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Saint Irenaeus
An engraving of Irenaeus, bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul (now Lyon, France)
Father of the Church
Born 2nd century
Died 2nd/3rd century
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
Lutheran Church
Feast 28 June
Saints Portal

Saint Irenaeus (Greek: Ειρηναίος), (b. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. 2nd century; d. c 200) was bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, now Lyons, France. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. He was an early church father and apologist, and his writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective He was a disciple of Polycarp of Smyrna, who was said to be a disciple of John the Evangelist. Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (ca 69 – ca 155 was a second century Bishop of Smyrna. Saint John the Evangelist (d ca 110 יוחנן " The LORD is merciful" Standard Hebrew Yoḥanan, Tiberian Hebrew

Irenaeus's best-known book, Against Heresies, (c 180) is a detailed attack on Gnosticism, which was then a serious threat to the Church, and especially on the system of Valentinus. On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis ( commonly called Against Heresies (Latin Adversus haereses,) is a five-volume work Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Valentinus (also spelled Valentius) ( c 100 - c160 CE) was the best known and for a time most successful Early Christian gnostic [1] As the first great Catholic theologian, he emphasized the traditional elements in the Church, especially the episcopate, Scripture, and tradition. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". [1] Irenaeus wrote that the only way for Christians to retain unity was to humbly accept one doctrinal authority--episcopal councils. [2] Against the Gnostics, who said that they possessed a secret oral tradition from Jesus himself, Irenaeus maintained that the bishops in different cities are known as far back as the Apostles — and none of them was a Gnostic — and that the bishops provided the only safe guide to the interpretation of Scripture. [3] His writings, with those of Clement and Ignatius, are taken to hint at papal primacy. [1] Irenaeus is the earliest witness to recognition of the canonical character of all four gospels. [4]

Irenaeus is recognized as a saint by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world His feast day is 28 June. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul.

Contents

Biography

Born in the first half of the 2nd century (the exact date is disputed: between the years 115 and 125 according to some, or 130 and 142 according to others), Irenaeus is thought to have been a Greek from Polycarp's hometown of Smyrna in Asia Minor, now İzmir, Turkey. The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (ca 69 – ca 155 was a second century Bishop of Smyrna. This article is on the Ancient Greek city of Smyrna principally in connection with the ruins remaining to this day Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black İzmir, historically Smyrna, is the third most populous city of Turkey and the country's largest port after İstanbul. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Unlike many of his contemporary Christians, he was raised in a Christian family rather than converting as an adult.

During the persecution of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor from 161-180, Irenaeus was a priest of the Church of Lyon. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise" ( April 26, 121 – March 17, 180) was Roman Emperor ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. The clergy of that city, many of whom were suffering imprisonment for the faith, sent him (in 177 or 178) to Rome with a letter to Pope Eleuterus concerning the heresy Montanism, and that occasion bore emphatic testimony to his merits. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Pope Saint Eleuterus or Eleutherius, was Pope from about 174 to 189 (the Vatican cites 171 or 177 to 185 or 193 Returning to Gaul, Irenaeus succeeded the martyr Saint Pothinus and became the second Bishop of Lyon. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Saint Pothinus (Photinus (Saint Pothin (c 87-177 AD was a Martyr and Bishop of Lyon.

During the religious peace which followed the persecution of Marcus Aurelius, the new bishop divided his activities between the duties of a pastor and of a missionary (as to which we have but brief data, late and not very certain). Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise" ( April 26, 121 – March 17, 180) was Roman Emperor Almost all his writings were directed against Gnosticism. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems The most famous of these writings is Adversus haereses (Against Heresies). On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis ( commonly called Against Heresies (Latin Adversus haereses,) is a five-volume work In 190 or 191, he interceded with Pope St. Victor I to lift the sentence of excommunication laid by that pontiff upon the Christian communities of Asia Minor which persevered in the practice of the Quartodeciman celebration of Easter. Pope See also Easter controversy, Easter Quartodecimanism (derived from the Vulgate Latin: quarta decima, meaning fourteen Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year.

