Ireneaus' Polemic Against Heresy

Ireneaus' Polemic Against Heresy

1. Introduction

   • According to Hughes "He is a man of current affairs, a busy bishop serving a fronteir diocese. He is the greatest force between st paul and st augustine."
   • Born in Smyrna
   • Taught by Polycarp
   • Avoided persecution due to being in Rome protesting Heresies

2. Volumes of work

   • Composed a five volumed work called against herasies
     • Influenced by gnosticism
   • Influenced by Valentinion Gnostics, lead by Marcus and his followers
   • Book One
     • Gave an account of the beliefs of Valentinians
     • Universal churches beliefs
       • Contrasted with beliefs of Valentinians
     • Gnostic teachers Simon Magus to Ophites
   • Book 2
     • Refuted Gnosticism
   • Book 3
     • Gnostic teachings contrasted with apistolic tradition
     • Unity of apistolic teaching
     • rejection of doectism
   • Book 4
     • Argue against Marcianism
     • Affirms common divine author
     • affirms the common divine author of two covenants
   • Book 5
     • Affirms the ressurection of Jesus due to Gnostic denials
     • Referance is made to the antichrist

3. NP

   • decribed the gnostic system by exposing contradictions to Gnostic teachings
   • Incredible and Incoherant - Erick Osboom

4. Secret Teachings

   • Claimed teachings were secret apistolic traditons
   • Valentinians claimed their leader was taught by a disciple of Paul
   • Irenius dismissed this claim and preserved their sucessive bishops with the inconsistant alleged apistolic traditons

5. Rule Of Faith

   • Apistolically founded churches were known as ROF
     • Criteria by which heretical interpretations of scriptures could be tested
   • Criticised gnostic misinterpretation and misapplication of the scriptures
     • Described them as unreasonable & perverse

6. Controversy

   • recognised the need for agreement on authorative Christian writings
   • Accepts that some writings ended up as NT canon

7. Polemic

   • Required a positive statement of church beliefs
     • Gnosticism rejected one God who was the creator
     • By means of words or wisdom he created the world
   • created the doctrine of copulation believing everything is restored through Jesus

8. Conclusion

   • Irenius completely refuted Gnosticism
   • His work is slightly unreliable as he is biased