The Gospel of the Lord and Other Writings

Marcion of Sinope (c. 85–160 CE) was one of the most influential figures in early Christianity, whose radical theology and canonical innovation forced the proto-orthodox Church to define its own scriptural canon. He taught that the God of the Hebrew Bible was a lesser deity (the Demiurge), distinct from the true God revealed by Jesus Christ. His works survive only in fragments and reconstructions.

This edition presents selections from G.R.S. Mead's Fragments of a Faith Forgotten, the reconstructed Gospel of Marcion, and the Apostolikon (the Pauline epistles as Marcion knew them), digitised from the Gnostic Society Library (gnosis.org).

An Overview of Marcion (G.R.S. Mead)

Mead, Fragments of a Faith Forgotten (London and Benares, 1900; 3rd Edition 1931), pp. 241-249.
Marcion was a rich shipowner of Sinope, the chief port of Pontus, on the southern shore of the Black Sea; he was also a bishop and the son of a bishop. His chief activity at Rome may be placed somewhere between the years 150 and 160. At first he was in communion with the church at Rome, and contributed handsomely to its funds; as, however, the presbyters could not explain his difficulties and refused to face the important questions he set before them, he is said to have threatened to make a schism in the church; and apparently was finally excommunicated.
But as a matter of fact the origin of Marcionism is entirely wrapped in obscurity, and we know nothing of a reliable nature of the lives of either Cerdo or Marcion. The Church writers at the end of the second century, who are our best authorities, cannot tell the story of the beginning of the movement with any certainty. For all we know, Marcion may have developed his theories long before he came to Rome, and may have based them on information he gleaned and opinions he heard on his long voyages.

This much we know, that the views of Marcion spread rapidly over the "whole world," to use the usual Patristic phrase for the Graeco- Roman dominions; and as late as the fifth century we hear of Theodoret converting more than a thousand Marcionites. In Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Arabia, Syria, Asia Minor and Persia, Marcionite churches sprang up, splendidly organized, with their own bishops and the rest of the ecclesiastical discipline, with a cult and service of the same nature as those of what subsequently became the Catholic Church. Orthodoxy had not declared for any party as yet, and the Marcionite view had then as good a chance as any other of becoming the universal one. What then was the secret of Marcion's success? As already pointed out, it was the same as that of the success of modern criticism as applied to the problem of the Old Testament.
Marcion's view was in some respects even more moderate than the judgment of some of our modern thinkers; he was willing to admit that the Yahweh of the Old Testament was just.

With great acumen he arranged the sayings and doings ascribed to Yahweh by the writers, and compilers, and editors of the heterogeneous books of the Old Testament collection, in parallel columns, so to say, with the sayings and teachings of the Christ-in a series of antitheses which brought out in startling fashion the fact, that though the best of the former might be ascribed to the idea of a Just God, they were foreign to the ideal of the Good God preached by the Christ. We know how in these latter days the best minds in the Church have rejected the horrible sayings and doings ascribed to God in some of the Old Testament documents, and we thus see how Marcion formulated a protest which must have already declared itself in the hearts of thousands of the more enlightened of the Christian name.

As for the New Testament, in Marcion's time, the idea of a canon was not yet or was only just being thought of. Marcion, too, had an idea of a canon, but it was the antipodes of the views which afterwards became the basis of the orthodox canon.
The Christ had preached a universal doctrine, a new revelation of the Good God, the Father over all. They who tried to graft this on to Judaism, the imperfect creed of one small nation, were in grievous error, and had totally misunderstood the teaching of the Christ. The Christ was not the Messiah promised to the Jews. That Messiah was to be an earthly king, was intended for the Jews alone, and had not yet come. Therefore the pseudo-historical "in order that it might be fulfilled " school had adulterated and garbled the original Sayings of the Lord, the universal glad tidings, by the unintelligent and erroneous glosses they had woven into their collections of the teachings. It was the most terrific indictment of the cycle of New Testament "history" that has ever been formulated. Men were tired of all the contradictions and obscurities of the innumerable and mutually destructive variants of the traditions concerning the person of Jesus. No man could say what was the truth, now that "history" had been so altered to suit the new Messiah-theory of the Jewish converts.

As to actual history, then, Marcion started with Paul; he was the first who had really understood the mission of the Christ, and had rescued the teaching from the obscurantism of Jewish sectarianism. Of the manifold versions of the Gospel, he would have the Pauline alone. He rejected every other recension, including those now ascribed to Matthew, Mark, and John. The Gospel according to Luke, the "follower of Paul," he also rejected, regarding it as a recension to suit the views of the Judaising party. His Gospel was presumably the collection of Sayings in use among the Pauline churches of his day. Of course the Patristic writers say that Marcion mutilated Luke's version; but it is almost impossible to believe that, if he did this, so keen a critic as Marcion should have retained certain verses which made against his strong anti-Judaistic views. The Marcionites, on the contrary, contended that their Gospel was written by Paul from the direct tradition, and that Luke had nothing to do with it. But this is also a difficulty, for it is highly improbable that Paul wrote any Gospel.
So many orthodox apologists wrote against Marcion after his death, that it is possible to reconstruct almost the whole of his Gospel. It begins with the public preaching of the Christ at Capernaum; it is shorter than the present Luke document, and some writers of great ability have held that it was the original of Luke's version, but this is not very credible. As for the rest of the documents included in the present collection of the New Testament, Marcion would have nothing to do with any of them, except ten of the Letters of Paul, parts of which he also rejected as interpolations by the reconciliators of the Petro-Pauline controversy. These ten letters were called The Apostle ["Apostolikon"].
The longest criticism of Marcion's views is to be found in Tertullian's invective Against Marcion, written in 207 and the following years. This has always been regarded by the orthodox as a most brilliant piece of work; but by the light of the conclusions arrived at by the industry of modern criticism, and also to ordinary common sense, it appears but a sorry piece of angry rhetoric. Tertullian tries to show that Marcion taught two Gods, the Just and the Good. Marcion, however, taught that the idea of the Jews about God, as set forth in the Old Testament, was inferior and antagonistic to the ideal of the Good God revealed by the Christ. This he set forth in the usual Gnostic fashion. But we can hardly expect a dispassionate treatment of a grave problem, which has only in the last few years reached a satisfactory solution in Christendom, from the violent Tertullian, whose temper may be gleaned from his angry address to the Marcionites: "Now then, ye dogs, whom the apostle puts outside, and who yelp at the God of truth, let us come to your various questions! These are the bones of contention, which ye are perpetually gnawing !"

