Early Heresies: Montanism

I- Miracles Before Christ:

Since the beginning of history, man sought restlessly to fight illnesses and diseases according to the conditions of his time and environment. In the ancient Semite civilizations, magic was always part of medicine. People always viewed droughts, sterility, or death as evil signs of divine anger caused by a certain sin or iniquity. They tried to cure it by knowing the spirit that caused it, because some spirit caused every illness. Egyptians were successful in discovering treatments for many diseases, nevertheless, they kept on begging their gods and practicing witchcraft alongside the treatment. In those days, natural healing was unheard of. Paganism depended primarily on miraculous healing; temples built for that purpose flourished, and healing gods grew in number.

In ancient Greece, healing gods such as Asclepius and Sarapis were very popular. We also find evidence of miraculous healing in many temples dedicated to gods like Apollo, Artamis, Minerva, and the Roman goddess Diana. These temples were visited by the ill to receive divine cure. In one case, the patient has to enter a hall where he would face the god that is to cure him or tell him what will cure him in his sleep. This was, of course, associated with certain rituals and followed by the priest announcing to the public that the healing has been completed. We can imagine how great the reaction of the people attending was.

We might ask why many today believe in "miraculous" healing. And how could people in an age of enlightenment such as ours receive such stories and incidents. In fact, this superstitious belief is a result of ignorance, primitive thinking and psychological inheritance that accumulated throughout the ages. Not to mention deceit, false rumors that tempt the simple-minded, and the contribution of other psychological and emotional factors such as, the indifference physicians might show to their patient's mental status, the overwhelming need for spirituality in a time when the true church is not at reach, and so on. These beliefs penetrated Christianity as the church grew and dominated pagan societies. These thoughts mixed with the Christian understanding of healing, bending the Christian view towards miraculous healing, their conditions and goals.

II- The Origin of This Heresy:

The roots of the modern charismatic movement in Christianity go back to an older cult founded by a man called Montanus. His heresy threatened the church to a degree so grave that the holy fathers of the church raged a ferocious war against it and called for local councils to excommunicate it, despite its strict pietism, emphasis on what it called "prophecy" and some gifts. Still, Montanism spread throughout Asia Minor and northern Africa.

Montanism started in the village of Ardabau near Mysia in Phrygia, in the second half of the second century. Montanus, who was a priest of the ecstatic cult of Cybele before converting to Christianity, began prophesizing in the year 172 AD. He taught his followers that second marriages were acts of adultery and that they should keep away from them. He enforced strict fasts, taught of non-forgiveness to those who fell in great sins, and despised arts and science. Because this heresy was characterized with prejudice and strictness, it brought Montanus many enthusiastic followers. Montanus later dedicated many people to carry on his charismatic work; the most famous among those were the prophetesses Priscilla and Maximilla, and the prophets Alexipias and Theodoritus.

Montanism continued spreading until it reached Leon in the time of Elvuthreius Bishop of Rome (174-189). To prevent a schism in the church the brothers did not accept it there. It was also mentioned that montanism became very powerful in Ankara, the capital of Galatia. Before 190, the heresy had already reached Antioch, forcing its Bishop Serapion (190-211), 9th bishop after Saint Peter the Apostle, to send a letter to the hierarchs Kryxus and Pontius containing signatures of various bishops in the church excommunicating Montanism. It reached Rome probably in the year 200, and many discussions were held with its followers (Such as that held between Proclus the Montanist and Ghayus in the time of Zephyrinus Bishop of Rome 198-217). The Canon of Moratori, the oldest list of authorized New Testament books, written in Rome between 170-180, mentions Montanism among heresies and rejects its teachings and writings.

III- Montanism in the Writings of the Holy Fathers:

1- History of the Church by Eusebius of Caesarea (died 340): This is the oldest reference that mentions Montanism. The writer quotes from one of the early fathers that the prophecies of Maximilla never came true, even thirteen years after her death, and that just because Montanism has martyrs does not mean that they hold the truth, because even heretics have their own martyrs. It's clear from this reference that one of the greatest arguments between Montanists and the church in Asia Minor was whether a real prophet prophesies in a state of hallucination and mental rage.