Nothing is known of the date of his death, which must have occurred at the end of the second or the beginning of the third century. In spite of some isolated and later testimony to that effect, it is not very probable that he ended his career with martyrdom. He was buried under the church of Saint John's in Lyons, which was later renamed St. Irenaeus in his honour; the tomb and his remains were destroyed utterly in 1562 by the Calvinist Huguenots. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth His feast is celebrated on 28 June in the Latin Church, and on 23 August in the Greek. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire

Writings

Irenaeus wrote a number of books, but the most important that survives is the five-volume On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis, normally referred to by the Latin title Adversus Haereses ("Against Heresies"). On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis ( commonly called Against Heresies (Latin Adversus haereses,) is a five-volume work Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In Book I, Irenaeus talks about the Valentinian Gnostics and their predecessors, who go as far back as the magician Simon Magus. Simon Magus ( Greek Σίμων ό μάγος also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by early Christian writers In Book II he attempts to provide proof that Valentinianism contains no merit in terms of its doctrines. Valentinianism is a Gnostic movement that was founded by Valentinus in the second century CE. In Book III Irenaeus purports to show that these doctrines are false, by providing counter-evidence gleaned from the Gospels. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament Book IV consists of Jesus' sayings, and here Irenaeus also stresses the unity of the Old Testament and the Gospel. In the final volume, Book V, Irenaeus focuses on more sayings of Jesus plus the letters of Paul the Apostle. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and [5]

The purpose of Against Heresies was to refute the teachings of various Gnostic groups; apparently, several Greek merchants had begun an oratorial campaign praising the pursuit of "gnosis" in Irenaeus' bishopric. Until the discovery of the Library of Nag Hammadi in 1945, Against Heresies was the best-surviving description of Gnosticism. Nag Hammadi library (popularly known as The Gnostic Gospels) is a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar According to some biblical scholars, the findings at Nag Hammadi have shown Irenaeus' description of Gnosticism to be largely inaccurate and polemic in nature. Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts [6][7] Though correct in some details about the belief systems of various groups, Irenaeus's main purpose was to warn Christians against Gnosticism, rather than accurately describe those beliefs. He described Gnostic groups as sexual libertines, for example, when some of their own writings advocated chastity more strongly than did orthodox texts. [8][9]

Irenaeus also wrote The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, an Armenian copy of which was discovered in 1907. The Armenian language (hy հայերեն լեզու hajɛɹɛn lɛzu —, conventional short form) is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian This work seems to have been an instruction for recent Christian converts. [10] Various fragments of other works by Irenaeus have been found, and many lost works by him are attested by other ancient writers. These include On the Subject of Knowledge, On the Monarchy, or How God is not the Cause of Evil, On the Ogdoad, an untitled letter to Blastus regarding schism, and others. All these works are attested by Eusebius. [11][12]

Irenaeus' works were first published in English in 1885 in the Ante-Nicene Fathers collection. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Ante-Nicene Fathers, subtitled "The Writings of the Fathers Down to A


Scripture

See also: Development of the New Testament canon

Irenaeus pointed to Scripture as a proof of orthodox Christianity against heresies, classifying as Scripture not only the Old Testament but most of the books now known as the New Testament,[1] while excluding many works, included a large number by Gnostics, that flourished in the second century and claimed scriptural authority. The Biblical canon is the set of books Christians regard as divinely inspired and thus constituting the Christian Bible. [13]

Before Irenaeus, Christians differed as to which gospel they preferred. Christians of Anatolia preferred the Gospel of John. The Gospel of Matthew was the most popular overall. [14] Irenaeus asserted that all four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, were canonical scripture. The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel Content Authorship The gospel itself is anonymous but as early as Papias in the early 2nd century a text was attributed to Mark, a cousin The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon [15] Thus Irenaeus provides our earliest witness to the assertion of the four canonical Gospels, possibly in reaction to Marcion's edited version of the Gospel of Luke, which he (Marcion) asserted was the one and only true gospel. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament Marcion (Μαρκίων (ca 110 - 160) was a Christian Theologian who was excommunicated by the Early Christian church The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the [10][16] The four canonical gospels are all different from each other,[17] with significantly different theological interpretations of the meaning of Jesus' life and death according to some authors. [14]

Based on the arguments Irenaeus made in support of only four authentic gospels, some interpreters deduce that the fourfold Gospel must have still been a novelty in Irenaeus's time. [18] Against Heresies 3. 11. 7 acknowledges that many heterodox Christians use only one gospel while 3. 11. 9 acknowledges that some use more than four. [19] The success of Tatian's Diatessaron in about the same time period is ". The Diatessaron ( c 150 - 160 is the most prominent Gospel harmony. . . a powerful indication that the fourfold Gospel contemporaneously sponsored by Irenaeus was not broadly, let alone universally, recognized. "[20]

Irenaeus is also our earliest attestation that the Gospel of John was written by John the apostle[21], and that the Gospel of Luke was written by Luke, the companion of Paul[22]. The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon Saint John the Apostle ( Greek Ιωάννης, see Names of John) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Luke the Evangelist ( Hebrew: לוּקָֻא Greek: Loukás) was an early Christian leader who is said by tradition to be the author of All four gospels themselves are anonymous.

