Valentinus: Docetic Heretic Who Endorsed Eternal Security Without Works

Valentinus lived from 100-160 AD. (See "Valentinus," Wikipedia.) He claimed that after a virgin birth the "Savior" entered Jesus at the baptism, but otherwise Jesus, as a pre-existing Deity, had no true contact with the flesh. Valentinus was imbued with Pauline soteriology at this time, as will be evident in the quote below.

Here is a summary of these facts in a work of 1709 by a Protestant editor to The Commonitory of Vincentius Lirinensis Concerning the Rule of Faith In Opposition to All Heretical Innovations from 434 AD.

[Page 277] The Heretick Valentinus lived in the Days of Polycarp came to Rome in the Pontificat of Hyginus flourished in the Reign of Antoninus Pius and continued to the time of Anicetus. See Euseb. Hist. Eccles L. 4, C. 11. As to his Doctrines beside his unintelligible Jargon about the monstrous Generation of his Æons he maintained that Christ took not upon him our Flesh but brought with him a certain spiritual Body from Heaven and passed through the Virgin as Water through a Pipe without the least Participation of her Substance and that the Soter or Saviour flew down upon him at his Baptism in the Shape of a Dove. See Tertul de Praescr. Chapter 49 and Adv Valent chapter 27. He maintained likewise that the World was made by the Offspring of the Devil and therefore made all the Wickedness in it owing to the Maker of the World [Page 278] and not to the Will of Man. He denied the Resurrection of the Flesh and affirmed the Soul and Spirit [are] only to be saved by Christ. See August. Heresies I I. The Valentinens, says Irenaus, all themscives the Spiritual, and the Orthodox Pyhsicos, the animal Men that these Animals know not the Truth and for that reason must be beholden to Faith and good Works for their Salvation but for themselves they stand in need of no such Things because they are naturally Spiritual and cannot lose their Spirituaiity and therefore tho Sin may damn the Churchmen yet it can hot hurt the Saints. See Irenaeus Adv Valent.

(The Apologies of Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Minutius Felix in Defense of the Christian Religion (W.B. for A. and J. Churchill, 1709) Vol. 2 at 276-277.)

Hence, one can see Valentinus claimed Jesus has no human flesh due to a virgin birth. Jesus is supposedly all Spirit and no true human flesh. (John said those who teach this have the spirit of Anti-Christ.) Valentinus teaches we too must be men of spirit, and eschew any idea faith and works are necessary for salvation. Valentinus says the animal men -- the ignorant - hold on to faith and works for salvation, but those who are spiritual realize SIN will not damn the true followers of Jesus. Valentinus thus claimed only the ignorant think sin separates them from God. Where have I heard that before? Oh yes, implicit in eternal security teachers.