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Tertullian: Against Marcion, Books I–V
ANF historical edition · Edition commentary
Book V. Wherein Tertullian proves, with respect to St. Paul's epistles, what he had proved in the preceding book with respect to St. Luke's gospel. Far from being at variance, they were in perfect unison with the writings of the Old Testament, and therefore testified that the Creator was the only God, and that the Lord Jesus was his Christ. As in the preceding books, Tertullian supports his argument with profound reasoning, and many happy illustrations of Holy Scripture. — Translator and historical edition notes (part 19)
Allegorica: on the importance of rendering ἀλληγορούμενα by this participle rather than by the noun “an allegory,” as in A.V., see Bp. Marsh’s Lectures on the Interpretation of the Bible , pp. 351–354.
Ostensiones: revelationes perhaps.
Gal. iv. 21–26, 31 .
Apud quem.
Gal. v. 1 .
Tertullian, in his terse style, takes the case of the emperor, as the highest potentate, who, if any, might make free with his power. He seizes the moment when Galba was saluted emperor on Nero’s death, and was the means of delivering so many out of the hands of the tyrant, in order to sharpen the point of his illustration.
Gal. v. 1 .
Ps. ii. 3, 2 .
Jer. iv. 4 .
Deut. x. 16 .
Gal. v. 6 .
Utraque vacabat.
Isa. xlii. 4 .
Gal. v. 6 .
Deut. vi. 5 .
Lev. xix. 18 .
Gal. v. 10 .
Gal. v. 14 .
Dispendium.
Compendium: the terseness of the original cannot be preserved in the translation.
Gal. vi. 2 .
Erratis: literally, “ye are deceived.”
Gal. vi. 7 .
Gal. vi. 7 .
Intentat.
Gal. vi. 9 .
Gal. vi. 10 .
Corruptionis.
Gal. vi. 9 .
Eccles. iii. 17 .
Gal. vi. 14 .
See Gal. vi. 17 , κόπους μοι μηδεὶς παρεχέτω , “let no one harass me.”
Stigmata: the scars not of circumcision, but of wounds suffered for His sake (Conybeare and Howson).
Corporalia.
Solidam.
Præstructio.
Titulo.
1 Cor. i. 3 .
Appellant.
Officio.
Isa. lii. 7 .
Pacem quam præferendam.
1 Cor. i. 3 .
Competentibus nostro quoque sacramento.
Nisi ex accedentibus cui magis competant.
Disciplinæ.
Per naturæ dissimulationem. This Fr. Junius explains by τὴν φύσεως ἀφοσίωσιν , in the sense of “ original sin ” ( ἀφοσιοῦσθαι seems to point to sin requiring expiation ).
1 Cor. i. 18 .
1 Cor. i. 19, from Isa. xxix. 14 .
Causam.
Aut si: introducing a Marcionite cavil.
Apud dominum.
1 Cor. i. 20 .
Boni duxit Deus, εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεός .
1 Cor. i. 21 .
Hic vel maxime.
That is, “man who lives in the world, not God who made the world.”
1 Cor. i. 22 .
Æmula.
Causæ: the reasons of His retributive providence.
1 Cor. i. 23 .
Consignat.
Isa. viii. 14 .
Isa. xxviii. 16 .
“Etiam Marcion servat.” These words cannot mean, as they have been translated, that “Marcion even retains these words” of prophecy; for whenever Marcion fell in with any traces of this prophecy of Christ, he seems to have expunged them. In Luke ii. 34 holy Simeon referred to it, but Marcion rejected this chapter of the evangelist; and although he admitted much of chap. xx., it is remarkable that he erased the ten verses thereof from the end of the eighth to the end of the eighteenth. Now in vers. 17, 18, Marcion found the prophecy again referred to. See Epiphanius, Adv. Hæres. xlii. Schol. 55.
1 Cor. i. 25 .
Caro.
Vere.
1 Cor. i. 27 .
Apud Creatorem etiam vetera: ( vetera , i.e.) “veteris testamenti institutiones” (Oehler).
Lev. xv . passim .
Lev. xiii. 2–6 .
Æmulatur.
1 Cor. i. 29, 31 .
By Jeremiah, chap. ix. 23, 24 .
1 Cor. ii. 6, 7 .
Infatuavit.
Isa. xlii. 6 .
Isa. xlv. 3 (Septuagint).
Nedum.
Sacramenta.
Palam decurrentia.
Delitescebat.
1 Cor. ii. 7 .
Gen. i. 14 , inexactly quoted.
Quodammodo.
Introductione sæculi.
Pæne jam totis sæculis prodactis.
1 Cor. ii. 8 .
Ut et hoc recidat.
Virtutibus.
