Early Christian Beliefs About Valentinus and the Valentinians

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Direct teaching

Before Valentinus, the followers of Valentinus didn't exist; nor did the followers of Marcion exist before Marcion. In short, none of those malicious individuals I previously mentioned existed before the founders and creators of their corrupt teachings. Valentinus came to Rome during the time of Hyginus, thrived under Pius, and stayed until Anicetus. Cerdon, who came before Marcion, also arrived during Hyginus's time, the ninth bishop. He often entered the Church, openly confessed, stayed sometimes teaching secretly, and then confessed again publicly. Ultimately, after being condemned for false teaching, he was excommunicated from the fellowship of the brethren. Marcion followed him and thrived under Anicetus, who was the tenth bishop. The rest, known as Gnostics, originated from Menander, a disciple of Simon, as I have shown; each considered himself both the founder and chief priest of the doctrine he was initiated into. However, all these groups (the Marcosians) emerged into their apostasy much later, even during a transitional period of the Church.

Tertullian, Against the Valentinians Direct teaching

Valentinus, however, was as yet nowhere, and still the Valentinians derive their name from Valentinus.

Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching

But also the time of Valentinus and Basilides is manifest, that they too, after the apostles, and after a long period, rebelled against the Church of God with their wicked lies.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

3. For, prior to Valentinus, those who follow Valentinus had no existence;

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

You have indeed asked me, my dear friend, to reveal the Valentinian doctrines, which their followers believe are hidden; to show their variety and write a treatise refuting them. I have therefore undertaken to demonstrate, showing that they originate from Simon, the father of all heretics, to present both their doctrines and lineage, and to provide arguments against them all. Thus, since proving these people wrong and exposing them is largely one task, I have sent to you certain books. The first book includes the opinions of all these people and shows their customs and behavior. The second book dismantles and overthrows their corrupt teachings, exposing them as they truly are. In this third book, I will provide evidence from the Scriptures, so that I will leave nothing undone that you have asked for; in fact, you may receive from me even more than you expected, giving you the means to combat and defeat those who spread falsehoods in any manner. For the love of God, being abundant and generous, grants to the petitioner more than he can ask. Remember then, the things I stated in the two previous books, and by connecting these with them, you will receive from me a very comprehensive r

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book I Supporting witness

but after his martyrdom he separated from the Church, and, excited and puffed up by the thought of being a teacher, as if he were superior to others, he composed his own peculiar type of doctrine.

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching

Valentinus, however, and the followers of this school, agree that the first principle of the universe is the Father. Still, they are driven to take an opposite view about Him. Some of them say that the Father is alone and able to bring forth offspring. But others say that, in His case as in all others, bringing forth offspring is impossible without a female. So they add Sige as the wife of this Father, and they call the Father Himself Bythus. From this Father and His wife, some say that six projections have come forth: Nous and Aletheia, the Word and Zoe, Anthropos and Ecclesia. They say that this makes up the begetting Ogdoad. And the Valentinians say that the first projections are those that took place within the Limit, and these have also been called those within the Pleroma. The second are those outside the Pleroma, and the third are those outside the Limit. Now the coming forth of these makes up the Hysterema Acamoth. And Valentinus says that what has been generated from an Aeon, and exists in the Hysterema and has been projected beyond the Limit, is the Creator. But Valentinus is not willing to say that what has been generated in this way is the primal Deity. Instead, he spea