Enough has now been said to give the reader a general idea of the Marcionite position- a very strong one it must be admitted, both because of its simplicity and also because it formulated the protest of long slumbering discontent among the outer communities. It is, however, difficult to deduce anything like a clear system of cosmogony or christology from the onslaughts of the best known haeresiologists on Marcionite doctrines. It has even been doubted whether Marcion should be classed as a Gnostic, but this point is set at rest by the work of Eznik (Eznig or Esnig), an Armenian bishop, who flourished about 450 A.D. In his treatise "The Destruction of False Doctrines", he devotes the fourth and last book to the Marcionites, who seem to have been even at that late date a most flourishing body. Although it is doubted whether the ideas there described are precisely the same as the original system of Marcion, it is evident that the Marcionite tradition was of a distinctly Gnostic tendency, and that Marcion owed more to his predecessors in Gnosticism than was usually supposed prior to the first translation of Eznik's treatise (into French) in 1833.

It will be sufficient here to shorten Salmon's summary of this curious Marcionite myth, calling the reader's attention to the similarity of parts of its structure to the system of Justinus. There were three Heavens; in the highest was the Good God; in the intermediate the God of the Law; in the lowest, his Angels. Beneath lay Hyle or root-matter. The world was the joint product of the God of the Law and Hyle. The Creative Power perceiving that the world was very good, desired to make man to inhabit it. So Hyle gave him his body and the Creative Power the breath of life, his spirit. And Adam and Eve lived in innocence in Paradise, and did not beget children. And the' God of the Law desired to take Adam from Hyle and make him serve him alone. So taking him aside, he said:
"Adam, I am God and beside me there is no other; if thou worshippest any other God thou shalt die the death." And Adam on hearing of death was afraid, and withdrew himself from Hyle. Now Hyle had been wont to serve Adam; but when she found that he withdrew from her, in revenge she filled the world with idolatry, so that men ceased to adore the Lord of Creation. Then was the Creator wrath, and as men died he cast them into Hell (Hades-the Unseen World), from Adam onwards.

But at length the Good God looked down from Heaven, and saw the miseries which man suffered through Hyle and the Creator. And He took corn-passion on them, and sent them down His Son to deliver them, saying: "Go down, take on Thee the form of a servant [?
a body], and make Thyself like the sons of the Law. Heal their wounds, give sight to their blind, bring their dead to life, perform without reward the greatest miracles of healing; then will the God of the Law be jealous and instigate his servants to crucify thee. Then go down to Hell, which will open her mouth to receive Thee, supposing Thee to be one of the dead. Then liberate the captives Thou shalt find there, and bring them up to Me."
And thus the souls were freed from Hell and carried up to the Father. Whereupon the God of the Law was enraged, and rent his clothes and tore the curtain of his palace, and darkened the sun and veiled the world in darkness. Then the Christ descended a second time, but now in the glory of His divinity, to plead with the God of the Law. And the God of the Law was compelled to acknowledge that he had done wrong in thinking that there was no higher power than himself. And the Christ said unto him: "I have a controversy with thee, but I will take no other judge between us but thy own law. Is it not written in thy law that whoso killeth another shall himself be killed; that whoso sheddeth innocent blood shall have his own blood shed? Let me, then, kill thee and shed thy blood, for I am innocent and thou hast shed My blood."

And then He went on to recount the benefits He had bestowed on the children of the Creator, and how He had in return been crucified; and the God of the Law could find no defense, and confessed and said: "I was ignorant; I thought Thee but a man, and did not know Thee to be a god; take the revenge that is Thy due." And the Christ thereupon left him, and betook himself to Paul, and revealed the path of truth.
The Marcionites were the most rigid of ascetics, abstaining from marriage, flesh and wine, the latter being excluded from their Eucharist. They also rejoiced beyond all other sects in the number of their martyrs. The Marcionites have also given us the most ancient dated Christian inscription. It was discovered over the doorway of a house in a Syrian village, and formerly marked the site of a Marcionite meeting-house or church, which curiously enough was called a synagogue. The date is October 1, A.D. 318 and the most remarkable point about it is that the church was dedicated to "The Lord and Saviour Jesus, the Good - "Chrestos", not Christos. In early times there seems to have been much confusion between the two titles. Christos is the Greek for the Hebrew Messiah, Anointed, and was the title used by those who believed that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah.

This was denied, not only by the Marcionites, but also by many of their Gnostic predecessors and successors. The title Chrestos was used of one perfected, the holy one, the saint; no doubt in later days the orthodox, who subsequently had the sole editing of the texts, in pure ignorance changed Chrestos into Christos wherever it occurred; so that instead of finding the promise of perfection in the religious history of all the nations, they limited it to the Jewish tradition alone, and struck a fatal blow at the universality of history and doctrine. There was naturally a number of sub-schools of the Marcion school, and in its ranks were a number of distinguished teachers ...

