Cerinthus was a false teacher who lived around AD 100. The apostle John opposed his teachings.
What Did Cerinthus Believe?
Cerinthus was probably born in Egypt and raised as a Jew. Later, he became the leader of a group with Gnostic beliefs. Gnostics believed that special knowledge could save people. Cerinthus taught that:
God did not create the world. Instead, a lesser spirit (called the “Demiurge”) or group of angels did.
One of these angels gave the law to the Jews.
“The Christ” (a divine power) came down on Jesus at his baptism.
This “Christ” showed people the true God, who was far above all other beings.
John Opposes Cerinthus
A well-known Christian named Irenaeus (who lived around 260–340 AD) told a story about Cerinthus. He said that a student of the apostle John, named Polycarp, shared this story with him.
According to the story, John once went to a public bathhouse in the city of Ephesus. But when John heard that Cerinthus was inside, he ran out. He said, “The building will collapse because the enemy of truth is inside!”
Some people believe that parts of John’s writings in the Bible were written to correct false teachings like those of Cerinthus (see John 1:1–3, 14; 1 John 4:1–3).