Docetism

Docetism:

• From the Greek dokeĩn (to seem) or dókēsis (apparition, phantom).
• Defined as, "the doctrine according to which the phenomenon of Christ, his historical and bodily existence, and thus above all the human form of Jesus, was altogether mere semblance without any true reality."  Ref Norbert Brox, from Wikipedia.
  • In essence, it contended that Jesus' apparent human form was only an illusion.
  • The early seeds of this denial of Jesus' humanity was probably in view in 1 Cor 12.3, 1 Jn 4.1-3, and 2 Jn 7-11.

• One of the earliest Christian heresies, it began in 197-203 A.D.
  • It was found in one of the early pseudographa books, The Gospel of Peter

• The doctrine was rejected by the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.; and has been regarded as heresy by the Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, and the Coptic Church.