Jesus Never Existed Com

[Confused Ape]

What I find curious is that Paul's letters are wholly incompatible with Marcionite theology.

That could be easily explained. Tertullian wrote five books against the Marcion Heresy. This is a chapter heading from Book 5 just for one example of what Tertullian seemed to be up to.

Book 5

CHAP. III.--ST. PAUL QUITE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ST. PETER AND OTHER APOSTLES OF THE CIRCUMCISION. HIS CENSURE OF ST. PETER EXPLAINED, AND RESCUED FROM MARCION'S MISAPPLICATION. THE STRONG PROTESTS OF THIS EPISTLE AGAINST JUDAIZERS, YET ITS TEACHING IS SHOWN TO BE IN KEEPING WITH THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS, MARCION'S TAMPERING WITH ST. PAUL'S WRITINGS CENSURED.

The way I interpret that is anything in Paul's writings which didn't fit Tertullian's version of Christianity was explained away as Marcion tampering with the original text. Tertullian then changed it and said he'd just restored the original.

PS: I came up with a conspiracy theory related to this. I've condensed it from a draft of long, complicated post which I never got round to posting.

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Justin, who wrote never mentioned Paul, wrote two treatises against heresy.

From Early Christian Writings introduction to Justin Martyr's Works.

Justin's first work seems to have been his treatise Against all Heresies [now lost]

Irenaeus tells us that Justin Martyr wrote a work against Marcion, which is now lost. Some authentic materials are preserved in the fragments of Justin quoted by other writers, although some of these fragments may be suspect.

The 'orthodox church' tended to cherish books against heresies but Justin, although he was praised by all, including Tertullian, wrote two anti-heresy books which mysteriously disappeared. Eusebius has heard of one from Justin's First Apology.

But I have a treatise against all the heresies that have existed already composed, which, if you wish to read it, I will give you.

Eusebius doesn't include the treatise against all the heresies in his list of Justin's works because he'd only heard about it from Irenaeus who died not long before Tertullian published his own five books against Marcion, written in 207 or 208.

I wonder what Justin said in his texts against heresies. Could he have complained about Paul being promoted as more important than Jesus's disciples? If so, it's possible that his texts were whisked away when Tertullian's faction decided to promote their own version of Paul as being super-apostle.