The apologist and ascetic Tatian had previously harmonized the four gospels into a single narrative, the Diatesseron (c 150-160). Tatian the Assyrian was an early Christian writer and theologian of the second century. The Diatessaron ( c 150 - 160 is the most prominent Gospel harmony.

Apostolic authority

In his writing against the Gnostics, who claimed to possess a secret oral tradition from Jesus himself, Irenaeus maintained that the bishops in different cities are known as far back as the Apostles — and none of them was a Gnostic — and that the bishops provided the only safe guide to the interpretation of Scripture. [23] He emphasized the unique position of authority of the bishop of Rome, though in an obscure passage. [24][25]

With the lists of bishops to which Irenaeus referred, the later doctrine of the apostolic succession of the bishops could be linked. [26] This succession was important to establish a chain of custody for orthodoxy. Irenaeus' point when refuting the Gnostics was that all of the Apostolic churches had preserved the same traditions and teachings in many independent streams. It was the unanimous agreement between these many independent streams of transmission that proved the orthodox Faith, current in those churches, to be true. [27] Had any error crept in, the agreement would be immediately destroyed. [28] The Gnostics had no such succession, and no agreement amongst themselves.

Irenaeus' theology and Contrast with Gnosticism

The central point of Irenaeus' theology is the unity of God, in opposition to the Gnostics' division of God into a number of divine "Aeons", and their distinction between the utterly transcendent "High God" and the inferior "Demiurge" who created the world. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. The word aeon, also spelled eon or æon, means "age" "forever" or "for Eternity " Demiurge (the Latinized form of Greek demiourgos, δημιουργός, literally "public or skilled worker" from demos Irenaeus uses the Logos theology he inherited from Justin Martyr. grc-Latn Logos (ˈloʊːgɒs ( Greek, logos) is an important term in Philosophy, Analytical psychology, Rhetoric and Religion Saint Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher, Latin Iustinus Martyr or Flavius Irenaeus was a student of Polycarp, who was said to have been tutored by John the Apostle[21]. Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (ca 69 – ca 155 was a second century Bishop of Smyrna. Saint John the Apostle ( Greek Ιωάννης, see Names of John) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. (John had used Logos terminology in the Gospel of John and the letter of 1 John). The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon The First Epistle of John is a book of the New Testament, and is the fourth catholic or "general" Epistles. Irenaeus prefers to speak of the Son and the Spirit as the "hands of God".

His emphasis on the unity of God is reflected in his corresponding emphasis on the unity of salvation history. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology Irenaeus repeatedly insists that God began the world and has been overseeing it ever since this creative act; everything that has happened is part of his plan for humanity. The world population is the total number of living Humans on Earth at a given time The essence of this plan is a process of maturation: Irenaeus believes that humanity was created immature, and God intended his creatures to take a long time to grow into or assume the divine likeness. Thus, Adam and Eve were created as children. Adam (אָדָם ʼĀḏām, "dust man mankind" آدم; Ge'ez: አዳ and Eve (חַוָּה Ḥawwā, "living Their Fall was thus not a full-blown rebellion but rather a childish spat, a desire to grow up before their time and have everything with immediacy. The Fall of Man, or simply the Fall, in Christian doctrine refers to the transition of the first humans from a state of innocent obedience to God,

Everything that has happened since has therefore been planned by God to help humanity overcome this initial mishap and achieve spiritual maturity. The world has been intentionally designed by God as a difficult place, where human beings are forced to make moral decisions, as only in this way can they mature as moral agents. A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event Irenaeus likens death to the big fish that swallowed Jonah: it was only in the depths of the whale's belly that Jonah could turn to God and act according to the divine will. Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific According to the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh / Old Testament) and Qur'an, Jonah (; Arabic: يونس, Yunus or Similarly, death and suffering appear as evils, but without them we could never come to know God. Suffering, or pain, is an individual's basic Affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm Evil, in many cultures is used to describe acts or thoughts which are contrary to some particular religion

