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e was reached the Demiurgus or Jehovah of the Old Testament； who created the world and appeared； clothed in material form； to the patriarchs。 According to some of the Gnostics this lowest aeon or emanation was identical with the Jewish Satan； or the Ahriman of the Persians； who is called 〃the prince of this world；〃 and the creation of the world was an essentially evil act。 But all did not share in these extreme opinions。 In the prevailing； theory； this last of the divine emanations was identified with the 〃Sophia；〃 or personified 〃Wisdom；〃 of the Book of Proverbs （viii。 22…30）； who is described as present with God before the foundation of the world。 The totality of these aeons constituted the pleroma； or 〃fulness of God〃 （Coloss。 i。 20； Eph。 i。 23）； and in a corollary which bears unmistakable marks of Buddhist influence； it was argued that； in the final consummation of things； matter should be eliminated and all spirit reunited with God； from whom it had primarily flowed。
It was impossible that such views as these should not soon be taken up and applied to the fluctuating Christology of the time。 According to the 〃Shepherd of Hermas；〃 an apocalyptic writing nearly contemporary with the gospel of 〃Mark；〃 the aeon or son of God who existed previous to the creation was not the Christ； or the Sophia； but the Pneuma or Holy Spirit； represented in the Old Testament as the 〃angel of Jehovah。〃 Jesus； in reward for his perfect goodness； was admitted to a share in the privileges of this Pneuma （Reville； p。 39）。 Here； as M。 Reville observes； though a Gnostic idea is adopted； Jesus is nevertheless viewed as ascending humanity； and not as descending divinity。 The author of the 〃Clementine Homilies〃 advances a step farther； and clearly assumes the pre…existence of Jesus； who； in his opinion； was the pure； primitive man； successively incarnate in Adam； Enoch； Noah； Abraham； Isaac； Jacob； Moses； and finally in the Messiah or Christ。 The author protests； in vehement language； against those Hellenists who； misled by their polytheistic associations； would elevate Jesus into a god。 Nevertheless； his own hypothesis of pre…existence supplied at once the requisite fulcrum for those Gnostics who wished to reconcile a strict monotheism with the ascription of divine attributes to Jesus。 Combining with this notion of pre…existence the pneumatic or spiritual quality attributed to Jesus in the writings of Paul； the Gnosticizing Christians maintained that Christ was an aeon or emanation from God； redeeming men from the consequences entailed by their imprisonment in matter。 At this stage of Christologic speculation appeared the anonymous epistle to the 〃Hebrews；〃 and the pseudo…Pauline epistles to the 〃Colossians；〃 〃Ephesians；〃 and 〃Philippians〃 （A。 D。 130）。 In these epistles； which originated among the Pauline Christians； the Gnostic theosophy is skilfully applied to the Pauline conception of the scope and purposes of Christianity。 Jesus is described as the creator of the world （Coloss。 i。 16）； the visible image of the invisible God； the chief and ruler of the 〃throues； dominions； principalities； and powers；〃 into which； in Gnostic phraseology； the emanations of God were classified。 Or； according to 〃Colossians〃 and 〃Philippians；〃 all the aeons are summed up in him； in whom dwells the pleroma； or 〃fulness of God。〃 Thus Jesus is elevated quite above ordinary humanity； and a close approach is made to ditheism； although he is still emphatically subordinated to God by being made the creator of the world；an office then regarded as incompatible with absolute divine perfection。 In the celebrated passage； 〃Philippians〃 ii。 6…11； the aeon Jesus is described as being the form or visible manifestation of God； yet as humbling himself by taking on the form or semblance of humanity； and suffering death； in return for which he is to be exalted even above the archangels。 A similar view is taken in 〃Hebrews〃； and it is probable that to the growing favour with which these doctrines were received； we owe the omission of the miraculous conception from the gospel of 〃Mark；〃a circumstance which has misled some critics into assigning to that gospel an earlier date than to 〃Matthew〃 and 〃Luke。〃 Yet the fact that in this gospel Jesus is implicitly ranked above the angels （Mark xiii。 32）； reveals a later stage of Christologic doctrine than that reached by the first and third synoptists； and it is altogether probable that； in accordance with the noticeable conciliatory disposition of this evangelist； the supernatural conception is omitted out of deference to the Gnosticizing theories of 〃Colossians〃 and 〃Philippians；〃 in which this materialistic doctrine seems to have had no assignable place。 In 〃Philippians〃 especially； many expressions seem to verge upon Docetism； the extreme form of Gnosticism； according to which the human body of Jesus was only a phantom。 Valentinus； who was contemporary with the Pauline writers of the second century； maintained that Jesus was not born of Mary by any process of conception； but merely passed through her； as light traverses a translucent substance。 And finally Marcion （A。 D。 140） carried the theory to its extreme limits by declaring that Jesus was the pure Pneuma or Spirit； who contained nothing in common with carnal humanity。
