Introduction to Marcion

This brief introduction to Marcion of Pontus includes his life, education, scriptures, teachings, disciples, and the ancient sources helpful for understanding him. Marcion distinguished the Jewish creator from the good and true deity revealed in and through Jesus Christ. His conception of an evil creator—that good character cannot come from evil actions—was not supported by the majority of Roman presbyters. Marcion thus organized his own ecclesial movement in Rome, where he began an ambitious mission to establish his form of Christianity in other parts of the empire. His church movement lasted several centuries, notably in the eastern Mediterranean. Marcion did not so much separate the Law (“Old Testament”) and the gospel (“New Testament”) as distinguish between two superhuman entities, with two opposing characters, competing for the hearts and minds of human beings.