The Father of All Heresies?

The early church fathers had it in for Simon Magus. In Acts, Simon declares himself to be “something great” but responds humbly after he is rebuked and cursed by Peter (Acts 8:9, 24). One generation later, the early church writers were accusing him of being the father of all Christian heresies.

Justin Martyr (c. 150), one of the first great defenders of the faith, claimed that Simon had declared himself to be God. Justin reported that the Samaritans called Simon “god above all gods” and that he had seen a statue the Romans erected to Simon Magus in Rome. (Curiously, a statue was discovered in Rome, in about 1575, which was inscribed SEMONI SANCO DEO. The inscription is actually to an Etruscan god, Sanco Deo. Justin may have seen this statue and misread the inscription as SIMONI DEO SANCTO, “to the sacred god, Simon.”) Further, Simon had rescued a prostitute named Helen (or Helena), and she was now not only his companion, but the Magus claimed she was the “first thought” that he, the god above gods, had generated. And he was a teacher of Menander and Marcion (two early, well-known Christian heretics).¹