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Against Heresies
Irenaeus of Lyons
Book 5 · Chapter 14 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 Unless the flesh were to be saved, the Word would not have taken upon Him flesh of the same substance as ours: from this it would follow that neither should we have been reconciled by Him. Section 1 1 . And inasmuch as the apostle has not
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pronounced
against
the
very
substance
of
flesh
and
blood
,
that
it
cannot
inherit
the
kingdom
of
God
,
the
same
apostle
has
everywhere
adopted
the
term
“
flesh
and
blood
”
with
regard
to
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
,
partly
indeed
to
establish
His
human
nature
(
for
He
did
Himself
speak
of
Himself
as
the
Son
of
man
)
,
and
partly
that
He
might
confirm
the
salvation
of
our
flesh
.
For
if
the
flesh
were
not
in
a
position
to
be
saved
,
the
Word
of
God
would
in
no
wise
have
become
flesh
.
And
if
the
blood
of
the
righteous
were
not
to
be
inquired
after
,
the
Lord
would
certainly
not
have
had
blood
[
in
His
composition
]
.
But
inasmuch
as
blood
cries
out
(
vocalis
est
)
from
the
beginning
[
of
the
world
]
,
God
said
to
Cain
,
when
he
had
slain
his
brother
,
“
The
voice
of
thy
brother’s
blood
crieth
to
Me
.
”
And
as
their
blood
will
be
inquired
after
,
He
said
to
those
with
Noah
,
“
For
your
blood
of
your
souls
will
I
require
,
[
even
]
from
the
hand
of
all
beasts
;
”
and
again
,
“
Whosoever
will
shed
man’s
blood
,
it
shall
be
shed
for
his
blood
.
”
In
like
manner
,
too
,
did
the
Lord
say
to
those
who
should
afterwards
shed
His
blood
,
“
All
righteous
blood
shall
be
required
which
is
shed
upon
the
earth
,
from
the
blood
of
righteous
Abel
to
the
blood
of
Zacharias
the
son
of
Barachias
,
whom
ye
slew
between
the
temple
and
the
altar
.
Verily
I
say
unto
you
,
All
these
things
shall
come
upon
this
generation
.
”
He
thus
points
out
the
recapitulation
that
should
take
place
in
his
own
person
of
the
effusion
of
blood
from
the
beginning
,
of
all
the
righteous
men
and
of
the
prophets
,
and
that
by
means
of
Himself
there
should
be
a
requisition
of
their
blood
.
Now
this
[
blood
]
could
not
be
required
unless
it
also
had
the
capability
of
being
saved
;
nor
would
the
Lord
have
summed
up
these
things
in
Himself
,
unless
He
had
Himself
been
made
flesh
and
blood
after
the
way
of
the
original
formation
[
of
man
]
,
saving
in
his
own
person
at
the
end
that
which
had
in
the
beginning
perished
in
Adam
.
Section 2 2 . But if the Lord became incarnate for any other order of things , and took flesh of any other substance , He has not then summed up human nature in His own person , nor in that case can He be termed flesh . For flesh has been truly made [ to consist in ] a transmission of that thing moulded originally from the dust . But if it had been necessary for Him to draw the material [ of His body ] from another substance , the Father would at the beginning have moulded the material [ of flesh ] from a different substance [ than from what He actually did ] . But now the case stands thus , that the Word has saved that which really was [ created , viz . , ] humanity which had perished , effecting by means of Himself that communion which should be held with it , and seeking out its salvation . But the thing which had perished possessed flesh and blood . For the Lord , taking dust from the earth , moulded man ; and it was upon his behalf that all the dispensation of the Lord’s advent took place . He had Himself , therefore , flesh and blood , recapitulating in Himself not a certain other , but that original handiwork of the Father , seeking out that thing which had perished . And for this cause the apostle , in the Epistle to the Colossians , says , “ And though ye were formerly alienated , and enemies to His knowledge by evil works , yet now ye have been reconciled in the body of His flesh , through His death , to present yourselves holy and chaste , and without fault in His sight . ” He says , “ Ye have been reconciled in the body of His flesh , ” because the righteous flesh has reconciled that flesh which was being kept under bondage in sin , and brought it into friendship with God .
Section 3 3 . If , then , any one allege that in this respect the flesh of the Lord was different from ours , because it indeed did not commit sin , neither was deceit found in His soul , while we , on the other hand , are sinners , he says what is the fact . But if he pretends that the , Lord possessed another substance of flesh , the sayings respecting reconciliation will not agree with that man . For that thing is reconciled which had formerly been in enmity . Now , if the Lord had taken flesh from another substance , He would not , by so doing , have reconciled that one to God which had become inimical through transgression . But now , by means of communion with Himself , the Lord has reconciled man to God the Father , in reconciling us to Himself by the body of His own flesh , and redeeming us by His own blood , as the apostle says to the Ephesians , “ In whom we have redemption through His blood , the remission of sins ; ” and again to the same he says , “ Ye who formerly were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ ; ” and again , “ Abolishing in His flesh the enmities , [ even ] the law of commandments [ contained ] in ordinances . ” And in every Epistle the apostle plainly testifies , that through the flesh of our Lord , and through His blood , we have been saved .
Section 4 4 . If , therefore , flesh and blood are the things which procure for us life , it has not been declared of flesh and blood , in the literal meaning ( proprie ) of the terms , that they cannot inherit the kingdom of God ; but [ these words apply ] to those carnal deeds already mentioned , which , perverting man to sin , deprive him of life . And for this reason he says , in the Epistle to the Romans : “ Let not sin , therefore , reign in your mortal body , to be under its control : neither yield ye your members instruments of unrighteousness unto sin ; but yield yourselves to God , as being alive from the dead , and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God . ” In these same members , therefore , in which we used to serve sin , and bring forth fruit unto death , does He wish us to [ be obedient ] unto righteousness , that we may bring forth fruit unto life . Remember , therefore , my beloved friend , that thou hast been redeemed by the flesh of our Lord , re - established by His blood ; and “ holding the Head , from which the whole body of the Church , having been fitted together , takes increase ” — that is , acknowledging the advent in the flesh of the Son of God , and [ His ] divinity ( deum ) , and looking forward with constancy to His human nature ( hominem ) , availing thyself also of these proofs drawn from Scripture — thou dost easily overthrow , as I have pointed out , all those notions of the heretics which were concocted afterwards .
Notes 115 Gen. iv. 10.
116 Gen. ix. 5, 6, LXX.
117 One of the mss. reads here: Sanguis pro sanguine ejus effundetur.
118 Matt. xxiii. 35 , etc.; Luke xi. 50.
119 Col. i. 21 , etc.
120 Eph. i. 7.
121 Eph. ii. 13.
122 Eph. ii. 15.
123 Rom. vi. 12, 13 , etc.
124 “Et sanguine ejus redhibitus,” corresponding to the Greek term ἀποκατασταθείς. “Redhibere” is properly a forensic term, meaning to cause any article to be restored to the vendor.
125 Col. ii. 19.
126 Harvey restores the Greek thus, καὶ τὸν αὐτοῦ ἄνθρωπον βεβαίως ἐκδεχόμενος, which he thinks has a reference to the patient waiting for “Christ’s second advent to judge the world.” The phrase might also be translated, and “receiving stedfastly His human nature.”
