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Against Heresies
Irenaeus of Lyons
Book 3 · Chapter 17 About this work A five-book account and refutation of competing Christian movements that also develops Irenaeus’s positive theology of creation, Scripture, apostolic tradition, incarnation, salvation, and recapitulation in Christ.
Author Irenaeus of Lyons
Date c. AD 175–185
Origin Lyons, Gaul
Genre Heresiology The apostles teach that it was neither Christ nor the Saviour, but the Holy Spirit, who did descend upon Jesus. The reason for this descent. Section 1 1 . It certainly was in the power of
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the
apostles
to
declare
that
Christ
descended
upon
Jesus
,
or
that
the
so
-
called
superior
Saviour
[
came
down
]
upon
the
dispensational
one
,
or
he
who
is
from
the
invisible
places
upon
him
from
the
Demiurge
;
but
they
neither
knew
nor
said
anything
of
the
kind
:
for
,
had
they
known
it
,
they
would
have
also
certainly
stated
it
.
But
what
really
was
the
case
,
that
did
they
record
,
[
namely
,
]
that
the
Spirit
of
God
as
a
dove
descended
upon
Him
;
this
Spirit
,
of
whom
it
was
declared
by
Isaiah
,
“
And
the
Spirit
of
God
shall
rest
upon
Him
,
”
as
I
have
already
said
.
And
again
:
“
The
Spirit
of
the
Lord
is
upon
Me
,
because
He
hath
anointed
Me
.
”
That
is
the
Spirit
of
whom
the
Lord
declares
,
“
For
it
is
not
ye
that
speak
,
but
the
Spirit
of
your
Father
which
speaketh
in
you
.
”
And
again
,
giving
to
the
disciples
the
power
of
regeneration
into
God
,
He
said
to
them
,
“
Go
and
teach
all
nations
,
baptizing
them
in
the
name
of
the
Father
,
and
of
the
Son
,
and
of
the
Holy
Ghost
.
”
For
[
God
]
promised
,
that
in
the
last
times
He
would
pour
Him
[
the
Spirit
]
upon
[
His
]
servants
and
handmaids
,
that
they
might
prophesy
;
wherefore
He
did
also
descend
upon
the
Son
of
God
,
made
the
Son
of
man
,
becoming
accustomed
in
fellowship
with
Him
to
dwell
in
the
human
race
,
to
rest
with
human
beings
,
and
to
dwell
in
the
workmanship
of
God
,
working
the
will
of
the
Father
in
them
,
and
renewing
them
from
their
old
habits
into
the
newness
of
Christ
.
Section 2 2 . This Spirit did David ask for the human race , saying , “ And stablish me with Thine all - governing Spirit ; ” who also , as Luke says , descended at the day of Pentecost upon the disciples after the Lord’s ascension , having power to admit all nations to the entrance of life , and to the opening of the new covenant ; from whence also , with one accord in all languages , they uttered praise to God , the Spirit bringing distant tribes to unity , and offering to the Father the first - fruits of all nations . Wherefore also the Lord promised to send the Comforter , who should join us to God . For as a compacted lump of dough cannot be formed of dry wheat without fluid matter , nor can a loaf possess unity , so , in like manner , neither could we , being many , be made one in Christ Jesus without the water from heaven . And as dry earth does not bring forth unless it receive moisture , in like manner we also , being originally a dry tree , could never have brought forth fruit unto life without the voluntary rain from above . For our bodies have received unity among themselves by means of that laver which leads to incorruption ; but our souls , by means of the Spirit . Wherefore both are necessary , since both contribute towards the life of God , our Lord compassionating that erring Samaritan woman — who did not remain with one husband , but committed fornication by [ contracting ] many marriages — by pointing out , and promising to her living water , so that she should thirst no more , nor occupy herself in acquiring the refreshing water obtained by labour , having in herself water springing up to eternal life . The Lord , receiving this as a gift from His Father , does Himself also confer it upon those who are partakers of Himself , sending the Holy Spirit upon all the earth .
Section 3 3 . Gideon , that Israelite whom God chose , that he might save the people of Israel from the power of foreigners , foreseeing this gracious gift , changed his request , and prophesied that there would be dryness upon the fleece of wool ( a type of the people ) , on which alone at first there had been dew ; thus indicating that they should no longer have the Holy Spirit from God , as saith Esaias , “ I will also command the clouds , that they rain no rain upon it , ” but that the dew , which is the Spirit of God , who descended upon the Lord , should be diffused throughout all the earth , “ the spirit of wisdom and understanding , the spirit of counsel and might , the spirit of knowledge and piety , the spirit of the fear of God . ” This Spirit , again , He did confer upon the Church , sending throughout all the world the Comforter from heaven , from whence also the Lord tells us that the devil , like lightning , was cast down . Wherefore we have need of the dew of God , that we be not consumed by fire , nor be rendered unfruitful , and that where we have an accuser there we may have also an Advocate , the Lord commending to the Holy Spirit His own man , who had fallen among thieves , whom He Himself compassionated , and bound up his wounds , giving two royal denaria ; so that we , receiving by the Spirit the image and superscription of the Father and the Son , might cause the denarium entrusted to us to be fruitful , counting out the increase [ thereof ] to the Lord .
Section 4 4 . The Spirit , therefore , descending under the predestined dispensation , and the Son of God , the Only - begotten , who is also the Word of the Father , coming in the fulness of time , having become incarnate in man for the sake of man , and fulfilling all the conditions of human nature , our Lord Jesus Christ being one and the same , as He Himself the Lord doth testify , as the apostles confess , and as the prophets announce , — all the doctrines of these men who have invented putative Ogdoads and Tetrads , and imagined subdivisions [ of the Lord’s person ] , have been proved falsehoods . These men do , in fact , set the Spirit aside altogether ; they understand that Christ was one and Jesus another ; and they teach that there was not one Christ , but many . And if they speak of them as united , they do again separate them : for they show that one did indeed undergo sufferings , but that the other remained impassible ; that the one truly did ascend to the Pleroma , but the other remained in the intermediate place ; that the one does truly feast and revel in places invisible and above all name , but that the other is seated with the Demiurge , emptying him of power . It will therefore be incumbent upon thee , and all others who give their attention to this writing , and are anxious about their own salvation , not readily to express acquiescence when they hear abroad the speeches of these men : for , speaking things resembling the [ doctrine of the ] faithful , as I have already observed , not only do they hold opinions which are different , but absolutely contrary , and in all points full of blasphemies , by which they destroy those persons who , by reason of the resemblance of the words , imbibe a poison which disagrees with their constitution , just as if one , giving lime mixed with water for milk , should mislead by the similitude of the colour ; as a man superior to me has said , concerning all that in any way corrupt the things of God and adulterate the truth , “ Lime is wickedly mixed with the milk of God . ”
