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.
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.