Sinope: Thoughts Concerning Marcion's Geographical World

Herein is presented some interesting information and profound reflections concerning the ancient port of Sinope, off the coast of the Black Sea, where Marcion is reported to have lived (prior to his alleged trip to Rome), as shared with me by a good friend and superb scholar, David Anderson, author of The Two Ways of the First Century Church.

I have included a few maps throughout, though I doubt that they're as detailed as the map which Dave used as he shared these things in his letters with me. Nonetheless, there is much compelling food for thought here, which may provide reason to question the way history has been usually interpreted, from the assertion that Marcionism began in Rome and spread to the east (being most likely the other way around, that it began in the east and spread west, where it ultimately receded), to what might have been one of the actual motives behind relocating the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium (Constantinople).

-- Daniel Mahar

If the Black Sea was moved directly east about 1300 miles, Rome would be where Sinope is on the map. I never realized just how big the Black Sea is until this morning, from north to south it is about 400 miles high and from west to east about 800 miles wide. And the seaport city that dominated the commerce of the Black Sea was Sinope, one time home of shipping magnate Marcion "The Heretic". Sinope sits on the south shore of the Black Sea, almost exactly in the center of it and at the northernmost point of the south shoreline. So Marcion could look east 400 miles and see nothing but water. He could look west 400 miles and see nothing but water. He could look north 400 miles and see nothing but water. And if he looked south 400 miles, he would see nothing but mountains until he got to the north shore of the very eastern limit of the Mediterranean. If he looked south another 200 miles he would see Jerusalem. If he looked south west 600 miles he would see Ephesus, and if he wanted to go to Jerusalem he would first have to go to Ephesus and then head south east another 600 miles in his coast guard cutter to get there. But that would still be a far easier trip than to get to Rome- assuming he ever had any interest in going to Rome. My guess is he never even went there and his kissing the ass of the Roman Catholic Church is so much wishful thinking and propaganda of the likes of Tertullian, who probably wasn't even born yet when Marcion was on the scene.

Now, if Marcion had a Lear Jet, which to the best of my knowledge he didn't have, he could have flown the 1300 miles to Rome instead of having to sail probably twice that far to get there. But then his Lear Jet would have taken him due north to Moscow (1000 miles)

or south east to Bagdad (800) in less time. So there you have the world of Marcion (plus or minus 50 miles here or there).

Next question, how did his ancestors get there and where did they come from? To get a historical slant on this question, assuming his ancestors were indigenous to the area, the authoritative book on the "steppe people" is "The Heartland", by a guy named Stewart (I forget his first name), which I was introduced to by an Armenian down in Memphis Tennessee that I worked for ten years or so ago. If Marcion's roots don't go back to the steppe people, he certainly dealt extensively with them because if Sinope could be considered as part of "Western Civilization" it certainly was on the extreme eastern margin of it.

If Marcion's ancestors were imports, their history goes back to 630 B.C., a date the ancient inhabitants assign to the founding of the city, supposedly founded by Autolycus, a companion of Hercules. My 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica says it was founded "by the Ionians of Miletus, and ultimately became the most flourishing Greek Settlement on the Euxine (the Euxine Sea is the ancient name for the Black Sea), as it was the terminus of a great caravan route from the Euphrates, through Pteria, to the Black Sea, over which were brought the products of Central Asia and Cappadocia."
Now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole story about Marcion being in the shipping business was mere fabrication, a plausible bull **** story so the Catholic church could establish some reason (70 years or more after the fact) for Marcion to possibly have any ties to Rome- or even a way, or a reason, to get there. I think it's safe to accept that he came from Sinope because if they lied about this then people would think they were talking about the wrong guy and trying to defame him- you know, "Dan from Denver" is a real Heretic and people would say, "Wheoo, I'm glad they're not talking about our friend "Dan from Connecticut." I mean, if you're going to go to the trouble of defaming someone, you at least have to be sure that people know who you're trying to defame. And without Marcion having a shipping business, a rich "Fat

Cat" coming to Rome to give them a big donation, why people would probably say, "What do you care about Marcion anyway?" Ah, but if they could cook up a story that he tried to bribe the whole of Christianity with his wealth by buying off a Pope of two, ah, now you have a cause celebr’ to promote for two thousand years!

Anyway, back to Sinope, the terminus of an ancient trade route from the east, not the west! The Greeks, long before the Romans had any say in anything, established a colony to their eastern extremely, to get the goodies from the East into their commerce.
Interestingly enough, at the turn of this last century, the population consisted of 5,000 Moslems and 4,000 Christians, chiefly Greeks and Armenians, encl. Brit. says. It goes on to say that Mithradates VI was born there, that Julius Caesar (102 B.C.-44 B.C.) tried to set up a Roman colony there but that by this time Sinope was already declining with the diversion of traffic to Ephesus (the port for Rome). Seems that Sinope had it's hay day at the time when all things went to Athens rather than Rome.

It is important to note that the Persian Empire never was in the least dominated by Rome and so trade with them probably was not a very big ticket item with Rome. The fact that Antioch was the "Rome East" of the Roman Empire makes it likely that any trade from the east came by caravan to Antioch. In other words, if you're in India, China,

Iran, Iraq,etc and trying to get to Rome or the Roman Empire with your stuff, it's an entirely different proposition than if you're trying to get to Athens and the Greek

Empire. It appears that Sinope was the gateway to the Greek Empire but not to the Roman Empire. So just what the hell would Tertullian know about Sinope or it's people, or their way of thinking, anyway?
Well Dan, it's been a delightful way to spend the first three hours of my day today looking at maps of the ancient east, reading about Sinope, and trying to picture what

Marcion must have seen and lived. I wonder if there are any Sinopian Christians on the Internet, and if so, I wonder what language they speak. Sure would like to go there some day and hang out for a few months and then retrace the caravan route to the Euphrates- but that would probably have to be on horseback and so I'd better continue my education on horses so I can find a good one in Sinope to take me to Babylon.
By the way, what does the Eastern Text say at II Peter 5:13? (i.e. was Peter really writing from Babylon or from Rome?) Finally, when Jesus said to the disciples, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations" I wonder if the disciples understood that to mean "but stay within the Roman Empire!" Somehow, I doubt it, although most people I know would probably figure he did mean that.
About 100 miles south east of Sinope is the ancient capital of the kingdom of Pontus, a city today called Amasya. It was the birthplace of Strabo, Greek geographer of about 63

B.C. About 20 miles south of Amasya is the town of Zile, where, in 47 B.C. Caesar defeated Pharnaces, King of Pontus, and coined his famous phrase, "Veni, vidi, vici"-

"I came, I saw, I conquered." (Hmm, he must have seen a very fair land indeed!)

