Against Heresies: Book IV
Chapter 1: The Lord Recognized Only One God and Father
Therefore, this is certain and steadfast: no other God or Lord was declared by the Spirit except Him who, as God, rules over all, along with His Word, and those who receive the Spirit of adoption—meaning those who believe in the one true God and in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Similarly, the apostles themselves did not refer to anyone else as God or call anyone else Lord. More importantly, our Lord instructed us to acknowledge no one as Father except Him who is in the heavens, who is the one God and one Father. This clearly shows that the assertions of these deceivers and corrupt thinkers are false. They claim that the being they have invented is by nature both God and Father, whereas the Demiurge is naturally neither God nor Father and is called such merely out of courtesy because of his rule over creation. These misguided mythologists set their ideas against God, ignoring the teachings of Christ and concocting falsehoods of their own, rejecting the entire plan of God. They assert that their Æons, gods, fathers, and lords are also called heavens, along with their Mother, whom they also refer to as “the Earth” and “Jerusalem,” assigning her many other names.
To whom is it not clear that if the Lord had known many fathers and gods, He would not have taught His disciples to know only one God and to call only Him Father? Instead, He distinguished those who are called gods in name only from the one who is truly God, so that they would not misunderstand His teaching or mistakenly confuse one with another. If He indeed taught us to call one being Father and God, while He Himself recognizes other fathers and gods in the same way, then He would seem to instruct His disciples differently than He acts. However, such behavior does not characterize a good teacher, but rather a misleading and envious one. According to these people's views, the apostles are shown to be violators of the commandment, since they acknowledge the Creator as God, Lord, and Father, as I have demonstrated—if He is not the only God and Father. Therefore, Jesus would be, for them, the author and teacher of such disobedience, as He commanded that one being be called Father, thereby compelling them to confess the Creator as their Father, as has been noted.