According to Irenaeus, the high point in salvation history is the advent of Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Irenaeus believed that Christ would always have been sent, even if humanity had never sinned; but the fact that they did sin determines his role as a savior. Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral Rule, or the state of having committed such a violation He sees Christ as the new Adam, who systematically undoes what Adam did: thus, where Adam was disobedient concerning God's edict concerning the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, Christ was obedient even to death on the wood of a tree. Irenaeus is the first to draw comparisons between Eve and Mary, contrasting the faithlessness of the former with the faithfulness of the latter. In Genesis, Eve is the first woman the wife of Adam. God created her from Adam's rib as his helpmate In addition to reversing the wrongs done by Adam, Irenaeus thinks of Christ as "recapitulating" or "summing up" human life. [29] This means that Christ goes through every stage of human life, from infancy to old age, and simply by living it, sanctifies it with his divinity. Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the Average life span of Human beings and thus the end of the human life cycle. Divinity and divine (sometimes 'the Divinity' or 'the Divine' are broadly applied but loosely defined terms used variously within different faiths and belief systems — Irenaeus argues that Christ did not die until he was older than conventionally portrayed (see above).

Irenaeus conceives of our salvation as essentially coming about through the incarnation of God as a man. Incarnation which literally means embodied in flesh, refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature (generally a human who is the He characterises the penalty for sin as death and corruption. In philosophical, theological, or moral discussions corruption often refers to spiritual or moral impurity or deviation from an ideal God, however, is immortal and incorruptible, and simply by becoming united to human nature in Christ he conveys those qualities to us: they spread, as it were, like a benign infection. Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or spiritual form for an Infinite length of Time. Incorruptibility is the property of a body — usually a human body — that does not decompose after death Human nature is the concept that there are a set of logical characteristics including ways of thinking feeling and acting that all 'normal' human beings have in common Irenaeus therefore understands the atonement of Christ as happening through his incarnation rather than his crucifixion, although the latter event is an integral part of the former. The atonement is a doctrine found within both Christianity and Judaism. Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from

By comparison, according to the Gnostic view of Salvation, creation was perfect to begin with; it did not need time to grow and mature. For the Valentinians, the material world is the result of the loss of perfection which resulted from Sophia's desire to understand the Forefather. Therefore, one is ultimately redeemed, through secret knowledge, to enter the pleroma of which the Achamoth originally fell. Pleroma (Greek grc πλήρωμα generally refers to the totality of divine powers

According to the Valentinian Gnostics, there are three classes of human beings. They are the material, who cannot attain salvation; the psychic, who are strengthened by works and faith (they are part of the church); and the spiritual, who cannot decay or be harmed by material actions. [30] Essentially, ordinary humans--those who have faith but do not possess the special knowledge--will not attain salvation. Spirituals, on the other hand--those who obtain this great gift--are the only class that will eventually attain salvation.

In his article entitled "The Demiurge," J. P. Arendzen sums up the Valentinian view of the salvation of man. He writes, "The first, or carnal men, will return to the grossness of matter and finally be consumed by fire; the second, or psychic men, together with the Demiurge as their master, will enter a middle state, neither heaven (pleroma) nor hell (whyle); the purely spiritual men will be completely freed from the influence of the Demiurge and together with the Saviour and Achamoth, his spouse, will enter the pleroma divested of body (húle) and soul (psuché). "[31]

Irenaeus is also known as one of the first theologians to use the principle of apostolic succession to refute his opponents.

In his criticism of Gnosticism, Irenaeus made reference to a Gnostic gospel which portrayed Judas in a positive light, as having acted in accordance with Jesus's instructions. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Judas Iscariot, יהודה איש־קריות Yəhûḏāh ʾΚ-qəriyyôṯ was according to the New Testament, one of the twelve original apostles Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The recently discovered Gospel of Judas dates close to the period when Irenaeus lived (late 2nd century), and scholars typically regard this work as one of many Gnostic texts, showing one of many varieties of Gnostic beliefs of the period. The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel purported to document conversations between apostle Judas Iscariot and Jesus Christ. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems [1]

Irenaeus mariology

Irenaeus of Lyons is perhaps the earliest of the Church Fathers to develop a thorough mariology. In his youth he had met Polycarp and other Christians who had been in direct contact with the Apostles. Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (ca 69 – ca 155 was a second century Bishop of Smyrna. Irenaeus sets out a forthright account of Mary's role in the economy of salvation.

