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THE PNEUMATOLOGY OF IRENAEUS OF LYONS

Introduction

Irenaeus is considered the most influential of all the early Fathers.1 He provided the

first systematic theology for the Church through his writings, which were the result of a valiant

fight he waged against the Gnostics who were threatening the Church.2 Irenaeus’ primary focus

was to explain the nature of the true God, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the realities of Creation,

while dismantling the teachings of the Gnostics.3 Nevertheless, he had a great deal to say about

the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. In fact, his “awareness of the ongoing activity of the

Holy Spirit [went] far beyond other writers of the second century, with the possible exception of

Tertullian.”4 Furthermore, he was the first theologian to address the theme of the “Beauty of

God the Holy Spirit.”5 As such, he was instrumental in the Church’s development of the doctrine

1

1 Stanley M. Burgess, The Holy Spirit: Ancient Christian Traditions (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1984), 58. Gustav Wingren, Man and the Incarnation: A Study in the Biblical Theology of Irenaeus (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1959), xii. William G. Rusch, The Trinitarian Controversy (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1980), 6. Henry Barclay Swete, The Holy Spirit in the Ancient Church (London: Macmillan and Co., 1912), 85. In listing leaders of the Church in 168 AD who held correct “opinions on the sound faith of the apostolic tradition...,” Eusebius states that Irenaeus was “above all” of these men. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 4.21.1, trans. Kirsopp Lake, LCL 153 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1926), 375. Cf. Henry Barclay Swete, The Holy Spirit in the Ancient Church (London: Macmillan and Co., 1912), 85.

2 Burgess, The Holy Spirit, 58.

3 John Eifion Morgain-Wynne, Holy Spirit and Religious Experience in Christian Literature ca. AD 90-200 (Milton-Keynes, United Kingdom: Paternoster, 2006), 196.

4 Ibid., 60. Rusch notes that Irenaeus gives the greatest attention to the Holy Spirit beyond that of his predecessors. William G. Rusch, “The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the Patristic and Medieval Church,” in The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church, ed. Paul D. Opsahl (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1978), 71. Everett Ferguson is incorrect in his assessment that the work of the Holy Spirit is “somewhat neglected and little developed” apart from a prophetic function in Irenaeus. Everett Ferguson, “Irenaeus’ Proof of the Apostolic Preaching and Early Catechetical Instruction,” in Studia Patristica, ed. Elizabeth A. Livingstone, Vol 18, 3 (Leuven: Peeters Press, 1989), 127.

5 Patrick Sherry, “The Beauty of God the Holy Spirit,” Theology Today 64 (2007): 5.

of the Holy Spirit which matured in the late second and early third centuries.6

This study seeks to articulate the pneumatology of Irenaeus in three sections. The first

will include a brief discussion of Irenaeus’ life, writings and opponents, which will provide the

context for his ministry. Following this treatment, attention will be given to several key terms he

uses to describe the Holy Spirit. Finally, his view of the Holy Spirit will be explored in relation

to the Godhead, Creation, Scripture, Jesus Christ, and the Church.

Background

Ireneaus’ Life

Very little is known about Irenaeus.7 Eusebius provides the only information about

him outside of his own writings.8 Most likely, he was a native of Asia Minor having been born

in Smyrna between 125 and 140 AD.9 As a young man,10 he was under the tutelage of Polycarp,

the Bishop of Smyrna and a disciple of the Apostle John. The majority of his ministry was

conducted in the cities of Lyons (Lugdunum11) and Vienne in Southern Gaul where he initially

2

6 Burgess, The Holy Spirit, 57. It should be noted that the formulation of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit was slow. Yet, when it did become formulated it was the result of the interplay of four factors: the role of Scripture, influence of heresy, worship of the Church, and soteriology. See Rusch, “The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit,” 66-67.

7 Denis Minns, Irenaeus (Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 1994), 2.

8 St. Irenaeus, Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, trans. and annotated Joseph P. Smith, eds. Johannes Quasten and Joseph C. Plumpe, Ancient Christian Writers, no. 16 (New York: Paulist Press, 1952), 3. Eusebius makes specific reference to Irenaeus in Ecclesiastical History. See chapters 3.18.2-3; 3.23.2-3; 3.28.6; 3.39.1-2; 4.7.4; 4.10.1-4.11.5; 4.14.1-9; 4.18.9; 4.21.1; 4.22.9; 4.28.1-3; 5.4.1-2; 5.5.8-5.8.15; 5.20.1-8; 5.24.11-18; 5.26.1.

9 Mary T. Clark suggests that Irenaeus was born ca. 115. Everett Ferguson, ed., Encyclopedia of Early Christianity (New York: Garland Publishing, 1990), s.v. “Irenaeus,” by Mary T. Clark. However, most scholars identify his birth between the dates noted above.

10 Charles Hill states that Irenaeus was between 18 and 30 years of age when he was being taught by Polycarp. See his work, From the Lost Teaching of Polycarp (Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2006), 72.

11 Lugdunum was a Roman colony found in 43 BC following Caesar’s victories in Gaul. It was “the principal centre for trade, transport and government.” Richard A. Norris, Jr., “Irenaeus of Lyons,” in The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature, eds. Francis Young, Lewis Ayres and Andrew Louth (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), 45.

served as a presbyter and later as bishop.

