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Against Heresies

Irenaeus of Lyons

Book 5 · Chapter 36

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

Men shall be actually raised: the world shall not be annihilated; but there shall be various mansions for the saints, according to the rank allotted to each individual. All things shall be subject to God the Father, and so shall He be all in all.

Section 1

1. For since there are real men,

‹ Book 5 · Chapter 35

so

must

there

also

be

a

real

establishment

(

plantationem

)

,

that

they

vanish

not

away

among

non

-

existent

things

,

but

progress

among

those

which

have

an

actual

existence

.

For

neither

is

the

substance

nor

the

essence

of

the

creation

annihilated

(

for

faithful

and

true

is

He

who

has

established

it

)

,

but

“

the

fashion

of

the

world

passeth

away

;

”

that

is

,

those

things

among

which

transgression

has

occurred

,

since

man

has

grown

old

in

them

.

And

therefore

this

[

present

]

fashion

has

been

formed

temporary

,

God

foreknowing

all

things

;

as

I

have

pointed

out

in

the

preceding

book

,

and

have

also

shown

,

as

far

as

was

possible

,

the

cause

of

the

creation

of

this

world

of

temporal

things

.

But

when

this

[

present

]

fashion

[

of

things

]

passes

away

,

and

man

has

been

renewed

,

and

flourishes

in

an

incorruptible

state

,

so

as

to

preclude

the

possibility

of

becoming

old

,

[

then

]

there

shall

be

the

new

heaven

and

the

new

earth

,

in

which

the

new

man

shall

remain

[

continually

]

,

always

holding

fresh

converse

with

God

.

And

since

(

or

,

that

)

these

things

shall

ever

continue

without

end

,

Isaiah

declares

,

“

For

as

the

new

heavens

and

the

new

earth

which

I

do

make

,

continue

in

my

sight

,

saith

the

Lord

,

so

shall

your

seed

and

your

name

remain

.

”

And

as

the

presbyters

say

,

Then

those

who

are

deemed

worthy

of

an

abode

in

heaven

shall

go

there

,

others

shall

enjoy

the

delights

of

paradise

,

and

others

shall

possess

the

splendour

of

the

city

;

for

everywhere

the

Saviour

shall

be

seen

according

as

they

who

see

Him

shall

be

worthy

.

Section 2

2. [They say, moreover], that there is this distinction between the habitation of those who produce an hundred-fold, and that of those who produce sixty-fold, and that of those who produce thirty-fold: for the first will be taken up into the heavens, the second will dwell in paradise, the last will inhabit the city; and that was on this account the Lord declared, “In My Father’s house are many mansions.” For all things belong to God, who supplies all with a suitable dwelling-place; even as His Word says, that a share is allotted to all by the Father, according as each person is or shall be worthy. And this is the couch on which the guests shall recline, having been invited to the wedding. The presbyters, the disciples of the apostles, affirm that this is the gradation and arrangement of those who are saved, and that they advance through steps of this nature; also that they ascend through the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the Father, and that in due time the Son will yield up His work to the Father, even as it is said by the apostle, “For He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” For in the times of the kingdom, the righteous man who is upon the earth shall then forget to die. “But when He saith, All things shall be subdued unto Him, it is manifest that He is excepted who did put all things under Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.”

Notes

336
1 Cor. vii. 31.
337
Lib. iv. 5, 6.
338
Isa. lxvi. 22.
339
Thus in a Greek fragment; in the Old Latin, Deus.
340
John xiv. 2.
341
Matt. xxii. 10.
342
1 Cor. xv. 25, 26.
343
1 Cor. xv. 27, 28.