School and Controversies

Alexandrian School and Antiochan School: Alexandrian School had always different interpretation. Every Scripture has two to three meanings-literal, moral and spiritual. Antiochan School has more practical. Origen belongs to the Alexandrian School who believed in the infant baptism and not in the resurrection of the body. He believed that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is not only for man, but even for the fallen angels also. It has to be appropriate by faith.

Major basic controversies: As the Church struggled to its doctrine, there aroused different heretical teachings. In reality, Gnosticism cannot be called as heretics because they are not from the Christian background but resembles many of the Christian teachings and therefore confused many minds. As the Church struggled with some of the heretical teachings the need for a clear formulation of the true doctrine of the church is aroused and that is called creedal development.

(1) Gnosticism: Some people says that Gnosticism started with Simon (Acts) . Others like Tertullian said that it began with the Greek philosophers. Some of the basic teachings of the Gnostics are:-

(i).They believed that good God created the world and all the material world is not evil. Matter is evil and Spirit is good. They believed that there is a Supreme God called Bythos who is the first and self existence and infinite. Unknowable without attributes beyond time and change and since Bythos is good it cannot be a material world.

(ii). They denied the real incarnation of Jesus Christ. There were two groups of Gnostics- One group believed that the divine spirit upon him at the time of baptism and left him at the time of crucifixion. Another group believed that Jesus’ humanity was not real. To explain about the Jesus Christ they adopted the doctrine of Gnosticism. That means because the matter was evil, Jesus Christ cannot be associated with the human body. Therefore he was only like a ghostly body on a shadow. Those who crucified Jesus Christ were deceived.

(iii). They also said that salvation is by knowledge. They divided into the three classes. They also said that only spiritual people can attain salvation, physical people who are capable of faith and some degree of salvations. Material people are without any hope for salvation. And those who attain salvation is only through the knowledge.

(iv). They also denied the resurrection of the body.

(2) Marcionism: The founder of this doctrine is Marcion. His teachings were related to Gnosticism. He thought that loving God of father cannot be god of Old Testament Yahweh.

(3) Manichaeism: It is not a real or true doctrine. It is a heresy. It is a philosophy and religion that influenced many people and confused many Christians. Founder of this doctrine is Mani from Mesopotamia (216-76). He started teaching that many religions are same as Christian, Gnosticism, and Zoroastrianism. He thought that good or light or evil or darkness they were eternal principles opposed to each other. Man’s particle of life has been entangled in the dark material world. To redeem humanity, living Spirit of God sent many messengers including Mitra, Jesus and he himself (Mani). He says that he is the last and the greatest one. Purpose of this coming was to rescue those entangled in the dark world. For this illumination is necessary. Not only the illumination, but they also to be part of Manichean Church.

(4) Montanism: By middle of the second century, many Churches were growing worldly. There was a tendency of secularism in the church. Some of the church leaders were growing prominent and some are formalism. Inspiration of Holy Spirit was declining. There was disappearance of the office of the prophets. The gift of tongue was not seen no more. Also many felt in the speed return of Christ. In this context many people in the Church felt that there was need to retain the inspiration of Holy Spirit. And person who took initiate was Montanus. He claimed that the promise of the Holy Spirit was not totally fulfilled except in him (Montanus). He said that this new dispensation of Holy Spirit was beginning. The gift of the Holy Spirit especially the gift of the prophecy and the gift of the tongues were highly emphasized. He belied the end of the world is at hand. He wanted to prepare people for the end of the world. Montanius were ascetic, celibacy, fasting, and abstinence from eating meat, and prohibited second marriage.

The effects of some heresies: Many theologies often developed because of this in specific context. False teachings were always there in the church. Church had to refuse the false teachings. But simply refuting false teaching was not sufficient and church had to come out with positive suggestion. This process of known as the creed, doctrine, creedal development. Some of these heresies forced the churches to develop true doctrine. Church wrote the doctrines so that they can prevent from the false teachings. Councils were investigated and discussed. Heretics were threaded as who destroyed the faith of the Church. Therefore they thought that they (false teachers) and their teachings should be destroyed. This is the reason to that we do not have much of the writings of heretics because, they were destroyed. One definite effect of the heretics was the conservation of the church as to which book consists in the Scripture. The Old Testament was not completed. Therefore many apocryphal writings also used to accept. Gospels and epistles were valued. Development of creed also another effect of the heresies. The first Christian Creed was “Jesus as Law.” But then more detail confusion of that statement need to be formulated. Heresies actually helped to formulate several things. These were able to distinguish what is right and wrong.