Early Church History (Part 7 of 11)

The Biblical Roots Podcast

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We continue our examination of Jewish-Christian relations in the early Church by reviewing one teaching and one writing:
#1: The teaching of Marcion
Marcion of Sinope (AD 85-160) is a historical figure who embodied the sort of potent anti-Jewish sentiment many believe was prevalent in the ante-Nicene era. A great deal is known about Marcion through early writings, making him an excellent case study for us. He taught that the Bible refers to two different gods; the benevolent God of love and mercy proclaimed by Jesus and the “finite, imperfect, angry Jehovah of the Jews.” In his work Antitheses (AD 144), Marcion outlined this contrast, describing the God of the Old Testament as a demiurge—a lesser god who created the physical universe. He considered this deity a harsh Jewish tribal god, as severe and unmerciful as his law. The Old Testament God commanded us to love our neighbor but hate our enemies. He taught vengeance, saying, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” By contrast, Marcion argued, the Supreme God of the New Testament commands us to love our enemy and “turn the other cheek.”
#2: Justin Martyr’s "Dialogue with Trypho"
Born in the Roman colony of Neapolis in Samaria (he was neither a Samaritan nor a Jew), Justin Martyr was arguably the most influential Christian apologist of the second century. Dialogue with Trypho is an intellectually impressive and lengthy document. (The English translation runs more than 69,000 words.) Justin works through various theological issues by way of an ambitious dialogue between himself and a Hellenized rabbi named Trypho, famous as one of the most learned Jews in the East. Whether this work records an actual discussion is a matter of debate. However, Justin’s remarkable knowledge of the Jews, their objections to Christianity, and their Scripture suggest the content of Dialogue is based on actual conversations with Jews.
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