Against Heresies: Book III

BUT AGAIN: we assert the same against those who do not recognize Paul as an apostle: they should either reject the other parts of the Gospel that we know only through Luke and not use them; or, if they do accept all these, they must also accept Luke's testimony about Paul, when he tells us that the Lord first spoke to him from heaven: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? I am Jesus Christ, whom you are persecuting;” and then to Ananias, speaking of him: “Go your way; for he is a chosen vessel to Me, to carry My name among the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him from now on how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Therefore, those who do not accept him as a teacher, who was chosen by God to boldly carry His name to the mentioned nations, despise the choice of God and separate themselves from the apostles. They cannot argue that Paul was not an apostle when he was chosen for this purpose; nor can they prove Luke false when he diligently proclaims the truth to us. Indeed, it might be that God presented many Gospel truths through Luke’s work, which everyone should find necessary to use, so that all people, following his later testimony about the acts and teachings of the apostles, and adhering to the pure rule of truth, may be saved. Therefore, his testimony is true, and the apostles' doctrine is clear and steadfast, without holding anything back; nor did they teach one set of doctrines in private and another in public.

THIS IS THE DECEPTION OF FALSE INDIVIDUALS: evil seducers, and hypocrites, similar to those who follow Valentinus. These people speak to the crowd about those who belong to the Church, whom they themselves call "common" and "ecclesiastic." By using these terms, they trap the more simple-minded and lure them in, mimicking our language so that these individuals listen to them more often. They then question us, asking why, when they hold beliefs similar to ours, we avoid their company without reason; and why, when they say the same things and hold the same beliefs, we call them heretics.

Once they have, through such questions, undermined anyone's faith and turned them into passive listeners, they privately reveal the unspeakable mystery of their Pleroma.

But those who think they can learn from the Scriptures used by heretics are completely deceived, as error is plausible and resembles truth but needs to be disguised, whereas truth is straightforward and thus entrusted to children. If any of their listeners demand explanations or raise objections, they claim that the person is incapable of receiving the truth and lacks the seed from their Mother.

They do not provide answers, instead declaring that such a person belongs to the intermediate regions, or merely to animal nature.

However, if someone surrenders to them like a compliant sheep, adopting their practices and "redemption," that person becomes so arrogant that they believe they are neither in heaven nor on earth but have already entered the Pleroma; having embraced their angel, they walk with an arrogant gait and a conceited expression, like a strutting rooster. Some among them assert that a person who comes from above should follow a good path, so they pretend to have a solemn demeanor with some arrogance.

However, the majority become mockers, as if already perfect, living without concern for appearances, even in contempt of good, calling themselves "the spiritual," and claiming they are familiar with the place of refreshing within their Pleroma.

Let's return to the same line of argument we have been following. When it is clearly shown that those who were the preachers of the truth and the apostles of liberty called no one else God, or named anyone Lord, except the only true God, the Father, and His Word, who holds the highest place in all things, it will be clearly proven that they (the apostles) recognized as the Lord God the one who created heaven and earth, who spoke with Moses, gave him the dispensation of the law, and who called the fathers; and they knew no other. Therefore, the opinion of the apostles, and of those (Mark and Luke) who learned from their words, regarding God, has been made clear.