CHRIST OUR LIGHT The New Life of Easter | faith of our fathers |

Irenaeus of Lyons While little is known of Irenaeus’ personal background, it is widely held that he was born near Smyrna (Turkey) around 130 CE. Irenaeus does reveal that, as a youth, he had known Polycarp, who had known the apostles and been ap- pointed by them as bishop of the church in Smyrna. Irenaeus himself became known for his understanding of Christian teachings and eventually went to Rome for further studies, likely under Justin Martyr among others. At some point he was then sent to serve the church in Lyons in Gaul (modern day France). While on a trip to Rome to deliver a letter, a severe persecution broke out in Lyons, resulting in the death of their bishop. When Irenaeus returned from Rome, he was elected as the next bishop and remained in that position for the rest of his life. His own martyrdom is commemorated on June 28. In addition to enduring violent perse- cutions, the church in Lyons was con- fronted by theological controversies raised St. Irenaeus of Lyons by the teachings of Valentinian Gnostics. During his episcopate, Irenaeus confront- So, faith procures this for us, as the elders, the disciples of ed these false teachings in his two extant the apostles, have handed down to us, frstly, it exhorts us to writings. His most well-known writing is Against the Heresies (AH), a lengthy remember that we have received baptism for the remission of sins, exposition and defense of the Catholic in the name of God the Father, and in the name of Jesus Christ, faith. The other is The Demonstration of the the Son of God, who was incarnate, and died, and was raised, Apostolic Preaching (Dem.), which provides a brief summary of the same apostolic and in the Holy Spirit of God; and that this baptism is the seal faith explained in Against the Heresies so of eternal life and rebirth unto God, that we may no longer be that Christians might not be led astray by sons of mortal men, but of the eternal and everlasting God, and false teachers. that the eternally existing God is above everything that has come The Rule of Faith into being and everything is subjected to Him, and that which is In the above mentioned summary of subject to Him is all made by Him, so that God does not run nor the Rule of Faith, Irenaeus emphasizes is Lord over what is another’s, but over His own, and all things baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as the means by which are God’s: and therefore God is the Almighty and everything is God saves sinners and gives them the new from God. (Dem. 1:3) birth of eternal life, making them His sons

28 Eastern Oklahoma Catholic | May 2021 | www.dioceseoftulsa.org and daughters and heirs of His Kingdom. with the help of the Holy Spirit living Jesus Christ, as well as our identity as be- Irenaeus also stresses that God is the in us.” (2 Tim. 1:13-14) So when Valentinian loved children of the Father through Bap- creator and ruler of all things and there is Gnostics began teaching that the “god” of tism. In what is known as his “Recapitu- no other god. While these teachings are the Old Testament was a lesser demiurge lation Theory,” Irenaeus taught that Christ at the core of the the apostolic faith of the to Sophia, who ofered a true, secret reconciled all things to Himself by being Church, it was necessary for Irenaeus to knowledge to the enlightened, Irenaeus born, living, dying and being resurrected recount them for the early Christians as was compelled to respond. While Gnostic fully human. As the race of humanity un- they were being confronted by false teach- teachings were diverse and had many der the disobedience of Adam was subject ers who were distorting them. schools of thought, they generally denied to sin and death, the race of humanity Irenaeus likened such false teachers to the goodness of creation and matter, under the obedience of the Second Adam, people who would take a beautiful mosaic locating reality and salvation only in the Jesus Christ, is redeemed and given new of a king, made out of precious stones by “spiritual” realm or in the possession of life. (cf. 1 Cor. 15) Rather than falling to Satan a skillful artist, and then rearrange the tiles “knowledge.” The human body, then, was like Adam, the Second Adam defeats him. and jewels to make a picture of a dog or a merely reduced to a useless shell, which Irenaeus united the economy of salvation fox, thus destroying the image of the king. amounted to a denial of the bodily resur- revealed in scriptures in Jesus Christ, cit- These heretics, according to Irenaeus, mis- rection. Their teachings further rejected ing further biblical examples, such as the use and rearrange the scriptures for their the apostolic faith that proclaimed the faithlessness of Eve and the faithfulness of own end: “In the same way, these people one eternal Triune God and the beauty the Second Eve, Mary. patch together old women’s fables, and of the creation, as well as the physical The importance of Christ reconciling then pluck words and sayings and parables incarnation, life, death, resurrection and all things to Himself, for Irenaeus, meant from here and there and wish to adapt ascension of Jesus Christ. that the baptized human had been grafted these words of God to their fables.” (AH 1:8:1) In Demonstration, Irenaeus exhorts his into a new humanity, made into a new As such, Irenaeus believed it was essen- readers to hold fast to Scripture and the person, capable of communion with God tial for the Church to clearly outline its apostolic tradition that makes salvation and in the process of being transformed teachings so that its members would not known through Jesus Christ. Irenaeus into sons of God through partaking the be led astray by false teachings, which turn forcefully argues that all of the biblical divine nature. This is often referred to in the image of the king into a fox and threat- witness demonstrates that the one God Christian theology as “theosis” and has en the message of salvation in Christ. has revealed Himself to humanity through profound ramifications for humanity. As the patriarchs and prophets in Scripture we partake of the divine life through the The Demonstration of and in history through His Son, Jesus, sacramental economy of the Church, we the Apostolic Preaching by the one Holy Spirit. Thus, God has are in the process of being made into the The purpose of the Demonstration, brought humanity, His creation, out of image of God, our very being, trans- therefore, is very straightforward. In the the mud into a relationship with Him- formed by His grace so that in Christ we opening paragraph, Irenaeus addresses self. God has recreated the human race might be recreated so that we are truly Marcianus with a “summary memoran- through the gift of Jesus Christ so that and fully human and join Him in His dum” so that he may “understand all the they are no longer under the dominion of Kingdom at the resurrection of the body members of the body of truth.” In other Satan, Adam, death and hell but, through and life everlasting. words, it is a catechetical treatise that Baptism, made into a new creation under So, in the Eucharist, Irenaeus teaches, outlines Christianity. This is the earliest the rule of Jesus Christ. If Christians “For as the bread, which is produced summary of Christian teaching outside of follow the false teachings of the Gnostics, from the earth, when it receives the the biblical canon, although in it Irenaeus then they risk falling back under the reign invocation of God, is no longer common follows the examples of the great speeches of sin and death. bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of in Acts, recounting all the various deeds of “… we must keep the rule of faith two realities, earthly and heavenly; so also God, culminating in the exaltation of His unswervingly, and perform the command- our bodies, when they crucified Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and ments of God, believing in God and fearing receive the Eucharist, the bestowal of His Holy Spirit and the gift Him, for He is Lord, and loving Him, for are no longer cor- of a new heart of flesh for humanity. It is He is Father … . Faith is established upon ruptible, having the most remarkable that Irenaeus relies al- things truly real, that we may believe what hope of the resur- most exclusively on the witness of the Old really is, as it is, and believing what really rection to eternity.” Testament for his summary of the faith, is, as it is, we may always keep our convic- (AH 4.18.5) citing the New Testament only six times. tion of it firm. Since, then, the conserver As the bishop of Lyons, Irenaeus took of our salvation is faith, it is necessary to seriously the charge that St. Paul gave to take great care of it, that we may have true Mason Beecroft is the managing Timothy: “Hold to the standard of sound comprehension of what it is.” (Dem. 1:3) editor for Eastern Oklahoma Catholic and teaching that you have heard from me, in For the Church, taking great care of serves as a member of the faculty for the the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. faith and having a comprehension of it Alcuin Institute for Catholic Culture. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, reveals the depth of God’s love for us in

29