possible references to docetic-type beliefs

[Bernard Muller]

to Peter,
I think you may be right.

Cordially, Bernard

[Peter Kirby]

Old Latin Prologue (aka Anti-Marcionite prologue) to the Gospel of John [ca. 2nd century - regarding a controversy with Marcion and John]
This gospel, then, after the apocalypse was written was made manifest and given to the churches in Asia by John, as yet still in the body, as the Heiropolitan, Papias by name, dear disciple of John, transmitted in his Exoteric, that is, the outside five books. He wrote down this gospel while John dictated. Truly Marcion the heretic, when he had been disapproved by him because he supposed contrary things, was thrown out by John. He in truth carried writings or epistles sent to him from the brothers who were in Pontus, faithful in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Muratorian Fragment [ca. late second century? remarks at http://hypotyposeis.org/weblog/2003/10/ ... canon.html by Stephen Carlson]
The Muratorian Fragment has a brief remark, fel enim cum melle misceri non congruit “for it is not fitting to mix gall with honey.”

Although the Muratorian Fragment lists several second century heretics, it does not list Cerinthus, the heresiarch against whom Irenaeus claimed that the Gospel according to John was written. Cerinthus means “bee-bread,” which Pliny Natural History 11, 17 explains as having a bitter taste : Praeter haec convehitur erithace, quam aliqui sandaracam, alii cerinthum vocant. hic erit apium dum operantur cibus, qui saepe invenitur in favorum inanitatibus sepositus, et ipse amari saporis.

Fel “gall” was commonly used as a generic term for a bitter-tasting item, and bee-bread, called “cerinthus,” is a mixture of (bitter) pollen and honey. Thus, the mixture of gall and honey may well be a pun on Cerinthus.

[PS- Cerinthus is a Latin word and name. -ed.]

[Peter Kirby]

Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 3.3.4 [a tradition related to the statements of the prologue and canon above]
But Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true. To these things all the Asiatic Churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp down to the present time, a man who was of much greater weight, and a more stedfast witness of truth, than Valentinus, and Marcion, and the rest of the heretics. He it was who, coming to Rome in the time of Anicetus caused many to turn away from the aforesaid heretics to the Church of God, proclaiming that he had received this one and sole truth from the apostles, that, namely, which is handed down by the Church. There are also those who heard from him that John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, "Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within." And Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, "Dost thou know me? "I do know thee, the first-born of Satan." Such was the horror which the apostles and their disciples had against holding even verbal communication with any corrupters of the truth; as Paul also says, "A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself." There is also a very powerful Epistle of Polycarp written to the Philippians, from which those who choose to do so, and are anxious about their salvation, can learn the character of his faith, and the preaching of the truth. Then, again, the Church in Ephesus, founded by Paul, and having John remaining among them permanently until the times of Trajan, is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles.

[Peter Kirby]

This textual variation:

Gospel of Mark 1:11 [ca. 70-140? - textual variant in codex Bezae (D), supported by Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria, cf. Psalm 2:7]
And there came a voice from heaven, saying, "You are my son. I today have begotten you."

Adds more context to this:

Gospel of Mark 1:9-10, 15:34 [ca. 70-140? suggested as a possibility by the parallels in more explicit gospels]
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ... At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

And its parallels.

[Peter Kirby]

The "western non-interpolations" in Luke 24 [some of them may be intended to combat Marcionite interpretations of the same text]
Luke 24:3. But, having gone in, they did not find the body [of the Lord Jesus].
Luke 24:5. Why do you seek the living with the dead? [He is not here, but has risen up.]
Luke 24:12. [But Peter rose and ran to the tomb and, having stooped down, sees the wrappings only, and he went away to his own (home), marvelling at what had happened.]
Luke 24:36. But while they were speaking these things he himself stood in their midst [and says to them: Peace to you].
Luke 24:40. [And, having said this, he showed them his hands and feet.]
Luke 24:51. And it happened that, while he was blessing them, he departed from them [and was borne up into heaven].
Luke 24:52. And they themselves, [having worshipped him], returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

[Peter Kirby]

1 Corinthians 12:3 [?]
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.

Origen, Contra Celsum, 6.28 [ca. 230]
Now he ought to have known that those who have espoused the cause of the serpent, because he gave good advice to the first human beings, and who go far beyond the Titans and Giants of fable, and are on this account called Ophites, are so far from being Christians, that they bring accusations against Jesus to as great a degree as Celsus himself; and they do not admit any one into their assembly until he has uttered maledictions against Jesus.

Catena fragm. 47 on 1 Corinthians 12:3
There is a certain sect which does not admit a convert unless he pronounces anathemas on Jesus; and that sect is worthy of the name which it has chosen; for it is the sect of the so-called Ophites, who utter blasphemous words in praise of the serpent.

[Peter Kirby]

Hippolytus, Refutation 5.21 [of Justinus the Sethian]
Finally, however, in the days of Herod the king, Baruch is despatched, being sent down once more by Elohim; and coming to Nazareth, he found Jesus, son of Joseph and Mary, a child of twelve years, feeding sheep. And he announces to him all things from the beginning, whatsoever had been done by Edem and Elohim, and whatsoever would be likely to take place hereafter, and spoke the following words: "All the prophets anterior to you have been enticed. Put forth an effort, therefore, Jesus, Son of man, not to be allured, but preach this word unto men, and carry back tidings to them of things pertaining to the Father, and things pertaining to the Good One, and ascend to the Good One, and sit there with Elohim, Father of us all." And Jesus was obedient unto the angel, saying that, "I shall do all things, Lord," and proceeded to preach. Naas therefore wished to entice this one also.
Jesus, however, was not disposed to listen to his overtures, for he remained faithful to Baruch. Therefore Naas, being inflamed with anger because he was not able to seduce him, caused him to be crucified. He, however, leaving the body of Edem on the (accursed) tree, ascended to the Good One; saying, however, to Edem, "Woman, thou retainest thy son," that is, the natural and the earthly man. But (Jesus) himself commending his spirit into the hands of the Father, ascended to the Good One.