Young's Concordance has this to say about Pontus: "The N.E. province of Asia Minor, having the Euxine Sea on the N., Cappadocia on the S., Colhis on the E., and Paphlagonia and Galatia on the W. It was originally a part of Cappadocia, and a satrapy of the Persian Empire; in 480 B.C. it was given to Artabazes; in 112-110 Mithridates the Great greatly enlarged it, and assisted the Greeks against the Scythians, and in 108-105 he formed connections as far W. as the Danube; in 89-85 he lost Bithynia, Cappadocia and Paphlagonia; in 84-81 he was still losing, and in 75-64 Pontus became a Roman province.

Acts 2:9 tells us that people from Pontus came to the feast of Pentecost, Acts 18:2 tells us that Aquila was born in Pontus, and I Pet.1:1 tells us that Peter was writing to the dwellers in Pontus and that area (an interesting fact, particularly if he was in Babylon and not Rome when writing- in fact seems this verse could be used as some kind of evidence that he was in Babylon since the trade route from Babylon to Sinope would have provided easy access for messages to be sent, and letters, between the two. It's hard to imagine Peter in Rome saying to himself, "I think I'll drop a line to the folks in Pontus today. Let's see, who can I get to deliver it. Hey Mark, how'd you like to take a few thousand mile trip to deliver this letter?" On the other hand, if he was in Babylon, all he'd have to do is to say, "hey Mark, how about dropping this off down at the peer to my friend Caravan Joe, he's headed back up the Euphrates and on up to Sinope tomorrow and I'm sure he won't mind dropping this off at the local church when he gets there).

Anyway, Ankara, the current capital of Turkey, is just 180 miles south west of Sinope and it was the ruling city of Galatia in ancient times. Looks from the map that it's a fairly straight shot to get between the two towns.

And now for the biggie. All day it has been haunting me just why Constantine moved the seat of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople (or Istanbul, or Byzantium as it was variously called at different ages) in 330 A.D.. Strategically, the Bosporus Straight is the choke point for all trade coming and going from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and so it would only make sense economically for him to move if he had lost economic control throughout Europe, France, Spain, Egypt, etc. (and unfortunately I don't know enough Roman History of that period- i.e. when Attilla the Hun sacked Rome, or Alaric, et al.) Either that or the commerce around the Black Sea was far greater than we brainwashed westerners ever imagined. But, try this on for size. The Marcionite Church was so strong, and such a threat to the Papists by this time that the western church cut a deal with Constantine to turn over the church to him if he would move to Byzantium and rename it Constantinople, and put down the Marcionites! Interestingly enough, the little town of Nicea lies inland in Turkey only about a hundred miles from Constantinople as the crow flies and just five years before Constantine moved, don't ya know the Council of Nicea produced the Nicene Creed (Father Son and Holy Ghost, whoever gets there first gets the most)

I've got this great big map (about 4 feet by 3 feet) called "Lands of the Bible Today" published back in 1967 by National Geographic, and it is just loaded with notes all over the place where various historical events took place. The most interesting thing about it is that the western edge of the map includes Greece but does not include

Italy! But it does include Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran, most of the Persian Gulf, most of the Caspian Sea, and it looks like Turkey could hold a hundred or more nations the size of Israel. Hmm, I guess National Geographic at least thinks the Bible is an Eastern Book! And so, everyone for 1800 years has called Marcion a Heretic- everyone that is that has lived in places not on the Bible Lands map!...

The Gospel of the Lord — Section I

The Arrival of Jesus at Capernaum

Adv.Marc.iv.7; Panarion 42
3:1/4:31 In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea,

Jesus descended [out of heaven] into Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching [in the synagogue] on the Sabbath days; And they were astonished at his doctrine, Adv.Marc.iv.7 for his word was in authority.
33 And in the synagogue there was a man,which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, saying,

34 Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus ?

art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

Adv.Marc.iv.7

35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying,

Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.

36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this!

for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.
[ 4:38-39 unattested]
Adv.Marc.iv.8
4: 16 And he came to Nazareth, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

21 And he began to speak to them, and all wondered at the words which proceeded out of his mouth.

23 And he said unto them,

Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

Zahn omits - relocated to 17:19:

[25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah,

when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.]

28 And they were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, 29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way.

At the Setting of the Sun

40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art the Son of God.

Adv.Marc.iv.8

[-41c] And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak.

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place:

Adv.Marc.iv.8

and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.

43 And he said unto them,
I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also:
for therefore am I sent.
44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

The Lake of Gennesaret

5: 1 And it came to pass, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake:

but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land.

And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5 And Simon answering said unto him,

Teacher, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:

nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes:
and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them.

And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon.

And Jesus said unto Simon,
Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men alive.
Adv.Marc.iv.9
11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Healing of the Leper

Adv.Marc.iv.9
12 And it came to pass, behold a man full of leprosy:
who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean.

And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
14 And he charged him to tell no man:
but go, and shew thyself to the priest,
and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, that this may be a testimony to you.

