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to be beneficial, who would place blame among those who benefit, but if then he will become like the serpent? For you resemble this one, O Marcion; for that one also, by twisting the things said by God, persuaded Eve, saying, "You will not surely die." For he bound the law to circumcision and showed circumcision to be fitting for the law, and he indicated that the command belongs to the same God who once gave circumcision and who gave the law for assistance, from which Christ, being believed in, provides for believers to speak and to do perfect things. ˉγ 20and20 ˉλ 20commentary20. "Having the form of knowledge and of truth in the law." ˉγ 20and20 ˉλ 20refutation20. If knowledge has a form, and from the form the species is seen, and the apostles who have knowledge and truth and their disciples know that from the form 2.177 of the law they possess the species, that is, knowledge and truth, then the law is not foreign to knowledge and truth. For through the form in it, the heralds of the truth have come to know knowledge and truth. ˉδ 20and20 ˉλˉα 20commentary20. "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." ˉδ 20and20 ˉλˉα 20refutation20. The "still" and the "died" are indicative not of appearance but of truth. For if it were an appearance, what need was there for "still" to be said, since Christ was able to appear by appearance always, both then and now, and not to say "while we were still weak"? For from the "still" he assigned the dying then * and justified by death, so that the one who died once for sinners and no longer dies for himself might no longer have need to die. ˉε 20and20 ˉλˉβ 20commentary20. "So then the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good." ˉε 20and20 ˉλˉβ 20refutation20. He agrees with the law that it is holy and with the commandment that was in it, securing it with three testimonies, calling it holy and righteous and good, in order to refute you, Marcion, and to teach us that the law belongs to the Holy One, whose commandment is also holy, and that He himself is holy and good. Therefore being the commandment of the Good One it is called good, and being of the Holy One it is holy, and being of the Righteous One it is called a righteous commandment, since there is one who is then and now *, the one who is holy and righteous and good. Therefore his commandment from then and now, in the law and in the new covenant, is holy and righteous and good. ˉ 20and20 ˉλˉγ 20commentary20. "So that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us." ˉ 20and20 ˉλˉγ 20refutation20. If the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in the apostles and in us, how do you, O Marcion, dare to say that the law is foreign to the apostles of God who are justified according to the fulfillment of the law? 2.178 ˉζ 20and20 ˉλˉδ 20commentary20. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." ˉζ 20and20 ˉλˉδ 20refutation20. If Christ has come for righteousness to everyone who believes, since the law is not perfected unless Christ perfects it by his presence, then you will not be perfected, O Jews, remaining in the law, unless you believe and receive Christ who has come among you. But neither will you, Marcion, be able to be saved in Christ, rejecting the beginning of the preaching and the root, which is the law, from which Christ being known perfects the one who does not abhor the law as being foreign to Christ. ˉη 20and20 ˉλˉε 20commentary20. "For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law." ˉη 20and20 ˉλˉε 20refutation20. If the law is fulfilled by loving one’s neighbor, the law which commands to love one’s neighbor is not foreign to Christ and God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and God; because God is love, and all things proclaimed by him are proclaimed alike always, both then and now, and in the old and new covenant. From the First to the Thessalonians, the fifth epistle—for so it is placed in Marcion, but being the eighth according to the apostle—the

