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Episode 6 – Marcion – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina
Mike Aquilina and Kris McGregor discuss the second-century figure Marcian, a wealthy shipbuilder who tried to use his fortune to reshape Christianity according to his own ideas. Marcian believed that the God of the Old Testament and the God revealed in Christ were entirely different, and he rejected the Old Testament as the work of a hostile deity. To support this view, he cut large parts of the Gospel of Luke and edited the letters of Paul, removing passages that connected Christ and the apostles to Israel’s scriptures. When the Church rejected these teachings and returned his donation, Marcian created a parallel movement that imitated Catholic worship and structure, driven by his resources rather than fidelity to apostolic teaching. His movement spread widely and endured for centuries, creating long-lasting damage that even he could not undo near the end of his life.
Marcian’s story is a warning: Material success, autonomy, or influence do not guarantee spiritual maturity, and unchecked ideas—even those that begin small—can warp doctrine and inspire destructive traditions. Leaders and communities may delay correction because of wealth, social standing, or good intentions, which can allow harmful errors to grow. Marcian is not presented as a monster but as a person who lost his way, reminding us that spiritual conflict persists through history, and that vigilance, prayer, and true stewardship are needed to avoid repeating such mistakes.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
- How do I respond when I encounter ideas or teachings that conflict with what the Church has handed down through Scripture and Tradition?
- In what ways might comfort, wealth, or self-reliance quietly distort my commitment to the Gospel?
- Do I treat the entirety of Scripture—including the Old Testament—as part of God’s plan of salvation, or do I selectively accept only what feels agreeable?
- How can I cultivate humility so that I remain open to correction, even when I feel confident in my opinions?
- What steps am I taking to grow in knowledge of the faith so I can pass it on faithfully to my family and community?
- When I see others struggling with error or confusion, do I offer loving correction, or do I remain silent to avoid discomfort?
- How do I steward the resources God has given me—time, talent, and treasure—without allowing them to become tools of personal control or influence?
An excerpt from Villains of the Early Church
“Marcion was a rich businessman who thought he had figured out the real meaning of the Gospel. He used the power of money to found a kind of parallel church, and he was very successful for a while—which tells you a little about the state of Christianity at the time, and a lot about what you could do with money in the Roman Empire in those days.”
Aquilina, Mike. Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians. Emmaus Road Publishing. Kindle Edition.
You can find the book on which this series is based here.
For more episodes in the Villians of the Early Church podcast visit here – Villains of the Early Church – Discerning Hearts Podcast
Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics, the study of the early Church Fathers.[1] He is the executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a Roman Catholic research center based in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Fathers of the Church (2006); The Mass of the Early Christians (2007); Living the Mysteries (2003); and What Catholics Believe(1999). He has hosted eleven television series on the Eternal Word Television Network and is a frequent guest commentator on Catholic radio.
