All Gnostic writings depict Christ as purely divine, his human body being a mere illusion ( see Docetism ).
12.
This interpretation, however, was not one that existed in the early church, which viewed such interpretations as docetism.
13.
The work's apparent intent is to uphold orthodox Christian doctrine, refuting Gnosticism-in particular the teachings of Cerinthus-and docetism.
14.
Some see this as a direct attack by the author of John on docetism, and the gnosticism that used the synoptic accounts to advocate it.
15.
The Christian heresy of docetism held that Jesus was not a human but was, instead, a divine spirit in the guise of a human.
16.
On the other end of the spectrum, Docetism argued that Jesus'physical body was an illusion, and that he was only a spiritual being.
17.
Docetism was unequivocally rejected at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and is regarded as heretical by the Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, and Coptic Church.
18.
For example, Docetism held that Jesus'humanity was merely an illusion, thus denying the incarnation; whereas Arianism held that Jesus was not eternally divine.
19.
In the period immediately following the Apostolic Age, specific beliefs such as Arianism and Docetism ( polar opposites of each other ) were criticized and eventually abandoned.
20.
Docetism is not believed to have been a current debate at the time Matthew was written, and France believes that this verse is not written in a manner to counter that belief.
