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Widerlegung aller Häresien (BKV)

35.

Ein gewisser Theodotos aus Byzanz führte eine neue Häresie ein; über den Ursprung des Alls lehrte er teilweise in Übereinstimmung mit der wahren Kirche, daß alles von Gott geschaffen sei; von Christus aber behauptet er, unter Entlehnung aus der Schule der Gnostiker, des Kerinthos und der Ebionäer, er sei auf folgende Art erschienen: Jesus sei ein Mensch, aus der Jungfrau geboren nach dem Ratschluß des Vaters; er habe wie die übrigen Menschen gelebt und sei überaus gottesfürchtig gewesen; später bei der Taufe im Jordan sei Christus über ihn in Gestalt einer Taube S. 222 herabgekommen¹; daher seien in ihm nicht eher die Kräfte tätig gewesen, als bis sich der Geist von oben in ihm zeigte; dieser Geist soll der Christus sein. Die Theodotianer² lassen ihn bei der Herabkunft des Geistes Gott geworden sein, andere nach seiner Auferstehung von den Toten.

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The Refutation of All Heresies

Chapter XXIII.--The Heresy of Theodotus.

But there was a certain Theodotus, ¹ 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.