Montanism — What is it?

TL;DR:

Montanism was a second-century Christian movement known for its prophetic claims, which were eventually rejected by the broader church due to concerns about false prophecies and unorthodox practices.

Montanism was a movement that emerged in the late second century, named after Montanus, who had converted to Christianity after serving as a priest in the cult of Cybele. Around 170 A.D., Montanus claimed to have received the gift of prophecy, and two women, Priscilla and Maximilla, soon joined him, also making prophetic claims. This group, known as the "New Prophecy," believed that their revelations were directly from God and relevant for the church in their time.

However, the movement faced strong opposition from church leaders, who accused Montanus of making false prophecies (Deuteronomy 18:20–22) and leading people astray with ecstatic, uncontrolled utterances. The Bible warns against false prophets and teaches that prophecies should align with God's established Word (1 John 4:1; 1 Corinthians 14:29). The Montanists claimed to offer new revelations, which caused concern because the Bible warns not to add or take away from God's Word (Revelation 22:18–19). As a result, Montanism was eventually condemned by the early church for deviating from biblical teaching.

The Montanist movement was regarded as dangerous due to its reliance on new and untested revelations, which conflicted with the early church's emphasis on biblical authority. Despite its rejection, Montanism persisted for centuries, with a Montanus shrine reportedly still existing in the sixth century under Emperor Justinian. The movement's most famous adherent was Tertullian, a prominent Christian writer who defended Montanism in his later years.

from the old testament

Deuteronomy 18:20–22: "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak...that same prophet shall die... if the word does not come to pass...that is a word that the LORD has not spoken." This is a clear standard for evaluating prophetic claims, a standard Montanus failed to meet, leading to the rejection of his movement.

from the new testament

First John 4:1: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." The early church followed this instruction in testing Montanus's prophecies, which ultimately, did not align with biblical truth.
Revelation 22:18–19: "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book..." Montanus's "new revelations" were seen as additions to God's Word, which the Bible strongly warns against.

implications for today

Montanism reminds us of the importance of testing all prophetic claims against Scripture. The Bible provides clear guidelines on how to discern false teachings (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and Montanus’s false prophecies led the early church to rightly reject his movement. Today, we must be cautious about accepting new revelations that go beyond, or contradict, what the Bible teaches. Instead, we are called to stand firm in the sufficiency of Scripture and rely on God’s established Word to guide our faith and practice.

understand

Montanism was a second-century movement, led by Montanus, that claimed to offer new prophetic revelations.
Montanism was condemned for false prophecies and practices that deviated from biblical teachings.
The history of Montanism emphasizes the importance of testing prophetic claims against what the Bible says.

reflect

How do you discern between genuine prophetic messages and those that may lead you astray in your own faith journey?
How can you ensure that your beliefs align with biblical teachings and not just popular opinions or trends?
How do you respond when you encounter teachings or claims that contradict Scripture?

engage

What criteria would the early church have used to evaluate Montanus's prophecies, and how can we apply that criteria today?
How can we encourage others in our community to test prophetic claims and teachings against Scripture without causing division or conflict?
In light of Montanism’s rejection, what steps can we take to uphold the authority of Scripture in our personal and collective faith practices?