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching

...a perfect number. Far from it, they did so with an imperfect one. For the Word and Zoe offer twelve Aeons to Nous and Aletheia. For according to Valentinus, these—namely, Nous and Aletheia, the Word and Zoe, Anthropos and Ecclesia—have been the primary roots of the Aeons. But there are ten Aeons proceeding from Nous and Aletheia, and twelve from the Word and Zoe, making twenty-eight in all. And to these ten they give the following names: Bythus and Mixis, Ageratus and Henosis, Autophyes and Hedone, Acinetus and Syncrasis, Monogenes and Macaria. These are ten Aeons whom some say were brought forth by Nous and Aletheia, but some say by the Word and Zoe. Others, however, say that the twelve Aeons were brought forth by Anthropos and Ecclesia, while others say by the Word and Zoe. And on these they bestow the following names: Paracletus and Pistis, Patricus and Elpis, Metricus and Agape, Aeinous and Synesis, Ecclesiasticus and Macariotes, Theletus and Sophia. But the twelfth of the twelve, and the youngest of all the twenty-eight Aeons, was a female called Sophia. She saw the multitude and power of the surrounding Aeons, and she rushed back into the depth of the Father. And she reali

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching

...s groans. And thirty Aeons came into existence along with Christ and the Holy Spirit. Some of these Valentinians want this to be a triacontad of Aeons, while others want Sige to exist along with the Father, and for the Aeons to be counted along with them.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book I Direct teaching

The first of them, Valentinus, who adapted the principles of the heresy called “Gnostic” to the peculiar character of his own school, taught as follows: He maintained that there is a certain Dyad (twofold being), who is inexpressible by any name, of whom one part should be called Arrhetus (unspeakable), and the other Sige (silence).

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

Valentinus, however, and the adherents of this school, though they agree in asserting that the originating principle of the universe is the Father, still they are impelled into the adoption of a contrary opinion respecting Him.

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

For, likewise, according to these (Valentinians), the originating cause of the universe is a Monad, unbegotten, imperishable, incomprehensible, inconceivable, productive, and a cause of the generation of all existent things.

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

The living soul, again, is perhaps mysteriously referred by some of the followers of Valentinus to the being whom they term the psychic creator of the world;

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

...d the Holy Spirit by Nous and Aletheia, immediately separated this offspring of Sophia from all the Aeons. This offspring was shapeless, brought forth by herself alone, and generated without conjugal union. They did this so that the perfect Aeons, if they saw this shapeless offspring, would not be disturbed because of its lack of form. Then, so that the shapelessness of the offspring would not in any way appear to the perfect Aeons, the Father also projected one more Aeon, namely, Staurus. He was begotten great, as from a mighty and perfect father. Since he was projected for the guarding and defense of the Aeons, he became the boundary of the Pleroma, containing within himself all thirty Aeons together, for these are the ones that had been projected. This Aeon is called Horos, because he separates from the Pleroma the Hysterema that is outside. He is also called Metocheus, because he also shares in the Hysterema. And he is called Staurus, because he stands fixed, inflexible, and unyielding, so that nothing from the Hysterema can come near the Aeons that are within the Pleroma. Outside Horos, or Metocheus, or Staurus, is the Ogdoad, as they call it. And this is that Sophia who is

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

...rds, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” because these truths are not merely rumors. All these Aeons, both the three and all those infinite Aeons that proceed from them without limit, are hermaphrodite Aeons. After all these had increased and grown great, and had sprung from that one first seed, they were moved by a spirit of harmony and union, and they all came together into one Aeon. In this way they brought forth, from one virgin, Mary, a shared offspring, who is a Mediator, that is, the Savior of all who are in the covenant of mediation. And this Savior is in every way equal in power to the seed of the fig tree, except that He was generated. But that first seed, from which the fig tree sprang, is unbegotten. Therefore, when those three Aeons had been adorned with every virtue and all holiness, as these teachers suppose, and also that only begotten child—for He alone was begotten by those infinite Aeons, though three were directly involved in His birth, since three immeasurable Aeons together brought Him forth—after, I say, the Aeons and the only Son had been adorned in this way, the whole nature that is known by the intellect was formed without deficiency. Now all those

