Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 3) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence Book V of 'The five books against Marcion' by reading Chapters 1 to 10.
My summary
This week we begin a new book from Tertullian aimed against Marcion's teachings.
Similarly to the last book, Tertullian's purpose is to show the perfect consistency between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament - they are in fact the same God.
However this time, instead of using Luke's gospel as in the last book, Tertullian demonstrates the compatibility of Paul's writings with the Old Testament prophets. In particular, Tertullian shows this from the teachings of:
(i) Galatians;
(ii) 1 Corinthians.
What grabbed me
I appreciated Tertullian's defence of Paul as a preacher of the God of Judaism: 'Take now from my point of view the apostle, in the same manner as you have received the Christ—the apostle shown to be as much mine as the Christ is. And here, too, we will fight within the same lines, and challenge our adversary on the mere ground of a simple rule, that even an apostle who is said not to belong to the Creator—nay, is displayed as in actual hostility to the Creator—can be fairly regarded as teaching nothing, knowing nothing, wishing nothing in favour of the Creator whilst it would be a first principle with him to set forth another god with as much eagerness as he would use in withdrawing us from the law of the Creator. It is not at all likely that he would call men away from Judaism without showing them at the same time what was the god in whom he invited them to believe; because nobody could possibly pass from allegiance to the Creator without knowing to whom he had to cross over. '
Paul clearly knew the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. And he taught that they were identical.
Next week's reading
Conclude Book V of 'The five books against Marcion'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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