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Against Heresies

Irenaeus of Lyons

Book 5 · Chapter 11

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

Treats upon the actions of carnal and of spiritual persons; also, that the spiritual cleansing is not to be referred to the substance of our bodies, but to the manner of our former life.

Section 1

1. [The apostle], foreseeing the

‹ Book 5 · Chapter 10 Book 5 · Chapter 12 ›

wicked

speeches

of

unbelievers

,

has

particularized

the

works

which

he

terms

carnal

;

and

he

explains

himself

,

lest

any

room

for

doubt

be

left

to

those

who

do

dishonestly

pervert

his

meaning

,

thus

saying

in

the

Epistle

to

the

Galatians

:

“

Now

the

works

of

the

flesh

are

manifest

,

which

are

adulteries

,

fornications

,

uncleanness

,

luxuriousness

,

idolatries

,

witchcrafts

,

hatreds

,

contentions

jealousies

,

wraths

,

emulations

,

animosities

,

irritable

speeches

,

dissensions

,

heresies

,

envyings

,

drunkenness

,

carousings

,

and

such

like

;

of

which

I

warn

you

,

as

also

I

have

warned

you

,

that

they

who

do

such

things

shall

not

inherit

the

kingdom

of

God

.

”

Thus

does

he

point

out

to

his

hearers

in

a

more

explicit

manner

what

it

is

[

he

means

when

he

declares

]

,

“

Flesh

and

blood

shall

not

inherit

the

kingdom

of

God

.

”

For

they

who

do

these

things

,

since

they

do

indeed

walk

after

the

flesh

,

have

not

the

power

of

living

unto

God

.

And

then

,

again

,

he

proceeds

to

tell

us

the

spiritual

actions

which

vivify

a

man

,

that

is

,

the

engrafting

of

the

Spirit

;

thus

saying

,

“

But

the

fruit

of

the

Spirit

is

love

,

joy

,

peace

,

long

-

suffering

,

goodness

,

benignity

,

faith

,

meekness

,

continence

,

chastity

:

against

these

there

is

no

law

.

”

As

,

therefore

,

he

who

has

gone

forward

to

the

better

things

,

and

has

brought

forth

the

fruit

of

the

Spirit

,

is

saved

altogether

because

of

the

communion

of

the

Spirit

;

so

also

he

who

has

continued

in

the

aforesaid

works

of

the

flesh

,

being

truly

reckoned

as

carnal

,

because

he

did

not

receive

the

Spirit

of

God

,

shall

not

have

power

to

inherit

the

kingdom

of

heaven

.

As

,

again

,

the

same

apostle

testifies

,

saying

to

the

Corinthians

,

“

Know

ye

not

that

the

unrighteous

shall

not

inherit

the

kingdom

of

God

?

Do

not

err

,

”

he

says

:

“

neither

fornicators

,

nor

idolaters

,

nor

adulterers

,

nor

effeminate

,

nor

abusers

of

themselves

with

mankind

,

nor

thieves

,

nor

covetous

,

nor

revilers

,

nor

rapacious

persons

,

shall

inherit

the

kingdom

of

God

.

And

these

ye

indeed

have

been

;

but

ye

have

been

washed

,

but

ye

have

been

sanctified

,

but

ye

have

been

justified

in

the

name

of

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

and

in

the

Spirit

of

our

God

.

”

He

shows

in

the

clearest

manner

through

what

things

it

is

that

man

goes

to

destruction

,

if

he

has

continued

to

live

after

the

flesh

;

and

then

,

on

the

other

hand

,

[

he

points

out

]

through

what

things

he

is

saved

.

Now

he

says

that

the

things

which

save

are

the

name

of

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

and

the

Spirit

of

our

God

.

Section 2

2. Since, therefore, in that passage he recounts those works of the flesh which are without the Spirit, which bring death [upon their doers], he exclaimed at the end of his Epistle, in accordance with what he had already declared, “And as we have borne the image of him who is of the earth, we shall also bear the image of Him who is from heaven. For this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” Now this which he says, “as we have borne the image of him who is of the earth,” is analogous to what has been declared, “And such indeed ye were; but ye have been washed, but ye have been sanctified, but ye have been justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.” When, therefore, did we bear the image of him who is of the earth? Doubtless it was when those actions spoken of as “works of the flesh” used to be wrought in us. And then, again, when [do we bear] the image of the heavenly? Doubtless when he says, “Ye have been washed,” believing in the name of the Lord, and receiving His Spirit. Now we have washed away, not the substance of our body, nor the image of our [primary] formation, but the former vain conversation. In these members, therefore, in which we were going to destruction by working the works of corruption, in these very members are we made alive by working the works of the Spirit.

Notes

78
Or, “poisonings.”
79
Gal. v. 19, etc.
80
Gal. v. 22.
81
1 Cor. vi. 9–11.
82
1 Cor. xv. 49, etc.