According to Irenaeus, Christ, being born out of the Virgin Mary, created a totally new historical situation. [33] This view influences later Ambrose of Milan and Tertullian, who wrote about the virgin birth of the Mother of God. Saint Ambrose (c 338 &ndash 4 April 397) was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the fourth century Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, Anglicised as Tertullian, (ca Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, The donor of a new birth had to be born in a totally new way. The new birth being that what was lost through a women, is now saved by a women. [34]

Prophetic Exegesis

The first four books of Against Heresies constitute a minute analysis and refutation of the Gnostic doctrines. The fifth is a statement of positive belief contrasting the constantly shifting and contradictory Gnostic opinions with the steadfast faith of the church. He appeals to the prophecies to demonstrate the truthfulness of Christianity.

Rome and Ten Horns

Irenaeus shows the close relationship between the predicted events of Daniel 2 and 7. Nebuchadnezzar's statue vision is a story from chapter of the biblical Book of Daniel. Daniel’s Vision of Chapter 7 is from the Book of Daniel in the Bible Rome, the fourth prophetic kingdom, would end in a tenfold partition. The ten divisions of the empire are the "ten horns" of Daniel 7 and the "ten horns" in Revelation 17. A "little horn," which is to supplant three of Rome's ten divisions, is also the still future "eighth" in Revelation. Irenaeus climaxes with the destruction of all kingdoms at the Second Advent, when Christ, the prophesied "stone," cut out of the mountain without hands, smites the image after Rome’s division. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic [35][36]

Antichrist

Irenaeus identified the Antichrist, another name of the apostate Man of Sin, with Daniel's Little Horn and John's Beast of Revelation 13. For other uses see Antichrist (disambiguation In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist or anti-Christ means a person office In Christian eschatology, the Man of Sin, or Man of Lawlessness in some translations is a person who according to 2 Thessalonians 23 will be revealed He sought to apply other expressions to Antichrist, such as "the abomination of desolation," mentioned by Christ (Matt. 24:15) and the "king of a most fierce countenance," in Gabriel's explanation of the Little Horn of Daniel 8. But he is not very clear how "the sacrifice and the libation shall be taken away" during the "half-week," or three and one-half years of Antichrist's reign. [37][38]

Under the notion that the Antichrist, as a single individual, might be of Jewish origin, he fancies that the mention of "Dan," in Jeremiah 8:16, and the omission of that name from those tribes listed in Revelation 7, might indicate Antichrist's tribe. This surmise became the foundation of a series of subsequent interpretations by others. [39]

Time, Times and Half a Time

Like the other early church fathers, Irenaeus interpreted the three and one-half "times" of the Little Horn of Daniel 7 as three and one-half literal years. Antichrist's three and a half years of sitting in the temple are placed immediately before the Second Coming of Christ. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic [40][41]

They are identified as the second half of the "one week" of Daniel 9. Irenaeus says nothing of the seventy weeks; we do not know whether he placed the “one week” at the end of the seventy or whether he had a gap

666

Irenaeus is the first of the church fathers to consider the mystic number 666. The Number of the Beast is a concept from the Book of Revelation of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. While Irenaeus did propose some solutions of this numerical riddle, his interpretation was quite reserved. Thus, he cautiously states: "But knowing the sure number declared by Scripture, that is six hundred sixty and six, let them await, in the first place, the division of the kingdom into ten; then, in the next place, when these kings are reigning, and beginning to set their affairs in order, and advance their kingdom, [let them learn] to acknowledge that he who shall come claiming the kingdom for himself, and shall terrify those men of whom we have been speaking, have a name containing the aforesaid number, is truly the abomination of desolation. "[42] Although Irenaeus did speculate upon three names to symbolize this mystical number, namely Euanthas, Teitan and Lateinos, nevertheless he was content to believe that the Antichrist would arise some time in the future after the fall of Rome and then the meaning of the number would be revealed[43]

Millennium

See also: Millennialism

Irenaeus declares that the Antichrist's future three-and-a-half-year reign, when he sits in the temple at Jerusalem, will be terminated by the second advent, with the resurrection of the just, the destruction for the wicked, and the millennial reign of the righteous. This is an article on sociological Millennialism You may be looking for the article on Christian Premillennialism. The general resurrection and the judgment follow the descent of the New Jerusalem at the end of the millennial kingdom. [44][45]

