Against Heresies

Against Heresies: Book I ### Preface. 1. Inasmuch [1] as certain men have set the truth aside, and bring in lying words and vain genealogies, which, as the apostle says, [1] “minister questions rather than godly…

§1 — Book I (¶1)

They then represent the Saviour as having indicated this twofold faculty: first, the sustaining power, when He said, “Whosoever doth not bear his cross (Stauros), and follow after me, cannot be my disciple;” [1] and…

§2 — Book I (¶2)

Others of them yield themselves up to the lusts of the flesh with the utmost greediness, maintaining that carnal things should be allowed to the carnal nature, while spiritual things are provided for the spiritual.

§3 — Book I (¶3)

For he mentions the Father, and Charis, and Monogenes, and Aletheia, and Logos, and Zoe, and Anthropos, and Ecclesia. Such are the views of Ptolemæus.

§4 — Book I (¶4)

Wherefore, again, these two affections, or powers, Ennœa and Thelesis, having intercourse, as it were, between themselves, the production of Monogenes and Aletheia took place according to conjunction.

§5 — Book I (¶5)

And he says that those letters which we call double [1] are the images of 338 the images of these elements; and if these be added to the four-and-twenty letters, by the force of analogy they form the number thirty. 6.

§6 — Book I (¶6)

They next reckon up ten powers in the following manner:—There are seven globular bodies, which they also call heavens; then that globular body which contains these, which also they name the eighth heaven; and, in…

§7 — Book I (¶7)

If your mother is ignorant of her own descent, I know myself, and am aware whence I am, and I call upon the incorruptible Sophia, who is in the Father, and is the mother of your mother, who has no father, nor any male…

§8 — Book I (¶8)

[1] They deem it necessary, therefore, that by means of transmigration from body to body, souls should have experience of every kind of life as well as every kind of action (unless, indeed, by a single incarnation, one…

§9 — Book I (¶9)

They have also given names to [the several persons] in their system of falsehood, such as the following: he who was the first descendant of the mother is called Ialdabaoth; [1] he, again, descended from him, is named…

§10 — Book I (¶10)

Against Heresies: Book II ### Preface. 1. In the first book, which immediately precedes this, exposing “knowledge falsely so called,” [1] I showed thee, my very dear friend, that the whole system devised, in many and…

§1 — Book II (¶1)

But if, driven to despair in regard to these points, they confess that the Father of all contains all things, and that there is nothing whatever outside of the Pleroma (for it is an absolute necessity that, [if there be…

§2 — Book II (¶2)

If, however, they say that these things are the images of the Enthymesis of that Æon who fell into passion, then, first of all, they will act impiously against their Mother, by declaring her to be the first cause of…

§3 — Book II (¶3)

But, according to such a process of reasoning, Homo and Ecclesia too, and indeed all the remaining conjunctions of the Æons produced, ought to be united, and always to co-exist, the one with the other.

§4 — Book II (¶4)

And thus it is, as I have previously remarked, that heaping together with a kind of plausibility all human feelings, and mental exercises, and formation of intentions, and utterances of words, they have lied with no…

§5 — Book II (¶5)

He must then say, either that the Unspeakable formed it of himself, or he will find it necessary to acknowledge that there is some other power above this being, from whom his unnameable One derived such vast numbers of…

§6 — Book II (¶6)

And, in like manner, if there had been a production of light, it would not suffer passion, or recur any danger in light like itself, but would rather glow with the greater brightness, and increase, as the day does from…

§7 — Book II (¶7)

But this Æon is not the twelfth , but the thirtieth ; for, according to the views under consideration, there were not twelve Æons only produced by the will of the Father, nor was she sent forth the twelfth in order:…

§8 — Book II (¶8)

For, transferring the name Jesus , which belongs to another language, to the numeration of the Greeks, they sometimes call it “Episemon,” [1] as having six letters, and at other times “the Plenitude of the Ogdoads,” as…

§9 — Book II (¶9)

But if any one should ask us whether every number of all the things which have been made, and which are made, is known to God, and whether every one of these [numbers] has, according to His providence, received that…

