
   
• His followers sought martyrdom in order to escape this evil world.
• Some believed in the transmigration of the soul. (reincarnation)
• Marcion used the gospel of Luke with the first four chapters cut out and removed all references to Jesus divinity or connection with the God of the old testament. His canon of scripture also contained Romans, 1st & 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st & 2nd Thessalonians, Philemon, and Laodiceans. All of these were tailored to fit Marcion's teachings.

Church teachings contrasted:

• Marcion 4.8 - Jesus was not a phantom but had a real body.
• Marcion 4.37 Christ saves both body and soul. Only heretics say the body is not saved (resurrected).
• Marcion 5.11 Heretics try to say the epistle to the Ephesians is the epistle to the Laodeceans.

More to Come!!!

References:

Irenaeus Against Heresies 1.27 Against Heresies 4.29 Tertullian Against Marcion 1.2 Against Marcion 1.18 Against Marcion 1.19-20

Against Marcion 1.24 Against Marcion 2.17 Against Marcion 3.8, 4.8 Against Marcion 1.29