Tertullian, Against All Heresies Supporting witness

... fables. I will cut these down and briefly summarize them. He introduces the Pleroma and the thirty Aeons. He also explains these Aeons as syzygies, that is, as certain kinds of married pairs. For among the first, he says, were Depth and Silence. From these came Mind and Truth. From them came the Word and Life. From these again were produced Man and the Church. But these were not all. From these last also came twelve Aeons. And from the Word and Life came another ten Aeons. This is the group of thirty Aeons, which in the Pleroma is made up of an ogdoad, a decad, and a duodecad. The thirtieth Aeon, moreover, wanted to see the great Bythus. To see him, he dared to rise into the upper regions. But since he was not able to see his greatness, he lost heart and almost suffered dissolution. This would have happened if someone had not been sent to strengthen him, namely, the one he calls Horos, who strengthened him by speaking the word Iao. This Aeon, who was brought down into despair in this way, he calls Achamoth. He says that he was seized by certain sorrowful passions, and from these passions gave birth to material substances. For he says that he was struck with panic and terror and

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

Some of these (Valentinians) wish that this should be a triacontad of Aeons, whereas others desire that Sige should exist along with the Father, and that the Aeons should be reckoned along with them.

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Supporting witness

Valentinus disseminated his Æons, and traced the sin of one Æon to the production of God the Creator.

Tertullian, Against the Valentinians Direct teaching

... means been erased. Even if it happens to be changed, that very change itself is proof of the fact. Valentinus had hoped to become a bishop, because he was a capable man in both talent and eloquence. However, he became angry because another man received that rank on the basis of a claim gained by being a confessor. So he broke away from the church of the true faith. Like those restless spirits that, once stirred by ambition, are usually set on fire with a desire for revenge, he gave himself with all his strength to destroying the truth. And when he found the thread of a certain old opinion, he marked out a path for himself with the subtlety of a serpent. Afterward Ptolemæus entered on the same path. He distinguished the names and the numbers of the Æons into separate personal substances. However, he kept these separate from God. Valentinus had included them within the very essence of the Deity, as senses and affections of motion. Then various side paths branched off from this through Heraclean, Secundus, and the magician Marcus. Theotimus worked hard on the images of the law. Valentinus himself, however, was by that time nowhere to be found, and still the Valentinians get their

Tertullian, Against the Valentinians Direct teaching

The Valentinians, who are no doubt a very large body of heretics— comprising as they do so many apostates from the truth, who have a propensity for fables, and no discipline to deter them (therefrom) care for nothing so much as to obscure what they preach, if indeed they (can be said to) preach who obscure their doctrine.

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Supporting witness

That was allowable to the Valentinians which had been allowed to Valentinus;

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

...ir doctrine is a recapitulation of all the heretics. For this reason, in the second book, we have clearly witnessed their complete defeat. For those who oppose these men (the Valentinians) by the right method also oppose all who are of a wicked mind, and those who overthrow them, in fact, overthrow every kind of heresy.

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

The heresy of Valentinus is certainly, then, connected with the Pythagorean and Platonic theory.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book II Direct teaching

1. Those, then, who are of the school of Valentinus being overthrown, the whole multitude of heretics are, in fact, also subverted.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book II Supporting witness

...ou, my very dear friend, that the entire system created, in many and opposite ways, by those of the Valentinian school, was false and baseless. I also presented the beliefs of their predecessors, proving that they not only disagreed among themselves but had long previously strayed from the truth itself. I further explained, with great care, the doctrine and practice of Marcus the magician, since he also belongs to these people; and I carefully noted the passages they distort from the Scriptures to fit their own fictions. Moreover, I described in detail how, using numbers and the twenty-four letters of the alphabet, they boldly attempt to establish what they consider truth. I also explained how they think and teach that creation as a whole was formed after the image of their invisible Pleroma, and what they believe regarding the Demiurge, sharing at the same time the doctrine of Simon Magus of Samaria, their progenitor, and all those who followed him. I mentioned, too, the multitude of those Gnostics who have sprung from him, and noted the differences between them, their various doctrines, and the order of their succession, while I set forth all the heresies they started. I showe