Prior to moving to Gaul, Irenaeus traveled to Rome. It is believed that he studied

under Justin Martyr and spent some time teaching in the city.12 While there, he also became

acquainted with Valentinus and Marcion, whose disciples he would later fight in the course of

defending the apostolic teaching that was passed down to him. Toward the latter part of the

second century he left Rome and settled in Lyons.13 He continued his ministry there until his

death ca. 202 AD.14

In 177 or 178 AD, the Christian communities in Lyons and Vienne commissioned

Irenaeus to deliver a letter to Bishop Eleutherus and the churches in Asia and Phrygia describing

the martyrdom of Christians in his region and to discuss matters concerning the Montanists.15

During this mission a severe persecution of Christians broke out under the hand of Marcus

Aurelius. At least forty-eight Christians were martyred including Bishop Pothinus of Lyons who

was ninety years old.16 Upon his return from Rome, Irenaeus was appointed Bishop of Lyons.

3

12 F. R. Montgomery Hitchcock, The Treatise of Ireneaus of Lugdunum Against the Heresies (London: SPCK, 1916), vii.

13 Rusch, The Trinitarian Controversy, 6. The exact date of Ireneaus’ arrival in Gaul is unknown.

14 Pope Benedict XVI, The Fathers of the Church: From Clement of Rome to Augustine of Hippo (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), 14. Irenaeus’ death is generally accepted to have occurred between 200-202 AD Richard A. Norris notes that Gregory of Tours claimed that Irenaeus was martyred although no substantive evidence exists to support this. Richard Norris, “Irenaeus of Lyons,” 46. Feast days were established in the Greek (August 23) and Latin churches (June 28) to commemorate Irenaeus‘ martyrdom. Cf. Introduction, St. Irenaeus, Proof, 3 fn 3.

15 Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 5.3.4-5.4.1-2. The letter is found in 5.1.1-63. C.T. Cruttwell states that the believers in Gaul were in support of the Montanists. C.T. Cruttwell, A Literary History of Early Christianity, vol. 2 (London, 1893), 378; Francis X. Murphy, The Christian Way of Life (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, 1986), 77. Henry Barclay Swete agrees with Crutwell’s claim. He also notes that the Montanists, named after its founder, Montanus (c. 170 AD), were known for their emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. The movment spread beyond Asia Minor in the latter half of the second century. It made its way to Lyons and Rome, finding sympathy within the Christian community in Lyons. Swete adds: “It is clear that the suffering Churches of Gaul had been sustained by the new emphasis which had been laid on the continual presence of the Paraclete.” A controversy arose concerning Montanist practices, which resulted in their excommunication by Bishop Eleutherus. Swete, The Holy Spirit, 72-73; Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 5.16.10.

16 Pope Benedict XVI, The Fathers of the Church,” 14.

Irenaeus’ ministry in Gaul was primarily pastoral. True to his name he sought “peace”

in the Church as evidenced in two letters he wrote.17 The first was sent to Bishop Victor of

Rome, who succeeded Bishop Eleutherus. It addressed Victor’s dispute with the Churches in

Asia Minor over the date for celebrating Easter and the length of the fast associated with that

day.18 Victor wanted to excommunicate the Churches in Asia Minor since they were not

following the practices of the Churches in Rome. However, Irenaeus persuaded him not to

excommunicate the Asiatic Churches by appealing to the relationship that had existed between

Polycarp and Anicetus in prior years. Irenaeus stated that both men followed the practices of

those in leadership before them. Yet in spite of their differences in practice, they acted in peace

toward each other not wanting any division among the brotherhood.19 The second letter was

written to the presbyter Florinus who had fallen prey to false teachings. Irenaeus reminded him

of those occasions when they were together in Polycarp’s house listening to his discourses about

the apostles and their teachings. Irenaeus pleaded with Florinus to forsake the false teachings of

Valentinus and return to sound doctrine and practice.20

Irenaeus’ Writings

Although Irenaeus composed several letters and treatises,21 only two complete works

are extant: The Detection and Overthrow of So-called Knowledge, most often called Adversus

4

17 Irenaeus’ name means “peaceful.” Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 5.24.18. Cf. C. T. Cruttwell, A Literary History of Early Christianity, 375.

18 Known as the Quartodeciman Controversy, a celebration of Easter on Nisan 14. Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 5.24.11ff. Cf. Richard Norris, “Irenaeus of Lyons,” 45.

19 Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 5.24.9-18.

20 Ibid., 5.20.1-8.

21 Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 4.25.1 (treatise against Marcion); 5.20.1-8 (to Blastus, On Schism; to Florinus, On the Sole Sovereignty or That God is not the Author of Evil and On the Ogdoad).

Haereses (Against Heresies) and the Epideixis, or Proof (Demonstration)22 of the Apostolic

Preaching. Both were originally written in Greek. However, complete copies of Against

Heresies and Proof of the Apostolic Preaching survive only in Latin and Armenian,

respectively.23

Against Heresies, Irenaeus’ principal work, is a five-volume polemic against the

Gnostics. It was written over a period of years, probably between 182-188 AD.24 The first

volume contains a detailed exposition of the various Gnostic beliefs, highlighting and mocking

their absurdity. In the second volume, Irenaeus begins his refutation of Gnostic heresies on the

grounds of reason. The three remaining volumes continue the refutation by explaining the

history of salvation through the Old Testament, the parables, the Gospels and the epistles.25

Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching was written to a fellow Christian,

Marcianus.26 It is a “manual of essentials,” the first catechism of the early church.27 Most of

what is found in this work is contained in Against Heresies. But its real importance lies in “its

5

22 Joseph P. Smith notes the following concerning the English title for this work: “Eusebius refers to the work as (λόγος) . . . εἰς τὴν ἐπίδειξιν τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ κηρύγµατοϛ, ‘(a treatise) for the demonstration of the apostolic preaching.’ The word here rendered ‘demonstration’ is in Greek epídeixis, and the treatise is therefore referred to as “the Epideixis. This word, means, more or less, ‘demonstration,’ since it connotes not only ‘proof’ but also display, exposition . . . . The present version retains the title ‘Proof . . . ,’ both because it has some claim to be regarded as the traditional English title, and because it goes better in English, and because it represents in fact the scope of the treatise.” Introduction of St. Irenaeus, Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, trans. and annotated Joseph P. Smith, 13.

