{"id":1583,"date":"2021-05-06T22:41:49","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T20:41:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heavenuponearth.com\/?p=1583"},"modified":"2021-06-19T05:10:47","modified_gmt":"2021-06-19T03:10:47","slug":"history-from-below-01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavenuponearth.com\/?p=1583","title":{"rendered":"“The Montanists Were Real and Scriptural Christians,\u201d John Wesley Said!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWednesday 15 \u2013 By reflecting on an odd book which I had read in this journey,\u00a0The General Delusion of Christians with Regard to Prophesy<\/em>, I was fully convinced of what I had long suspected: (1) that the Montanists, in the second and third centuries, were\u00a0real<\/em>,\u00a0scriptural<\/em>\u00a0Christians\u2026.\u201d[1]<\/a>\u00a0In fact, this is not my own opinion, but Wesley\u2019s! John Wesley wrote these words in his journal in August 1750. In addition, he testified that \u201cMontanus, who \u2018appeared (without bringing any new doctrine)\u00a0for reviving<\/em>\u00a0what was decayed, and\u00a0reformed<\/em>\u00a0what might be amiss,\u2019 was \u2018not only a truly good man, but one of the\u00a0best<\/em>\u00a0men then upon earth.\u2019\u201d[2]<\/a>\u00a0For me, as a Coptic Wesleyan Charismatic, I cannot deny that\u00a0when I read these words for the first time, nearly ten years ago, I found myself in a maze. My \u201cvery\u201d Orthodox family background, which interweaves with my Coptic roots, firmly tried to hinder any tendency to accept the exoneration of those condemned by different schools of classical Church historiography. On the other hand, my Wesleyan Charismatic enthusiasm created a propensity to examine Wesley\u2019s opinion that might offer backing to this\u00a0Pentecostal-like<\/em>\u00a0ancient group. It is worth mentioning that my Wesleyan Charismatic enthusiasm has\u00a0conquered<\/em>\u00a0and pushed me to examine the reasons behind Wesley’s opinion, and the following is my conclusion in brief points.<\/p>\r\n

I.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong>The emergence of the New Prophecy\/ Montanism:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

The \u201cProphecy\u201d movement emerged in Phrygia, Asia Minor, during the 160s, when its founder, Montanus, began prophesying in an ecstatic state. Priscilla and Maximilla soon joined Montanus as two prophetesses, and the movement had spread within a few decades to many regions including Rome and North Africa.[3]<\/a>\u00a0Around the year 207, \u201cthe movement won a powerful advocate Tertullian, who was attracted by its asceticism and apocalypticism.\u201d[4]<\/a>\u00a0The prophecy movement was condemned as a\u00a0heresy<\/em>\u00a0by many early bishops and writers (e.g. Eusebius, Apolinarius of Hierapolis, Apollonius, and Serapion of Antioch \/\u00a0Eccl. His<\/em>. 5: 16, 18, 19) and the Montanists were officially\u00a0excommunicated<\/em>\u00a0by the Synod of Iconium in 230.[5]<\/a><\/p>\r\n

II.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>Did the movement embrace heretic dogmas?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Many sources testify that the\u00a0Trinitarian<\/em>\u00a0dogma of the New Prophecy people was\u00a0orthodox<\/em>, as well as their\u00a0Christological<\/em>\u00a0belief. Even many of their contemporary opponents (e.g. Epiphanius and Hippolytus of Rome) agreed on that. The Montanists accepted all the scriptures of the OT and NT and were against non-orthodox belief such as Docetism.[6]<\/a>\u00a0Philip Schaff testified that \u201cIn doctrine Montanism agreed in all essential points with the Catholic Church and held very firmly to the traditional role of faith.\u201d[7]<\/a>\u00a0Christine Trevett emphasizes that the \u201cmost ardent critics admitted that the New Prophecy was not a heresy.\u201d[8]<\/a>\u00a0Dale Coulter stresses that \u201cthey did not preach any other God.\u201d[9]<\/a>\u00a0In fact, Tertullian\u2019s Montanist writings (e.g.\u00a0Adversus Praxean<\/em>) in which he formulated the doctrine of the Trinity became crucial in the development of the orthodox thought.[10]<\/a>\u00a0Therefore, I do not think it is going too far to say that the Prophecy movement was not a heresy.<\/p>\r\n

III.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong>Teachings of the New Prophecy<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Well; if Montanism was not a heresy, what were its distinctive ideas that have moved many to condemn it? The most distinctive teaching of Montanism could be summarized as follows:<\/p>\r\n