5/13/19
Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Amazon Kindle Edition, 2014.
Volume 2, Ante-Nicene Christianity A.D. 100-325, “Chapter 11. The Heresies of the Ante-Nicene Age” Sections 112-136, Loc. 17655-18757.
§ 132. Justin the Gnostic.
Schaff introduces on Justin the Gnostic, a very different individual than the better known Justin the Martyr. This man’s dates and places are unknown. “He propagated his doctrine secretly, and bound his disciples to silence by solemn oaths” (Schaff 2014, Loc. 18578). One of his books, called Baruch, was abstracted by Hippolytus. While Hippolytus saw him as a Naassene, he considered the serpent as the cause of evil, not of good (Schaff 2014, Loc. 18583). Justin, as is typical of Gnostics, identified multiple divinities, some good and some bad. They engage in sexual reproduction, populating the spirit world and divisions of angels (Schaff 2014, Loc. 18585). The serpent arranged for Jesus to be nailed to the cross, which freed him “from his material body” (Schaff 2014, Loc. 18590). This allowed him to rise to the good God and be the deliverer.