Irenaeus calls those "heretics" who maintain that the saved are immediately glorified in the kingdom to come after death, before their resurrection. In Catholicism In Orthodox Christianity Glorification is the term used in the Orthodox Christian Church for the official recognition of a person He avers that the millennial kingdom and the resurrection are actualities, not allegories, the first resurrection introducing this promised kingdom in which the risen saints are described as ruling over the renewed earth during the millennium, between the two resurrections. [46][47]

Irenaeus held to the old Jewish tradition that the first six days of creation week were typical of the first six thousand years of human history, with Antichrist manifesting himself in the sixth period. And he expected the millennial kingdom to begin with the second coming of Christ to destroy the wicked and inaugurate, for the righteous, the reign of the kingdom of God during the seventh thousand years, the millennial Sabbath, as signified by the Sabbath of creation week. [48][49][50]

In common with many of the fathers, Irenaeus did not distinguish between the new earth re-created in its eternal state--the thousand years of Revelation 20--when the saints are with Christ after His second advent, and the Jewish traditions of the Messianic kingdom. Hence, he applies Biblical and traditional ideas to his descriptions of this earth during the millennium, throughout the closing chapters of Book 5. This conception of the reign of resurrected and translated saints with Christ on this earth during the millennium-popularly known as chiliasm--was the increasingly prevailing belief of this time. Incipient distortions due to the admixture of current traditions, which figure in the extreme forms of chiliasm, caused a reaction against the earlier interpretations of Bible prophecies. [51]

St. Irenaeus was not looking for a Jewish kingdom. He interpreted Israel as the Christian church, the spiritual seed of Abraham. [52]

At times his expressions are highly fanciful. He tells, for instance, of a prodigious fertility of this earth during the millennium, after the resurrection of the righteous, "when also the creation, having been renovated and set free, shall fructify with an abundance of all kinds of food. " In this connection, he attributes to Christ the saying about the vine with ten thousand branches, and the ear of wheat with ten thousand grains, and so forth, which he quotes from Papias. [53]

Exegesis

Irenaeus’ exegesis does not give complete coverage. On the seals, for example, he merely alludes to Christ as the rider on the white horse. He stresses five factors with greater clarity and emphasis than Justin: 1) the literal resurrection of the righteous at the second advent, 2) the millennium bounded by the two resurrections, 3) the Antichrist to come upon the heels of Rome's breakup, 4) the symbolic prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse in their relation to the last times, and 5) the kingdom of God to be established by the second advent. Saint Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher, Latin Iustinus Martyr or Flavius