23 Minns, Irenaeus, 5-6. Against the Heresies was translated into Armenian, but only books four and five are extant . Fragments of the Greek version are preserved in other works: Hippolytus of Rome, Eusebius of Caesarea, Epiphanius of Salamis, and Theodoret of Cyrus. Cf. Mary T. Clark, “Irenaeus,” 472.

24 Irenaeus, Sancti Irenaei: Libros Quinque Adversus Haereses, ed. W. Wigan Harvey, vol. 1 (Canabrigia: Typis Academicis, 1857), clxiii.

25 Minns, Irenaeus, 6-7.

26 Smith suggests that Marcianus may be Irenaeus’ brother or a bishop. See introduction of St. Irenaeus, Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, trans. and annotated Joseph P. Smith, 14.

27 Minns, Irenaeus, 5-6. Cf. Everett Ferguson, “Irenaeus’ Proof of the Apostolic Preaching and Early Catechetical Instruction,” 129.

manner of presentation, its brevity and coherence.”28 It was written after Against Heresies and

consists of 100 chapters.29 The doctrinal content of the book is presented in the following

manner: introduction (chapters 1-2), the Trinity in creation and redemption (chapters 3-7), the

Father, (chapters 8-29), the Son (chapters 30-88), and the Holy Spirit and the Church (chapters

89-97).30 In the final chapters, Irenaeus specifies three errors of his opponents which led many

to wander from the true faith: either they despise the Father by believing that another “Father”

exists who is above the Creator, they reject the Son by speaking against the Incarnation, or they

refuse the Holy Spirit by rejecting His gifts, especially prophecy. Each of these errors highlight

the major strands of heretical thought that Irenaeus opposed, to which Everett Ferguson states:

“The first error was associated with Gnostic systems, the second was that of Docetism,31 and the

third was part of the Marcionite rejection of the Old Testament.”32

Irenaeus’ works helped to bring about a corpus of Christian Scriptures along with a

“Rule of Faith,” which was passed down from the Apostles.33 They served to defend the

“integrity of the common faith of the universal church”34 and were widely known in the early

6

28 Ibid., 22.

29 Aldof van Harnack divided this work into chapters. See Introduction, St. Irenaeus, Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, trans. and annotated Joseph P. Smith, 4.

30 Everett Ferguson, “Irenaeus’ Proof of the Apostolic Preaching and Early Catechetical Instruction,” 127.

31 A “view that Christ’s humanity was only an appearance or disguise worn by the heavenly Redeemer.” Pheme Perkins, “Docetism,” in Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, ed. Everett Ferguson (New York & London: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1990), 272.

32 Ibid., 130.

33 L. G. Patterson, “Irenaeus and the Valentinians: The Emergence of a Christian Scriptures,” in Studia Patristica, Vol. 18 3 ed. Elizabeth A. Livingstone (Leuven: Peeters Press, 1989), 2.

34 Denis Minns, “Truth and Tradition: Irenaeus,” in The Cambridge History of Christianity: Origins to Constantine, Vol. 1, eds. Margaret M. Mitchell and Frances M. Young (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 261.

Church, influencing the thought of fourth-century theologians, such as Marcellus of Ancyra and

Athanasius of Alexandria.35 More than anyone else, he set forth the Christian message clearly,

which provided the Church a greater understanding of herself and her doctrine, and enabled her

to make a clear distinction from the heretics of the second century.36

Gnosticism

The Gnostics were a great threat37 to the Early Church as evidenced by the attention

given to them by Irenaeus. He traced their history back to Simon Magus,38 whom he considered

to be the ‘originator of all heresies,’ and developed a genealogy of Gnostic teachers that posed a

heretical alternative to apostolic teaching.39 Irenaeus makes this charge against them: “these

men falsify the oracles of God, and prove themselves evil interpreters of the good word of

revelation. They also overthrow the faith of many, by drawing them away, under a pretence of

[superior] knowledge, from Him who rounded and adorned the universe; as if, forsooth, they had

something more excellent and sublime to reveal, than that God who created the heaven and the

earth, and all things that are therein.”40

Since there were many schools of thought within Gnosticism, Irenaeus addressed his

7

35 Irenaeus’ writings were also regarded highly by Clement, Hippolytus, Tertullian, Cyprian, Ephiphanius and Theodoret. Cruttwell, A Literary History of Early Christianity, 390.

36 Ibid., 273.

37 Gnosticism became a significant threat partly from the abundance of its literature. Hamman writes: “By the middle of the second century there was more Gnostic literature than orthodox literature . . . . It went into everything: the Bible, the apocryphal writings and even poetry and prayer. The various types of Gnosticism spread around the area of the Black Sea and especially Alexandria - their hub - and extended as far as Rome, Carthage and eventually Lyons . . . .” Adalbert Hamman, How to Read the Church Fathers (New York: Crossroad, 1993), 21.

