Ever since there has been a Christian church, there have been people who take the concepts of Christianity and run off in some weird ways with them. One of the earliest can be seen in Acts 19:13-16 when the seven sons of Sceva borrow Jesus and Paul’s names to cast out demons. The end result involves a beating and fleeing in the nude. Another heresy that pops up a few times in history involves John 14:16-17 where Jesus promises to send a helper after him. The word helper in Greek is parakletos or more commonly the prophesied helper is called the Paraclete. Most orthodox Christians believe that the promised Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, which came at Pentecost. As I said earlier though there have always been people to take things from the Bible and spin them in a different direction.
In the middle of the 2nd century there was a guy who claimed that he, not the Holy Spirit, was the Paraclete. Montanus claimed that he was the next revelation from God as promised by Jesus. He did not claim to be equal to the Apostles or even Jesus, but he was the ultimate authority because his revelation was newer. When he taught, he did not speak as if he was teaching a message from God, instead he spoke as if he was possessed by God and speaking for him. For example he said, “I am the Father, the Word, and the Paraclete” and “I am the Lord God omnipotent, who have descended into man.”
Montanus has two prophetesses, Priscilla and Maximilla, who traveled and taught with him. Priscilla claimed that Christ appeared to her in the form of a woman and gave her wisdom. Maximilla lived longer than the other two and continued to prophesy warning of major wars to come. They made their way through what is now a part of Turkey, teaching as the Paraclete, declaring fasts, encouraging virginity and forbidding remarriage.
Montanus was surprisingly successful in gaining followers. He even gained the support of a famous Christian writer, Tertullian. Tertullian became disenchanted by the Christian church later in life, claiming there were too many bishops gaining too much power. Tertullian’s writings become increasingly critical of the catholic Church and eventually he becomes a protector of Montanism, though after Montanus had already died.
There are probably two reasons why Montanus was successful in gaining some followers. First is the fact that he and his two lady friends put on quite a show. Their teachings were full of prophesying and speaking in tongues. Supposedly they would seem terrified at first, then get real quite and then be “seized by an uncontrollable madness.” Another reason is that Montanus had the benefit of making this claim while Christians were still persecuted and forced to worship in secret. Getting word out to all of the churches about this heresy would have been difficult. Eventually though the word did get out and orthodox Christianity wins the battle over this heresy, although there is evidence of a few Montanists remaining even up into the eighth century.
Montanus is merely the first to claim himself as the Paraclete. The most famous would have to be Muhammad, the great Islamic prophet. His revelation to the people can be found in the Qur’an. The problem with these humans claiming to be Jesus’ promised helper is that Jesus also promised that the helper would remain with us forever. Montanus and Muhammad had the unfortunate problem of mortality.
Montanus did play an important role in Christian history, because after him the Church began to more carefully record and protect their doctrine to prevent future heresies from becoming so successful.