Marcionite priority and the Irenaean myth of apostolic Christianity: rough draft of a hypothesis

ABSTRACT: One of the most exciting ideas being discussed in recent New Testament scholarship is the idea that Marcion’s anonymous gospel, which he called the Evangelion, may be prior to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But what could this idea mean for other aspects of Christian theology? In this video, I try to leverage the idea of Marcionite priority in defense of the hypothesis that the Irenaean story of apostolic Christianity—four apostolic gospels and bishops as the apostles’ successors—is a myth.

Dr. Steven Nemes has a BA in Philosophy from Arizona State University with a minor in Religious Studies (2013), and an MDiv and PhD in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary (2016, 2021). The author of a number of articles, chapters, and books on diverse subjects in theology and philosophy, he teaches Latin at North Phoenix Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, Arizona.