Sed jam nec mihi competit.
Matt. iv. 1–11 .
Luke iv. 34 .
In Creatoris accipitur apud Marcionem.
Considered, in the hypothesis, as Marcion’s god.
Apud me.
Luke xxii. 3 .
1 Cor. ii. 8 .
Videtur.
Et quo.
Instrumento.
Isa. xl. 13 .
1 Cor. iii. 10 .
Depalatorem.
So the A.V. of Isa. iii. 3 ; but the Septuagint and St. Paul use the self-same term, σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων .
1 Cor. iii. 11 .
Isa. xxviii. 16 .
We add the original of this sentence: “Nisi si structorem se terreni operis Deus profitebatur, ut non de suo Christo significaret, qui futurus esset fundamentum credentium in eum, super quod prout quisque superstruxerit, dignam scilicet vel indignam doctrinam si opus ejus per ignem probabitur, si merces illi per ignem rependetur, creatoris est, quia per ignem judicatur vestra superædificatio, utique sui fundamenti, id est sui Christi.” Tertullian is arguing upon an hypothesis suggested by Marcion’s withdrawal of his Christ from everything “terrene.” Such a process as is described by St. Paul in this passage, 1 Cor. i. 12–15 , must be left to the Creator and His Christ.
1 Cor. iii. 16 .
The text has vitiabitur , “shall be defiled .”
1 Cor. iii. 17 .
1 Cor. iii. 18 .
1 Cor. iii. 19 .
The older reading, “ adhuc sensum pristina præjudicaverunt,” we have preferred to Oehler’s “ad hunc sensum,” etc.
1 Cor. iii. 19, 20; Job v. 13; Ps. xciv. 11 .
Si non illi doceret.
1 Cor. iii. 21 .
Jer. xvii. 5 .
Ps. cxviii. 8 .
Ps. cxviii. 9 .
1 Cor. iv. 5 .
Isa. xlii. 6 .
Ps. vii. 9 .
1 Cor. iv. 5 .
1 Cor. iv. 9 .
Our author’s version is no doubt right. The Greek does not admit the co-ordinate, triple conjunction of the A.V.: Θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ—καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις .
Nimirum: introducing a strong ironical sentence against Marcion’s conceit.
Nisi exserte.
Lev. xviii. 8 .
1 Cor. v. 1 .
Secutus sit.
1 Cor. v. 5 .
Viderit.
1 Cor. v. 5 .
1 Cor. v. 13 .
1 Cor. v. 7 .
1 Cor. v. 7 .
Ex. xii .
1 Cor. vi. 13 .
Peribit.
1 Cor. vi. 14 .
1 Cor. vi. 15 .
1 Cor. vi. 20 .
1 Cor. vi. 20 .
Constantior: ironically predicated.
1 Cor. vii. 7, 8 .
1 Cor. vii. 9, 13, 14 .
1 Cor. vii. 27 .
One of Marcion’s Antitheses .
Viderint.
Et Christus: Pamelius and Rigaltius here read “Christi apostolus .” Oehler defends the text as the author’s phrase suggested (as Fr. Junius says) by the preceding words, “ Moses or Christ .” To which we may add, that in this particular place St. Paul mentions his injunction as Christ’s especially , οὐκ ἐγὼ, αλλ᾽ ὁ Κύριος , 1 Cor. vii. 10 .
1 Cor. vii. 10, 11 .
1 Cor. vii. 29 .
1 Cor. vii. 39 .
1 Cor. viii. 5 .
1 Cor. viii. 4 .
1 Cor. viii. 6 .
1 Cor. iii. 21, 22 .
1 Cor. iii. 23 .
1 Cor. ix. 13 .
1 Cor. ix. 7 .
He turns to Marcion’s god.
1 Cor. ix. 9 and Deut. xxv. 4 .
1 Cor. xi. 10 .
Comp. 1 Cor. ix. 13, 14, with Deut. xviii. 1, 2 .
Gratis.
1 Cor. ix. 15 .
1 Cor. x. 4 .
Figuram extranei sacramenti.
Recensendum.
1 Cor. x. 6 .
Me terret sibi.
1 Cor. x. 7–10 .
Magis quam foveat.
1 Cor. x. 11 .
1 Cor. x. 25–27 .
Novationem.
1 Cor. xi. 3 .
1 Cor. xi. 7 .
Gen. i. 26 .
1 Cor. xi. 10 .
1 Cor. xi. 9 .
1 Cor. xi. 10 .
See more concerning these in chap. xviii. of this book. Comp. Gen. vi. 1–4 .
1 Cor. xi. 18, 19 .
Probabiles: “approved.”
See above, in book iv. chap. xl.