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...ngs introduced by some of the heterodox, that there is no need to pray. I mean the followers of the heresy of Prodicus. So that they may not be puffed up with pride over this godless wisdom of theirs, as if it were something new, let them learn that it had already been accepted earlier by the philosophers called Cyrenaics. Nevertheless, the unholy knowledge, or gnosis, of those falsely called Gnostics will be refuted at the proper time. I do not want to bring that attack into this commentary, since it would not be brief, and if I inserted it here, it would interrupt the present discussion. In this discussion, we are showing that the only truly holy and pious person is the one who is truly a Gnostic according to the rule of the Church. To that person alone, the request made in agreement with the will of God is granted, both when he asks and when he thinks. For just as God can do all that He wishes, so the Gnostic receives all that he asks. For in general, God knows who is worthy of good things and who is not. From this, He gives to each person what is fitting. Therefore, to those who are unworthy, even if they ask often, He will not give. But He will give to those who are worthy.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...an neither be seen nor heard,” and so on, “each one in its own name.” If these people too, like the Valentinians, had proposed spiritual communions, perhaps someone might have accepted their opinion. But to bring a communion of fleshly lust into holy prophecy belongs to one who has despaired of salvation. The followers of Prodicus also teach such things. They falsely call themselves Gnostics. They say that by nature they themselves are sons of the first God. But abusing that nobility and freedom, they live as they please, and what they please is a lustful life. They think they are bound by nothing, as lords of the Sabbath, and as superior in every way, royal sons. “For a king,” they say, “has no written law.” First, they do not do everything they want. For many things hinder them, even if they desire and attempt them. And what they do, they do not do as kings, but as whipped slaves. For they secretly commit adulteries, fearing they will be caught, avoiding condemnation, and dreading punishment. And how can self-indulgence and shameful speech be freedom? For “everyone who sins is a slave,” says the Apostle, Romans 6:16. And how does anyone establish vice from God, when he has mad

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness

...e works of their own hands and partake in sinful and impious rites.) Some are called Marcians, some Valentinians, some Basilidians, some Saturnilians, and others by different names; each named after the founder of their belief, just as each philosopher, as I mentioned before, takes the name of the philosophy they follow, from the name of the founder of that particular doctrine. Consequently, because of these events, we know that Jesus foresaw what would happen after Him, as well as due to many other events which He predicted would affect those who believed in and confessed Him, the Christ. For all that we suffer, even when killed by friends, He foretold would happen; so it is clear that no word or action of His can be criticized. Therefore, we pray for you and all others who hate us, so that you, repenting with us, may not blaspheme Him who, by His works, by the mighty deeds still performed through His name, by the words He taught, by the prophecies made about Him, is the blameless and in all things faultless, Christ Jesus; but, believing in Him, may be saved in His second glorious coming, and not be condemned to fire by Him.”

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

Of the heresies, some receive their appellation from a [person's] name, as that which is called after Valentinus, and that after Marcion, and that after Basilides, although they boast of adducing the opinion of Matthew [without truth];

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

Belief in Antinous, then, or in any other such person, whether among the Egyptians or the Greeks, is, so to speak, unfortunate. But belief in Jesus would seem to be either fortunate, or the result of thorough investigation. To the multitude, it has the appearance of the former; to exceedingly few, of the latter. And when I speak of a certain belief as, in the judgment of the multitude, unfortunate, I in such a case refer the cause to God, who knows the reasons for the different fates allotted to each person who enters human life. The Greeks, moreover, will admit that even among those considered to be most richly endowed with wisdom, good fortune has had much to do with it. This is seen in the choice of one kind of teacher rather than another, in meeting a better class of instructors, since there were teachers who taught the most opposite doctrines, and in being brought up in better circumstances. For many were brought up in surroundings of such a kind that they were prevented from ever receiving any idea of better things. Instead, from their earliest youth, they passed their life either as the favorites of licentious men or of tyrants, or in some other wretched condition that kept