2- Refutation of Heresies by Hippolytus of Rome (217-235): Hippolytus criticizes Montanists for preferring their prophets and holding them above Christ, the apostles' teachings, and for not investigating the teachings they receive. In another section he points to the fact that there are no differences between Montanists and Orthodox Christians on creation and Christ; their mistake, in his opinion, lies in relying on their prophets' words rather than relying on the gospels, and enforcing new fasts that disagree with tradition.

3- Panarion by Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus (215-403): Epiphanius wrote a whole chapter on Montanism using ancient documents. He says that Montanists receive the holy bible in all, the resurrection of the dead, and the trinity, but mislead in their teachings on gifts. Epiphanius mentions Montanist books, the holy verses they use, and the church's refutation of these interpretations. He then reveals the fundamental question of whether it is possible to rely on a person who prophesizes absent-mindedly.

4- Tertullian (160-220) and Montanism: Tertullian was one of the influential church teachers in the third century who began writing in 197. His personality was characterized with strictness, orthodoxy, renunciation, and pietism. In 213 he converted to Montanism and his teachings were strongly influenced by it, although many scholars believe that it was very different from early Montanism. Tertullian believed that salvation has three stages, of which the Holy Spirit initiated the third, the stage where the church must reach the peak of its organization. He believed that bishops had no power over binding and loosing church affairs, and he probably aimed that at Callistus I bishop of Rome (222-217). He also said that he belonged to "the church of the spirit" not to "the church of the psychics." In his opinion, the church has abandoned the prophetic inspiration, not knowing that his search for that "inspiration" led him directly outside the church.

IV- The Miracles of Jesus Christ:

The most essential step in a Christian's life is denying one's self and putting all one's trust in Christ (John 16:23). This trust does not come from miracles as Jesus himself clearly puts it: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (John 7:21-23).

St John says in his gospel that: "Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man." (John 2: 21- 23). Many viewed, and believed in the miracles that Jesus had done, but didn't seek humility and did not follow the example of Christ nor kept his commandments (John 14:15). On the contrary, "though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not in him." (John 12:37).

In the time of Christ, sin and iniquity were related to physical illness. Sin was viewed as an opposition to the natural way to live and behave, and thus an opposition to God. Thus, the crowd saw in Christ's victory over infirmity a victory over sin. But Christ opposed this view when he cured the blind man in (John 9:1-7). His disciples asked him: "who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" and Christ answered them saying: "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: But that the works of God should be made manifest in him." In the same way, Saint Paul understood his illness, which was a "thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan", as a way to understand the greatness of God and a shelter from pride "lest (he) shall be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations". Paul says after seeking physical healing, "And he (Jesus) said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities. in distress for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:7-10).

Christ's miracles were also subject to various human opinions by those who witnessed them. Some believed in Christ's ability to heal (Mark 1:40, 2:5), some viewed his miracles as satanic acts or witchcraft (Mark 3:22-30), and some believed only in the miracles but not in him (John 12:37). For this reason we can surely say that without having true and Orthodox faith we cannot judge the truth or falseness of a miracle: correct faith and conduct come first in a Christian's life.

True healing cures from the slavery of sin and not only from physical illness. True faith that is expressed in the likeness of Christ decides our salvation, but the doctrine that says salvation comes from faith only, and that we may not struggle for the kingdom is a dangerous heresy. Seekers of physical healing ironically seek earthly life and never lasting health in the name of Christ. In the lepers' story we read that the leper that came back to thank Jesus alone got true salvation. Jesus says to him, after he had been previously completely healed: "Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath saved thee" (Luke 17:19). Salvation was in forgiveness not in physical healing.

It is curious to know that the evil one was first to try Jesus for miracles (Matt 4:3, Luke 4:3), and his Jewish killers were the last to ask that of him with ridicule, when he was hanged on the Cross (27:41-44, Mark 15:30-32, Luke 23:35). May God grant us his true salvation and a life of purity in his example, that we may be worthy to be true organs in his Holy Body: The true Israel, the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, and Orthodox Church, Amen.

By: Ibrahim Aboud