Tertullian’s Prescription Against All Heresies
Tertullian, the founder of Latin Christianity and a man of great intellect, was born in Carthage to a proconsular centurion sometime around A.D. 145. He was likely educated in Rome as an expert in law and joined the Church around 185, becoming a presbyter in 190. His writings profoundly influenced Augustine and Cyprian who, in turn, provided inspiration to the Reformers in Europe and in the Anglican Church.
In his later years Tertullian embraced Montanism, a movement, labeled a heresy by the Church, which claimed to have further revelation from the Holy Spirit, held to a strict moral code, and elevated female prophets. Tertullian perhaps embraced this because he was discontent with the orthodox church of his day and found the uncompromising morality of Montanism appealing. Despite this, he is recognized as the founder of Latin Christianity and an incredibly influential Christian thought leader and writer.
Many of Tertullian’s writings are directed against heretics. Like today, the early years of the Church were filled with diverse and strange teachings and Tertullian wrote a great many pages against them. This work provides a tidy summary of what is to come, covering general points about proper Christian doctrine and identifying the main errors in his opponent’s false beliefs.
Many of the points Tertullian raises are still relevant today. First, as he argues, we should always expect heresy. Both Jesus and the apostles predicted its arrival. Second, Tertullian identifies two main classes of heretics; those who deny an all-powerful God, and those who deny Christ Jesus. The first often takes the trappings of Christianity and applies it to secular philosophy or ideologies. The second admits God but twists the Scriptures into an unholy shape that has no basis in truth or power to save. Thanks be to God for the witness of the early Church, the Holy Spirit, and the Scriptures to discern truth from error and to identify strange doctrine, false teachers, and sources of division today!
And now, please enjoy this rendition of Tertullian’s Prescription Against All Heresies.
If you would like to read more of the writings of the Early Christian Fathers, please visit ccel.org to view the full collection.
