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Against Heresies

Irenaeus of Lyons

Book 3 · Chapter 1

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 did not commence to preach the Gospel, or to place anything on record until they were endowed with the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. They preached one God alone, Maker of heaven and earth.

Section 1

1. We have learned from none others the

‹ Preface Book 3 · Chapter 2 ›

plan

of

our

salvation

,

than

from

those

through

whom

the

Gospel

has

come

down

to

us

,

which

they

did

at

one

time

proclaim

in

public

,

and

,

at

a

later

period

,

by

the

will

of

God

,

handed

down

to

us

in

the

Scriptures

,

to

be

the

ground

and

pillar

of

our

faith

.

For

it

is

unlawful

to

assert

that

they

preached

before

they

possessed

“

perfect

knowledge

,

”

as

some

do

even

venture

to

say

,

boasting

themselves

as

improvers

of

the

apostles

.

For

,

after

our

Lord

rose

from

the

dead

,

[

the

apostles

]

were

invested

with

power

from

on

high

when

the

Holy

Spirit

came

down

[

upon

them

]

,

were

filled

from

all

[

His

gifts

]

,

and

had

perfect

knowledge

:

they

departed

to

the

ends

of

the

earth

,

preaching

the

glad

tidings

of

the

good

things

[

sent

]

from

God

to

us

,

and

proclaiming

the

peace

of

heaven

to

men

,

who

indeed

do

all

equally

and

individually

possess

the

Gospel

of

God

.

Matthew

also

issued

a

written

Gospel

among

the

Hebrews

in

their

own

dialect

,

while

Peter

and

Paul

were

preaching

at

Rome

,

and

laying

the

foundations

of

the

Church

.

After

their

departure

,

Mark

,

the

disciple

and

interpreter

of

Peter

,

did

also

hand

down

to

us

in

writing

what

had

been

preached

by

Peter

.

Luke

also

,

the

companion

of

Paul

,

recorded

in

a

book

the

Gospel

preached

by

him

.

Afterwards

,

John

,

the

disciple

of

the

Lord

,

who

also

had

leaned

upon

His

breast

,

did

himself

publish

a

Gospel

during

his

residence

at

Ephesus

in

Asia

.

Section 2

2. These have all declared to us that there is one God, Creator of heaven and earth, announced by the law and the prophets; and one Christ the Son of God. If any one do not agree to these truths, he despises the companions of the Lord; nay more, he despises Christ Himself the Lord; yea, he despises the Father also, and stands self-condemned, resisting and opposing his own salvation, as is the case with all heretics.

Notes

2
See 1 Tim. iii. 15, where these terms are used in reference to the Church.
3
On this and similar statements in the Fathers, the reader may consult Dr. Roberts’s Discussions on the Gospels, in which they are fully criticised, and the Greek original of St. Matthew’s Gospel maintained.