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| The Heresy of Theodotus.
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Chapter
XXIII.—The Heresy of Theodotus.
But there was a certain Theodotus,889
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See [vol. iii. p. 654, “two Theodoti”] Tertullian,
Præscript., c. liii.; Eusebius, Hist. Ecclesiast, v.
27; Epiphanius, Hær., liv.; and Theodoret, Hær.
Fab., ii. 5. Clemens Alexandrinus seems to have been greatly
indebted to Theodotus, whose system he has explained and commented
upon. | a native of Byzantium, who introduced
a novel heresy. He announces tenets concerning the originating
cause of the universe, which are partly in keeping with the doctrines
of the true Church, in so far as he acknowledges that all things were
created by God. Forcibly appropriating, however, (his notions of)
Christ from the school of the Gnostics, and of Cerinthus and Ebion, he
alleges that (our Lord) appeared in some such manner as I shall now
describe. (According to this, Theodotus maintains) that Jesus was
a (mere) man, born of a virgin, according to the counsel of the Father,
and that after he had lived promiscuously with all men, and had
become pre-eminently
religious, he subsequently at his baptism in Jordan received Christ,
who came from above and descended (upon him) in form of a dove.
And this was the reason, (according to Theodotus,) why (miraculous)
powers did not operate within him prior to the manifestation in him of
that Spirit which descended, (and) which proclaims him to be the
Christ. But (among the followers of Theodotus) some are disposed
(to think) that never was this man made God, (even) at the descent of
the Spirit; whereas others (maintain that he was made God) after the
resurrection from the dead.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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