38 Acts 8.9 ff.

39 Terrance L. Tiessen, Irenaeus on the Salvation of the Unevangelized (Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1993), 36. Cf. Saint Irenaeus of Lyons Against Heresies 1.23.2.

40 Saint Irenaeus of Lyons Against Heresies 1.Pref.1.

opponents as one movement focusing on points of commonality.41 He gave particular attention

to Ptolemaeus and Marcus, disciples of the archheritics Valentinus and Marcion.42 There were

two primary concerns Irenaeus held in regard to Gnostic teaching; first, “its emanationistic

scheme expressed in the doctrine of aeons and, secondly, its dualistic outlook.”43

According to Gnostic thought a supreme God existed. However, he was unknowable

and disconnected from creation. Between this God and the world a space (pleroma) existed

which was filled with beings (Aeons) that emanated from him. Emerging from the Aeons was a

Demiurge who created the world. That which he created was evil, temporal and beyond

salvation. The principle of evil behind matter was the “devil.”44 On the other hand, the Spirit

within the created order was good, eternal, and able to be saved. The Spirit needed to be freed

from the captivity of the body. Gnostics also taught that the Scriptures spoke of two Gods: the

Creator God of the Old Testament, who was evil and flawed, and the New Testament God, who

was good and marked by love. Thus, as in the case with Marcion, the Old Testament and

portions of the New Testament which reflected the Creator God were discarded. Furthermore,

8

41 Tiessen, Irenaeus on the Salvation of the Unevangelized, 39-40. Irenaeus’ opponents include: Valentinus, Ptolemy, Colorbasus, Marcus the Magician, Menander in Syria. (He used magic to give knowledge to provide power to defeat the angels who created the world. He claimed to have been sent by invisible beings to save humanity. Baptism in his name provided resurrection and immortality.), Basilides in Alexandria, Saturninus, and Carpocrates. Irenaeus addressed others, who were not technically Gnostics: Cerinthus, the Nicolatians, and the Encratitae. Non-Valentinian sects included the Barbeliotae and the Ophites.

42 Ibid., 39-40. Irenaeus’ pays special attention to the Valentinians. Valentinus of Alexandria taught in Rome about 135-165 AD. He led a movement that flourished in the Mediterranean regions, especially Alexandria and Rome, along with Gaul. Valentinus attempted to gain the bishopric in Rome about 140 AD, but failed. As a result, he formed a sect about ten years hence. Marcus the Magician was the most active in Irenaeus’ region. When speaking of the Valentinians, Irenaeus is generally referring to Ptolemaeus and Marcus.

43 Tiessen cites Vallée on this point. Tiessen also notes Vallée’s distinction of seven kinds of dualism: 1) theological (God and demiurge), 2) Christological (Christ from Jesus, Logos from Savior, Christ above from Christ below), 3) Soteriological (one salvation for the spiritual, another for the psychical, 4) Scriptural (OT God from NT God), 5) Ecclesiastical (simple believers from the spiritual), 6) Social (some are good, others evil by nature), 7) Practical (superior people who were either rigorous or libertines in orientation). See Tiessen, Irenaeus on the Salvation of the Unevangelized, 40-41.

44 Introduction, Irenaeus, Proof, 24.

Jesus was identified as one of the Aeons who only seemed to have a body, but not through the

Virgin. Others insisted that he was born of Mary but that he took nothing from her.45 Each of

these distortions were seen as special knowledge, divinely revealed to those elected to receive it.

To the Gnostics, true Christianity was found in this secret knowledge whereby salvation was

secured.46

Simply put, the Gnostics were fabricators of esoteric thought, “flinging out ideas

which had no basis in the Apostolic witness;”47 yet all the while deceiving and influencing the

unstable, gullible and uninformed within the Christian community. Irenaeus strove “to stamp out

these objectionable innovations, and forge into a unity what the Church throughout the world had

taught since the days of the Apostles.”48 Like the martyrs in Lyons who were empowered by the

Holy Spirit to endure the cruelties at the hands of their accusers, Irenaeus depended upon God’s

Spirit to guide and strengthen him in his fight against heresy.

Irenaeus’ Language of the Holy Spirit

Irenaeus does not devote attention to the Holy Spirit in specific chapters of his

writings. Rather, he interweaves his understanding of the Spirit as he discusses both the Father

and the Son.49 Nevertheless, a very clear understanding of the activity and nature of the Holy

Spirit emerges. Irenaeus uses descriptive terms, such as the “Hands of God,” the “Finger of God,

9

45 Some sects within Gnosticism held that angels were the creators. Introduction, Irenaeus, Proof, 22-27.

46 Richard Norris, “Gnostic Literature,” in The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature, eds. Francis Young, Lewis Ayres and Andrew Louth (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), 21.

47 Wingren, Man and the Incarnation, xvi.

48 Ibid.

49 Thomas Forsyth Torrance, “Kerygmatic Proclamation of the Gospel: The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching of Irenaios of Lyons,” The Greek Orthodox Theological Review, Vol. 37 (1992): 117-118.

and the “Ladder of Ascent,” to capture and explain the significance of the Holy Spirit and His

relationship with the Father and the Son. These expressions serve as a “language of the Spirit.”

