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Against Heresies
Irenaeus of Lyons
Book 4 · Chapter 35 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 A refutation of those who allege that the prophets uttered some predictions under the inspiration of the highest, others from the Demiurge. Disagreements of the Valentinians among themselves with regard to these same predictions. Section 1 1 . Then again , in opposition to the
‹ Book 4 · Chapter 34 Book 4 · Chapter 36 ›
Valentinians
,
and
the
other
Gnostics
,
falsely
so
called
,
who
maintain
that
some
parts
of
Scripture
were
spoken
at
one
time
from
the
Pleroma
(
a
summitate
)
through
means
of
the
seed
[
derived
]
from
that
place
,
but
at
another
time
from
the
intermediate
abode
through
means
of
the
audacious
mother
Prunica
,
but
that
many
are
due
to
the
Creator
of
the
world
,
from
whom
also
the
prophets
had
their
mission
,
we
say
that
it
is
altogether
irrational
to
bring
down
the
Father
of
the
universe
to
such
straits
,
as
that
He
should
not
be
possessed
of
His
own
proper
instruments
,
by
which
the
things
in
the
Pleroma
might
be
perfectly
proclaimed
.
For
of
whom
was
He
afraid
,
so
that
He
should
not
reveal
His
will
after
His
own
way
and
independently
,
freely
,
and
without
being
involved
with
that
spirit
which
came
into
being
in
a
state
of
degeneracy
and
ignorance
?
Was
it
that
He
feared
that
very
many
would
be
saved
,
when
more
should
have
listened
to
the
unadulterated
truth
?
Or
,
on
the
other
hand
,
was
He
incapable
of
preparing
for
Himself
those
who
should
announce
the
Saviour’s
advent
?
Section 2 2 . But if , when the Saviour came to this earth , He sent His apostles into the world to proclaim with accuracy His advent , and to teach the Father’s will , having nothing in common with the doctrine of the Gentiles or of the Jews , much more , while yet existing in the Pleroma , would He have appointed His own heralds to proclaim His future advent into this world , and having nothing in common with those prophecies originating from the Demiurge . But if , when within the Pleroma , He availed Himself of those prophets who were under the law , and declared His own matters through their instrumentality ; much more would He , upon His arrival hither , have made use of these same teachers , and have preached the Gospel to us by their means . Therefore let them not any longer assert that Peter and Paul and the other apostles proclaimed the truth , but that it was the scribes and Pharisees , and the others , through whom the law was propounded . But if , at His advent , He sent forth His own apostles in the spirit of truth , and not in that of error , He did the very same also in the case of the prophets ; for the Word of God was always the self - same : and if the Spirit from the Pleroma was , according to these men’s system , the Spirit of light , the Spirit of truth , the Spirit of perfection , and the Spirit of knowledge , while that from the Demiurge was the spirit of ignorance , degeneracy , and error , and the offspring of obscurity ; how can it be , that in one and the same being there exists perfection and defect , knowledge and ignorance , error and truth , light and darkness ? But if it was impossible that such should happen in the case of the prophets , for they preached the word of the Lord from one God , and proclaimed the advent of His Son , much more would the Lord Himself never have uttered words , on one occasion from above , but on another from degeneracy below , thus becoming the teacher at once of knowledge and of ignorance ; nor would He have ever glorified as Father at one time the Founder of the world , and at another Him who is above this one , as He does Himself declare : “ No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old one , nor do they put new wine into old bottles . ” Let these men , therefore , either have nothing whatever to do with the prophets , as with those that are ancients , and allege no longer that these men , being sent beforehand by the Demiurge , spake certain things under that new influence which pertains to the Pleroma ; or , on the other hand , let them be convinced by our Lord , when He declares that new wine cannot be put into old bottles .
Section 3 3 . But from what source could the offspring of their mother derive his knowledge of the mysteries within the Pleroma , and power to discourse regarding them ? Suppose that the mother , while beyond the Pleroma , did bring forth this very offspring ; but what is beyond the Pleroma they represent as being beyond the pale of knowledge , that is , ignorance . How , then , could that seed , which was conceived in ignorance , possess the power of declaring knowledge ? Or how did the mother herself , a shapeless and undefined being , one cast out of doors as an abortion , obtain knowledge of the mysteries within the Pleroma , she who was organized outside it and given a form there , and prohibited by Horos from entering within , and who remains outside the Pleroma till the consummation [ of all things ] , that is , beyond the pale of knowledge ? Then , again , when they say that the Lord’s passion is a type of the extension of the Christ above , which he effected through Horos , and so imparted a form to their mother , they are refuted in the other particulars [ of the Lord’s passion ] , for they have no semblance of a type to show with regard to them . For when did the Christ above have vinegar and gall given him to drink ? Or when was his raiment parted ? Or when was he pierced , and blood and water came forth ? Or when did he sweat great drops of blood ? And [ the same may be demanded ] as to the other particulars which happened to the Lord , of which the prophets have spoken . From whence , then , did the mother or her offspring divine the things which had not yet taken place , but which should occur afterwards ?
Section 4 4 . They affirm that certain things still , besides these , were spoken from the Pleroma , but are confuted by those which are referred to in the Scriptures as bearing on the advent of Christ . But what these are [ that are spoken from the Pleroma ] they are not agreed , but give different answers regarding them . For if any one , wishing to test them , do question one by one with regard to any passage those who are their leading men , he shall find one of them referring the passage in question to the Propator — that is , to Bythus ; another attributing it to Arche — that is , to the Only - begotten ; another to the Father of all — that is , to the Word ; while another , again , will say that it was spoken of that one Æon who was [ formed from the joint contributions ] of the Æons in the Pleroma ; others [ will regard the passage ] as referring to Christ , while another [ will refer it ] to the Saviour . One , again , more skilled than these , after a long protracted silence , declares that it was spoken of Horos ; another that it signifies the Sophia which is within the Pleroma ; another that it announces the mother outside the Pleroma ; while another will mention the God who made the world ( the Demiurge ) . Such are the variations existing among them with regard to one [ passage ] , holding discordant opinions as to the same Scriptures ; and when the same identical passage is read out , they all begin to purse up their eyebrows , and to shake their heads , and they say that they might indeed utter a discourse transcendently lofty , but that all cannot comprehend the greatness of that thought which is implied in it ; and that , therefore , among the wise the chief thing is silence . For that Sige ( silence ) which is above must be typified by that silence which they preserve . Thus do they , as many as they are , all depart [ from each other ] , holding so many opinions as to one thing , and bearing about their clever notions in secret within themselves . When , therefore , they shall have agreed among themselves as to the things predicted in the Scriptures , then also shall they be confuted by us . For , though holding wrong opinions , they do in the meanwhile , however , convict themselves , since they are not of one mind with regard to the same words . But as we follow for our teacher the one and only true God , and possess His words as the rule of truth , we do all speak alike with regard to the same things , knowing but one God , the Creator of this universe , who sent the prophets , who led forth the people from the land of Egypt , who in these last times manifested His own Son , that He might put the unbelievers to confusion , and search out the fruit of righteousness .
Notes 555 Luke v. 36, 37.
556 Book i. p. 334, this volume.
557 Illorum; following the Greek form of the comparative degree.
