Peter Enns and Marcionism

[KingsGambit]

I'd need more information than the previous link in this thread to make a determination as to whether or not Peter Enns is espousing Marcionite views. However, I have noticed that old heresies have been popping up consistently lately.

After bumping the thread, I realized that I was the only person involved in the relevant discussion who's even eligible to post in this section. Oops.

I think as the OP and a mod here I can give permission to tabibito to post here if he wants.

[rogue06]

After bumping the thread, I realized that I was the only person involved in the relevant discussion who's even eligible to post in this section. Oops.

I think as the OP and a mod here I can give permission to tabibito to post here if he wants.

If there are any issues we can always move the thread.

[Cerebrum123]

After bumping the thread, I realized that I was the only person involved in the relevant discussion who's even eligible to post in this section. Oops.

I think as the OP and a mod here I can give permission to tabibito to post here if he wants.

That thought hit me too. However, it looks like none of the other people in the discussion besides tabibito are even still active here.

[Thoughtful Monk]

That thought hit me too. However, it looks like none of the other people in the discussion besides tabibito are even still active here.

After reading the past couple of posts, I took a few minutes to skim through the thread. I realized for me this thread is an example of the trivia that gets debated these days. For me to make this more relevant, the discussion would be along the lines of "Is Marcionism Coming Into the Church and What is the Impact." My heart is for the edification of those sitting in the pews and something like this seems irrelevant.

[KingsGambit]

After reading the past couple of posts, I took a few minutes to skim through the thread. I realized for me this thread is an example of the trivia that gets debated these days. For me to make this more relevant, the discussion would be along the lines of "Is Marcionism Coming Into the Church and What is the Impact." My heart is for the edification of those sitting in the pews and something like this seems irrelevant.

I think there's value in having that discussion with anyone who has written at a popular level, maybe if there's talk about using what he wrote in a Bible study or if someone wants to consider using it in sermon illustrations. But I agree that speaking on a broader level is generally more important.

[Thoughtful Monk]

I think there's value in having that discussion with anyone who has written at a popular level, maybe if there's talk about using what he wrote in a Bible study or if someone wants to consider using it in sermon illustrations. But I agree that speaking on a broader level is generally more important.

I agree with you. There is value in discussing what someone says, especially if they are popular. I guess my problem is I've never heard of Peter Enns.

[hedrick]

Marcion said that the author of the OT was actually different from God. Enns isn’t saying God was actually different in the OT, but that the author’s ideas were different, and wrong. This is not the same thing at all. Also, Marcion didn’t say that the OT God was evil. That’s confusing him with some Gnostics. He said that it was an angel who was interested in justice rather than mercy. Remember, he was inspired by Paul. Paul said that the Law was given by angels, not God, implying that this made it a temporary schoolmaster.

[hedrick]

To my knowledge, Enns doesn't think there is a second god. I've read several things by him, but don't recall the specific thing you're quoting. But he would say (I think) that the OT authors had a violent concept of God, not that there was actually a different god who was violent. Marcion seems to have explained the apparent difference between the testaments by the idea that the OT came from an inferior power, not that the authors had a different idea of what God was like.

Incidentally, it's hard to be sure exactly what Marcion said, since the information we have is from hostile sources. It appears that he thought the Law was given by a lesser power than God. Not evil, but more interested in justice than mercy. Marcion was an exponent of Paul, and of course Paul said that the Law was given by an intermediate, as part of his argument that it was inferior. So that's likely the source. Some people seem to confuse him with Gnostics that thought the world, or maybe the OT, was ruled by an evil god.