The “Hands of God” and the “Finger of God”

For God did not stand in need of these [beings], in order to the accomplishing of what He had himself determined with Himself beforehand should be done, as if He did not possess His own hands. For with Him were always present the Word and Wisdom, the Son and the Spirit, by whom and in whom, freely and spontaneously, He made all things, to whom also He speaks, saying, “Let us make man after Our image and likeness;” He taking from Himself the substance of the creatures [formed], and the pattern of things made, and the type of all the adornments in the world.50

And in the desert Moses received from God laws, ten sentences on tablets of stone, written with the finger of God; and “finger of God” is that which is put forth by the Father in the Holy Spirit, and the commandments and laws which He committed to the children of Israel to be kept.51

Following a Hebraic understanding of God,52 Irenaeus uses vivid metaphors, the

“hands of God”53and the “finger of God,” in order to “dispense with the elaborate systems of

mediation that the Gnostics proposed and to reaffirm the common faith that God, in his lordship

over the world, rules it according to his good will and purpose.”54 The ‘arm’, ‘hand’, or ‘finger’

of God is frequently used in the Old Testament to describe a special “divine act or intervention,

particularly in creation, in protection of God’s People or the vindication of the right, in

10

50 Irenaeus Against Heresies 4.20.1. Italics mine.

51 Irenaeus Proof 26.

52 John Lawson, The Biblical Theology of Saint Irenaeus (London: The Epworth Press, 1948), 119.

53 Irenaeus Against Heresies 4.Preface.4; 5.1.3; 5.5.1; 5.6.1; 5.28.4. It must be noted, however, that Ireneaus also uses “hands of God” in the sense of entrusting to God those things beyond the comprehension of man. Against Heresies 2.28.3, 7.

54 Joseph Haroutunian, “The Church, the Spirit, and the Hands of God,” Journal of Religion 54 2 (1974): 155.

revelation, or in prophetic inspiration.”55 John Lawson cites Dr. R. Newton Flew who observed

the following:

[I]t is noticeable that the only references to the “finger of God” in the Old Testament are to certain epochal events, which to the Hebrew mind lit up the meaning of history. Thus in Psalm 8.1 the heavens are the work of the finger of God. This is a reference to the creation. In Exodus 8.19 “the magicians said unto Pharoah, This is the finger of God.” God’s activity is marked at the time of the signal deliverance of the nation from Egypt. In Exodus 31.18 we read: ‘And he gave unto Moses . . . the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.’56

Irenaeus enlarges the meaning of the Old Testament metaphor when he speaks of the

“two hands of God” and the “finger of God,” as well as fortifies “the doctrine of an immediately

present and active God.”57 First of all, God’s Two Hands represent the Word, His Son who

become incarnate for the salvation of God’s people, and the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of God

spoken of in Proverbs.58 His Two Hands were always with Him, and therefore, were not created.

Instead, God created the heavens and the earth with His Hands, His Word and Spirit. Each was

fully dependent upon the other to carry out the will of the Father. The Incarnation of the Word,

His anointing, resurrection and ascension was the work of the Holy Spirit, as was the founding of

the Church. The Word, having fulfilled His mission, sent the Spirit to lead mankind to the

Father. Second, the “finger of God,” which also represents the Holy Spirit, makes the Word

known to man by way of special revelation in order to lead him to the Father by way of the

Word. With these expressions, Irenaeus was able preserve the unity of God and “underline the

11

55 John Lawson, The Biblical Theology of Saint Irenaeus, 123-24. Cf. Exodus 32.11; Numbers 11.23; Deuteronomy 5.15; 6.21; 7.8, 19; 9.26; 11.2; 26.8; 34.12; 1 Kings 18.46; 2 Kings 3.15; Psalm 44.3; 71.18; 77.15; 98.1; Isaiah 40.10; 48.13; 51.5, 9; 52.10; 53.1; Ezekiel 3.14, 16, 22; 8.1; 37.1

56 Ibid.

57 Ibid., 122.

58 Irenaeus identifies the Wisdom of Proverbs 8 as the Holy Spirit.

immediacy and continuity of God’s activity.”59 Furthermore, he began to unfold the true nature

of the one Supreme God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“Ladder of Ascent”

For this gift of God has been entrusted to the Church, as breath was to the first created man, for this purpose, that all the members receiving it may be vivified; and the [means of] communion with Christ has been distributed throughout it, that is, the Holy Spirit, the earnest of incorruption, the means of confirming our faith, and the ladder of ascent to God.60

The breath of life in man is common to all. Each has an “animal” or natural existence,

which in time will cease.61 Yet each is also dead spiritually, “like water poured out upon the

ground,”62 since he is devoid of God’s Spirit. However, there exists the possibility of a spiritual

awakening since Christ was glorified and the promised gift of the Holy Spirit was “poured forth

in a new manner upon humanity over all the earth renewing man to God.”63 Those who believe

in Jesus Christ receive an infusion of the Spirit and “mount to heaven”64 by that selfsame Spirit

bringing forth a communion with God. The Spirit leads men to Christ and Christ leads men to

the Father. Furthermore, the Spirit nourishes and causes increase in the life of man, enabling him

to progress and move toward perfection; that is, toward God.65 But this spiritual ascent to God is

only a part of the Spirit’s work. There remains the ascent of the body of man to God.66 Even as

12

59 Eric Osborn, Irenaeus of Lyons (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), 91.


61 Irenaeus Against Heresies 5.12.2.


63 Irenaeus, Proof 6.




the body of Christ was raised by the Spirit, so too, will the body of man be raised by the Spirit

and upon these “the Father confers incorruptibility.”67As such, Irenaeus states, “Without the

Spirit there is no seeing the Word of God, and without the Son there is no approaching the

Father; for the Son is knowledge of the Father, and knowledge of the Son is through the Holy

Spirit. But the Son, according to the Father’s good pleasure, administers the Spirit

charismatically as the Father will, to those to whom He will.”68 Thus, the Holy Spirit is the

means, or “ladder of ascent” to God.

