Why I Think the Gospel of Marcion was Secret Mark

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Secret Alias
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Why I Think the Gospel of Marcion was Secret Mark

Post by Secret Alias »

"I heard ἄρρητα words, which it is not permitted for a man to utter"

καλῶς ἐποίησας ἐπιστομίσας τὰς ἀῤῥήτους διδασκαλίας τῶν Καρποκρατιανῶν

and when brought into paradise heard certain things there, yet these revelations cannot be thought to be such as would render him more qualified to teach another doctrine, since their very nature was such that they could not be communicated to any human being.6 But if that unknown revelation did leak out and become known to some one, and if any heresy affirms that it is a follower of that revelation, then either Paul is guilty of having betrayed his secret, or some one else must be shewn to have been subsequently caught up into paradise to whom permission was given to speak out what Paul was not allowed to whisper.
Giuseppe
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Re: Why I Think the Gospel of Marcion was Secret Mark

Post by Giuseppe »

That secrecy goes directly against the meaning of the Parable of the Lamp, which is 100% marcionite.
Secret Alias
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Re: Why I Think the Gospel of Marcion was Secret Mark

Post by Secret Alias »

It's also against Papias's appeal to the dominical logoi. No holy spirit coming down only a man going up.
Secret Alias
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Re: Why I Think the Gospel of Marcion was Secret Mark

Post by Secret Alias »

When people say something "doesn't feel right" about the text they ignore that something "does smell right" about a Marcionite "secret" gospel:

1. the Marcionites tied their gospel to 2 Corinthians 4
2. 2 Corinthians 4 would expect a "secret gospel"
3. Tertullian reports on a "Pauline secret gospel"
4. Clement only tentatively assigns his "secret gospel" to Mark, likely owing to Mark 1:1 w/no incipit
5. Origen connects Mark 1:1 to the name of the Marcionite gospel on 3 different occasions (Commentary on John, Commentary on Romans and one other).
Giuseppe
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Re: Why I Think the Gospel of Marcion was Secret Mark

Post by Giuseppe »

An excessive secrecy seems an anomaly (i.e. not expected) by the sect that insisted that in this dark world created by the demiurge the light has appeared only recently, with the person of Jesus the Son of Father.

Where the secrecy is expected by a such sect, is to justify why the disciples didn't understand nothing, but it is a relative secrecy. What the Secret Mark is assuming is an absolute secrecy: not justified under a Marcionite theology.
Secret Alias
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Re: Why I Think the Gospel of Marcion was Secret Mark

Post by Secret Alias »

I would put it this way. If you had a community who believed in a historical Jesus and wrote a report on it, many reports the kind of gospels you see in the canon make sense.

But if you had a community like the Marcionites which was built around a secret revelation in heaven according to the apostle, it could only be a secret gospel. Can't be a "public" gospel.
Giuseppe
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Re: Why I Think the Gospel of Marcion was Secret Mark

Post by Giuseppe »

Secrecy is not always synonymous of esoterism and only-revelation-based sect.

It can be conceived also as a conservative reaction against who was proclaiming aggressively/arrogantly (i.e. contra factum) a new deity appeared only recently.

Matthew 11:12
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force

Secret Alias
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Re: Why I Think the Gospel of Marcion was Secret Mark

Post by Secret Alias »

2 Corinthians uses the language of the mystery religions.
lsayre
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Re: Why I Think the Gospel of Marcion was Secret Mark

Post by lsayre »

If Secret Mark is Marcion's Gospel, that would explain why Marcion was pronounced to be the first born of Satan.
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