Cerinthus

For the town in ancient Euboea, see Cerinthus (Euboea).

Cerinthus (Greek: Κήρινθος, romanized: Kērinthos; fl. c. 50-100 CE) was an early Gnostic, who was prominent as a heresiarch in the view of the early Church Fathers.[1] Contrary to the Church Fathers, he used the Gospel of Cerinthus, and denied that the Supreme God made the physical world.[1][2] In Cerinthus' interpretation, the Christ descended upon Jesus at baptism and guided him in ministry and the performing of miracles, but left him at the crucifixion.[3][4] Similarly to the Ebionites, he maintained that Jesus was not born of a virgin, but was a mere man, the biological son of Mary and Joseph.[5]

Early Christian tradition describes Cerinthus as a contemporary to and opponent of John the Evangelist, who may have written the First Epistle of John[6] and the Second Epistle of John to warn the less mature in faith and doctrine about the changes Cerinthus was making to the original gospel. According to early Christian sources, the Apostle John wrote his gospel specifically to refute the teachings of Cerinthus.[7][8]

All that is known about Cerinthus comes from the writing of his theological opponents.

  1. ^ a b See, in particular, Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, Book I, III and relative External links
  2. ^ Hill, Charles E. (2006). From the Lost Teachings of Polycarp: Identifying Irenaeus' Apostolic Presbyter and the Author of As Diognetum. Tubingen, Germany: Mohr Siebeck. pp. 28–30. ISBN 3-16-148699-4.
  3. ^ Gundry, Robert (2012). A Survey of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. pp. 536, 539. ISBN 978-0-310-49474-4.
  4. ^ Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1.26.1
  5. ^ Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1.26.2
  6. ^ 1 John 2:18, 19; 4:3
  7. ^ Hill (2006), pp. 29, 30 citing Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3.11.1
  8. ^ Baukham, Richard (2007). The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple: Narrative, History, and Theology in the Gospel of John. Baker Publishing Group. p. 67.