Adv.Marc.iv.9; Panarion 42
Zahn omits:
[15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him:
and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

16 And he was withdrawing himself into the wilderness, and praying .]

Healing of the Palsied

Zahn omits:
[17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching,
that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem:

and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.]

18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man that was palsied:

Adv.Marc.iv.10

and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.

19 And not finding what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop,

and let him down through the tiles with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

20 And seeing their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies?

Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
22 But when Jesus perceiving their reasonings, answered and said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority upon earth to forgive sins,

Adv.Marc.iv.10;Panarion 42
(he said unto the palsied man), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying,

We have seen strange things to day.

The Feast of Levi the Publican

Adv.Marc.iv.11
27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house:
and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

31 And Jesus answering said unto them,
They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

33 And they said unto him,

Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?

34 And he said unto them,

Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?

35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

The Old and the New

Adv.Marc.iv.11

36 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old garment; otherwise both the new maketh a rent,

and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.

37 And no man putteth new wine into old wineskins; else the new wine will burst the skins, and itself will be spilled, and the skins will perish.

38 But new wine must be put into new wine-skins; and both are preserved.

[ - v.39]

The Lord of the Sabbath

6:1 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

3 And Jesus answering them said,
Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;

4 How he went into the house of God,
;Panarion 42 and did take and eat the shewbread,
and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?

5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.
Adv.Marc.iv.12;Panarion 42
6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught:

and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their reasonings, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.

9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil?

to save life, or to destroy it?
10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand.

And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
11 And they were filled with madness;
and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

The Choosing of the Twelve

6:12 And it came to pass in those days,
that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Adv.Marc.iv.13
13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples:
and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Adv.Marc.iv.13

14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,

16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also became a traitor.
Panarion 42

New Edicts of the New God

17 And he came down among them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
Adv.Marc.iv.13
18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

Panarion 42
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Adv.Marc.iv.14

21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled.

Adv.Marc.iv.14

Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Adv.Marc.iv.14;2nd occurance for v.21:Adv.Marc.iv.14 22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

Adv.Marc.iv.14

23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy:

for, behold, your reward is great in heaven:

for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

Adv.Marc.iv.15;Panarion 42

24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

Adv.Marc.iv.15

25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger.

Adv.Marc.iv.15

Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!
for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 But I say unto you which hear,
Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Adv.Marc.iv.16

28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.

30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

Adv.Marc.iv.16

31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Adv.Marc.iv.16

32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye?

for sinners also love those that love them.

33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye?

for sinners also do even the same.

34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye?

Adv.Marc.iv.17

for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest:

for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:

condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:

forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Adv.Marc.iv.17
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over,
shall men give into your bosom.

For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

39 And he spake a parable unto them,

Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

Adv.Marc.iv.17

40 The disciple is not above his master:

but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

Good Fruit, Evil Fruit

Adv.Marc.iv.17
43 For there is no good tree that produceth corrupt fruit; nor corrupt tree that produceth good fruit.

44 For each tree is known by its own fruit.
For of thorns they do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil:

for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Everyone that cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

48 He is like a man building house, who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation on a rock:

and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and had no strength to shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Faith of the Centurion

Adv.Marc.iv.18
7: 1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the ears of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

2 And a certain centurion's servant was sick, and going to die; and he was precious to him.

3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him elders of the Jews, asking him that he would come and heal his servant.

4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
6 Then Jesus went with them.
And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him,

Lord, trouble not thyself:

for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee:

but say in a word, and my boy shall be healed.

8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh;

and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
9 And when Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned, and said unto the people that followed him,

I say unto you, not even in Israel I have not found so great faith.
Panarion 42
10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the sick servant whole.

Dead Corpse Rising

Adv.Marc.iv.18
11 And it came to pass the day after, that he was going into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples were going with him, and a great multitude.

12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow:
and a considerable multitude of the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still.

And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak.

And he delivered him to his mother.

16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

John the Baptist

18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things.
And John was scandalized.
Adv.Marc.iv.18
19 And John calling unto him a certain two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying,

Art thou he that cometh? or look we for another?
20 And when the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying,

Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
21 And in that same hour he cured many of infirmities and plagues and of evil spirits; and unto many blind he gave sight.

22 Then Jesus answering said unto them,

Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear,

the dead are raised, to the poor have good tidings been announced to them.

23 And blessed is he, if he [John] shall not be offended in me.

Panarion 42

24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the multitudes concerning John.

What went ye out into the wilderness to gaze at?

A reed shaken with the wind?

25 But what are ye come out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?

Behold, they which are in gorgeous apparel, and delicacy, are in kings' courts.

26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet?

Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
27 This is he, of whom it is written,
Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Panarion 42
28 For I say unto you,

Among those that are born of women a greater prophet than John the Baptist, there is none:

but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Zahn omits:
[29 And all the people, when they heard it, and the publicans, justified God,
being baptized with the baptism of John.
30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God unto themselves, being not baptized of him.

31 And the Lord said,
Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation?
and to what are they like?
32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying,

We have piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we have mourned to you, and ye did not weep.

33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a demon.

34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
35 And wisdom was justified of all her children].

The Alabaster Box

Adv.Marc.iv.18 ;Panarion 42

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him.

And he went into the Pharisee's house, and reclined to eat.

37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying,

This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

40 And Jesus answering said unto him,

Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.

And he saith, Teacher, say on.

41 A certain money-lender had two debtors:

the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

42 And when they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both.

Tell me therefore, which of them will love him more?

43 Simon answered and said,

I suppose that he, to whom he forgave the more.

And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house:

water for my feet thou gavest not;

but she hath wetted my feet with tears,

and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

45 A kiss thou gavest me not:

but she since the time I came in hath not ceased kissing my feet.