§10 — Book II (¶10)

But if any lover of strife contradict what I have said, and also what the apostle affirms, that “we know in part, and prophesy in part,” [1] and imagine that he has acquired not a partial, but a universal, knowledge of…

§11 — Book II (¶11)

How, then, can it be argued that these men indeed are spiritual, but that he by whom they were created is of an animal nature? Or, again, if (which is indeed the only true supposition, as I have shown by numerous…

§12 — Book II (¶12)

It is doubtless retarded in its velocity, just in the exact proportion in which the body shares in its motion; but it never loses the knowledge which properly belongs to it.

§13 — Book II (¶13)

Against Heresies: Book III ### Preface. Thou hast indeed enjoined upon me, my very dear friend, that I should bring to light the Valentinian doctrines, concealed, as their votaries imagine; that I should exhibit their…

§1 — Book III (¶1)

And again, the apostles taught the Gentiles that they should leave vain stocks and stones, which they imagined to be gods, and worship the true God, who had created and made all the human family, and, by means of His…

§2 — Book III (¶2)

Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy seat.” [1] And again: “In Judea is God known; His place has been made in peace, and His dwelling in Zion.” [1] Therefore there is one and the same God, who was proclaimed by…

§3 — Book III (¶3)

[1] But, again, of what God was Elias the servant and the prophet? Of Him who made heaven and earth, [1] as he does himself confess. John, therefore, having been sent by the founder and maker of this world, how could he…

§4 — Book III (¶4)

And we are in this witnesses of these words; as also is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that believe in Him.” [1] “And daily,” it is said, “in the temple, and from house to house, they ceased not to teach…

§5 — Book III (¶5)

But they clearly indicated, from the nature of the point debated by them, as to whether or not it were still necessary to circumcise the disciples, that they had no idea of another god. 15.

§6 — Book III (¶6)

I judge it necessary therefore to take into account the entire mind of the apostles regarding our Lord Jesus Christ, and to show that not only did they never hold any such opinions regarding Him; but, still further,…

§7 — Book III (¶7)

Gideon, [1] that Israelite whom God chose, that he might save the people of Israel from the power of foreigners, foreseeing this gracious gift, changed his request, and prophesied that there would be dryness upon the…

§8 — Book III (¶8)

[1] Wherefore also the Lord Himself gave us a sign, in the depth below, and in the height above, which man did not ask for, because he never expected that a virgin could conceive, or that it was possible that one…

§9 — Book III (¶9)

Because for this reason have these things been spoken concerning Jechoniah, the [Holy] Spirit foreknowing the doctrines of the evil teachers; that they may learn that from his seed—that is, from Joseph—He was not to be…

§10 — Book III (¶10)

For this gift of God has been entrusted to the Church, as breath was to the first created man, [1] for this purpose, that all the members receiving it may be vivified; and the [means of] communion with Christ has been…

§11 — Book III (¶11)

Against Heresies: Book IV ### Preface. 1. By transmitting to thee, my very dear friend, this fourth book of the work which is [entitled] The Detection and Refutation of False Knowledge , I shall, as I have promised, add…

§1 — Book IV (¶1)

God, therefore, is one and the same, who rolls up the heaven as a book, and renews the face of the earth; who made the things of time for man, so that coming to maturity in them, he may produce the fruit of immortality;…

§2 — Book IV (¶2)

For the law did not prohibit men from being healed upon the Sabbaths; [on the contrary,] it even circumcised them upon that day, and gave command that the offices should be performed by the priests for the people; yea,…

§3 — Book IV (¶3)

For they did themselves, in one sense, perform acts of healing upon the Sabbath-day, when they circumcised a man [on that day]; but they did not blame themselves for transgressing the command of God through tradition…

§4 — Book IV (¶4)

But God turned, and gave them up to worship the hosts of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets: [1] O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to Me sacrifices and oblations for forty years in the wilderness?

