The sentiments of Philo Judeus

¹ Christ had no connection original: "communication" with the Virgin, his supposed original: "reputed" mother, and never took on a human body. Cerdo, who lived in the same era, held a similar opinion: that ² Christ never appeared in the flesh, nor was he the son of the Virgin, and that he showed himself only as a mental image original: "ideal appearance" without anything ³ real.

Tertullian accordingly says that through the subtlety of their investigations original: "disquisitions", they created such arguments about the body of Christ that they made it either non-existent or anything but a ⁴ human body. To prevent original: "obviate" these strange...

¹ — "That he was not born of Mary... and that he did not take on her flesh" original: Μη ειναι αυτον απο Μαριας γεγεννημενον, --- σαρκα δε αυτου, μη ειληφεναι. Epiphanius, Book 1, p. 91.

² — "That Christ was not born of Mary, nor did he appear in the flesh, but existed only in appearance, and appeared only in appearance" original: Μη ειναι δε τον Χρισον γεγεννημενον εκ Μαριας, μηδε εν σαρκι πεφηνεναι, αλλα δοκησει οντα, και δοκησει πεφηνοτα. Ibid p. 300. "For according to them, the Word did not become flesh" original: Ουδε γαρ ὁ Λογος κατ’ αυτυς σαρξ γεγονε. Irenaeus, Book 1, Chapter 1, p. 42.

³ Christ is an apparition original: φαντασμα (phantasma). Marcion, quoted in Tertullian, Book 3, p. 401, p. 460. "The Word was not made flesh" original: Non verbum caro factum est. Irenaeus, Book 1, Chapter 1, p. 42.

⁴ "They tear apart the flesh of Christ with their questions, as if it were either nothing at all, or in any case something other than human" original: Christi carnem quæstionibus distrahunt, tanquam aut nullam omnino, aut quoquo modo aliam præter humanam. p. 307.