[Peter Kirby]

Gospel of Peter 9:36-10:40 [?] [with reference to the cross, may have originally formed part of the story of the crucifixion]
And they saw the heavens open up and two men coming down from there having much light, ... and the two supporting the one, and a cross following them, and the head of the two reaching until heaven, but that of the one being led out by the hand by them surpassing the heavens. And they heard a voice from the heavens saying: Have you preached to those who are sleeping? And obedience was heard from the cross: Yes.

Gospel of Mark 16:3 in Codex Bobbiensis (itk) [?] [may have originally replaced Mark 15:33 or 15:37]
But suddenly at the third hour of the day there came darkness through the entire orb of the earth, and angels descended from heaven, and, [as he was] rising in the brightness of the living God, at once they ascended with him, and immediately there was light. Then the women went to the tomb.

[Peter Kirby]

Galatians 4:4 [?]
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.

The words "born of woman, born under the law" are simultaneously both completely banal (without the later context) and utterly in opposition to Marcionite doctrine (in that context) that one can be forgiven for wondering whether to consider the possibility of conjectural emendation, of an anti-Marcionite variety, even without any manuscript support. And if anti-Marcionite, then also anti-docetic.

There is, besides, evidence of a clear difference between the Marcionite passage and the catholic one: Marcion lacked verses 1, 2, 7. These are the very verses that tie the short phrase to its secondary, interpolated context in Galatians (noted by Robert Price in The Amazing Colossal Apostle).

[Peter Kirby]

A text that is both embedded in Acts of Paul and also distributed separately. Perhaps a majority regards it as an independent and prior composition.

3 Corinthians, 1 [ca. 125-200?]
Simon and Cleobius had come to Corinth with this message: "There is no resurrection of the flesh but (only) of the spirit, and the human body is not a divine creation, and, with regard to the world, God neither created it nor knows it, nor has Jesus Christ been crucified--he was mere appearance; he was neither born of Mary nor was he of Davidic descent."

3 Corinthians, II.2-5, II.9-15 [ca. 125-200?]
"Two individuals have come to Corinth, Simon and Cleobius; they overthrow the faith of some with corrupt words. These you will examine, for we never heard such things either from you or from the others. But we maintain what we have received from you and from them. ... They say and teach as follows: The prophets are not to be utilized; God is not almighty; there is no resurrection of the flesh; God did not fashion the human race; The Lord neither came in the flesh nor was he born of Mary; the world is not of God but of angels."

3 Corinthians, IV.4-40 [ca. 125-200?]
"The Lord Christ will quickly come, since he is rejected by those who falsify his teaching. For I delivered unto you first of all what I received from the apostles before me who were always with Jesus Christ, that our Lord Christ Jesus was of Davidic descent, born of Mary, into whom the Father sent the spirit from heaven that he might come into this world and liberate all flesh by his own flesh, and that he might raise us in the flesh from the dead as he has shown us by example. Humanity was created by his Father and was thus sought by God when lost, so that it might become alive by adoption. For the almighty God of the universe, maker of heaven and earth, sent the prophets first to the Jews to deliver them from their sins, as he desired to save the house of Israel; therefore he distributed some of the spirit of Christ and apportioned it to the prophets who proclaimed the true worship of God over a long period. Yet the (evil) prince wished to be god himself and laid his hands on them and bound all human flesh to lust. But the almighty God, who is just, did not wish to nullify his own creation and sent Spirit through fire into Mary the Galilean, that the evil one might be conquered by the same flesh by which he ruled and be convinced that he is not God. For by his own body Jesus Christ saved all flesh, so that he might exhibit a temple of righteousness in his own body by which we are liberated. Those who impede the providence of God by denying that heaven and earth and all that is in them are works of the father are children of wrath, not of righteousness. They possess the accursed faith of the serpent. Avoid them and keep your distance from their teaching. For those who tell you that there is no resurrection of the flesh there will be no resurrection--Those who do not believe the one who thus (in the flesh) rose. For they do not know, Corinthians, about the sowing of wheat or other seeds that one casts naked upon the ground and dies, then rises by God's will, in a body and clothed. God not only raises the sown body but also bestows upon it abundant blessings. If we cannot develop a parable from seeds, you know of Jonah, the son of Amathios who, when he refused to preach to the Ninevites, was swallowed up by a sea-monster. After three days and three nights God heard the prayer of Jonah from the depths of Hades. No part of him was corrupted, not even a hair or an eyelid. How much more, you of limited faith, will he raise those who have believed in Christ Jesus, as he himself was raised up? When some Israelites threw a corpse on the bones of the prophet Elisha, the person's body was raised. So also will you, upon whom the body, bones, and spirit of Christ have been thrown, be raised on that day with a whole body. If, however, you receive any different teaching, do not trouble me, for I have shackles on my hands so that I may gain Christ and marks on my body that I may attain to the resurrection of the dead. Whoever abides by the rule which we have received through the blessed prophets and the holy gospel, shall receive a reward, but whoever transgresses these, and those who did so earlier will receive fire, since they are godless persons, a generation of vipers. Rebuff them by the power of Christ. Peace be with you."