I am currently reading and studying “A History of the Baptists” by John Christian. I thought that you might like to read along with me on the things that I want to remember and write down.

This particular set of notes come from Christian’s book. It discusses one of the first doctrinal errors that entered the church. Probably the first was “infant baptism!” Baptism is of extreme importance and so the Devil has worked at getting people to believe what the Bible doesn’t say. But for this post I want you to consider the Montanist!

Montanus rose up in about 156 AD as the leader. His most distinguished advocate was Tertullian.

They held to a very strict lifestyle viewing science, art, worldly education and a fun lifestyle as something to be avoided because they belonged to paganism.

The early (old) church had demanded purity so what they wanted was nothing new.

They stated that anyone who had lapsed from the true faith had to be baptized again.

They rejected infant baptism believing that only adults should be immersed.

They rejected church hierarchy and the idea that the bishop had spiritual powers over others.

The Montanists appealed to the strict disciplinarians, stern moralist, and deeply pious Christians

Here is some more information from this web site:

Prophecy was, indeed, the most prominent feature of the new movement. Ecstatic visions, announcing the approach of the second advent of Christ, and the establishment of the heavenly Jerusalem at Pepuza in Phrygia, and inculcating the severest asceticism and the most rigorous penitential discipline, were set forth as divine revelations, of which the prophet was only the bearer, and proclaimed as the direct continuation and final consummation of the prophetical gift of the apostolic age