References

  1. ^ a b c d Cross, F. L. , ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
  2. ^ Durant, Will. William James Durant ( November 5, 1885 &ndash November 7, 1981) was a prolific American popularizer in the fields of History Caesar and Christ. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1972
  3. ^ [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9042757/Saint-Irenaeus Encyclopaedia Britannica: Saint Irenaeus
  4. ^ Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament, p. Raymond Edward Brown ( May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998) was an American Roman Catholic Priest and Biblical 14. Anchor Bible; 1st edition (October 13, 1997). The Anchor Bible Project consisting of the Anchor Bible Commentary Series, Anchor Bible Dictionary and Anchor Bible Reference Library is a scholarly ISBN 978-0385247672.
  5. ^ Grant, Robert M, "Irenaeus of Lyons," p. 6. Routledge 1997.
  6. ^ Pagels, Elaine. Beyond Belief, Pan Books, 2005. p. 54
  7. ^ Robinson, James M. , The Nag Hammadi Library, HarperSanFrancisco, 1990. p. 104.
  8. ^ Pagels, Elaine. The Gnostic Gospels, Vintage Books, 1979. p. 90.
  9. ^ Ehrman, Bart D. , Lost Christianities, Oxford University Press, 2005. p. 121.
  10. ^ a b Glenn Davis, The Development of the Canon of the New Testament: Irenaeus of Lyons
  11. ^ Poncelet, Albert. The Catholic Encyclopedia vol. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia VII, St. Irenaeus, 1910.
  12. ^ Rev. J. Tixeront, D. D. A Handbook of Patrology. Section IV: The Opponents of Heresy in the Second Century, St. Louis, MO, by B. Herder Book Co. 1920.
  13. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica: Saint Irenaeus
  14. ^ a b Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Stephen L Harris is Professor and Chair Department of Humanities and Religious Studies at California State University Sacramento. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.
  15. ^ "But it is not possible that the Gospels can be either more or fewer in number than they are. For since there are four zones of the world in which we live, and four principal winds, while the church has been scattered throughout the world, and since the "pillar and ground" of the church is the Gospel and the spirit of life, it is fitting that she should have four pillars, breathing incorruption on every side, and vivifying human afresh. From this fact, it is evident that the Logos, the fashioner demiourgos of all, he that sits on the cherubim and holds all things together, when he was manifested to humanity, gave us the gospel under four forms but bound together by one spirit. Demiurge (the Latinized form of Greek demiourgos, δημιουργός, literally "public or skilled worker" from demos " Against Heresies 3. 11. 8
  16. ^ Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament, p. Raymond Edward Brown ( May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998) was an American Roman Catholic Priest and Biblical 14. Anchor Bible; 1st edition (October 13, 1997). The Anchor Bible Project consisting of the Anchor Bible Commentary Series, Anchor Bible Dictionary and Anchor Bible Reference Library is a scholarly ISBN 978-0385247672.
  17. ^ Ehrman, Bart D.. Bart D Ehrman is an American New Testament scholar and textual critic of Early Christianity. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. Misquoting Jesus The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why is a book by Bart D HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN 978-0-06-073817-4
  18. ^ McDonald & Sanders, The Canon Debate, 2002, page 277
  19. ^ McDonald & Sanders, page 280. Also page 310, summarizing 3. 11. 7: the Ebionites use Matthew's Gospel, Marcion mutilates Luke's, the Docetists use Mark's, the Valentinians use John's
  20. ^ ibid
  21. ^ a b ibid, p. The Ebionites ( Greek: grc Ἐβιωναῖοι Ebionaioi from Hebrew; he '''אביונים''' he-Latn ''Ebyonim'' "the Poor Ones" were an In Christianity, Docetism (from the Greek, "to seem" is the belief that Jesus ' physical body was an illusion as was his Crucifixion Valentinianism is a Gnostic movement that was founded by Valentinus in the second century CE. 368
  22. ^ ibid, p. 267
  23. ^ "Wherefore we must obey the priests of the Church who have succession from the Apostles, as we have shown, who, together with succession in the episcopate, have received the certain mark of truth according to the will of the Father; all others, however, are to be suspected, who separated themselves from the principal succession. " Adversus Haereses (Book IV, Chapter 26). read online.
  24. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica
  25. ^ Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all the Churches, we do put to confusion all those who, in whatever manner, whether by an evil self-pleasing, by vainglory, or by blindness and perverse opinion, assemble in unauthorized meetings; [we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its pre- eminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere. " Adversus Haereses (Book III, Chapter 3) read online
  26. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica
  27. ^ Adversus Haereses (Book V, Chapter 33:8)
  28. ^ Tim Warner, Irenaeus & the Pristine Faith Rule
  29. ^ AH 3. 18. 7; 3. 21. 9-10; 3. 22. 3; 5. 21. 1; see also, Klager, Andrew P. "Retaining and Reclaiming the Divine: Identification and the Recapitulation of Peace in St. Irenaeus of Lyons' Atonement Narrative. " Stricken by God? Nonviolent Identification and the Victory of Christ, eds. Brad Jersak and Michael Hardin. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007. , esp. p. 462 n. 158.
  30. ^ Grant, Robert M. , "Irenaeus fo Lyons," p,23. Routledge, 1997.
  31. ^ Arendzen, J. P. , "The Demiurge" [cited 2007]. Available from the World Wide Web @ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04707b.htm.
  32. ^ Irenaeus of Lyons, Adversus haereses 3:22
  33. ^ Irenaeus, Book V, 19,3
  34. ^ Tertullian, De Carne Christi 17
  35. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 25
  36. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 26
  37. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 28
  38. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 25, sec. 2-4
  39. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 25, sec. 3
  40. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 25, sec. 3-4
  41. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 30, sec. 4
  42. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 30, sec. 2
  43. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 30, sec. 3
  44. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 30, sec. 4
  45. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 35, sec. 1-2
  46. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 31
  47. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 35
  48. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 28, sec. 3
  49. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 30, sec. 4
  50. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 33, sec. 2
  51. ^ Froom, LeRoy, 1950, ‘’’The Prophetic Faith of our Fathers’’’, Review and Herald Publishing Association, p. 250-252
  52. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 32, sec. 2
  53. ^ Against Heresies Book 5 Chapter 33, sec. 3

External links

Elaine Pagels, née Hiesey (born February 13, 1943) is the Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University
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