Traduction Masquer
The Refutation of All Heresies

Chapter XXVI.--The Doctrines of Apelles; Philumene, His Prophetess.

But Apelles, ¹ sprung from these, thus expresses himself, (saying) that there is a certain good Deity, as also Marcion supposed, and that he who created all things is just. Now he, (according to Apelles,) was the Demiurge of generated entities. And (this heretic also maintains) that there is a third (Deity), the one who was in the habit of speaking to Moses, and that this (god) was of a fiery nature, and that there was another fourth god, a cause of evils. But these he denominates angels. He utters, however, slanders against law and prophets, by alleging that the things that have been written are (of) human (origin), and are false. And (Apelles) selects from the Gospels or (from the writings of) the Apostle (Paul) whatever pleases himself. But he devotes himself to the discourses of a certain Philumene as to the revelations ² of a prophetess. He affirms, however, that Christ descended from the power above; that is, from the good (Deity), and that he is the son of that good (Deity). And (he asserts that Jesus) was not born of a virgin, and that when he did appear he was not devoid of flesh. (He maintains,) however, that (Christ) formed his body by taking portions of it from the substance of the universe: that is, hot and cold, and moist and dry. And (he says that Christ), on receiving in this body cosmical powers, lived for the time he did in (this) world. But (he held that Jesus) was subsequently crucified by the Jews, and expired, and that, being raised up after three days, he appeared to his disciples. And (the Saviour) showed them, (so Apelles taught,) the prints of the nails and (the wound) in his side, desirous of persuading them that he was in truth no phantom, but was present in the flesh. After, says (Apelles), he had shown them his flesh, (the Saviour) restored it to earth, from which substance it was (derived. And this he did because) he coveted nothing that belonged to another. (Though indeed Jesus) might use for the time being (what belonged to another), he yet in due course rendered to each (of the elements) what peculiarly belonged to them. And so it was, that after he had once more loosed the chains of his body, he gave back heat to what is hot, cold to what is cold, moisture to what is moist, (and) dryness to what is dry. And in this condition (our Lord) departed to the good Father, leaving the seed of life in the world for those who through his disciples should believe in him.

It appears to us that these (tenets) have been sufficiently explained. Since, however, we have determined to leave unrefuted not one of those opinions that have been advanced by any (of the heretics), let us see what (system) also has been invented by the Docetae.

Traduction Masquer
Widerlegung aller Häresien (BKV)

38.

Apelles, der sich an diese anlehnt, lehrt folgendes: Es gibt einen guten Gott, den auch Markion S. 223 annahm; der aber, der alles erschaffen, der alles Entstandene gemacht hat, ist gerecht; es gibt noch einen dritten, den nämlich, der mit Moses gesprochen hat, und dieser ist aus Feuer; es gibt aber auch einen vierten, den Urheber des Bösen; er nennt diese Götter Engel. Er schmäht das Gesetz und die Propheten und behauptet, die Schrift sei Menschenwerk und Trug; aus dem Evangelium und dem Apostel nimmt er, was ihm gefällt. Er hält sich an die Aussprüche einer gewissen Philumene wie an die Offenbarungen einer Prophetin. Der Christus sei von der Kraft von oben, d. i. von dem Guten herabgekommen, und er sei dessen Sohn; er sei nicht aus der Jungfrau geboren worden, und doch sei er bei seinem Erscheinen nicht körperlos gewesen; vielmehr habe er sich Teile aus dem Stoff des Alls genommen und einen Leib gebildet, d. h. aus Heißem, Kaltem, Flüssigem und Festem, und in diesem Leibe hätten die kosmischen Kräfte gewohnt, so lange er auf der Welt lebte; von den Juden gekreuzigt, sei er gestorben und, nach drei Tagen auferweckt, den Jüngern erschienen; er habe die Male der Nägel und seiner Seite gezeigt und sie davon überzeugt, daß er es selbst sei und kein Gespenst, daß er es sei mit Fleisch und Blut¹. Nachdem er seinen Leib habe sehen lassen, gab er ihn der Erde zurück, von der er stammte; er nahm nichts Fremdes an sich, sondern alles, was er zeitweise benützte, gab er, als er das Band des Körpers löste, dem Seinigen zurück, dem Warmen das Warme, dem Kalten das Kalte, dem Flüssigen das Flüssige, dem Festen das Feste; dann ging er zum guten Vater, indem er den Samen des Lebens auf der Welt durch seine Jünger den Gläubigen zurückließ.

Es dürfte dies nun genugsam auseinandergesetzt sein. Wir wollen keinerlei Lehrmeinungen übergehen; wollen wir uns also die Erfindung der Doketen ansehen.