Meaning of MARCIONITE PROLOGUES

In several of the ancient codices of the Vulgate there appear prologues that precede the epistles of the apostle Paul, and it is believed that they originated in Marcionite circles, followers of the heretic Marcion.

This favored an intense dualism in which he affirmed the contrast of the God of the OT with Christ, the God of the NT, claiming that the former was a God of implacable and merciless justice and without goodness, while Christ had appeared in the world to reveal himself as the God of love and mercy.

He managed to exert great influence in Rome. Coming from Pontus, he arrived at the capital of the empire in the year 140, and, due to his false teachings, he was excommunicated in the year 144; However, he managed to gather numerous followers around him, and founded Marcionite groups, governed by apostate bishops supported by equally apostate presbyters.

Marcion adopted a canon consistent with his convictions, accepting as canonical books only the epistles of the apostle Paul, with the exception of the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Pastorals, and the Gospel of Luke, without the chapters on the infancy of Jesus (see CANON). .

Marcion also denied the incarnation, maintaining the intrinsic evil of matter, and therefore the impossibility of Christ having been incarnated, in direct opposition to the teachings of the apostles (cf. 1 Pet. 3:15-17).

He became the most serious danger to the Christian faith in the second century, and his influence was felt until the end of the third century.

He and his school of thought were firmly resisted by Justin, Theophilus of Antioch, Rodon, Tertullian, etc. Polycarp called Marcion “the firstborn of Satan” (cf. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3:4).

One of the most important works refuting his teachings is Tertullian's, "Against Marcion." Although he cannot be properly described as a Gnostic (see GNOSTICISM), he did present several elements in common with this system of thought.

He can be considered a singular Gnostic. In his system, he shows, in a patent way, the strong influences that he had received from this movement, due, especially, to his close dealings with the Gnostic Cerdon.

It is due to his great influence in Rome, where the epistles of the apostle Paul were first translated into Latin, that the Marcionite origin of these prologues is generally maintained.