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ὠφελήσειν, τίς ἐν τοῖς ὠφελοῦσι μῶμον θήσειεν, ἀλλὰ εἰ ἄρα ὅμοιος τῷ ὄφει γενήσεται; ἔοικας γὰρ τούτῳ, ὦ Μαρκίων· κἀκεῖνος γὰρ ἀντιστρέφων τὰ παρὰ θεοῦ εἰρημένα παρέπειθε τὴν Εὔαν λέγων «οὐ θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε». νόμον γὰρ τῇ περιτομῇ συνέδησε καὶ τὴν περιτομὴν τῷ νόμῳ συμπρέπουσαν ἀπέδειξε καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ θεοῦ τὸ πρόσταγμα ὑπάρχειν ὑπέφηνεν τοῦ τὴν περιτομήν ποτε δεδωκότος καὶ νόμον εἰς βοήθειαν δεδωκότος, ἀφ' οὗπερ Χριστὸς πιστευόμενος τὰ τέλεια τοῖς πιστεύουσι λαλεῖν τε καὶ ποιεῖν παρέχεται. ˉγ 20καὶ20 ˉλ 20σχόλιον20. «Ἔχοντα τὴν μόρφωσιν τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐν τῷ νόμῳ». ˉγ 20καὶ20 ˉλ 20ἔλεγχος20. Εἰ ἡ γνῶσις μόρφωσιν ἔχει, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς μορφώσεως τὸ εἶδος φαίνεται, οἱ δὲ τὴν γνῶσιν καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔχοντες ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ τούτων μαθηταὶ οἴδασιν ἀπὸ τῆς μορφώ2.177 σεως τοῦ νόμου τὸ εἶδος κεκτῆσθαι, τουτέστιν τὴν γνῶσιν καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, οὐκ ἄρα ἀλλότριος ὁ νόμος τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας. διὰ γὰρ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ μορφώσεως ἐπέγνωσαν οἱ κήρυκες τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν γνῶσιν καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ˉδ 20καὶ20 ˉλˉα 20σχόλιον20. «Ἔτι γὰρ Χριστὸς ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν ἔτι κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀπέθανεν». ˉδ 20καὶ20 ˉλˉα 20ἔλεγχος20. Τό «ἔτι» καὶ τό «ἀπέθανεν» οὐ δοκήσεως ἀλλὰ ἀληθείας ἐστὶ σημαντικόν. εἰ γὰρ δόκησις ἦν, τίς χρεία τοῦ «ἔτι» λέγεσθαι, δυναμένου τοῦ Χριστοῦ πάντοτε καὶ τότε καὶ νῦν δοκήσει φαίνεσθαι καὶ μὴ λέγεσθαι «ἔτι ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν»; ἀπὸ τοῦ γὰρ «ἔτι» τὸ τότε θανεῖν * ἀπέδωκε καὶ ἐδικαίωσε τῷ θανάτῳ, ἵνα μηκέτι χρείαν ἔχῃ θανεῖν ὁ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἅπαξ ἀποθανὼν καὶ δι' ἑαυτὸν μηκέτι ἀποθνῄσκων. ˉε 20καὶ20 ˉλˉβ 20σχόλιον20. «Ὥστε ὁ μὲν νόμος ἅγιος καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ ἁγία καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή». ˉε 20καὶ20 ˉλˉβ 20ἔλεγχος20. Συντίθεται τῷ νόμῳ τῷ ἅγιον αὐτὸν εἶναι καὶ τῇ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐντολῇ γενομένῃ, τρισὶ μαρτυρίαις ἀσφαλισάμενος ταύτην, ἁγίαν αὐτὴν λέγων καὶ δικαίαν καὶ ἀγαθήν, ἵνα ἐλέγξῃ σέ, Μαρκίων, καὶ ἡμᾶς διδάξῃ τοῦ ἁγίου εἶναι τὸν νόμον, οὗ καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ ἁγία, καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ἅγιον εἶναι καὶ ἀγαθόν. διὸ ἀγαθοῦ οὖσα ἐντολὴ ἀγαθὴ καλεῖται καὶ ἁγίου οὖσα ἁγία ἐστὶν καὶ δικαίου ὑπάρχουσα δικαία ἐντολὴ καλεῖται, ἑνὸς ὄντος τοῦ τότε καὶ νῦν *, τοῦ ὄντος ἁγίου καὶ δικαίου καὶ ἀγαθοῦ. διὸ καὶ ἡ αὐτοῦ ἐντολὴ ἡ ἀπὸ τότε καὶ νῦν ἐν νόμῳ καὶ ἐν καινῇ διαθήκῃ ἁγία ὑπάρχει καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή. ˉ 20καὶ20 ˉλˉγ 20σχόλιον20. «Ἵνα τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου πληρωθῇ ἐν ἡμῖν». ˉ 20καὶ20 ˉλˉγ 20ἔλεγχος20. Εἰ ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου πληροῦται, πῶς σύ, ὦ Μαρκίων, τολμᾷς λέγειν τὸν νόμον ἀλλότριον τῶν κατὰ τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ νόμου δικαιουμένων ἀποστόλων τοῦ θεοῦ; 2.178 ˉζ 20καὶ20 ˉλˉδ 20σχόλιον20. «Τέλος γὰρ νόμου Χριστὸς εἰς δικαιοσύνην παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι». ˉζ 20καὶ20 ˉλˉδ 20ἔλεγχος20. Εἰ εἰς δικαιοσύνην Χριστὸς ἐλήλυθεν παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι, οὐ τοῦ νόμου τελειουμένου, εἰ μὴ Χριστὸς τελειώσῃ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ παρουσίᾳ, οὐκ ἄρα τελειωθήσεσθε, ὦ Ἰουδαῖοι, ἐν νόμῳ μένοντες, ἐὰν μὴ Χριστὸν ἐνδημήσαντα πιστεύσαντες ὑποδέξησθε. ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ σύ, Μαρκίων, δυνήσῃ σωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ, τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ κηρύγματος καὶ τὴν ῥίζαν ἀποβαλλόμενος, ὅπερ ἐστὶ νόμος, ἀφ' οὗπερ Χριστὸς γινωσκόμενος τελειοῖ τὸν μὴ τὸν νόμον βδελυσσόμενον ὡς ἀλλότριον Χριστοῦ ὑπάρχοντα. ˉη 20καὶ20 ˉλˉε 20σχόλιον20. «Ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν τὸν πλησίον νόμον πεπλήρωκεν». ˉη 20καὶ20 ˉλˉε 20ἔλεγχος20. Εἰ διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπᾶν τὸν πλησίον νόμος πληροῦται, οὐκ ἀλλότριος Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ ὁ νόμος, ὁ κελεύων ἀγαπᾶν τὸν πλησίον· διότι ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστὶν καὶ πάντα τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κηρυττόμενα ὁμοίως ἀεὶ κηρύττεται, καὶ τότε καὶ νῦν, καὶ ἐν παλαιᾷ καὶ καινῇ διαθήκῃ. Τῆς πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς ˉα, πέμπτης ἐπιστολῆς οὕτω γὰρ κεῖται ἐν τῷ Μαρκίωνι, ὀγδόης δὲ οὔσης παρὰ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ, τὰ