28 Early Christian Sects: Gnosticism, Arianism & More

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The Catholic Church condemned numerous Christian sects as heretical

In the early years, the Catholic Church was ruthless in condemning and silencing rival Christian sects, their followers killed or forced to flee. Below are a few of the rival sects and their beliefs.


1. Adoptionism Jesus was adopted by God Jesus was in nature a man who became God by adoption. Therefore, God adopted Jesus the Man, who then became God himself.
Theodotus of Byzantium, Rome 190 AD
2. Apollinarism Jesus was human Jesus had a human body and lower soul (the seat of the emotions) but a divine mind.
Apollinaris of Laodicea 390 AD
3. Arianism Jesus was subordinate to Father Jesus is the Son of God, created by God the Father. Jesus was distinct from the Father and therefore below the Father.
Arius of Alexandria 250 AD
4. Docetism Jesus was a spirit Jesus only seemed to be human, and that his human form was an illusion, as was his crucifixion; Jesus only seemed to have a physical body and to physically die, but in reality he was incorporeal, a pure spirit, and hence could not physically die.
Unknown 1st Century
5. Luciferians Strongly anti-Arian sect in Sardinia
Lucifer Calaritanus a bishop of Cagliari 370 AD
6. Macedonians or Pneumatomachians ("Spirit fighters") Jesus was divine, not the Holy Spirit They accepted the divinity of Jesus Christ, but denied divinity of the Holy Spirit who was a creation of the Son, and a servant of the Father and Son.

The substance of Jesus Christ as being of "similar substance" (homoiousios) but not of the "same essence" (homoousios) as that of God the Father.
Macedonius of Constantinople 342 AD
7. Melchisedechians Jesus was Melchizedek Jesus Christ is Melchizedek who lives, preaches, dies and is resurrected. Jesus Christ is identified as "a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek", and so Jesus assumes the role of High Priest once and for all.
Unknown 4th Century
8. Monarchianism God is One God is one person. Opposite of Trinity which defines God as three persons, coexisting as one in being.
Unknown 2nd Century
9. Monophysitism or Eutychianism Jesus was more God, than Man Belief that Jesus' divinity dominates and overwhelms his humanity
Unknown 448 AD
10. MiaphysiteJesus was equal God and Man In Jesus, the divinity and humanity are united in one nature, without separation, without confusion, and without alteration
Unknown Unknown
11. MonothelitismJesus had two natures, one will Jesus had two natures, but only one will
Unknown 629 AD
12. Dyothelitism or Chalcedonian Jesus had two natures, two wills Jesus has two natures and two wills (human and divine)
Unknown 451 AD
13. NestorianismJesus had two natures Jesus had two natures, divine and human. He was a separate human united, but not identical, to the divine Son of God.
Nestorius 386 AD
14. PatripassianismFather suffered when Son was crucified Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are three different aspects of one God. The Father suffered out of love, when His beloved Son, Jesus was made to suffer on Earth. God the Father suffered on the cross as Jesus.
15. Psilanthropism Jesus was just a Man Jesus was simply human, the literal son of human parents. Jesus was not born of the virgin birth and he was not divine.
16. SabellianismFather, Son and Holy Spirit are three distinct aspects of one God Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three different aspects of one God as perceived by the Christian believer, rather than three distinct persons within the Godhead (Trinity)
Noetus of Smyrna 190 AD
17. PaulicianismPaul was a prophet Pure Christianity of Paul (of Tarsus) is the truth and needs to be rejuvenated. A Gnostic and dualistic sect. Belief in the two kingdoms of Good and Evil.
Constantine, Armenian 275 AD
18. Antinomianism Salvation is by faith and divine grace alone. It does not require following the Law of Moses.
19. Audianism God became a Man God has human form
Audius 4th Century
20. CircumcellionsFighting and dying is required Martyrdom (dying for your religion) is the true Christian virtue. Disagreed with chastity, sobriety, humility, and charity. Focused on bringing about their own martyrdom. They would attack random travellers on the road, while shouting "Praise God". The aim being to provoke their victim to kill them, thereby the Christian adherents become "martyrs". A militant subset of Donatism
21. Donatism Only righteous can enter Church Donatists were rigorists, holding that the church must be a church of saints, not sinners. They regarded martyrdom as the supreme Christian virtue and regarded those that actively sought martyrdom as saints.
Donatus Magnus 4th Century
22. EbionitesJesus was a Jewish prophet Jesus was not divine. The Father and Son (Jesus) are not of the same substance, the same "person" or being. Need to observe Jewish law and rites.
Epiphanius Unknown
23. Euchites / Messalians God has three forms God takes different forms in order to reveal himself to the senses. Trinity could be perceived by the carnal senses. The Threefold God transformed himself into a single hypostasis (substance) in order to unite with the souls of the perfect (i.e. clergy)
Bishop Flavian of Antioch 376 AD
24. IconoclasmIdols to be destroyed All religious idols, images and monuments must be destroyed.
Unknown 726 AD
25. Marcionism Jesus/New Testament is superior to previous prophets/scripture Jesus was sent by God and Paul was his chief apostle. The God of the New Testament was all-forgiving; unlike the Hebrew God who was wrathful, avenging and a lower entity. Rejected the Hebrew Bible and the Hebrew God.
Marcion of Sinope, Rome 144 AD
26. MontanismSinners cannot be forgiven Christians who fell from grace could not be redeemed. Avoid sin and church discipline, emphasize chastity, including forbidding re-marriage. Some of the Montanists were also "Quartodeciman"
Montanus of Hierapolis 2nd Century
27. PelagianismOriginal sin did not effect Man Original sin did not taint human nature. Man is seen as effecting his own salvation. Man is capable of living a sin-free life; determining good and evil, without the need of Gods' assistance.
Pelagius 354 AD
28. SemipelagianismMan needs grace to reach God Man cannot come to God without the grace of God. Increased faith is the work of God, while the beginning of faith is an act of mans free-will.
Unknown 529 AD



CREDIT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_heresies

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What is Early Christian?
Early Christianity, the period of Christianity preceding the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. This typically divides historically into the Apostolic Age and the Ante-Nicene Period (from the Apostolic Age until Nicea). The first Christians, as described in the first chapters of the Book of Acts, were all Jews either by birth or conversion and historians refer to them as Jewish Christians. The early Gospel message spread orally, probably originally in Aramaic, and later in Greek. The New Testament's Acts of the Apostles and Epistle to the Galatians record that the first Christian community centered on Jerusalem and that its leaders included Peter, James, the brother of Jesus, and John the Apostle.
What is Arianism?
Belief that, Jesus was a lesser, created being.
What is Gnostic?
Gnosticism (from Ancient Greek: gnostikos, "having knowledge") is a modern name for a variety of ancient religious ideas and systems. Originating in Jewish-Christian milieus in the first and second century AD. These systems believed that the material world is created by an emanation of the highest God, trapping the divine spark within the human body.Gnosticism is also defined as the belief in, dualism of good and bad and special knowledge for salvation.

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