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Montanus converted to Christianity around 160AD in the
area of Phrygia (Turkey). At his baptism Montanus spoke out in tongues apparently declaring that “the age of the spirit had come, and that the end of the world was near”. Initially the influence and message of Montanism, also known as the Cataphrygian Heresy in Asia Minor (named after Montanus’s region of Phrygia) demanded a high standard of morality, discipline and separation from the world, which attracted a considerable following. For example, he supported and openly encouraged fasting, celibacy and martyrdom. However, it wasn’t long before Montanus was claiming that he and his two prophetesses, Prisca and Maximilla (who had left their husbands) were the last prophets bringing the final revelation to the world.  According to Montanus, the Old Testament period had
passed and the Christian era of centering in Jesus had ended. He
also denied any decisive revelation of God had occurred in Jesus
Christ, thereby displacing Jesus as the central focus. The
testimony of Jesus, therefore, was removed from the spirit of
their prophecy (Rev 19:10)In his place was a greater emphasis on “the new revelation of the Spirit”. This was received during his and his prophetesses, many trances and utterances whereupon their personality was said to have been “suspended while the Paraclete spoke through them”. One of Montanist’s doctrines included the belief that “redemption was not attainable for those fallen from grace”. Specifically, those who had denied the Lord under the threat of execution. Montanus however was not alone in this belief. It was also supported by many apologists and writers of the day like Turtullian. Where Marcion attempted to remove scripture, Montanus attempted to add to the apostolic letters with extra-biblical revelations. He claimed that the development of the Canon of the New Testament should never be closed. Opposition to this, he said, was ‘sinning against the Holy Spirit’ which eventually became a divisive point of theological contention and caused many churches to split. As a result, the divisive threat of Montanism disclosed the Church more than any other religious movement. It caused it to articulate its orthodoxy, and further establish its canon as its determining judgment concerning heresies. Eventually, somewhere between 170 and 190, the Latin Muritorian Canon, a list of New Testament epistles, was established (believed to have been translated from early Greek text). Around 177AD, Church leaders, in dividing the word of truth correctly, used its two edged sword and excommunicated the Montanist movement as “anti-institutional, schismatic, and heretical”. The Church by 190AD had accepted the New Testament alongside the Old Testament as the authoritative Word of God. Interestingly, it was during this period that the Church also began to establish a more formal structure of its episcopacy.  The most famous convert to Montanism was Tertullian
(picture) who wrote most of his thesis during the time of his
allegiance. Subsequently Montanism flourished in the West,
principally in Carthage under his leadership during the early
3rd century. Montanism had almost died out in the 5th and 6th centuries, although some evidence indicates that it survived into the 9th century. Today there remains no record of any of his writings, except historical references via Eusebius, and the writings of Tertullian and Epiphanius. Montanus’s error can be observed today in cults that emphasize “spiritual revelations” but deny both the authority of Gods word, and the Lordship and centrality of Jesus Christ. To a lessor degree, its vivification is observed in Church movements that hold to extra-biblical revelations, visions and false promises etc. by using convenient texts out of context to substantiate their authority, just as Montanus did 1800 years ago. |