§5 — Book IV (¶5)

Since, therefore, the name of the Son belongs to the Father, and since in the omnipotent God the Church makes offerings through Jesus Christ, He says well on both these grounds, “And in every place incense is offered to…

§6 — Book IV (¶6)

For God is powerful in all things, having been seen at that time indeed, prophetically through the Spirit, and seen, too, adoptively through the Son; and He shall also be seen paternally in the kingdom of heaven, the…

§7 — Book IV (¶7)

Various coloured sheep were allotted to this Jacob as his wages; and the wages of Christ are human beings, who from various and diverse nations come together into one cohort of faith, as the Father promised Him, saying,…

§8 — Book IV (¶8)

[1] In this way, Moses, to whom such a leadership was entrusted, relying on a good conscience, cleared himself before God, saying, “I have not in covetousness taken anything belonging to one of these men, nor have I…

§9 — Book IV (¶9)

“But,” say they, “God hardened the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants.” [1] Those, then, who allege such difficulties, do not read in the Gospel that passage where the Lord replied to the disciples, when they asked…

§10 — Book IV (¶10)

And he also judges the Jews, who do not accept of the word of liberty, nor are willing to go forth free, although they have a Deliverer present [with them]; but they pretend, at a time unsuitable [for such conduct], to…

§11 — Book IV (¶11)

[1] He therefore (i.e., the spiritual man) sifts and tries them all, but he himself is tried by no man: [1] he neither blasphemes his Father, nor sets aside His dispensations, nor inveighs against the fathers, nor…

§12 — Book IV (¶12)

This is in accordance with what Jeremiah says, “The Lord hath rejected and cast off the nation which does these things; for the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord.” [1] And again in like manner…

§13 — Book IV (¶13)

And not merely in works, but also in faith, has God preserved the will of man free and under his own control, saying, “According to thy faith 520 be it unto thee;” [1] thus showing that there is a faith specially…

§14 — Book IV (¶14)

But inasmuch as one and the same Lord has pointed out that the whole human race shall be divided at the judgment, “as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats,” [1] and that to some He will say, “Come, ye blessed of…

§15 — Book IV (¶15)

Against Heresies: Book V ### Preface. In the four preceding books, my very dear friend, which I put forth to thee, all the heretics have been exposed, and their doctrines brought to light, and these men refuted who have…

§1 — Book V (¶1)

But if, on the other hand, [it be that he does not grant this] when he has the power of so doing, then he is proved to be not a good, but an envious and malignant Father. 2.

§2 — Book V (¶2)

One of these does indeed preserve and fashion [the man]—this is the spirit; while as to another it is united and formed—that is the flesh; then [comes] that which is between these two—that is the soul, which sometimes…

§3 — Book V (¶3)

And that he, the apostle, was the very same person who had been born from the womb, that is, of the ancient substance of flesh, he does himself declare in the Epistle to the Galatians: “But when it pleased God, who…

§4 — Book V (¶4)

And therefore, when His disciples asked Him for what cause the man had been born blind, whether for his own or his parents’ fault, He replied, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God…

§5 — Book V (¶5)

Then, again, others [of them assert] that it obtained substance in those things which are contained by the Father, from defect and ignorance; others still, despise the advent of the Lord manifest [to the senses], for…

§6 — Book V (¶6)

Whether, therefore, with respect to disobedience, which is death; whether 552 [we consider] that, on account of that, they were delivered over to death, and made debtors to it; whether with respect to [the fact that on]…

§7 — Book V (¶7)

[1] And why is this? Has the Word come for the ruin and for the resurrection of many? For the ruin, certainly, of those who do not believe Him, to whom also He has threatened a greater damnation in the judgment-day than…

§8 — Book V (¶8)

But the case was, that for three days He dwelt in the place where the dead were, as the prophet says concerning Him: “And the Lord remembered His dead saints who slept formerly in the land of sepulture; and He descended…

§9 — Book V (¶9)

Behold, a righteous king shall reign, and princes shall rule with judgment.” [1] And with regard to the foundation on which it shall be rebuilt, he says: “Behold, I will lay in order for thee a carbuncle stone, and…

§10 — Book V (¶10)