The Heretic Who Tried to Rewrite Christianity: The Story of Marcion

In this episode of FACTS, Stephen Boyce and Pat May explore the life and controversy surrounding Marcion of Sinope—one of the most influential and dangerous figures in the history of early Christianity.

Arriving in Rome in the mid–second century, Marcion brought with him wealth, influence, and a radical theological proposal. He argued that the God of the Old Testament was not the same God revealed by Jesus Christ. Rejecting the Hebrew Scriptures entirely, Marcion promoted an edited version of the Gospel of Luke and a shortened collection of Paul’s letters as the only legitimate Christian writings.

His teachings quickly sparked a crisis within the Church. Around A.D. 144, the Roman church formally expelled Marcion and returned the large donation he had given to the Christian community. Yet the impact of his ideas did not end there. Marcion went on to establish a rival movement that spread throughout the Roman world, forcing early Christian leaders to more clearly articulate the unity of Scripture and the authority of the apostolic writings.

In this episode, we examine Marcion’s background, his theology, the events leading to his expulsion from Rome, and why the controversy surrounding him became one of the most important moments in the development of the New Testament canon.

#ChurchHistory #Marcion #EarlyChristianity #NewTestament #FACTS

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Tertullian on Marcion: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/03121.htm

Irenaeus on Marcion: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103304.htm