Panarion 42
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint:
but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 For the sake of which I say unto thee, Her sins which are many are forgiven;

[for she loved much:
but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.]
49 And they that were reclining with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that even forgiveth sins ?

50 And he said to the woman,
Thy faith hath saved thee; go into peace.

The Gospel of the Lord — Section III

Adv.Marc.iv.25;Panarion 42
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Teacher, doing what shall I obtain life?

Cf.18:18-30
26 But he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God from all thy heart, and from all thy soul, and from all thy strength, and from all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

The Good Samaritan

29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

30 And Jesus answering said,

A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him, and beat him, leaving him just half dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest in that way:

and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and saw him, and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came down to him:
and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, seems to thee to have been a neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him.

Jesus therefore said unto him,

Go, and do thou likewise.

"Martha, Martha"

38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village:

and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was distracted about much serving, and came up to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone?

bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things:

42 But there is need of one: and Mary chose that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

The Prayer for Holy Spirit

Adv.Marc.iv.26
11: 1 And it came to pass whilst he was in a certain place praying to the Father, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

2 And he said unto them,
When ye pray, say,
Father, let thy Holy Spirit come upon us, Adv.Marc.iv.26

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.

3 Give us day by day our bread for the coming day.

4 And forgive us our sins;

for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.

Adv.Marc.iv.26;Panarion 42

5 And he said unto them,

Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight,

and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 Since my friend is come unto me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him?

7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed;

I cannot rise and give thee.

8 I say unto you, even if he will not rise and give him,

because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Adv.Marc.iv.26;Panarion 42

9 And I say unto you,

Ask, and it shall be given you;

seek, and ye shall find;

knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

10 For every one that asketh receiveth;
and he that seeketh findeth;
and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
11 But of which of you that is a father shall his son ask a loaf he will give him a stone?

or a fish, and he instead of a fish will give him a serpent?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion?
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children:
how much more shall your Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Adv.Marc.iv.26;Panarion 42

A House Divided

Adv.Marc.iv.26

14 And he was casting out a demon, and it was dumb.

And it came to pass, when the demon was gone out, the dumb spake; and the multitudes marvelled.

15 But some of them said,

He casteth out demons through Beelzebub the chief of the demons.

16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.
17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
18 And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom be established?

because ye say that I cast out demons in Beelzebub.
19 And if I in Beelzebub cast out demons, in whom do your sons cast them out?

therefore shall they be your judges.
20 But if I with the finger of God cast out demons, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

21 When a strong man fully armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.

Zahn omits:
[22 But when the stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him,
he taketh from him all his whole armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

23 He that is not with me is against me:

and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

24 When the unclean spirit is gone out from the man, he goeth through waterless places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out.

25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there:

and the last state of that man is worse than the first.]

"The Womb that Bare Thee"

Adv.Marc.iv.26

27 And it came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him,

Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck.

28 But he said,
Yea rather, blessed are they that hear [my word], and keep it.

An Evil Generation

Adv.Marc.iv.27
29 And when the multitudes were gathering thick together, he began to say,

This is an evil generation: it seeketh a sign; and there shall no sign be given it .

Panarion 42
[ - vv.30-32]

The Lamp of the Body

33 No man, when he hath lighted a lamp,
putteth it into a secret place, neither under the bushel, but on the lampstand, that they which come in may see the light.

34 The lamp of the body is the eye:
therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light;
but when it is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
35 Look therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

36 If therefore thy whole body be full of light, having no part dark, it shall be wholly full of light,

as when the lamp with its gleam doth give thee light.

"Woe!"

Adv.Marc.iv.26

37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee asked him to breakfast with him:

and he went in, and lay down.
38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before the breakfast.

39 And the Lord said unto him,
Now do ye Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inside is full of extortion and wickedness.

40 Foolish ones, did not he that made the outside make the inside also?

41 But give as alms the things in your power; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

Adv.Marc.iv.26;Panarion 42
42 But woe unto you, Pharisees!
for ye tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass over the calling and the love of God:

but these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
43 Woe unto you, Pharisees!
for ye love the first seat in the synagogues, and the greetings in the markets.

44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk about over them know it not.
Adv.Marc.iv.26
45 Then one of the lawyers answering saith unto him, Teacher, saying these things thou reproachest us also.

46 And he said,
Woe unto you also, lawyers!
for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, but your fathers killed them.

Panarion 42

48 Truly ye are witnesses and consent to the deeds of your fathers:

for they indeed killed them, but ye build their sepulchres.

Adv.Marc.iv.26

[ - 49 -51 ]Panarion 42

52 Woe unto you, lawyers!

for ye took away the key of knowledge:

ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press upon him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of more things:

54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

The Leaven of the Pharisees / "Fear Him"
Adv.Marc.iv.28
12: 1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together tens of thousands of the multitudes, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples,

First be ye on your guard against of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 For there is nothing covered up, that shall not be revealed; and hidden that shall not be known.

3 Wherefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken to the ear in the chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

Adv.Marc.iv.28;Panarion 42
4 And I say unto you my friends,
Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after this have not power to do anything further.

5 But I will show you whom ye shall fear:

Fear him, which after he hath killed hath authority to cast into Gehenna;

yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

[ - vv 6-7 ]

Adv.Marc.iv.28;Panarion 42

8 But I say unto you,
Whosoever shall confess in me before men, in him shall the Son of man also confess before God:

9 But he that denieth me in the sight of men shall be denied in the sight of God.

Adv.Marc.iv.28;Panarion 42
10 And every one, who shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him:

but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven.

Adv.Marc.iv.28
11 And when they bring you up before the synagogues, and unto the rulers, and authorities, be not anxious how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
12 For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

Who Appointed Me a Judge?
Adv.Marc.iv.28
13 And one out of the multitude said unto him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.