The pseudo…Pauline writers steered clear of this extravagant doctrine； which erred by breaking entirely with historic tradition； and was consequently soon condemned as heretical。 Their language； though unmistakably Gnostic； was sufficiently neutral and indefinite to allow of their combination with earlier and later expositions of dogma； and they were therefore eventually received into the canon； where they exhibit a stage of opinion midway between that of Paul and that of the fourth gospel。
For the construction of a durable system of Christology； still further elaboration was necessary。 The pre…existence of Jesus； as an emanation from God； in whom were summed up the attributes of the pleroma or full scale of Gnostic aeons； was now generally conceded。 But the relation of this pleroqma to the Godhead of which it was the visible manifestation； needed to be more accurately defined。 And here recourse was had to the conception of the 〃Logos；〃a notion which Philo had borrowed from Plato； lending to it a theosophic significance。 In the Platonic metaphysics objective existence was attributed to general terms； the signs of general notions。 Besides each particular man； horse； or tree； and besides all men； horses； and trees； in the aggregate； there was supposed to exist an ideal Man； Horse； and Tree。 Each particular man； horse； or tree consisted of abstract existence plus a portion of the ideal man； horse； or tree。 Sokrates； for instance； consisted of Existence； plus Animality； plus Humanity； plus Sokraticity。 The visible world of particulars thus existed only by virtue of its participation in the attributes of the ideal world of universals。 God created the world by encumbering each idea with an envelopment or clothing of visible matter； and since matter is vile or imperfect； all things are more or less perfect as they partake more or less fully of the idea。 The pure unencumbered idea； the 〃Idea of ideas；〃 is the Logos； or divine Reason； which represents the sum…total of the activities which sustain the world； and serves as a mediator between the absolutely ideal God and the absolutely non…ideal matter。 Here we arrive at a Gnostic conception； which the Philonists of Alexandria were not slow to appropriate。 The Logos； or divine Reason； was identified with the Sophia； or divine Wisdom of the Jewish Gnostics； which had dwelt with God before the creation of the world。 By a subtle play upon the double meaning of the Greek term （logos = 〃reason〃 or 〃word〃）； a distinction was drawn between the divine Reason and the divine Word。 The former was the archctypal idea or thought of God； existing from all eternity； the latter was the external manifestation or realization of that idea which occurred at the moment of creation； when； according to Genesis； God SPOKE； and the world was。
In the middle of the second century； this Philonian theory was the one thing needful to add metaphysical precision to the Gnostic and Pauline speculations concerning the nature of Jesus。 In the writings of Justin Martyr （A。 D。 150…166）； Jesus is for the first time identified with the Philonian Logos or 〃Word of God。〃 According to Justin； an impassable abyss exists between the Infinite Deity and the Finite World； the one cannot act upon the other； pure spirit cannot contaminate itself by contact with impure matter。 To meet this difficulty； God evolves from himself a secondary God； the Logos；yet without diminishing himself any more than a flame is diminished when it gives birth to a second flame。 Thus generated； like light begotten of light （lumen de lumine）； the Logos creates the world； inspires the ancient prophets with their divine revelations； and finally reveals himself to mankind in the person of Christ。 Yet Justin sedulously guards himself against ditheism； insisting frequently and emphatically upon the immeasurable inferiority of the Logos as compared with the actual God （gr o ontws qeos）。
We have here reached very nearly the ultimate phase of New Testament specul