Irenaeus’ Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

From the metaphors Irenaeus uses, his doctrine of the Holy Spirit begins to emerge.

Some of its elements include the Holy Spirit as Person, the Divinity of the Holy Spirit, the co-

dependency of the Spirit and the Word in creation, the immediacy of the Spirit’s work and

presence in the world, and the Spirit’s involvement in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

However, Irenaeus expounds further on the Person and work of the Spirit, which will be

addressed below.

The Spirit and the Godhead

[The Church believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father “to gather all things in one,” and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human

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68 Ibid.

race . . . .69

Although Irenaeus does not use the word “Trinity” to describe the nature of God, he is

unequivocally Trinitarian in belief.70 He views the Holy Spirit as co-equal with the Father and

the Son when he states that God, by His Word and Spirit, “makes, and disposes, and governs all

things into existence.”71 He maintains their co-equality as he describes the creation of man in

their image and likeness: “the Father planning everything well and giving commands, the Son

carrying these into execution and performing the work of creating, and the Spirit nourishing and

increasing what is made.”72 At the same time, Irenaeus preserves the unity of the Persons of the

Godhead. He writes: “There is one God, the Father, and one Word . . ., and one Spirit, and one

salvation to all who believe in Him.”73 This belief in the God who is Three in One is the

Church’s “Rule of faith” throughout the world. “[She believes] in one God, the Father

Almighty . . . and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God . . . and in the Holy Spirit.”74

The Spirit and Creation

For God . . . is He who, by His Word and Spirit, makes, and disposes, and governs all things, and commands all things into existence, He who formed the world (for the world is of all), He who fashioned man, He [who] is the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, above whom there in no other God, nor initial principle, nor power, nor pleroma, He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we shall prove.75

14


70 Iain M. MacKenzie, Irenaeus’s Demonstration of Apostolic Preaching: A Theological Commentary and Translation (Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2002), 81-90.






In Against Heresies and Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, Irenaeus gives a great deal

of attention to the role of the Spirit and the Word in the work of creation. This was noted in the

discussion of the “Two Hands of God” and the “Finger of God” above. However, in chapter five

of Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, Ireneaus describes the act of creation by the Word and the

Spirit in a peculiar manner:

God is rational, therefore by [the] Word He created the things that were made; and God is Spirit, and by [the] Spirt He adorned all things: as also the prophet says: By the word of the Lord were the heavens established, and by his spirit all their power. Since then the Word establishes, that is to say, gives body and grants the reality of being, and the Spirit gives order and form to the diversity of powers; rightly and fittingly is the Word called the Son, and the Spirit the Wisdom of God.76

T. F. Torrance notes the Spirit’s work in creation, while juxtaposed to the Word’s, is distinctive.

The Spirit “adorns” and “forms” things. This is in keeping with the Old Testament’s emphasis

that the Wisdom of God is the source of beauty and skill. “Thus,” as Torrance states, “while it

through the Word and the Spirit together that God creates all things, it is specifically in the

operation of the Spirit that Irenaios [sic] discerns the beauty, form, and order of the cosmos, and

it is to the Holy Spirit who is the Wisdom of the Father, yet always in close conjunction with the

Word, that he attributes the powers operating in the cosmos.”77

The Spirit and the Scriptures

If . . . we cannot discover explanations of all those things in Scripture which are made the subject of investigation, yet let us not on that account seek after any other God besides Him who really exists. For this is the very greatest impiety. We should leave things of that nature to God who created us, being most properly assured that the Scriptures are indeed perfect, since they were spoken by the Word of God and His Spirit; but we, inasmuch as we are inferior to, and later in existence than, the Word of God and His Spirit, are on that very

15

76 Translation is from MacKenzie, Irenaeus’s Demonstration of Apostolic Preaching, 2.

77 T. F. Torrance, “Kerygmatic Proclamation,” 119.

account destitute of the knowledge of His mysteries.78

Throughout his writings, Irenaeus stresses that the Holy Spirit spoke through the all

the prophets and the apostles, proclaiming that Jesus is God, Lord and King Eternal, the

Incarnate Word.79 As they spoke on behalf of God, the Spirit was present to them to such an

extent that Irenaeus said, “It is not a man who utters the prophecy; but the Spirit of God, taking

form and shape in the likeness of the person concerned, spoke in the prophets; sometimes He

spoke on the part of Christ, sometimes on that of the Father.”80 And in another place he writes:

“The Spirit manifests the Word, and therefore the prophets announced the Son of God, but the

Word articulates the Spirit, and therefore it is Himself who gives their message to the

prophets.”81 But the Spirit’s work went well beyond their divinely inspired speech and extended

to their writings.82 What the prophets and the apostles wrote, the Spirit and the Word had

spoken. Furthermore, Irenaeus notes that the Apostle Paul wrote in a particular style due to the

“impetus of the Spirit” in him.83 Thus, the Scriptures are perfect since the Authors themselves

are perfect. By virtue of their perfection, the Scriptures are to be trusted and can be trusted even

if they are not fully understood. Irenaeus held the highest view of the Scriptures possible and

encouraged others to hold the same position. For to trust the Scriptures is to trust God Himself.