14 And he said unto him,

Man, who appointed me a judge or a divider over you?

15 And he said unto them,

Take heed, and guard yourselves from covetousness:

for not in a man's abundance consisteth his life out of his possessions.

Adv.Marc.iv.28
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to collect my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I collect all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Foolish one, this night they require thy soul from thee:
and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Seek Ye the Kingdom of God

Adv.Marc.iv.29
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23 The life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment.
24 Consider the ravens, that they sow not nor reap; which have not storechamber nor barn; and God feedeth them:

how much rather do ye excel the birds!
25 And which of you with being anxious can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do even a very little thing, why are ye anxious about the rest?

27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, nor spin; yet I say unto you, not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these.
28 [If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven;]

how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Adv.Marc.iv.29;Panarion 42
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after:
but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 Notwithstanding seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Adv.Marc.iv.29;Panarion 42
32 Fear not, little flock; for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom.

33 Sell your possessions, and give alms; make yourselves purses which grow not old, an unfailing treasure in the heavens,
where a thief does not come near, nor a moth destroy.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The Faithful and Wise Servant

Adv.Marc.iv.29

35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; 36 And ye like unto men that wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding-feast; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching:

verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to recline to meat, and shall pass by and serve them.

Panarion 42

38 And if he shall come in the evening watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

Adv.Marc.iv.29

39 And this know, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched,

and not have left his house to be broken through.

40 Be ye therefore ready also:

for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Adv.Marc.iv.29

41 Then Peter said unto him,

Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even unto all?

42 And the Lord said,

Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall set over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?

43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will set him over all his possessions.

45 But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth to come, and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he expecteth not, and at an hour when he knoweth not,

and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unfaithful.

Panarion 42
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

48 But he that knew not, and did did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.

For to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required:
and to whom they have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Fire on the Earth

Adv.Marc.iv.29
49 I came to cast fire on the earth;
and what will I, if it be already kindled?
50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I constrained till it be accomplished!

51 Think ye that I am come to give peace on earth?
Adv.Marc.iv.29
I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53 They shall be divided father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother in law against her daughter in law, and daughter in law against her mother in law.

54 And he said also to the multitudes,
When ye see the cloud rising up from the west, straightway ye say There cometh a shower; and it cometh to pass.

55 And when ye see a south wind blowing, ye say, There will be scorching heat; and it cometh to pass.

Adv.Marc.iv.29;Panarion 42
56 Ye hypocrites, ye know how to interpret the face of the earth and the heaven; but how is it that ye do not interpret this time?

57 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
58 For as thou goest with thine adversary before the magistrate, on the way give diligence to be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

59 I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last lepton.

[ -13:1-9]Panarion 42 Healing on the Sabbath
Adv.Marc.iv.30;Panarion 42
13: 10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath days.
11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered, being vexed, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the multitude,

There are six days in which men ought to work:

in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the day of the sabbath.

15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the day of the sabbath ?

17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame:

and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

The Gospel of the Lord — Section V

Adv.Marc.iv.36
18: 1 And he spake also a parable unto them on the neccessity always to pray, and not to faint; Saying,
2 There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, and regarded not man:

3 And there was a certain widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying,

Right me from my opponent at law.
4 And he would not for a time:
but afterward he said within himself,
Though I fear not God, and regard not man; 5 Yet because this widow gives me trouble,

I will right her, lest by her coming to the end she weary me.

6 And the Lord said,

Hear what the judge of the unrighteous saith.

7 And shall not God perform the righting of his elect, which cry unto him day and night, though he be long suffering over them?

8 I say unto you that he will perform the righting of them speedily.

Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find the faith on the earth?

Pharisee and Publican/Suffer the Little Children Adv.Marc.iv.36

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and accounted nothing of the rest;
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus:

God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I get.

13 And the publican, standing afar off,

would not lift up even his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying,

God be propitiated to me the sinner.
14 I say unto you, this man went down to his house made righteous rather than that one:

for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

15 And they were bringing unto him also the infants, that he should touch them:

but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and hinder them not:
for of such is the kingdom of God.
17 Verily I say unto you,

Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter into it.

To Inherit Eternal Life

Cf.10:25-28
Adv.Marc.iv.36; Panarion 42
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

19 And Jesus said unto him,

Why callest thou me good?

none is good, save one, even God the Father.

Panarion 42

[And he [the ruler]said,]

20 I know the commandments -
Do not commit adultery, Do not kill,
Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

21 All these have I have observed from my youth up.
22 But when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet one thing is lacking for thee:

sell all things, as many as thou hast, and distribute unto the poor,

and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:

and come, follow me.

23 And when he heard these things, he became exceeding sorrowful: for he was very rich.

24 And when Jesus saw him become exceeding sorrowful, he said,

How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
25 For it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
27 And he said,

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.

29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children,

for the kingdom of God's sake,

30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this time, and in the coming age eternal life.

[- 31-34] Panarion 42

Blind Man by the Roadside

Adv.Marc.iv.36; Panarion 42
35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:

36 And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked what this might be.

37 And they told him, that Jesus passeth by.

38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he might be silent:

but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

40 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be brought unto him:

and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, 41 What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?

And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

42 And Jesus said unto him,

Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God:

and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Zacchaeus

Adv.Marc.iv.37
19: 1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, a man called by the name Zacchaeus, and he was a chief publican, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not from the multitude, because he was little of stature.

4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him:
for he was going to pass through that way.
5 And when he came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house.

6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to lodge with a man that is a sinner.

8 And Zacchaeus stood still, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore fourfold.

9 And Jesus said unto him,
[ - 9b] This day is salvation come to this house,
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

A Certain Nobleman

Adv.Marc.iv.37; Adv.Marc.iv.39
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.
12 He said therefore,

A certain nobleman went into a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Trade till I come.

