Books Quote by Bart D. Ehrman
““The author of “The Little Labyrinth” indicates that the Theodotians maintained that their view—that Jesus was completely human, and not divine, but that he was adopted to be the Son of God—had been the doctrine taught by the apostles themselves and by most of the church in Rome until the time of Bishop Victor, at the end of the second century.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Theodotus of Byzantium: The Early Church and the Development of Doctrine, 2020
The passage explains that early Christians, following the Theodotians, taught that Jesus was fully human and adopted as God's Son, a view that persisted in Rome until the late second century.
In simple terms: Early Christians once saw Jesus as fully human and adopted as divine.
Key Takeaway
Recognize historical doctrinal shifts.
Themes
theology
history
doctrine
early church
Christology
Mood
scholarly
informative
Type
academic
historical
When to use this quote
- Seminary studies
- historical theology research
- faith education
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
Adoptionism
Christological debates
early church politics
Questions to Reflect On
- How did adoptionism influence later theology?
- What caused the shift to divine Christology?
A Different Perspective
Modern doctrines differ from early beliefs.