Conversely, to deny or ignore the Scriptures is to do the same to the Authors of the Scriptures.

16





82 Irenaeus states the four Gospels are the full number written and are bound together by the Spirit. Against Heresies 3.11.8.


This applies as well to the Word proclaimed, for Irenaeus states that to reject prophecy is to reject

the Holy Spirit.84

The Spirit and Jesus Christ

The Spirit of God in His indwelling is manifold, and is enumerated by Isaias the prophet in the seven charismata resting on the Son of God, that is, the Word, in His coming as man. For he says: the spirit of God shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of fortitude, <the spirit of knowledge> and of godliness; the spirit of the fear of God shall fill him.85

As noted above, prior to the Incarnation both the Word and the Spirit, as the “Two

Hands of God,” brought forth the heavens and the earth and formed every creature, including

man. Following creation, however, the Holy Spirit began to prepare the world for the advent of

the Son. He established the Law to point men to Christ. He spoke through the prophets to

prepare and ready men for the coming of Christ. The Incarnation was “budded by the Spirit,”86

and Jesus’ ministry was preceded by the anointing of the Spirit, in which the Spirit rested upon

Him and empowered Him. At this point, Irenaeus notes that the Spirit blended with Jesus’

flesh.87 Yet, Jesus was also filled with the Spirit, which brought Him wisdom, understanding,

counsel, insight, knowledge, piety, and the fear of the Spirit of God. Thus, the Holy Spirit

worked in Him both inwardly and outwardly. The manifestation that Jesus was, in fact, anointed

and indwelt by the Spirit of God was His ability to fulfill the will of the Father; that is, doing

good, healing all who were sick and oppressed of the devil, proclaiming the Good News and the

17


85 Irenaeus Proof 9. Italics author’s.

86 Irenaeus Proof 59; Against Heresies 3.16.2.

87 Irenaeus Proof 41. Anthony Briggman notes that the anointing of Jesus rested upon His humanity alone, enabling Him to fulfill the messianic mission and redeem mankind. Anthony Briggman, “The Holy Spirit as the Unction of Christ in Irenaeus,” Journal of Theological Studies Vol. 61 (April 2010): 171-193.

year of the Lord, and redeeming mankind.88 Continuing His unique work, the Spirit is the One

who raises Jesus from the dead and through His power Jesus ascends into heaven and is

glorified.89 Irenaeus makes it clear that the Spirit was at work in every aspect of Jesus Christ’s

life, while carefully maintaining the unity of Jesus Christ; the One who is fully God and fully

man.90

The Spirit and the Church

“For in the Church,” it is said, “God hath set apostles, prophets, teachers,” and all the other means through which the Spirit works; of which all those are not partakers who do not join themselves to the Church, but defraud themselves of life through their perverse opinions and infamous behavior. For where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church, and every kind of grace; but the Spirit is truth. Those, therefore, who do not partake of Him, are neither nourished into life from the mother’s breasts, nor do they enjoy that most lipid fountain which issues from the body of Christ; but they dig for themselves broken cisterns out of earthly trenches, and drink putrid water out of the mire, fleeing from the faith of the Church lest they be convicted; and rejecting the Spirit, that they may not be instructed.91

When Christ completed his work and was glorified, He sent the gift of Holy Spirit to

the Church to be “the source of an ever-growing vitality and renewal.”92 The Spirit is a well

springing up into eternal life93 through whom the Church breathes, is rejuvenated and is

invigorated.94 Through the imparting of the Spirit, communion with God is made possible as

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88 Irenaeus Against Heresies 3.9.3; 3.12.7.

89 Irenaeus Against Heresies 3.12.2; 5.6.2-5.7.1.



92 J. Bentivegna, “The Charismatic Dossier of Saint Irenaeus,” in Studia Patristica 18. ed. Elizabeth A. Livingstone (Leuven: Peeters Press, 1989), 44. Bentivegna provides an excellent treatment of Ireneaus’ doctrine of the Holy Spirit.


94 Bentivegna, “The Charismatic Dossier,” 44.

redemption is both accomplished and applied.95

The imparting of the Spirit is both an outpouring and indwelling96 which manifests the

glory of God. J. Bentivegna notes, “It endows man with the same principle of eternal life that

caused the humanity of Jesus Christ to rise from the dead and be assumed into heaven,”97

whereby he becomes more and more accustomed to “receive and bear God”98 and begins to live

unto God as a spiritual man; one who belongs to God in body, soul and spirit. The Spirit exerts a

powerful influence on the spiritual man, whereby the weakness of the flesh is absorbed by the

strength of the Spirit enabling him to put to death the works of the flesh. There is an outward

display that gives witness to the presence of the Spirit: walking in obedience to Christ and the

newness of life.99 To continue to embrace the Spirit increases God’s fruitfulness in one’s life.

One’s character and lifestyle continue to change. He becomes more Christ-like and bears

witness that he is God’s possession.100

As the Head of the Church, Christ governs through the Spirit who appoints leaders

(apostles, prophets, teachers) and freely distributes gifts as He determines.101 These gifts exist in

the Church for the well-being of the Body.102 The gifts of the Spirit are not accessories that the

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96 Bentivegna, “The Charismatic Dossier,” 47-49.