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent his embassy after him, saying, We do not wish this man to reign over us.

15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he gave the money, that he might know what trade every man had accomplished.
16 And the first came before him, saying, Lord, thy mina hath wrought ten minas more.

17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant:
because thou wast faithful in a very little, be thou holding authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying,

Lord, thy mina hath gained five minas.

19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20 And another came, saying,

Lord, behold, here is thy mina, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man:
thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou sowest not.

22 And he saith unto him,

Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant.

Knewest thou that I was an austere man,

taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I sowed not ?

23 Wherefore then gavest thou not my money into the bank, and I would have come and exacted it with interest?

24 And he said unto them that stood by,

Take from him the mina, and give it to him that hath ten minas.

25 And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten minas.

26 For I say unto you,

That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

27 But those mine enemies, that did not wish me to reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
[ - vv. 29-46 ]Panarion 42
47 And he was teaching daily in the temple.

But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do:

for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

By What Authority?

Adv.Marc.iv.38

20: 1 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple, and announcing the glad tidings,

there came upon him the chief priests and the scribes with the elders, 2 And spake unto him, saying,

Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things?

or who is he that gave thee this authority?

3 And he answered and said unto them,

I will also ask you one word and tell me:

4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?

6 But if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us:

for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.

7 And they answered, that they knew not whence it was.

8 And Jesus said unto them,

Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

[ - vv.9-18 ]Panarion 42

Tribute to Caesar?

Adv.Marc.iv.38; Panarion 42
19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him;

[-19c] and they feared the people.
20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, feigning themselves to be righteous men, that they might take hold of his speech, in order to deliver him up unto the rule and authority of the governor.

21 And they asked him, saying,
Teacher, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, and acceptest not a countenance, but of a truth teachest the way of God.
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?

24 Shew me a denarius. Whose image and superscription hath it?
They answered and said, Caesar's.
25 And he said unto them,
Render therefore unto Caesar the things of Caesar, and unto God the things of God.

26 And they were not able to take hold of his saying before the people:
and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.

Children of the Resurrection

Adv.Marc.iv.38
27 And there came to him certain of the Sadducees, they which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
28 Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, that if any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die childless, that his brother should take the wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

29 There were therefore seven brethren:

and the first took a wife, and died childless.

30 And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.

31 And the third took her;

and likewise the seven also left no children, and died.

32 Last of all the woman died also.

33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of them does she become?

for the seven had her as a wife.

Adv.Marc.iv.38

34 And Jesus answered and said unto them, The sons of this age marry, and are given in marriage:

35 But they whom God accounted worthy of that age, to obtain the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

36 Neither can they die any more:

for they are equal unto the angels;

and are the sons of God, being the children of the resurrection.

[- vv.37-38 ]Panarion 42

39 Then certain of the scribes answering said, Teacher, thou hast well said.

40 And they did not any longer venture to ask him anything.

Is Christ David's Son?

Adv.Marc.iv.38
41 And he said unto them,
How say they that the Christ is David's son?
42 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

43 Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.
44 David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he then his son?

Beware of the Scribes

45 And when all the people were hearing him, he said unto his disciples,

46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the markets, and the first seats in the synagogues,
and the first rooms at feasts;
47 Which eat up the houses of widows, and for a pretext make long prayers:
the same shall receive greater condemnation.

A Widow's Two Cents Worth

21: 1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts into the treasury.

2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two lepta.
3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

4 For all these did out of their super-abundance cast in unto the offerings of God:

but she out of her want hath cast in all the living that she had.

The "Little Apocalypse"

Adv.Marc.iv.39
5 And as some spake about the temple, that it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, he said,

6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left a stone upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down.

7 And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when then shall these things be?

and what shall be the sign, when these things are going to take place?

8 And he said,

See that ye be not led astray:

for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he ; and the time is come near: go ye not therefore after them.

Adv.Marc.iv.39
9 And when ye shall hear of wars and tumults, be not terrified:
for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not immediately.

10 Then said he unto them,

Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and terrors and great signs shall there be from heaven.

12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons,

being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

Adv.Marc.iv.39

13 And it shall turn out to you for a testimony.

14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before how to answer:

15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all those opposed to you shall not be able to gainsay nor withstand.

16 And ye shall be delivered up even by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and they shall put some of you to death.

17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.

[- v.18]Panarion 42

19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

Adv.Marc.iv.39

20 But when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is come near.

[- vv.21-22 ]Panarion 42
Zahn omits:
23 [ But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days!

for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath unto this people.

24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all the nations:

and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by nations, until the times of nations be fulfilled.]

Adv.Marc.iv.39

25 And there shall be signs in sun, and moon, and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and waves roaring;

26 Men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things

which are coming on the world:

for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Adv.Marc.iv.39

29 And he spake to them a parable;

Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

30 When they already shoot forth, ye see it, and know your own selves

that summer is already near.
31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is near.

32 [-32b] Verily I say unto you,
The heaven and the earth shall in no wise pass away, till all things be accomplished

33 The heaven and the earth shall pass away:

but my words shall in no wise pass away.

Adv.Marc.iv.39

34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be weighed down with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come upon you unawares.

35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of all the earth.

36 Watch ye therefore at every season, praying, that ye may be accounted worthy

[-36c] to escape all these things that are going to take place.
Adv.Marc.iv.39
37 And every day he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and lodged on the mountain that is called Olives.
38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him.

Colophon

Marcion of Sinope (c. 85–160 CE) was a profound critic of the proto-orthodox synthesis of Judaism and Christianity. His reconstructed works survive through the polemics of his opponents, chiefly Tertullian. This edition draws from G.R.S. Mead's Fragments of a Faith Forgotten (London, 1900), supplemented with additional reconstructions of his Gospel and Apostolikon from the historical record.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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