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The Cainites are presumed adherents of a Christian gnostic sect named by several of the church fathers. They are associated with “Ophians” or → “Ophites” by Clement of Alexandria ( Stromateis, VIII, 17), Hippolytus ( Refutatio, VIII, 20), and Origen ( Contra Celsum, III, 13), but these authors provide no discussion of the sect's teachings. Tertullian ( De baptismo, 1) refers to a female ‘viper of the Cainite heresy’ trying to subvert Christian baptism. The author of Pseudo-Tertullian's treatise, Adversus omnes haereses, a 3rd-century document possibly based on a lost work by…

The Ophites, also called “Ophians”, are a group of Gnostic Christians [→ Gnosticism] discussed by several of the church fathers, so named because they honored the “snake” or “serpent” (Greek ophis) as a revealer of saving gnosis. Another group of Gnostics has a similar basis for their name, → “Naassenes”, based on the Hebrew word nahash (“snake, serpent”). “Ophians” are associated with other heretics called “Cainites” by → Clement of Alexandria ( Stromateis VIII, 17) and Hippolytus ( Refutatio VIII, 20), but those writers provide no discussion of the sect's teachings. The…

A group of deviant Christians denounced in the Book of Revelation in the “letters” to seven churches of Asia Minor written by John the Seer in the name of Jesus Christ (Rev. 2-3). The church at Ephesus is praised for hating the ‘works of the Nicolaitans’ (2:6). The church at Pergamum is reproved for tolerating the Nicolaitans in its midst, who promote eating food sacrificed to idols (eidolothuta) and fornication (2, 14-15). The church at Thyatira is reproved for tolerating a prophetess called Jezebel, who is said to promote fornication and eating food sacrifice…

[German Version] I. Comparative Religion – II. Biblical – III. Church History I. Comparative Religion The terminology and conception of banishment develop primarily in the context of legal language. Commandments and prohibitions require sanctioning, must become authoritative, and are thus connected with magical incantations (Magi). In popular culture, the verbs “to ban” and “to arrest” …