97 Ibid., 49.


99 Irenaeus Against Heresies 5.9.1-4.

100 Irenaeus Against Heresies 5.10.1-2. Irenaeus speaks of the change that occurs in the believer’s life. Arguing against dualism, he insists that the flesh is redeemed by the Spirit. The Spirit enables a person to do the works of the Spirit. In the end, God will remove all things that are contrary to His will. See Against Heresies 5.12.1-4.

101 Irenaeus Against Heresies 2.30.8; 3.14.2; 4.14.2. Cf. Bentivegna, “The Charismatic Dossier,” 46.

102 Irenaeus Against Heresies 4.20.7; 5.6.1.

Church can live without. They are a necessity since the Church is “watered” by them.103 Only

the wretched and heretics set them aside.104 The gifts of the Spirit exist as a result of salvation

and through them men “bear fruit of life to God.”105

Ireneaus acknowledges that in his day counterfeit workings of the Spirit existed, such

as claims of prophetic revelations, healings and other miracles.106 However, he also testifies to

the genuine works of the Spirit taking place in the community which he pastored. He writes:

Wherefore, also, those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform [miracles], so as to promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift which each one has received from Him. For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe [in Christ], and join themselves to the Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for years. And what shall I more say? It is not possible to name the number of gifts which the Church, [scattered] throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ.”107

Irenaeus pays particular attention to the gift of prophecy.108 He states that it is a

divinely apportioned gift. Only God confers it upon men according to His will and pleasure.

Those who possess this gift are to speak only what, where and when God directs. Therefore, no

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107 Irenaeus Against Heresies 2.32.4. Cf. 2.32.5.

108 The gift of prophecy may also include the gift of tongues, interpretation and words of knowledge. See Against Heresies 5.6.1, where Irenaeus mentions persons “who possess prophetic gifts, and through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God.” Cf. M. Parmentier, “The Gifts of the Spirit in Early Christianity,” in The Impact of Scripture in Early Christianity, eds. J. Den Boeft and M.L. Van Poll-Van De Lisdonk (Leiden: Brill, 1999), 70-71. Irenaeus’ emphasis on prophecy may have been due to Marcus the magician living in the district of the Rhone. Marcus claimed he had the gift of prophecy and commanded it at will. He used his “gift” to exploit wealthy women. Cf. Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. “Irenaeus and ‘Prophetic Gifts,” in Essays on Apostolic Themes, ed. Paul Elbert (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1985), 105-106.

human initiative is involved. The possessor of the gift is to remain in a state of subjection to God

when exercising this gift.109

Irenaeus held that the presence of the Spirit was found only in the Church, and the

Church is only found where the Spirit is present. To be outside of the Church was to be devoid

of the Spirit and separated from His gifts and workings. Those who make up the Church,

however, have received a portion of God’s Spirit. This is an earnest, a deposit, part of what God

promised and what prepares man for eternity with God.110

Conclusion

It has been suggested the Irenaeus’ pneumatology is “a great advance on all earlier

Christian teaching outside the canon.”111 While this is true, Irenaeus’ emphasis on the Spirit had

a remarkable influence on the Church well beyond his own day. What later became a fully

developed doctrine of the Holy Spirit was “present in Irenaeus in . . . embryonic form, and

therefore present in its potential.”112 His fight with the false teachers of his own day was in

certain respects as brutal as the martyrdom of members of his flock in Southern Gaul. To him

and his congregation, the work of the Holy Spirit was profoundly active. Their dependence on

the Spirit to fight and die for Christ and the truth concerning the Supreme God is a reminder to

the present day Church of where Her strength lies - the Holy Spirit. His presence sustains and

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109 Irenaeus Against Heresies 1.13.4. It is likely that Irenaeus would apply these points to the other gifts as well. Robeck suggests that Irenaeus may have had a list of criteria to determine whether prophecy was genuine. First, what is the character or fruit of the person claiming the gift? Second, is the gift received from God or commanded by men? Third, what is the content of the prophecy? Is it consistent with the “Rule of Faith/” Robeck, “Irenaeus,” 106.


111 Swete, The Holy Spirit, 92.

112 MacKenzie, Irenaeus’s Demonstration of Apostolic Preaching, 83.

comforts the Church, His gifts empower and nourish the Church, and His wisdom and

understanding confounds the world. He remains “living water” who quenches the thirst of

Christ’s Church. And so, concerning the Spirit, Ireneaus reminds us:

We do receive a certain portion of His Spirit, tending towards perfection, and preparing us for incorruption, being little by little accustomed to receive and bear God; which also the apostle terms “an earnest,” that is, a part of the honour which has been promised us by God . . ., “believing in which we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance.” This earnest, therefore, thus dwelling in us, renders us spiritual even now, and the mortal is swallowed up by immortality. “For ye,” he declares, “are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.” . . . If therefore, at the present time, having the earnest, we do cry, “Abba, Father,” what shall it be when, on rising again, we behold Him face to face; when all the members shall burst out into a continuous hymn of triumph, glorifying Him who raised them from the dead, and gave the gift of eternal life? For if the earnest, gathering man into itself, does even now cause him to cry, “Abba, Father,” what shall the complete grace of the Spirit effect, which shall be given to men by God? It will render us like unto Him, and accomplish the will of the Father; for it shall make man after the image and likeness of God.113

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113 Irenaeus Against Heresies 5.8.1. This is a beatific vision of God experienced by one who has received the Spirit and thereafter looks forward to the consummation of all things in Christ. See also 4.20.6. Morgan-Wynne, Holy Spirit and Religious Experience, 196.

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