Friday, December 28, 2012

Roger Pearse Publishes English Translation of Hymns 23 and 24 of Ephrem's Hymns Against the Heresies

The link is here.  Roger should be congratulated once again for spending this time and money to arrange for this translation.  What is so fascinating for me at least is the manner in which Ephrem preserves the idea that 'Marcion' was only a name given to the sect by outsiders.  The Marcionites clearly did not call themselves 'Marcionites.'  I quote:

Marcion, who first blasphemed,
Was unable to flee from his name,
The name that went out from his schism,
The appellation from his division.
Even a thief does not want People to call him according to his work,
But obligatorily he is named “Thief” according to his work.
Deeds give us names!

This strengthens the argument that 'Marcion' and 'Marcionite' were orthodox constructs.  The Marcionites called themselves 'Christians' or 'followers of Chrestos.'  


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