Creator of Evils

This chapter studies Marcion(ite) interpretations of Jewish scripture to derive the evil creator idea. Of chief importance was Isaiah 45:7, where the creator confessed to making “evils.” Moreover, the creator arrogantly claimed to be alone in his divinity (Isa 45:22; 46:9), created the conditions for humanity’s fall in Eden (Gen 2–3), and openly admitted to being jealous and enraged (Exod 20:5; Isa 5:25). Marcion’s special talent was contrasting the divine character deduced from the Jewish scriptures with the divine character of Christ. Specifically, this included: (1) the creator’s command to despoil the Egyptians with Christ’s exhortation to voluntary poverty, (2) the creator’s directive to punish “eye for eye” with Christ’s principle of non-retaliation, (3) the creator’s launching of bears to kill forty-two children with Christ’s blessing of the young, and finally (4) the creator’s genocidal violence with Christ’s call for the restraint of rage.